GE links with Looop to pilot 1.5kV inverter technology in Japan
US power technology giant GE is supplying utility-scale 1.5kV inverters to solar developer Looop as part of a pilot project spearheading take-up in Japan of a technology expected to soon become dominant in the global PV sector.
Two of GE's 1MW LV5 inverters will be wired in for demonstrator, slated for switch on next year in Ibaraki, becoming the first 1.5kV technology installed in the country.
"In becoming the first 1.5kV PV systems' builder and owner in Japan, partnering with GE, who has been at the forefront of introducing this technology to the global solar industry, we are confident we will help the Japanese solar industry leap forward into a new era," says Looop president Soichiro Nakamura.
Next-generation 1.5kV inverters are seen as an improvement over the current market standard 1kV units as they can handle higher DC voltage, allowing for engineering-out of a number of electrical components, and reducing the infrastructure, deployment and running costs of a solar plant.
Researcher GTM expects 1.5kV will eventually be the core technology for about 93% of solar power plants worldwide.
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