String inverters: Technical progress and application status
As deployment expands across residential rooftops, commercial and industrial systems, and large-scale ground plants, string inverters are evolving at an unprecedented pace. This article reviews the key technology trends and application developments shaping the market as we move into 2025.
String inverter for commercial solar installations
SMA’s Sunny Tripower CORE2 110 kW string inverter with a flexible design allows up to 150% oversizing of the solar PV array.
Modular central inverter for large-scale solar plants
SMA has introduced Sunny Highpower PEAK3 modular central inverter for large-scale solar PV power plants with a decentralized architecture and system voltages of 1,500 V DC. With its compact design, the inverter offers a high power density per device.
Fraunhofer ISE presents silicon carbide string inverter for medium-voltage applications
Fraunhofer ISE researchers claim the new silicon carbide inverter is technically able to handle voltage levels of up to 1,500 V at 250 kVA in utility scale solar power plants.
Sofar signs inverter supply contract for 100 MW solar project in India
The Chinese manufacturer will ship its 255KTL-HV string inverters for Velan Infra’s 100 MW solar power project in Tamil Nadu.
Commercial and industrial solar inverter from Havells
Noida-based electrical equipment company Havells has unveiled a 100 kW string inverter for commercial and industrial-scale solar installation. The inverter has an efficiency of 98.7%. It features ten maximum power point tracking (MPPT) inputs, with MPPT voltage ranging from 500-850 V.
Solar-plus-storage at a hilltop ashram
Loom Solar has installed a solar plus storage system at a small ashram in the hills of Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. The system comprises 6x440W Shark Super high-efficiency PV panels, a 5kWh (100Ah/51.2V) Atom lithium battery, and a 5kVA high-frequency design (string) inverter.
Australian solar installer receives unexpected response from customers after switching exclusively to microinverters
Solar installer Jake Warner has received surprising feedback from his customers after he chose to transition his company, Penrith Solar, exclusively to microinverters two months ago. “What I found is actually the opposite to what I expected,” Warner told pv magazine Australia.
Sungrow unveils 325 kW string inverter
The device will go into mass production in the second half of this year. It features an efficiency of 99.01% and is claimed to be the most powerful string inverter ever launched on the market to date.
Solar inverters vs. cyberattacks
A U.S. research group is now developing new inverters to protect solar installations from cyberattacks. The researchers also aim to create new cybersecurity standards. Professor Alan Mantooth, the group’s research coordinator, said that inverters can be shut down if they are hacked, or contribute to grid instability and result in the overcharging of batteries, while potentially creating problems that we still don’t know how to address.
