OutBack Power Technologies, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of power electronics for renewable energy, backup power and mobile applications, showcased its newest Grid/Hybrid PV systems at the NECA Show, September 27 to 30 in Chicago. With its award-winning Radian family of inverters, energy storage technology, AC-coupling upgrade solution, and complete UL-1741 rated systems, OutBack Power delivers next-generation solar for residential, commercial and municipal users, and provides solar upgrade opportunities for electrical contractors, allowing them to get involved in this growing industry without the hassle of installing new solar panels on customer rooftops.
Electrical contractors have great upgrade opportunity since nearly all of the more than 300,000 residential solar installations and the vast majority of commercial ones in the U.S. today are simple grid-tied systems, which means they can save users money when the sun’s shining—and that’s it. Users still must rely on grid electricity at night. And during an outage, they are without power just like everyone else, as many owners of solar-equipped homes on the East Coast discovered after Superstorm Sandy, which left literally millions of watts “up on the roof” and unusable by the affected residents below. By adding energy storage to these systems, solar users are able to store the surplus energy they create for times when energy prices are at their peak, when the sun is down, or in the event of a power outage.
“Energy insecurity plus changes in utility and government incentive policies means that smart, hybrid systems with energy storage capabilities is a long-term, fast-growth area,” said Harvey Wilkinson, general manager at OutBack Power. “Solar-equipped homes in the U.S. equal greater than 8,000 megawatts of installed solar electric capacity. This installed market presents a promising upgrade opportunity for Grid/Hybrid technology and is a great point of entry into the solar business for electricians.”
OutBack Power has been focusing on PV/solar power conversion systems that go far beyond grid-tied systems and deliver clean, reliable electricity 24/7. This technology is behind OutBack’s AC-coupling package, which adds smart-grid and electricity storage capabilities to any PV/solar electric system without requiring solar panel work.
“As a business, it is exactly in the ‘sweet spot’ of electrical contractors,” said Mark Cerasuolo, director of marketing and training. “The electrician upgrades the existing solar electric system with a second, smarter inverter/charger and a battery bank for energy storage. All the work is done near the electrical panel, integrating the AC-coupling upgrade into the existing system. OutBack Power’s AC-coupling systems make it easy for electricians to add solar to their business and provide greater, long-term value for their customers.”
The power behind solar for contractors
OutBack Power products and systems are preferred by “fault-intolerant” users around the globe because of their industry-leading reliability, durability and proven performance. Backed by world-class support and an acclaimed, NABCEP accredited Certificate Training Program, the electrical contractor community can enter the solar market with confidence with the OutBack Power brand. Some of the benefits OutBack Power offers include: