DC optimizer company Ampt has released the i50 String Optimizer for utility-scale solar and large solar + storage projects. The i50 String Optimizer builds on the technology of Ampt’s i32 String Optimizer to deliver higher power and design flexibility.
Ampt String Optimizers are DC/DC converters that deliver full available power from the PV array at a high and fixed voltage. The higher voltage allows the entire system to operate at a lower current for a given power to reduce the cost and quantity of electrical components such as cables, energy storage systems, inverters and transformers. The i50 optimizer provides further cost savings by enabling fewer solar trackers per megawatt in the system.
Ampt’s predictable DC bus voltage also simplifies battery and inverter controls to improve grid responsiveness of the power plant. In addition, the optimizers perform maximum power point tracking (MPPT) on each input to maximize lifetime production and include wireless monitoring to improve O&M.
The i50 optimizer has an output power of up to 70 kW which allows a single optimizer to be deployed on each solar tracker. By accommodating higher input currents, paralleled strings of PV modules and flexible string lengths, system designers can maximize the utilization of each solar tracker without the typical string sizing constraints in systems without Ampt.
Well-suited for diverse applications, the i50 features enhanced capabilities for utility-scale solar power plants that use high-power PV modules and solar trackers, and opens new opportunities for system owners and developers to lower the total cost of PV power plants.
“As renewable energy projects accelerate across the globe, we’re committed to continually innovating our offering to ensure project owners and developers make the most out of their investments while increasing access to clean, reliable and resilient energy for all,” said Levent Gun, Ampt CEO. “We’re proud to present the new i50 String Optimizer to the market, which is designed to improve the economics of today’s largest, most advanced PV power plants and solar + storage systems.”
News item from Ampt
