Island Technology announces the launch of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Direct Grid Technologies, LLC. The new company will manufacture leading-edge solar micro-inverters for residential and commercial photovoltaic (PV) applications. Island Technology is a leading manufacturer of electric utility
products and services. Direct Grid is a natural progression of Island Technology's heritage and today takes its expertise to the solar market for "direct grid" tied solutions…and thus the origin of the company name.
The investment by Island Technology into this emerging market enables
Direct Grid to swiftly move forward with manufacturing, key
partnerships and commercial launch.
The main thrust of Direct Grid is an innovative, patent-pending,
closed loop MOSFET planar micro-inverter design made specifically for
thin-film type PV modules. The cost effective solution significantly
increases micro-inverter reliability and efficiency.
"Today's PV systems can be unreliable and complex. We aim to leapfrog
the competition currently in the marketplace and offer customers a
true modular micro-inverter that permits scalable freedom," stated
Frank Cooper, president of Direct Grid.
"While the growth of the solar industry is undisputed, a need still
exists to bring the costs of a PV system down to a reasonable level
that enables residential installations on a larger scale. We are
excited with our micro-inverter approach and believe we have a market
disruptive solution that will also help realize the 'do-it-yourself'
goal," added Cooper.
At the Solar Power International conference in late October, the
company plans to initially launch the OEM Series and SMART Series
micro-inverters for thin-film PV manufacturers and original equipment
manufacturers interested in offering turnkey systems. The OEM Series
will consist of a stand-alone unit that incorporates state-of-the-art
technology and converts DC to AC, enabling 200 or 300 watt power
generation for direct connection on the grid. The SMART Series shall
incorporate additional communication functionality to enable theft
prevention and remote monitoring via a separate web-based user
interface or phone application. Both the OEM Series and SMART Series
offer safeguards in the event of power outages and fire. First product
shipments are expected in the fourth quarter 2009.
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