The RPS450-TL photovoltaic inverter from Bonfiglioli is a solar industry first as a modular solar power inverter system. It was released at the Solar Power International show in Anaheim, CA in October.

"The RPS450-TL represents the latest in solar inverter technology," says Greg Schulte, president and CEO of Bonfiglioli USA. "The unit offers distinct advantages over other forms of solar technology, including critical improvements to overall efficiency, energy harvesting and financial returns."          

The modular construction of the RPS450-TL combines all components of a solar power inverter in one unit including UL1741 construction and performance, fast response, maximum power point tracking, power plant monitoring and high reliability. They system integrates string combiner boxes, monitoring and a data logger with 24-hour access to solar energy sites and allows operators to identify maintenance issues. A high-efficiency ratio improves the overall inverter performance and maximizes power generation.

The heart of the inverter is a power electronic building block with an onboard controller (PEBB) that provides a simple, reliable inverter and improves uptime. The ‘plug and play' concept allows owners to stock spare PEBB modules as opposed to the entire inverter, so training is only required on a singular design, improving maintenance productivity.

Ideal applications range between 30kWp and 1MWp, "So it's a very large product range," Schulte says. "Our inverter efficiency is at 99 percent. It provides the market with the highest available max point power tracking of any other inverter manufacturers out there."