SolarBridge Technologies (SolarBridge) is a provider of

solar micro-inverter A solar inverter or photovoltaic (PV) inverter is a type of power inverter which converts the variable direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic solar panel into a utility frequency alternating current (AC) that can be fed into a commercial ...

solar inverter A solar inverter or photovoltaic (PV) inverter is a type of power inverter which converts the variable direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic solar panel into a utility frequency alternating current (AC) that can be fed into a commercial ...

for photovoltaic arrays. These types of products aim to increase energy harvest and reliability while reducing the cost of solar installations and maintenance for residential and commercial markets. The company was acquired by solar panel manufacturer

SunPower SunPower is an American provider of photovoltaic solar energy generation systems and battery energy storage products, primarily for residential customers. The company, headquartered in San Jose, California, was founded in 1985 by Richard Sw ...

in autumn of 2014. In 2018 SunPower sold the former SolarBridge microinverter business to Enphase Energy.

History

SolarBridge was established in 2004 to bring to market power electronics technologies created at the University of Illinois. The company is

venture capital Venture capital (often abbreviated as VC) is a form of private equity financing that is provided by venture capital firms or funds to start-up company, startups, early-stage, and emerging companies that have been deemed to have high growth poten ...

backed, raising US$71 million to-date. Investors include Battery Ventures, Rho Ventures, and Osage University Partners.

Market overview

The solar industry is on a drive toward

grid parity Grid parity (or socket parity) occurs when an alternative energy source can generate power at a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) that is less than or equal to the price of power from the electricity grid. The term is most commonly used whe ...

, or, the point in time at which solar-generated electricity costs the same or less than utility-generated electricity. Many solar analysts predict that most major areas of the world will reach grid parity by 2015, although some are arguing that grid parity is already here in many areas. As solar module pricing continues to decrease,

balance of system The balance of system (BOS) encompasses all components of a photovoltaic system other than the photovoltaic panels. This includes wiring, switches, a mounting system, one or many solar inverters, a battery bank and battery charger. Other opti ...

(BOS) costs will represent an increasing portion of solar costs. As a result, pressure is mounting to produce lower cost, end-to-end solar energy solutions that are more reliable and simpler to use than existing systems. Utility-scale solar addresses only part of the world's growing energy needs. With significant environmental tradeoffs, utility-scale solar is capital-intensive and bankability is often a concern. Distributed, rooftop solar can be a significant piece of the renewable energy mix, particularly as module-integrated electronics such as microinverters enable the transition to lower cost, easy-to-use AC module solutions.

Products

The SolarBridge Pantheon microinverter is mounted directly on the solar panel to create a roof-ready AC module. Power conversion takes place directly on each module, rather than through the central or string inverter. SolarBridge microinverters are backed by a 25-year warranty. The SolarBridge Pantheon microinverter passed all tests required under the Underwriters Laboratories 1741 safety standard as certified by the

Canadian Standards Association The CSA Group (formerly the Canadian Standards Association; CSA) is a standards organization which develops standards in 57 areas. CSA publishes standards in print and electronic form, and provides training and advisory services. CSA is composed ...

(CSA) in early 2011.SolarBridge’s Pantheon PV microinverter achieves UL 1741 certification
. Staff. “SolarServer” 16 March 2011. SolarBridge works directly with module manufacturers to develop integrated AC modules for the North American market, which were commercially available in 2011.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:SolarBridge Photovoltaics manufacturers Companies established in 2004