This momentum is driven by rapidly falling costs of lithium-ion battery manufacturing and state incentives or mandates for increased storage penetration. Ultimately, solar plus storage relies on the successful integration and communication between all system components. SolarEdge offers a solution to seamlessly integrate solar and high-voltage Li-ion batteries for backup power and local energy management.
The SolarEdge StorEdge system DC couples the solar array and energy storage to a common dual-role inverter. By maintaining a high voltage DC connection between the PV modules and the battery the StorEdge inverter hits 98% maximum efficiency. In other DC coupled systems the incoming PV voltage might be limited to 150VDC. Efficiency is compromised in marrying a 12, 24 or 48V battery bank. Similarly, AC coupled systems perform AC/DC conversions multiple times in the path from the PV modules to the batteries to loads, again, compromising overall system efficiency.
The StorEdge SE7600A-US inverter is sold as two models, a high power output version and a lower output option. Both can accommodate approximately 10.2kW DC of solar input with a rated continuous power output of 7.6kW AC. Under backup power conditions, both models offer 5kW AC of continuous output with a 6.6kW AC surge.
Where the two models differ is the continuous power that can be drawn from the battery. The low power version was designed to work with the Tesla Powerwall 1. This unit will draw a max current of 8.5A for a continuous battery power of 3.3kW DC. The high power version is designed to work with the new LG Chem RESU battery line. This unit draws a max of 17.5A for a continuous battery power of 6.6kW DC.
The StorEdge system is capable of a host of advanced energy management operations. The Smart Energy Management features can be summarized as export control, time of use shifting and self-consumption. Although each of these functions has a nuanced role in energy management, they all serve to maximize the value and resultant saving from a home or business owner’s solar and energy storage resources. The StorEdge system can also provide demand response controls and peak shaving capabilities for grid stability. To enable this functionality from the StorEdge inverter the SolarEdge meter is required.
For projects requiring backup power the Auto Transformer from SolarEdge is a required component. This unit acts as a transfer switch, seamlessly sending PV and battery energy to the home’s backup (critical loads) panel.
To configure your StorEdge / LG Chem storage system, contact your Greentech Renewables account manager today.