GE Vernova Aims To Cut Utility-Scale Solar Costs With New Inverter
The solar industry has been driving down costs incrementally but consistently over the past decade. This has led to solar power becoming the most cost-competitive option for new power plants, which has led to solar power becoming the #1 source of new power capacity around the world. But that doesn’t mean the cost cutting has to stop!
GE Vernova notes that it was “the first to introduce the 1500 Vdc inverter to the market” way back in 2012. That inverter evolution was one thing that reduced costs by making solar farm layouts more efficient. Now, the company says it’s time for another step up. Yesterday, GE Vernova launched “its new 6 MVA, 2000-volt direct current utility-scale inverter, with a multi-megawatt pilot installation in North America.” The focus is all about bringing down costs.
Here’s the part that really grabbed my attention: “The inverter can boost power output by 30% within the same footprint, reducing costs and improving scalability for solar farms.” A 30% power output boost on the same piece of land means all kinds of savings.
“At GE Vernova, we are driving the next generation of utility-scale solar solutions,” says Ed Torres, Business Leader, GE Vernova Solar & Storage Solutions business. “Inverters are critical to increasing solar capacity and ensuring efficient energy conversion. Our latest innovations will help solar farms maximize output and reliability, playing a key role in meeting growing energy demands and advancing renewable energy adoption.”
They may not be as fun and cool as bifacial solar panels, agrivoltaics, floating solar power, BIPV, solar panels over train tracks and canals, or perovskite solar cells, but inverters are key elements of solar power systems, and bringing down their costs while boosting efficiency can be huge.
You can learn more about GE Vernova’s FLEXINVERTER 2000 here.
Regarding the solar farm that will debut GE Vernova’s new FLEXINVERTER 2000, a key partner on the project is Shoals Technologies Group, which will be providing the electrical balance of system solutions for the solar farm. An unnamed PV module supplier will provide the solar modules. The project is supposed to go into operation in Q1 2025.
“We’re thrilled to be part of this collaboration with other solar innovation leaders,” said Jeff Tolnar, President of Shoals Technologies Group. “We believe this effort moves the market towards an even lower cost of solar deployments which we anticipate will spur adoption and further advance solar as the most economical alternative to fossil fuels.”
The proof of the FLEXINVERTER 2000’s superior efficiency and cost competitiveness, of course, will come from GE Vernova’s order books. Will the company be able to sell the new inverter in high volumes? I assume so, but we’ll have to wait and see. Stay tuned for more updates from GE Vernova (or not — we’ll see what happens).
Images courtesy of GE Vernova.
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