SMA has been chosen to supply 700 MW of central inverters for seven utility-scale PV plants in California. Swinerton Renewable Energy—a San Diego-based engineering, procurement and construction company—selected the Sunny Central 2200-US, one of SMA’s newest utility-scale solutions, for all of the systems. SMA will deliver the 317 inverters as construction commences.
The first project—the 108 MW AC Springbok 1 Solar Farm in Kern County, California—is already under construction. All of the systems, which range from 50 to 150 MW each, are expected to be complete in 2016.
“We are honored to help Swinerton bring such a significant amount of PV to California,” said Marko Wittich, SMA executive vice president of sales for the Americas region. “The Sunny Central 2200-US is part of our most technologically advanced central inverter line and will provide the reliability and efficiency that these utility-scale systems require.”
The Sunny Central 2200-US was specifically designed for the U.S. market and is fully UL certified. Boasting 2,200 kVA of output power at 1,000 VDC, it offers the industry’s highest power density and market-leading efficiency, minimizing the total installed cost while maximizing the energy production of the power plant. The Sunny Central 2200-US reduces installation and transportation costs with up to four inverters fitting in a standard shipping container or on a flat-bed truck. It also provides grid management and ancillary services such as Q-on-Demand, permitting usage in a variety of large-scale applications.
Enabling even more efficient PV power plant design, the flexibility of the Sunny Central 2200-US allows for implementation with any module while providing the highest DC-to-AC design ratio in the industry and nominal power operation from -25 to 50 C.
The Sunny Central 2200-US is also highly integrated with standard DC and AC disconnects, self-derived control power, options for various managed network switch configurations, and an optional NEC 2014 compliant DC recombiner, dramatically increasing the speed to energization. It also offers integrated zone monitoring and on-board 120 VAC auxiliary power for miscellaneous loads. The included customer installation area provides an ideal environment for integration of SCADA equipment, if required.
Suitable for any outdoor climate around the globe, the Sunny Central 2200-US is equipped with OptiCool®, a proven air-cooling technology that ensures smooth operation under extreme environmental conditions.
“SMA offers the highest quality, most reliable products in the industry,” said George Hershman, vice president and general manager of Swinerton Renewable Energy. “We are pleased to partner with them and deliver a significant portfolio of projects for our clients and clean, reliable energy throughout the U.S.”
