--28MW Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant Uses 100MWh DC-Coupled Energy Storage

Ampt LLC ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2387033-1&h=4048766640&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ampt.com%2F&a=Ampt+LLC 
) , the world's #1 DC optimizer company for large-scale photovoltaic (PV) 
systems, today announced Ampt String Optimizers are powering a record-breaking 
PV peaker power plant that has 28 megawatts (MW) of solar PV and 100 
megawatt-hours (MWh) of DC-coupled energy storage. Ampt String Optimizers are 
DC/DC converters that are used in the PV array to lower the cost and improve 
the performance of utility-scale PV+storage systems.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/653544/Ampt_logo.jpg

The Lâwa'i Solar and Energy Storage Project in Hawaii, which completed in 
January, became the world's largest operational solar PV+storage peaker plant 
and is responsible for delivering 11% of Kauai's power while providing mission 
critical grid support during peak demand periods. The completion of this system 
allows the utility to deliver up to 40% of the island's evening peak power 
using stored solar energy.

To meet the demanding operational needs of a clean energy peaker plant while 
being cost competitive, the project developer chose to use a DC-coupled storage 
architecture based on Ampt String Optimizers for its cost and performance 
advantages. DC-coupled energy storage systems charge batteries using energy 
from the DC solar array rather than the AC grid. 

Ampt String Optimizers decrease the total cost of the entire power plant. 
Ampt's unique features lower the cost of all the power electronics, including 
the inverter and battery converter, and save in electrical wiring of the PV 
array. 

Moreover, Ampt String Optimizers maximize the performance of the PV system by 
managing power on each string of PV modules rather than across the whole array 
at a central point. This increased granularity mitigates system degradation to 
deliver more lifetime energy. DC-coupled storage systems based on Ampt operate 
at a higher efficiency and capture energy that would otherwise be lost.

The power plant includes the wireless communication feature of Ampt optimizers 
to enhance operations and maintenance (O&M) effectiveness with high-accuracy 
synchronous string-level data.

"The Lâwa'i project sets the standard for PV+storage system design," said 
Levent Gun, CEO of Ampt. "We are pleased that Ampt technology played a key role 
in achieving this industry milestone and we look forward to being part of 
follow-on projects in Hawaii."

About Ampt

Ampt delivers innovative power conversion and communication technology that 
provides system level optimization of PV power plants. As the world's number 
one optimizer company for large-scale systems, Ampt serves the global solar 
market with award winning products. The company is headquartered in Fort 
Collins, Colorado and has sales and support locations in North America, Europe, 
and Japan as well as representation in Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle 
East. Along with our strategic partners in the HDPV Alliance ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2387033-1&h=1482318984&u=http%3A%2F%2Fhdpv.org%2F&a=HDPV+Alliance 
), Ampt is lowering the cost of solar energy. For more information, visit 
www.ampt.com.

SOURCE: Ampt LLC

CONTACT: Ampt, Shigeki Kondo or Mark Kanjorski, Ampt, LLC, info@ampt.com