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SolarEdge’s new HD-Wave Inverter is a giant leap for Tesla’s Powerwall and the greater solar market

SolarEdge announced a significant upgrade to their smart inverter line this today called “HD-Wave” which will have a profound impact on the solar industry. Further followup from SolarEdge yields a nice (HDWave PDF) Deck as well outlining some of the bigger upgrades.

Storedge-powerwall

In short, SolarEdge has done for the inverter (a critical piece of the solar ecosystem which turns DC powered Solar/Wind/hydro electricity into AC which is used by homes and long poweline distance travel) what flat panels did for the TV just a decade or so ago.  The new technology uses 16 times fewer magnets, smaller thin film capacitors and much less cooling to yield a 99% efficient power transformation. That not only makes solar installs less expensive, more productive and easier, it makes Tesla’s Powerwall a whole lot smaller…

Tesla and SolarEdge are working together on implementing the Powerwall, which in itself is a bunch of batteries and electronics attached to a wall. To get that battery into your home, and to get power to that battery, charge needs to come from somewhere. SolarEdge’s 350V Inverter seems like the perfect match there. With a 2-3x reduction in size and heat space, a whole lot less needs to be added to the Powerwall making them much more portable units.

In addition SolarEdge’s HD Wave inverters have a direct power out running at 1500W (much like SMA inverters) giving direct access to solar panels during a grid down event.

We’re interviewing SolarEdge’s CEO later this week and will have much more on this development.

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Comments

  1. energystorageblog - 9 years ago

    Looks like they’ve managed to improve conversion efficiency, but the analogy of tube TVs to LED seems misleading. The difference between 98% and 99% conversion efficiency is helpful, yes, but not a step change like LED has been for TVs. I appreciate the aspirational marketing though. The size/weight difference could be helpful for mobile/RV/marine applications, but not essential for stationary/home. It’s great to see the advancements continuing, but unfortunately power electronics don’t follow Moore’s Law. Claiming they’ve made a “giant leap” and that they will have a “profound effect” on the industry, when they’ve made incremental (but none-the-less important) improvements, seems like a stretch.

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Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites. Tesla Model 3, X and Chevy Bolt owner…5 ebikes and counting