Xantrex versus Sunny Boy [RE-wrenches]

Kent Sheldon kentsheldon at sbcglobal.net
Sun Aug 31 10:14:25 PDT 2003


The SC125 was created for the very large PV systems being installed by utility companies to fulfill their green power portfolios. They generally install MW size plants in remote locations, so real estate, orientation, access, etc. is not an issue. We also realize some installers prefer to use one inverter to keep initial installation costs as low as possible, which IMHO is a poor strategy.

Regarding the crossover point between SC and SB inverters, I think the SC125 will be better than Sunny Boys when you have a commercial installation with 500kW up to MW of PV in the same orientation and configuration. I have always been a proponent of inverter redundancy, even when I was working at X-Co. If any of you asked my opinion then, I would recommend 4-10X inverter redundancy on any system for the same reasons stated previously in this thread.

I disagree with Bill's positions that SB's cannot come close on cost. For some reason the punch line from SNL's Point-Counterpoint with Chevy & Jane comes to mind. Jane.... you are not considering the after-sales cost benefits that the SMA products offer. Nor do I agree with his assessment of overall system efficiency being equal. Instantaneous operating efficiencies will be similar, but the external isolation transformer will consume the equivalent of 6-10% (transformer dependent) of produced PV energy when the inverter is off-line. Remember, VAR is current, being charged to the customer, just like Watts. Figure out how much it would cost to add that much more PV to offset the night-time transformer losses. I recently ran some numbers on a 112kW system, and came to $45K worth of PV, installed cost, using a relatively efficient external isolation transformer.

Best regards,



___________________________________
Kent Sheldon
Projects Manager, Industrial Power Systems
SMA America, Inc.
530 273 4895 ext 107

>>> Joel Davidson<joeldavidson at earthlink.net> 7/31/2003 8:49:37 AM >>>
Would someone from SMA tell us when the SunnyCentral is a better choice than
multiple SunnyBoys?

"ASAP POWER!" wrote:

> We looked at the situation, made a lot of calls, and poured a lot of thought
> into a 399kW array and we came up with 190 SB2500's.  It worked better for
> all the BOS involved as well.  I'm also curious about the SunnyCentral 125
> 480VAC unit where applicable, but I'm not sure if that's even available and
> have only looked at some prelim info.  Anyone have experience with that
> unit?  I guess it's not in the states yet.  In any case, SB's up to a MW+
> arrays?  Why not?  That's what they're designed to do for all the right
> reasons.
>
> Peter D.
> ASAP POWER!/1AU-PV

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