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388 SolarMax string inverters for 6MW plant in northern Germany


With 388 15MT2 inverters, the Neuenbrook solar park near Hamburg is among the largest decentralized PV plants ever built using SolarMax string inverters

Biel, 06 February 2014 – In cooperation with the project planning company actensys GmbH, the Swiss company Sputnik Engineering implemented a solar park with a total power output of 6MW using 388 SolarMax 15MT2 inverters. This makes the Neuenbrook plant one of the largest PV installations ever built using SolarMax MT inverters. In total, 22,623 solar modules were installed. The solar power plant is located in the Kremper Heide near Hamburg, covers a surface area of 11.4 hectares, and has been supplying clean power to 1,400 households since December 2013.

The Neuenbrook solar park was built after a long and high-yield period. Both highly efficient modules and high-quality inverters are used to guarantee the planned annual yield of 5,670.8MWh in the long run. For that reason, the project planning company decided to use a large number of string inverters instead of central inverters usually used for projects of this magnitude. This way, the decentralized large-scale plant offers the advantage of extraordinary availability, since fewer modules are affected adversely in the event of an incident and yield losses are as low as possible. Faulty string inverters can be replaced quickly and easily.

The three-phase MT2 inverters are equipped with two MPP trackers; their increased input current of 18A per tracker makes them ideally suited for use with high-efficiency modules. Furthermore, they are characterized by a lightweight and compact design and therefore can be mounted quickly and easily, even on site. The high efficiency of 98 percent ensures maximum yields on a permanent basis.

“The topic of high efficiency was in focus when planning and implementing the Neuenbrook PV plant. All components are geared to each other ideally and form a perfect symbiosis,” says Mathias Mader, managing director of actensys GmbH, summarizing the plant concept. “Quality and reliability played a decisive role during component selection. Since SolarMax is a long-standing partner, we immediately knew that the inverters would meet this requirement.”

Pierre Kraus, sales manager for the southern area of Sputnik Engineering AG, adds: “actensys and SolarMax share the same values: quality and service. Both are very important when planning and installing plants which are designed to operate for far more than 20 years and whose performance should remain constant from the first day of operation during the entire service life. In order to ensure the high quality standard in all output ranges, the team of actensys GmbH has highly qualified employees who adapt the projects ideally to the needs of their customers and advise them according to the latest technology. We very much appreciate the devotedness and extraordinary service of this partner.”

About SolarMax

Sputnik Engineering AG, a Swiss company, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of grid-connected solar inverters. Under the brand name of SolarMax, the company has been developing, producing, and selling inverters for every area of use for more than 20 years – from photovoltaic systems on detached houses with moderate kilowatt output to solar power plants whose output is measured in megawatts. The inverter is a key component of a PV plant, transforming the generated direct current into grid-compliant alternating current. 20 years of experience are reflected in the Swiss quality, highest efficiency, reliability, and durability of the SolarMax products, to name just a few of their advantages. Furthermore, the company offers its customers excellent international support in after sales, comprehensive warranty services, and intelligent solutions for system monitoring.

About actensys
“actensys GmbH – active energy systems” stands for innovative, sustainable energy solutions. The growing company managed by Mathias Mader, CEO, and Wolfgang Bresser, CFO, was founded as an engineering office for photovoltaics in 2008. In the meantime, branch offices in Weilheim, Schlins (AT), and Sennwald (CH) were added to the headquarters in Ellzee, a building with high energy efficiency. actensys GmbH’s area of competence covers energy generation from renewable sources, but also intelligent building networking and energy management, as well as integrative use of energy.

High levels of quality, innovation and foresight, together with short response times – all of this forms the “green connecting thread” when planning, implementing, and servicing roof-mounted plants and solar parks, as well as confronting energy management challenges.