For PV projects in the US and Canada SMA Solar Technology AG introduces the UL listed Sunny Central CP-US featuring 1,000 VDC Maximum System Voltage and integrated grid management. The newest inverters in SMA’s Sunny Central family the Sunny Central 500 / 630 / 720 / 750 / 800 CP-US, are now available for utility and commercial applications. The inverter series is the most cost-effective and efficient inverter line of its power classes.

“With Sunny Central CP-US we have developed an economic and versatile central inverter, which can be deployed in a broad range of applications”, explains Jeanette Klockgether, Executive Vice President (Sales & Marketing) Power Plant Solutions at SMA Solar Technology AG. “Its CEC record efficiency, UL listing and unique feature set means developers can utilize this solution for both commercial and utility scale applications.”

The SMA inverters also offer industry leading CEC inverter efficiencies up to 98.5 percent and peak efficiencies up to 98.7 percent, the highest in the utility-scale power class. It delivers full nominal power at ambient temperatures up to 50 °C and 10 percent additional power for continuous operation at ambient temperatures up to 25 percent. Sunny Central CP-US inverters are equipped with an outdoor enclosure featuring SMA’s patented OptiCool technology, which enhances system performance and durability and simplifies installation.

The CP-US inverters are among the first to be UL listed at 1,000 VDC, allowing them to be installed in both behind-the-fence utility-scale projects as well as outside-the-fence commercial systems where listed products are required by NEC. They also feature an integrated AC disconnect in compliance with NEC 2011 requirements.

The Sunny Central CP-US is also available in a UL listed, ungrounded array option which is able to continuously detect ground faults on both the positive and negative conductors. The flexibility of the Sunny Central CP-US series will appeal to solar professionals who need a solution for installations that vary in scale. Multiple power classes offer exceptional flexibility when sizing a system.

The inverters feature advanced grid management functions including reactive power supply, frequency-dependent active power limitation, and low voltage ride through. When paired with an external step-up transformer, the Sunny Central CP-US can be interconnected either at medium voltage through the utility distribution grid or at low voltage to three-phase commercial services.

They are also compatible with SMA’s Medium Voltage (MV) Power Platform and Power Plant Controller for utility-scale applications. Northland Power Inc. is currently installing MV Power Platforms equipped with Sunny Central CP-US inverters for a project in Ontario, Canada, which will total 130 MW upon completion.