ADVANCED ENERGY® ANNOUNCES STAINLESS STEEL PV INVERTERS FOR CORROSIVE MARINE APPLICATIONS

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEIS), today introduced its stainless steel PV Powered commercial PV inverter line and announced that it has been selected to power a 787-kilowatt project at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in Kekaha, Hawaii. The project was awarded to Advanced Energy (AE) by Maui Solar Energy Systems, a leading solar integrator, who will construct the project.

In tropical, marine environments like Hawaii, that generate sea-salt moisture that can damage sensitive electronics systems,  AE’s stainless steel inverters are ideal to accommodate a 20+ year project life, without added maintenance. The new stainless steel option is the perfect complement to a product that already sets the industry standard for high reliability, ease of installation and lifetime maintainability. The PV Powered stainless steel inverter offers a wide range of inverter sizes, including 50kW, 75kW, 100kW and 260kW, allowing optimal design flexibility.

“We have preferred PV Powered commercial inverters due to their robust design, integrated features that allow for an easy installation, and standard 10-year warranty. Since the U.S. Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), began requiring stainless steel for all PV projects from racking to inverters, the new PV Powered stainless steel option enables us to use our preferred inverters and meet NAVFAC’s demanding specifications,” said John Bews, president at Maui Solar Energy Systems. “We look forward to working with Advanced Energy on this project as well as future projects throughout the state of Hawaii and the Pacific theater.”

Construction of the PMRF project is currently in progress and will be completed by July 2011. In addition to the project at PMRF, Maui Solar has installed a PV Powered 260kW inverter at a PV installation at Pearl Harbor. Both projects further highlight the U.S. Navy’s commitment to lead the country’s military into renewable-energy generation using U.S. manufactured products.

“Our stainless steel inverter line delivers the solution our customers need for challenging marine applications where the ultimate in corrosion protection is needed. As with all of Advanced Energy’s solutions, the new line continues our heritage of setting the industry standard for both efficiency and reliability,” said Gregg Patterson, executive vice president and general manager of Advanced Energy Renewables. “We look forward to working with Maui Solar Energy Systems on this project and are honored to be a part of the U.S. Navy’s effort to utilize clean, renewable energy.”  

Advanced Energy’s renewables business is driving the adoption of solar by lowering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for its customers. By providing reliable, easy-to-install Solaron® and PV Powered™ inverters and SiteGuard® whole-site O&M services, AE enables utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar project developers to maximize the lifetime value of their power plants. Customers count on AE as a trusted partner leveraging 30 years of innovation leadership and global services infrastructure for optimum project performance. For more information on Advanced Energy’s inverter solutions, please visit www.advanced-energy.com/renewables.

­­­About Advanced Energy

Advanced Energy (Nasdaq: AEIS) is a global leader in innovative power and control technologies for high-growth, thin-film manufacturing and solar-power generation. Founded in 1981, Advanced Energy is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado with dedicated support and service locations around the world. For more information, go to www.advanced-energy.com.

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