SatCon Technology Corp. (Nasdaq NM: SATC), a leader in power products, announced today that it has delivered StarSine Power Conditioning Systems (PCS) to PowerLight Corp. and ZBB Energy Corp. as part of a collaborative effort to generate on-site clean, solar electricity. The 50 kilowatt distributed power system will be installed at a Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC) facility in Brooklyn, New York. The distributed power systems are being partially funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to promote clean, reliable power generation.
The photovoltaic panels, advanced battery, and StarSine PCSs will collectively work as a solar energy system to generate and store electricity in coordination with the utility grid. The system will offset peak power requirements during the week and use solar power to recharge during the weekend when consumption and power costs are much lower. The system will be tied to a ConEd urban network distribution system. SatCon believes that this concept for generating electricity in connection and cooperation with the grid is a model for the way electricity will be generated and used in the future.
"We’re pleased to be supplying our StarSine PCSs for this important demonstration of clean power generation using sunlight as the source of power," said David Eisenhaure, SatCon’s president and chief executive officer. "These distributed power systems are an important step to achieving the US federal government’s initiative to reduce dependence on hydro-carbon fuels and to secure domestic energy while reducing green-house gases. In today’s economy, clean, low cost and reliable power is becoming a priority for many businesses in the US and across the world. Having that power generated and stored on-site brings the added benefit of power independence."
GMDC is a non-profit organization that purchases and rehabilitates historic buildings. It plans to site the distributed solar power system at one of their buildings. PowerLight Corp. designed and manufactured the solar photovoltaic panels and ZBB Energy Corp. provided the advanced battery energy storage unit, using zinc bromine flow batteries.
PowerLight’s PowerGuard solar rooftop panels reduce utility costs substantially over three decades, while extending the lifetime of the roof and providing added thermal insulation benefits to the building. The patented, lightweight photovoltaic (PV) roofing assembly delivers clean solar electricity to the building while protecting the roof from damaging effects of weather and UV radiation.
The StarSine PCS has been specifically designed to provide high performance power conversion for distributed power, alternative energy generators including fuel cells, photovoltaic arrays microturbines and wind-turbines. The StarSine PCS is also designed to combine alternative energy generators with advanced energy storage devices including advanced batteries and flywheels to provide uninterruptible power. The StarSine PCS is the heart of these innovative distributed power systems and enables new energy applications to be applied to high value critical power applications. This product is part of a family of products including the StarSine Rotary UPS that provides high quality, high reliability power.
About SatCon Technology Corp.
SatCon Technology Corp. manufactures and sells power and energy management products for digital power markets. SatCon has three business units: SatCon Power Systems manufactures and sells power systems for distributed power generation, power quality and factory automation. SatCon Semiconductor Products manufactures and sells power chip components; power switches; RF devices; amplifiers; telecommunications electronics; and hybrid microcircuits for industrial, medical, and aerospace applications. SatCon Applied Technology develops advanced technology in digital power electronics, high-efficiency machines and control systems with the strategy of transitioning those technologies into products. For further information, please visit the SatCon website at www.satcon.com.
About PowerLight Corp.
PowerLight Corp. is the nation’s leading designer, manufacturer and installer of grid-connected solar electric systems. Founded in 1991, PowerLight’s distributed generation products produce reliable, affordable clean power for commercial and government customers worldwide. Inc Magazine has ranked the PowerLight Corporation among the top 500 fastest growing privately held companies in 2000 and 2001. Today, PowerLight has worldwide offices and a full line of commercial solar electric products. For more information visit www.powerlight.com.
About ZBB Energy Corp.
ZBB Energy Corp. is a leading developer of advanced energy storage technologies for utility and commerical customer applications. Our patented flowing electrolyte battery can be packaged in customized systems for voltage regulation and system stability; power quality/UPS; peak shaving/plant deferral and renewables support. The ZBB battery is a clean, quiet, reliable alternative to gensets and other power generation technologies. There are no fuel handling, fuel scheduling, or air permitting issues. Since the battery is housed and shipped in standard modular containers, it is easily installed on-site and connected to the electrical grid.