| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Solar energy |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Fate | Acquired by SunPower in 2014 and then Enphase Energy in 2018 |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Products | Solar micro-inverter |
| Website | www |
SolarBridge Technologies (SolarBridge) is a provider of solar micro-inverter, solar inverter for photovoltaic arrays. These types of products aim to increase energy harvest and reliability while reducing the cost of solar installations and maintenance for residential and commercial markets.[1] The company was acquired by solar panel manufacturer SunPower in autumn of 2014.[2] In 2018 SunPower sold the former SolarBridge microinverter business to Enphase Energy.[3]
History
[edit]SolarBridge was established in 2004 at the University of Illinois to bring power electronics technologies to market. The company is venture capital backed, having raised US $71 million to-date. Investors include Battery Ventures, Rho Ventures, and Osage University Partners.[4]
Products
[edit]The SolarBridge Pantheon microinverter is mounted directly on the solar panel to create a roof-ready AC module. Power conversion takes place directly on each module, rather than through the central or string inverter. SolarBridge microinverters are backed by a 25-year warranty.[5]
The SolarBridge Pantheon microinverter passed all tests required under the Underwriters Laboratories 1741 safety standard as certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) in early 2011.[6] SolarBridge works directly with module manufacturers to develop integrated AC modules for the North American market, which were commercially available in 2011.
References
[edit]- ^ The Promise of Reliable Inverters for PV Systems: The Microinverter Solution Russell, Miles C. “Greentech Media”, US, 18 June 2010.
- ^ SunPower Buys VC-Funded Microinverter Startup SolarBridge Wesoff, Eric “Greentech Media”, US, 10 November 2014.
- ^ Osborne, Mark (June 13, 2018). "SunPower sells former SolarBridge microinverter business to rival Enphase". pv-tech.org. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ [https://archive.today/20120723161343/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-05-30/solarbridge-gets-25-million-in-funding-plans-europe-expansion SolarBridge Gets $25 Million in Funding, Plans Europe Expansion Herndon, Andrew. Bloomberg BusinessWeek, US, 30 May 2012.
- ^ Microinverter With 25-Year Warranty From SolarBridge Wesoff, Eric. “Greentech Media”, US, 8 October 2010.
- ^ SolarBridge’s Pantheon PV microinverter achieves UL 1741 certification Archived 2011-03-19 at the Wayback Machine. Staff. “SolarServer” 16 March 2011.