Since the installation of its first central inverter at ABB Robotics Shimada factorys roof in August 2012, ABB has succeeded in signing contracts to supply central inverters, PVS800, for several PV power plants totaling over 100 MW. The deliveries consist of approximately 110 projects scattered nationwide. By mid-August already 70 MW of these projects were connected to the power distribution network (ie grid).
The Japanese PV market has been big but traditionally dominated by small PV systems on residential buildings. However, a feed-in tariff was introduced in July 2012 to help to promote Japanese renewable energy market expansion to larger systems and to tackle to the challenges in power shortages after the earthquake in March 2011. The favourable tariff reflects the governments clear intention and commitment to increasing the renewable energy supply. Since then the solar PV market has been growing rapidly.
In response to this, the ABB team rapidly adapted the central inverter PVS800 series, to fulfill the strict utility specific grid code requirements for the Japanese domestic market. Now ABB has received approvals from the majority of the utilities in Japan for its 1000 input voltage (VDC) central inverter. Conventionally the Japanese PV market has been limited to a maximum of 600 VDC but the 1000 VDC design reduces the overall system cost and increases reliability as there are less parallel connections in the system.
"There are two major factors contributing towards the success of the ABB central inverter in the Japanese market," says Shigeyoshi Morimoto, head of Power Conversion business unit in Japan. "ABB's strong local presence with capabilities for supporting the central inverter business nationwide, coupled with a good understanding of local utility requirements, have guaranteed that ABB in Japan is capable of offering world-class and quality inverters, which satisfy Japanese grid requirements, with favourable delivery times. So far ABB has focused on smaller projects, which are connected to the 6.6 kilovolt (kV) power distribution network. These references and accumulated experiences of the ABB Japan solar team will surely serve as bridge to further progress in large-scale solar power plants", he continues.
The ABB central inverter series, rated from 100 to 1000 kW, is designed for multi-megawatt PV power plants as well as large PV installations in commercial and industrial buildings. With a wide list of approvals and with advanced and flexible grid support functions, it is possible to meet all the applicable network connection requirements, regardless of where the project is located. To help meet bankability requirements and secure the highest return on investment, ABB supports its customers with a dedicated global service network providing a complete range of life cycle services in more than 60 countries.
