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OutBack's stand-alone inverters with integrated battery chargers
In October, the US manufacturer OutBack Power Systems introduced
two stand-alone inverters with integrated battery chargers to the
North American market.
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© OutBack Power Systems, Inc. |
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Founded by former engineers of US market
leader Xantrex, the new company OutBack Power Systems has
started sales of their hybrid inverter series FX2000 in
October. |
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Depending on the model, the FX2000 can convert 24 V
(FX2024) or 48 V (FX2048) DC battery voltages into 230 V AC. It is a
complete hybrid power system: An AC transfer switch allows AC loads to
be powered by a utility grid or a generator, which can use - besides a
PV system - diesel, wind, hydro, or fuel-powered generator power
sources. It can be optionally equipped with a solar charge regulator.
The inverter carries a nominal power of 2 kW and a maximum power of
3.3 kW. With an IP 65 protection index and an operating temperature
range of -40 to +60°C, the device is suitable for outdoor use. This is
an advantage compared to similar inverter / battery chargers from the
Swiss manufacturer Studer, which can only be used indoors (see PI
12/2001, p. 16). Another benefit of the US-made product: Up to eight
FX2000 units can be connected together in parallel, series, or
three-phase configurations, which allows systems of up to 16 kW.
The FX2000 received UL 1741 listing from ETL Testing Laboratories,
which is comparable to Underwriters Laboratories, says OutBack. The
FX2000 costs $1,795 per watt, the charge controller comes at $595. As
an option, the operation of one or several inverters can be programmed
and monitored by the MATE data logger, which can be located up to 300
m from the inverter and comes with a RS 232 interface for the
connection of a personal computer. The data logger costs $295. The
product guarantee of two years can be extended to five years at an
additional cost of $300 for the FX2000 and $100 for the charge
controller.
datasheet
OutBack Power Systems, Inc.
19009 62nd Ave NE
Arlington, WA 98223 USA
phone +1/360/43560-30, fax- 19
www.outbackpower.com
Iris Krampitz
© PHOTON International, January 2003
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