PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

New additions to the EVO family

With its EVO 1600 and EVO 1500 models, Philips has added two new members to its inverter family.

	© Philips Lighting B.V.
New inverters from Philips: The EVO 1600 (left) and the EVO 1500 are slated to hit the marketplace at the end of April.

The devices are designed for master-slave configuration. The EVO 1600 model, the master, has an AC nominal power of 1.6 kW; the EVO 1500, the slave, has a power of 1.5 kW. The DC-input powers are just slightly higher at 1.68 kW (EVO 1600) and 1.58 kW (EVO 1500).

Both devices come with a 95-percent maximum efficiency. The European efficiency is set at 93 percent and thus is 0.5 percent below that of the EVO 2000, which has been on the market for more than a year (see PI 5/2004, p. 33). The input voltage for the MPP operation is supposed to be between 80 and 400 V; the maximum input voltage cannot exceed 450 V. The other device parameters are the same as those of the EVO 2000: the housings have the same dimensions and the same protection type (IP 65). This protection type allows for unrestricted outdoor operation. The new devices also have the same interface, data storage, and display as their predecessors. Naturally, these functions are only available with the master, which also provides access to the data from the slave devices via an internal bus.

As with earlier models, an electromechanical anti-islanding device (ENS) does not come standard but can be added afterwards. Philips offers a relatively short manufacturer's guarantee of three years. In the event of a malfunction, Philips promises to replace the device within two days. The recommended end-customer price is €1,147 ($1,495) before taxes for the EVO 1600 (with ENS) and €815 ($1,062) for the EVO 1500. The first deliveries of the new inverter types will begin at the end of April. In the beginning, the devices will be available in the Benelux countries, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

datasheet

Philips Lighting B.V.
Mathildelaan 1, Building EEA Raum 1.22
5611 BM Eindhoven, Netherlands
phone +31/40/27-58422, fax -57343
m.klein@philips.com
www.philips.com/solar