ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONS A merger with ABB and providing storage systems in which excess solar energy produced at peak times can be stored and used at times with higher energy demands are the major events taking place at Power-One, as its marketing vice-president, Mr Paolo Casini, explains to Barbara Rossi.
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eadquartered in Camarillo, California, Power-One operates in the power electronics sector, producing electronic devices for energy conversion. It is organised in two divisions: power and renewable energy solutions. The range of the former is products for AC/DC and DC/AC conversion and it generates about 30 per cent of turnover, whilst the latter, from which the remaining 70 per cent is derived, is focused mainly on photovoltaic products (95 per cent), accompanied by a smaller volume of wind energy solutions of up to 50kW (5 per cent). The total 2012 turnover exceeded one billion US dollars and 3300 people are employed by the group worldwide. Both divisions of
the group have production facilities in three continents, from which they supply different world regions. The renewable energy solutions division has its main production centre (also encompassing R&D) in Terranuova Bracciolini (Italy), a location equidistant from Florence and Arezzo, as well as having one production site in the US (Phoenix, Arizona) and one in China (Shenzhen). Power-One entered the renewable energy sector in 2006 when it acquired the Power Electronics Group (based in Terranuova Bracciolini) from Magnetec. Today the division, which has maintained the original Italian location as its main site, employs 1900 staff. Its offer of photovoltaic inverters covers a comprehensive
range in terms of scale, from 250W inverters for small residential applications to large solutions, of up to 1.5MW of electric power, for large photovoltaic power stations. The main part of the production output is standard, suitable for use in different countries but a smaller amount is country-specific in order to fulfil specific requirements set by national authorities. In particular this takes place with regard to the USA market and some Asian countries, such as China and India. Concerning new products Mr Casini explains, “There is continuous renewal in terms of products, as we operate in a dynamic market, which will shortly reach grid parity. The issue of having to innovate relates to not only
