Order Focus: PowerVault selected for largest NW utility-scale solar project

PV Powered's PowerVault DC-to-medium voltage turnkey inverter platform has been selected for use in the Northwest's largest utility-scale project to date. The ground-mounted project will begin installation in April 2010 with an additional 5MW of projects to follow later in year. The project is being developed in Lake County, Oregon, near Christmas Valley by the Obsidian Finance Group of Portland, Ore.

Obsidian Finance will manage the project under a 20-year PPA with a large Pacific Northwest utility. Engineering procurement and construction are being handled by Swinerton management and consulting office, San Diego.

"Swinerton Green is excited to work with PV Powered inverters on the Obsidian Projects," said George W. Hershman, vice president and division manger of Swinerton's renewable energy group. "Their commitment to long-term reliability and customer service mirror our core values. We expect this to be a very successful project for all stakeholders, the local community, and the environment."

"Obsidian is proud to have chosen PV Powered inverters for our project in Christmas Valley," said Todd Gregory, assistant vice president, Obsidian finance group. "We believe PV Powered's commitment to reliability, 20+ year service life, and industry-leading efficiency gives us the best financial return on utility-scale projects like this."

"We would like to thank Obsidian for making a long-term commitment to PV Powered's technology," said Gregg Patterson, CEO at PV Powered. "As a result of our commitment to reliability engineering, we have produced a fleet of inverters that has been delivering 99% uptime. And we have been working continuously under the auspices of the US Government-funded SEGIS program to improve the economics and resolve the technical issues associated with bringing utility-scale solar power onto the grid."