Solar inverter and ESS manufacturer GoodWe has unveiled its latest 1-phase energy storage system (ESS) from the ESA series, which provides an uninterrupted power supply backed by roof-mounted photovoltaic (PV) and storage energy.
The product’s design is based on its predecessor, the 1st generation ESA series’ basic architecture. It combines a hybrid inverter and vertically stacked battery packs on a single platform, which is called an ‘All-in-One' solution. The product is offered with a wide range of power outputs, from 3 kW to 10 kW, and a varied number of MPPT channels depending on the capacity.
While the number of MPPT channels is 2 for up to 6 kW capacity, it is 4 for an inverter with a maximum capacity of 10 kW. Pairing with a PV string of up to 600 V DC, each MPPT channel can carry up to 20 A. Also, these inverters can be oversized (DC/AC) by up to 200% of their corresponding maximum AC capacity. As PV modules rarely operate at nominal power due to soiling, shading, irradiance variations, and mismatch losses, a PV plant (DC to AC) of equivalent size often leaves the inverter underloaded. Adding extra DC capacity enables the inverter to run closer to its full load capacity for a greater portion of the day, boosting its overall energy yield.
Stacking up to 6 battery units of 8 kWh each, the energy storage capacity can be expanded to up to 48 kWh. According to the company, during a grid outage or failure, the ESS switches to backup mode in under 4 ms, ensuring uninterrupted operation of essential household appliances, such as computers, lights, and Wi-Fi routers. This solution can support a backup range of 4.8 to 16 hours across its corresponding power ranges between 10 kW and 3 kW at a nominal charge and discharge rate. Moreover, charging or discharging the connected battery units at a 1C rate enables residential consumers to have the same output with reduced battery units compared to a standard configuration, albeit for a shorter duration.
Additionally, to support consumer energy independence, this product features dual AC output ports, one for on-grid and another dedicated to off-grid configuration. This off-grid port comes in handy when a consumer wants to run this solution coupled with a PV array, without a grid supply (off-grid).
On the safety front, the ESS features a 6-layered safety system that covers cells up to the overall battery stack level through its real-time monitoring and feedback system. It restricts potential risks such as overheating, overcurrent, and short circuits. On top of that, the incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) enabled arc fault circuit interruption (AFCI) technology, which intelligently detects and prevents arc faults.
The details of this new hybrid storage system’s commercial availability are not yet publicly available.
