Santerno (www.santerno.com), the Carraro Group company that specializes in alternative energy electronics and industrial automation, today announced the completion of installation of its concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) power inverters in the first phase of the Mildura Solar Power Station Project in Australia. The power station, located in Victoria, was constructed by Solar Systems, wholly owned subsidiary of Silex Systems Limited, and is to be one of the largest solar power stations in Australia.
By standardizing on the Santerno solar inverters, Solar Systems ensures that the Mildura Solar Power Station remains in compliance with Australian construction codes for solar systems. Santerno's solar components are being provided by NHP Electrical Engineering Products, which has been supplying sales and service of Santerno solar technology in Australia and New Zealand since 2003.
Unlike most solar power installations, Solar Systems uses a unique design that concentrates solar power using a parabolic mirror that focuses the sun's energy onto a focal point where a small area of high-efficiency PV cells then converts the solar rays into electrical power. These curved reflecting mirrors are mounted on tracking systems that follow the sun to deliver concentrated CPV energy throughout the day. Stage one of the Mildura Power Station project is a 1.5 MW demonstration solar array; enough clean energy to power 500 homes.
"Solar Systems' innovative tracking dish design is one of the most efficient PV designs we have seen, and it's installed in some of the harshest climates on the planet," said Marco Tecchio, Chief Executive Officer of Santerno. "The successful completion of this project demonstrates the resilience of our solar inverters and their suitability for use in even the most challenging environments. We anticipate that, with the aid of partners such as Solar Systems, we will be able to continue to expand into global markets, including Australia."
Santerno is aggressively expanding into new global markets with new contracts signed recently in South Africa and the United States.
Headquartered in Imola, Italy, with offices around the globe, Santerno designs and markets solar inverters and products used to produce electricity from renewable sources. Since 2006 the company has been part of the Carraro Group, a multinational company specializing in power transmission systems with engineering and production operations in 16 countries. Santerno has more than 40 years of expertise in design automation of power electronics and has manufactured solar power inverters for 27 years, hybrid vehicles for 16 years, and wind power systems for six years. Santerno has more than 40 distributors worldwide.