Power-One Aurora Grid-tie PV Inverters, 3 - 3.6 - 4.2 kW

[Rob Beckers]

I've put a number of Power-One grid-tie Aurora PV inverters up for sale on EBay. These are overstock: We won't carry these types in the future and I'm selling off what's left in the warehouse. They are priced accordingly, going for much less than usual. We won't have them again for these prices. The types available are:

PVI-3.0-OUTD-US 3.0kW PV inverter, US$1,938 (http://stores.ebay.com/Solacity-Inc)
PVI-3.6-OUTD-US 3.6kW PV inverter, US$2,138 (http://stores.ebay.com/Solacity-Inc)
PVI-4.2-OUTD-US 4.2kW PV inverter, US$2,344 (http://stores.ebay.com/Solacity-Inc)

These are all brand new, with full 10-year factory warranty. Just click the link to get to the EBay page with the listing (as "buy it now" items). Free shipping to the US and Canada.

These are great inverters; very, very reliable, and as efficient as grid-tie inverters get. Each inverter has two independent PV inputs, so you can split your array in two (which means you can use 4 strings without the need for overcurrent protection according to the NEC as well as the CEC, and that means you never need a combiner box). Power-One is currently the second-largest inverter manufacturer in the world! We, Solacity Inc., are a distributor for Power-One's inverters, with 5 years experience in using and selling them, with many hundreds sold.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to post here or use EBay's messaging system.

-RoB-

[Jeff Birkle]

Do you have any Ontario Power-One PVI-5.0's
Jeff

[Rob Beckers]

I certainly do!
All the Power-One PV string inverters are now made in Ontario, and we stock just about every model of them (the exception being the 3-phase models because only some of those are popular). We currently have about 4 pallets of 5kW Power-One PV inverters in stock.

I also have all the models of the wind inverters from Power-One in stock, but those are not made in Canada.

You can find retail pricing on the Web site, www.solacity.com, and for those in the installation business just give me a call, toll-free 1-877-787-9748, or 1-613-686-4618, extension 301.

-RoB-

[Andy Rhody]

Hi Rob, although as you know, I own a Power One Aurora wind inverter (and am very pleased with it), but in this internet world I could never figure out:

Number 1. What country is Power One from? Is it a US company?

Number 2. Where are the different places that their inverters are manufactured and does that ever change?

This global economy drives me crazy. When I 1st got interested on Power One I got on their web page, I called their contact number probably in Calfifornia USA. The secretary had no clue and gave me a number of a guy in Texas who sells them. Nice guy but he had a bad cell phone connection and a thick accent so we couldn't get things together. Hey, I ended getting one from some guy in another country up in Canada. Oh, well.

[Rob Beckers]

Hi Rob, although as you know, I own a Power One Aurora wind inverter (and am very pleased with it), but in this internet world I could never figure out:

Number 1. What country is Power One from? Is it a US company?

They are a US company, but there's history behind this that you need to know about for things to make sense: Originally these inverters were developed and made by a relatively small and obscure Italian company with the name "Magnetek". When I started with these wind inverters it was still Magnetek, then a short time later (in 2006 I believe) Power-One bought up Magnetek lock-stock-and-barrel. Up to that time Power-One was much like Magnetek, a relatively small business, known for its industrial power supplies (switching power supplies and inverters actually work very similar, so there was overlap). I believe Magnetek also had a power supply side of the business, and that was what Power-One was after, the inverters were just thrown in with the rest.

Power-One continued to make those inverters, now under their own name, and they were still being made in Italy at the same factory that Magnetek was making them previously. Things continued for a while, with the main product for North America (and the only thing we sold here) being their wind inverters. It was still small potatoes at that time. Then PV took off, and Power-One early on made the decision to focus on PV inverters rather than the wind inverters. The rest, as they say, is history. Power-One quickly become number 2 in the world, and number 1 in North America for PV inverters.

It's really interesting having watched the whole development of the RE business side of Power-One (their power supply side of the company is now small in comparison). In the beginning I knew everyone on the RE side of Power-One, now there are so many people, and they keep coming and going, I know only a few.

Number 2. Where are the different places that their inverters are manufactured and does that ever change?

Currently, as far as I know, it's Italy (the old Magnetek plant), Arizona, Ontario, and some place in China. For North America they make PV inverters in Arizona and Ontario, and the wind inverters in Arizona.

This global economy drives me crazy. When I 1st got interested on Power One I got on their web page, I called their contact number probably in Calfifornia USA. The secretary had no clue and gave me a number of a guy in Texas who sells them. Nice guy but he had a bad cell phone connection and a thick accent so we couldn't get things together. Hey, I ended getting one from some guy in another country up in Canada. Oh, well.

Yeah, much to my annoyance Power-One is pushing their wind inverter sales to a single distributor for North America (The Power Store in Texas). They're good people, I've spoken to them, but truth is that I've been dealing with these wind inverters longer, and know them very well. Of course I would like put that knowledge to good use and grow my business, and Power-One isn't helping in this case.

In any event, the (small) wind turbine business in North America is only a small fraction of what it was a few years ago. With the ever lower PV prices it is solar that is booming, and 99% of our sales. Wind has my heart though, it's so much more interesting than solar!

-RoB-

[Andy Rhody]

I've been dealing with these wind inverters and know them very well.

I think that that is a very profound statement. You made my "impossible" grid-tie wind project work for me. Remember, even my windmill manufacter told me that my 72 volt windmill couldn't work for grid-tie and that I was stuck. You're the only reason that I bought a Wind Aurora inverter. (I wonder if Power One knows that). :blink1: