Solar firms lose key source of part

Power inverter maintenance becomes a concern with the recent bankruptcy of Satcon Technologies

By Alan Yonan Jr.

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Mar 11, 2013

~~<p>A mainland company that supplied a key component for many commercial and utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects in Hawaii has gone out of business, leaving its customers scrambling to come up with contingency plans for servicing the devices, which are critical to the operation of PV systems.</p>
<p>An estimated 400 PV commercial projects in Hawaii, including the state's two largest, were built with power inverters made by Boston-based Satcon Technologies Inc., which began liquidating its assets last month after the financially troubled company failed to find a buyer. Satcon power inverters were not used on single-family homes.</p>
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A mainland company that supplied a key component for many commercial and utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects in Hawaii has gone out of business, leaving its customers scrambling to come up with contingency plans for servicing the devices, which are critical to the operation of PV systems.

An estimated 400 PV commercial projects in Hawaii, including the state's two largest, were built with power inverters made by Boston-based Satcon Technologies Inc., which began liquidating its assets last month after the financially troubled company failed to find a buyer. Satcon power inverters were not used on single-family homes. Login for more...