The evolution of high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) string inverters is driving a shift toward higher AC voltages in utility-scale solar applications. Using string inverters in solar plants rated at 20 megawatts and below can be extremely beneficial. With output voltages now as high as 1000VAC, the same amperages will yield higher output power levels.
Solar PV string inverters were initially used primarily in residential and commercial building applications up to 1MW in size. This was limited to traditional AC voltages of 120VAC single phase and 480VAC three phase. String inverters are well suited to rooftop solar applications due to their relatively small size and ease of installation for inverters rated 100KW and below. So, string inverters could be easily connected to standard building cabling and existing rated wiring.
