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Press Release: Feb. 10, 2009

PV Powered Announces the First UL98 Code-Compliant
PV System Disconnect

New integrated disconnect, plus an innovative wire raceway design, make the industry’s
broadest, most reliable, line of US-made string inverters even easier to install.

Bend, ORE – PV Powered, Inc., the leader in grid-tied solar inverter reliability, installability and maintainability, announces that a new installer-friendly feature has been added to its broad line of residential solar inverters.

The new feature is a single-knob AC/DC disconnect with a wire raceway. This enhancement, integrated into the company’s inverters, eliminates the need for extra conduit and hardware, thereby saving installation materials and labor costs. The wire raceway provides for isolation of the DC, AC and low voltage DC connections per the NEC (National Electric Code) requirements, with generous working room for installers’ hands and tools. The PV system disconnect hardware and enclosure assembly has received extensive testing under extreme conditions, and is the first to have passed the strict UL98 standard for switches. The UL98 standard is specifically written for enclosed and dead front switches, providing inspectors with a recognized standard for safety and reliability.

”We have been waiting for PV Powered to add an integrated disconnect, and I have to say it was well worth the wait,” said Kirk Mulligan, CEO of Clean Power Systems, a prominent Southern California solar installer. “Their new solution delivers the level of engineering elegance and reliability that we have come to expect from them.”

The new integrated PV system disconnect feature has been added to PV Powered’s entire residential string inverter line, which includes nine different inverter models, ranging from 1100 watts to 5200 watts in capacity. In addition to providing for a single point of connection from the utility service and PV array, the integration of a wire raceway greatly simplifies installation. The wire raceway enables flush side-to-side mounting of inverters with no extra equipment, providing a cleaner-looking installation than any other available today. The wire raceway’s optimized knockout locations provide options for side, bottom and back entry with minimized conduit bending, accommodating the conductors of up to four inverters mounted side-by-side.

“We are committed to making our residential inverters the most installer-friendly products in the industry,” said Erick Petersen, VP of Sales and Marketing at PV Powered. “But beyond that, we’ve engineered the level of functionality and then performed the additional reliability testing that you have come to expect from PV Powered.”

About PV Powered
Founded in 2003 and based in Bend, Oregon, PV Powered is the largest US-based manufacturer of solar power inverter technology. Designed for highest reliability and manufactured in the U.S.A., PV Powered products are UL Listed, and have the highest efficiency ratings in the solar market today. With thousands of its products in use nationwide, PV Powered combines one of the most experienced design teams in solar power electronics with a commitment to superior service and support. For more information, see www.pvpowered.com.

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