CIE Components in Electronics
An innovative new project being delivered by Powerstar, UK manufacturer of leading-edge smart energy solutions, could produce the first modulated portable solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter with battery energy storage as early as 2023.
The ground-breaking modular system which is currently being developed by Product Development Engineer Dr Olivia Zeng, includes a foldable PV panel, and is expected to be the first of its kind in the UK.
Anticipated to use a panel as small as a sheet of A3 paper when deployed, the 100-200W PV inverter has been developed specifically for the consumer market, with a range of modules available to simply switch in and out for a range of applications and will be capable of powering/charging devices from mobile phones to small refrigerators.
The solution is the latest in a long line of innovations produced by Powerstar’s purpose-built research and development Delta Lab, and marks a notable step change for the company into the consumer market.
Ongoing investment in cutting-edge Research & Development (R&D) efforts, as well as the growing team of specialists within its workforce, has enabled Powerstar’s innovation laboratory to produce a number of market-leading solutions in recent years.
Amongst these has been Powerstar SO-LO, a super low loss amorphous core smart distribution transformer with online remote monitoring capabilities, and Powerstar EOS, a smart algorithm-based software integrating and optimising energy management.
Solon Mardapittas, Chief Technical Officer at Powerstar, added: “We are extremely proud of our continuous innovation and excited to be working on such a ground-breaking project. Whilst there’s still a lot of development work to be done, the initial results have been very promising.
“Our ambition for 2020 is to continue the development of the Powerstar Delta Lab, and our team, to push our business forward in what is a dynamic space for both the energy market and smart technologies. Through research focused and innovation-led developments such as this portable PV project, we feel we are in a very strong position to thrive in this fast-paced industry.”
As part of Powerstar’s wider strategic plan, the company is investing in its growing portfolio of products and services, as well as its staff resource, with plans to continue its participation in the valuable Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, which Dr Zeng originally entered the business through.
KTPs are a three-way working relationship between a company, a recent graduate, and a university, which has Government backing from Innovate UK.
The scheme – which Powerstar has been involved in since 2016 – works closely with businesses that are focused on innovation, whilst also providing graduates with the opportunity to hone their skills through the application of their specialist knowledge in a commercial environment.
