Panasonic Eco Solutions North America and U.S.-based inverter manufacturer Pika Energy have partnered to offer the Harbor 10P/15P Smart Battery, a DC-coupled solar smart battery with industry-leading performance specifications. Harbor 10P/15P will begin shipping in late 2017 and is available for pre-order today, the companies announced.

The solar-ready Harbor Smart Battery combines Panasonic’s renowned lithium-ion battery modules and Pika Energy’s power electronics in a slim, floor-standing, wall-mounted enclosure. Powered by Panasonic’s Li-Ion battery technology, this smart battery provides 10 kWh or 15 kWh of usable energy and up to 6.7 kW of continuous power. Harbor 10P/15P can be used for clean backup power, self-supply, time-of-use and other solar-plus-storage applications.

Harbor 10P/15P uses Panasonic’s lithium-ion battery modules, which feature exceptional energy density and redundant safety protections. The smart battery is directly compatible with the award-winning Pika Energy Island, a single-inverter solution for grid-tied solar-plus-storage. Harbor 10P/15P is installed as a plug-and-play smart battery coupled with solar PV on a common DC bus that feeds the Islanding Inverter. This simple, efficient connection of solar and storage is enabled by Harbor 10P/15P’s internal DC/DC converter using REbus, Pika Energy’s patented nanogrid platform.

“As a world-leader in both the lithium-ion battery and solar modules, we understand the value in bringing innovative solar-plus-storage solutions to customers,” said Dan Silver, President, Panasonic Eco Solutions North America. “We’re very pleased to be working with Pika Energy to continue pushing the boundaries of performance and efficiency to unlock even greater benefits for users for a wide variety of applications.”

For system integrators, the simplicity and price-performance of the Harbor 10P/15P Smart Battery set it apart from other grid-tied battery systems, said Ben Polito, Pika Energy’s President and Co-founder. “A single technician can install and commission a Harbor 10P/15P in less than an hour,” Polito said. “Harbor is pre-wired for the Panasonic battery modules, making assembly incredibly fast and simple. Combined with our transformer-less inverter, the Pika Energy Island with Harbor 10P/15P offers a vast improvement over heavy wall-mounted battery systems and outdated multiple-inverter configurations that suffer from low efficiency, extraneous hardware and complex installations.”

Harbor 10P/15P enables customers to take full advantage of the Pika Energy Island’s built-in operational modes for solar-plus-storage. In islanding mode, the Harbor 10P/15P seamlessly powers heavy loads like well pumps and refrigerators without a grid connection, providing customers with a superior backup power system. When grid-connected, its 10kWh (model 10P) or 15 kWh (model 15P) capacity provides self-supply of local loads during evening hours when energy rates are highest.

“The smartest, simplest way to build solar-plus-storage systems is by combining batteries and solar PV on a common DC bus,” said Polito. “The Panasonic-powered Harbor 10P/15P Smart Battery brings that concept to life, without compromising power output, scalability or flexibility. As solar PV adoption continues to boom, the grid needs smart, distributed storage. We’re thrilled to be working with Panasonic to offer what we believe is the solar-plus-storage solution the industry has been waiting for.”

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