Solis Inverter Powers Sinopec’s First BIPV Carbon-Neutral Gas Station
NINGBO, China, June 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Global Energy Major Sinopec's first BIPV (building integrated photovoltaic) carbon-neutral gas station commenced operations at Liuhua gas station, Baise, Guangxi, China. Solis had carried out an in-depth survey with Sinopec in July 2020 to transform the high power 255kW inverter into an integral part of the project. The project is seen as a breakthrough for Sinopec in the application of distributed solar power generation and also the first carbon-neutral gas station built and run by Sinopec in Guangxi.
Offered by LONGi, a BIPV solution is an integral part of plans before construction commences. Offering advantages such as integrated design/construction, light structural weight, and reduced use of materials, the solution also extends the service life of the gas station canopy from 5-10 years to 25 years, equal to the service life of the solar power generation module.
The annual power generation of this project is expected to reach 91,000 kilowatt hours. More than 10,000 kilowatt hours of surplus power will be supplied to the grid, enough to meet the annual power demands of 12.5 households.
The project will reduce 81.5 tons of carbon emissions per year, enough to offset about 76 tons of carbon emissions from the gas station per year, making the gas station itself carbon neutral.
For Solis, the 110V inverter, as the flagship 380V low voltage (Adapting to China's power grid) product for C&I, will support "green buildings" everywhere.
Besides the maximum efficiency of up to 98.7%, the inverter has 100MPPT/MW grade high power tracking density. Revenues from power generation per MW are about 3.5% higher. The DC side configuration supports up to 150% over sizing and the economical and flexible system design explain the inverter's popularity with customers.
Functions such as AC lightning protection Type I (optional) and AFCI (optional) also reduce fire hazards on the DC side. The overvoltage load reduction and the leakage current suppression technology reduce issues of disconnection under overvoltage conditions and trip under leakage conditions enhancing safety.
Sinopec is building 160 photovoltaic power stations across China and plans to build 7000 distributed solar power stations as part of their "Five-year Plan". By developing distinctive modes of carbon neutralization such as carbon-neutral forests and gas stations, Solis will support Sinopec in the mission to make 'green and clean' gas stations.