Solarnative to open German microinverter super factory

German startup Solarnative has invested 1 million euros ($1.07 million) to build a surface mount technology production line at its new microinverter factory. The company said it plans to gradually increase microinverter production capacity starting in May.

Solarnative's Power Stick microinverter. Image: Solarnative

Solarnative has invested in the construction of its first surface mount technology (SMT) production line at its solar microinverter factory in Hofheim am Taunus, Germany.

The Frankfurt, Germany-based startup said it will start ramping up production of high-frequency microinverters from May 2023, with additional capacity investments expected in the third and fourth quarters. The plant’s capacity will be expanded to more than 1 GW in the first few years of operation.

The production line will be built by Juki Automation Systems, where Solarnative will produce microinverters for its smart energy home solutions. Its plug-and-play modular system design will ensure maximum output and safety, with costs comparable to traditional photovoltaic systems.

Solarnative said on its company website that the core of the system is the Power Stick microinverter, which can control each module individually. The inverters are connected in single-phase strings via pre-assembled cables, and the last inverter is sealed with an end cap.

All inverters operate in parallel, with each inverter operating at 50 or 60 Hz and 230 V. Each string provides 20 amps of current or 4.6 kW of power and communicates with the company's cloud server via a connected smart gateway.