SolarBridge Technologies (SolarBridge) is a provider of solar micro-inverter, solar inverter for photovoltaic arrays. These types of products aim to increase energy harvest and reliability while reducing the cost of solar installations and maintenance for residential and commercial markets. The company was acquired by solar panel manufacturer SunPower in autumn of 2014. In 2018 SunPower sold the former SolarBridge microinverter business to Enphase Energy.
History
SolarBridge was established in 2004 at the University of Illinois to bring power electronics technologies to market. The company is venture capital backed, having raised US $71 million to-date. Investors include Battery Ventures, Rho Ventures, and Osage University Partners.
Products
The SolarBridge Pantheon microinverter is mounted directly on the solar panel to create a roof-ready AC module. Power conversion takes place directly on each module, rather than through the central or string inverter. SolarBridge microinverters are backed by a 25-year warranty.
The SolarBridge Pantheon microinverter passed all tests required under the Underwriters Laboratories 1741 safety standard as certified by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) in early 2011. SolarBridge works directly with module manufacturers to develop integrated AC modules for the North American market, which were commercially available in 2011.