PV Powered offers pint-sized inverters

As solar homes gain national attention as a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster housing market, PV Powered announced three new inverters for smaller photovoltaic installations. The company plans to begin shipping the 1,100-, 2,000- and 3,000-watt systems in April.

The downsized inverters, which allow smaller solar panels to exchange power with the electrical grid, are aimed at the growing number of residential developers seeking to add solar power to new construction without exceeding homeowners’ budgets. While California has been the poster child for solar-equipped homes, Glenn Harris, president of PV Powered, says he’s hoping to tap into demand in states without ambitious incentives.

Because federal incentives for residential solar top out at 2,000 watts, most homeowners aren’t willing to shell out the additional cost for larger systems, Harris says. Smaller inverters allow homebuilders to offer buyers affordable, integrated systems that can be rolled into a mortgage payment. PV Powered, which declined to provide revenue data, is also set to begin renovations on an out-of-use lumber mill that will house its new 100,000 square-foot headquarters.