– Sand and sea salt – what tourists want and love can be a problem for inverters. So specially modified inverter technology from KACO new energy is ensuring reliable solar energy generation in Western Corsica. Two solar parks, each with a power output of twelve megawatts, are currently under construction there, just a short distance from the sea.

Corsica is the fourth-largest of the Mediterranean islands, but with a population of 261,000, it is sparsely populated in comparison with the mainland. On the other hand, the photovoltaic power per inhabitant of the island is higher: The reason is that Corsica belongs to France, which aims to install a photovoltaic power output of 18.2 to 20.2 gigawatts by the year 2023. It is hardly surprising, then, that the birthplace of Napoleon, which has approximately 2,750 more hours of sunlight per year than the French mainland, is profiting more from this plan than other regions of France.

RALOS new energy, a globally active company for the construction of photovoltaic power plants, is now scheduled to put two solar parks, each with a power output of 12 megawatts, into operation on the west coast of Corsica, further consolidating the island’s position as a leading producer of photovoltaic energy. The 395 inverters installed in the two parks near the communities of Aghione and Folelli were all supplied by Neckarsulm-based manufacturer KACO new energy.

Both solar power plants are only a short distance from the coast – an important factor to be taken into consideration during planning and construction. What tourists love for a healthy tan, is salt on the skin and a fresh sea breeze; but in the long-term, these can damage inverters: Patches of brown on inverters are more likely to indicate harmful corrosion. For this reason, the Product Development department of KACO new energy has equipped its blueplanet 50.0 TL3 INT inverter with special components which allow it to withstand long-term exposure to salty air.

In detail, this means: The heat sink is additionally anodised, the aluminium housing has a special C5 paint coating and the fan guard and all screws and hinges are made from high-durability stainless steel. The corrosion-resistance was tested in accordance with standard EN 60068-2:1996.

KACO new energy will now be producing this model in series as the blueplanet 50.0 TL3 OD+. As a result, customers will be able to make full use of solar energy generation in coastal regions: Until now, small islands which could become more energy-independent by installing photovoltaic plants have found it difficult to maintain the required safety distances from the sea.