Magnetek Solar Inverters Win Frost & Sullivan 2005 Technology Innovation Award

Magnetek, Inc. (NYSE:MAG) has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2005 “Solar Power Systems Technology Innovation of the Year” Award.

A leading supplier of digital power supplies and systems, Magnetek received the Award for its Aurora(TM) solar power inverters, which Frost & Sullivan lauds as “an inverter solution that could revolutionize the solar energy market.” The Frost & Sullivan Award reinforces Magnetek’s growing reputation as an alternative energy innovator. In May, Aurora received the INTEL DESIGN AWARD as one of the five best designs at INTEL 2005, an international electrical engineering, electronics, lighting, industrial automation, security and components show held biennially in Milan, Italy.

Designed for residential use, Aurora inverters change the direct current (DC) produced by solar photovoltaic (PV) cells into utility-grade alternating current (AC) and provide the power grid protection required by electric utilities on both sides of the Atlantic. Developed at Magnetek’s European design center near Florence, Italy, the compact units feature the highest power density of any solar power inverters on the market today, and are easy to install anywhere inside or outside the home.

A key advantage that Aurora brings to market is its exceptional reliability, based on Magnetek’s extensive experience in designing and building digital power products for applications such as telecom equipment and computer servers wherein reliability is paramount. Another major advantage is Aurora’s unique ability to optimize, by means of two independent Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) circuits, the amount of usable electricity harvested from solar panels under all ambient light conditions.

Frost & Sullivan technology analyst Vijay Murthy observes, “Despite establishing a blistering pace of technological development, Magnetek is continuing to innovate rapidly. For instance, the company is currently developing mid-range products for alternative energy applications (10kW to 150kW) and high-end products for wind and photovoltaic applications up to 2.5 Megawatts (MW).”