Siemens has announced that it is set to substantially extend its share in the PV (photovoltaics) inverter market. The company is extending its product portfolio to include the new Sinvert PVM inverter for medium-sized commercial plants. The new Siemens offering is aimed at both PV plant engineers and PV end users operating in the commercial segment. This user group typically requires inverters for rooftop systems installed on barns, schools or industrial buildings or ground-mounted plants. The Sinvert PVM inverters will initially be available in 10, 13, and 17kW. A 20kW addition is in the pipeline. The inverter family boasts a peak efficiency of 98.0% which is achieved over a wide power range. “European efficiency” is around 97.5%. This high efficiency provides the user with optimum plant yields over a wide output range. The Siemens products deliver their full power output up to maximum ambient temperature of 50C. The Sinvert PVM inverters require no external fan, and their IP65 protection makes them suitable both for indoor and outdoor use. In Germany, Siemens offers a five-year warranty as standard. Since the units come in an assorted range of different output levels they can be combined to realize any plant size. They can be used in all isolated PV fields fitted with either crystalline or thin-film solar modules. Sinvert PVM will be available from November 2009 in the following countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain.