NEW YORK, NY – Gaia Power Technologies, the leading provider of battery-based backup power systems, announced the availability of an innovative charge controller to allow its turnkey battery backup system, the PowerTower, to be used in conjunction with already-installed grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) systems.

The Gaia Battery Charge Controller accepts input voltages up to four times higher than any existing charge controller, making it compatible with the trend towards higher-voltage PV arrays in grid-tied solar installations. The 3000 W Battery Charger for Photovoltaic Applications allows 48V DC battery backup systems to be integrated with PV systems operating at up to 600V DC. "Higher DC voltages enable more efficient PV installations," commented Ib Olsen, CTO of Gaia Power Technologies. "With our new charge controller, we’ve greatly increased the number of possible configurations for integrating backup capability with solar power."

For existing grid-tied installations, the Gaia Battery Charge Controller allows for retrofit of battery backup into existing solar systems, even when the existing inverter does not support a backup configuration.

When grid-tied, the charge controller allows power from a PV installation to run through a previously installed inverter. During an outage, the controller reroutes the PV output to recharge the battery backup system, allowing the PV system to continue to generate electricity and powering the critical circuits in a business or residence through extended power outages.

The 3000 W Battery Charger for Photovoltaic Applications is available exclusively from Gaia Power Technologies, and is designed to integrate with Gaia’s line of battery-based backup power systems.