A tracker-plus storage device for photovoltaic plants launched by solar tracker company NEXTracker Inc. combines a solar tracker, battery, inverter, and software.

The NX Fusion Plus device uses the California-based company’s predictive smart control software already embedded in the tracker’s electronics.

The solar plus energy storage solution extends energy output and duration. Credit: NEXTrackerA secure data platform developed by parent company Flex, and machine learning capability acquired through the purchase of BrightBox earlier in 2016, round out the tracking-with-storage scheme.

The system may prove attractive in markets, including regions prone to power supply fluctuations, and large-scale customers operating in California seeking ways to maximize their energy yield. NX Fusion Plus provides backup power, system analytics, and monitoring that increases the energy output and duration of solar power plants.

The company says that customers can use a greater portion of clipped power -- energy that would otherwise be barred access to the grid due to limitations in the inverter’s rated input power -- steering it instead into the batteries, which can store and release the power when required.