Hangzhou, China-based solar and storage firm Hoymiles has launched the new HiFlow Pro, the U.S.’s first UL 3700-compliant plug-in microinverter.

The latest offering from Hoymiles for the residential solar and storage market, the HiFlow Pro represents a bid to capture the U.S.’s burgeoning DIY solar scene, company officials say. With the rise of plug-in solar — and related bills now signed into law in 10 states — the firm is striking while the iron is hot, it says.

“By introducing the first UL 3700-compliant plug-in microinverter in the U.S., we’re not only launching a new product—we’re helping establish a new benchmark for residential solar that combines simplicity, safety, and high performance,” says Hoymiles CEO Dr. Yang Bo.

The new product is explicitly designed with plug-in, or “balcony solar” systems in mind, Bo adds. The practice of plug-in solar has taken off in Europe, seeing great success in Germany specifically, where there are an estimated 1.1 million registered systems.

Now after years of integration into the European market, Hoymiles is bringing its plug-in microinverter technology to American shores, officials say.

Keeping up with the standard

UL Solutions introduced its UL 3700 standard in response to the plug-in solar boom, which started in Utah last year. As the first North American safety standard regarding balcony solar systems, the market had a need for “dedicated safety framework” regarding new products, especially if those products were available on store shelves.

The HiFlow Pro microinverter aims to allow Hoymiles to lead that safety system transition, the company says, and is “optimized for residential plug-in PV applications to ensure maximum energy harvest.”

The new product promises high energy yield, enabled by its “industry-leading” efficiency for maximum power point tracking (MPPT). The firm says the new system can perform at 99.8% static and 99.5% dynamic efficiency levels, as well as maximize energy harvest in low-voltage situations. Additionally, the system can operate reliably from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 149 degrees Fahrenheit, and supports parallel operation of up to four microinverters for one solar asset.

All of this comes with a plug-in setup, and Bluetooth and wi-fi commissioning in less than 60 seconds, Hoymiles representatives say.

The Hoymiles HiFlow Pro is available for purchase across the U.S. now, the company says.

Tags: balcony solar, Hoymiles, inverters, Microinverters, products, Residential Solar, UL 3700