Direct-to-Battery Architecture Supports Emerging Class of Renewable Projects as the Country Invests in the “Missing Middle” of Its Energy Transition
FORT COLLINS, Colo., Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Leading DC optimizer provider Ampt today announced that its string optimizer technology has been selected for a new mid-scale solar-plus-storage project in Victoria, Australia. The project will use Ampt’s battery-centric Direct-to-Battery (D2B) architecture to lower CAPEX, increase lifetime energy yield, and provide the fast grid response needed to participate in the country’s grid services markets. The project reflects Australia’s growing focus on mid-scale solar-plus-storage as part of its clean energy transition.
The D2B architecture uses Ampt String Optimizers to connect the PV array directly to the shared DC bus between the battery and battery inverter to lower upfront expenditures by eliminating the need for costly equipment including central DC/DC converters, PV inverters, and transformers. The architecture also reduces electrical cabling costs. Ampt optimizers increase system production and revenue by mitigating losses due to electrical mismatch caused by module degradation and other sources of imbalance such as temperature, shade, and soiling.
The planned system pairs 8.2 MWdc of solar generation with 4.95 MWac of power conversion capacity and 20 MWh of battery storage. Ampt’s D2B architecture enables the fast grid response that contingency Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) markets require. This allows the project to participate in those markets – helping support grid stability while creating an additional revenue stream for the developer.
“Local communities are the true winners of mid-scale solar systems by having renewable energy closer to where they live and work,” said Russell French, Country Director for Australia at Ampt. “By deploying distribution-connected mid-scale systems directly into the existing local grid, close to where power is consumed, developers add renewable energy capacity while reducing the need for costly infrastructure upgrades. When battery storage is co-located with mid-scale solar, these hybrid systems can capture excess daytime generation and dispatch it during the evening peak, helping stabilize the local network rather than overloading it.”
Ampt’s selection comes as Australia increases its focus on mid-scale, distribution-connected renewable energy projects. In August 2026, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) committed $100 million to the Distribution Connected Accelerator Program (DCAP), a financing initiative to accelerate the delivery of hybrid solar and battery projects of up to 5 MWac, a segment the CEFC has identified as the “missing middle” between residential and large-scale solar. With 4.95 MWac of inverter capacity, the Victoria project reflects the type and scale of development the initiative is designed to advance, while offering a blueprint for similar projects to follow.
The project builds on Ampt’s experience supporting multi-hundred-megawatt DC-coupled solar-plus-storage systems and demonstrates how its D2B architecture can help developers maximize the value of both large and mid-scale hybrid projects.
About Ampt
Ampt delivers innovative power conversion and communication technologies that are used to lower the cost and improve the performance of new PV systems, repower existing systems, and enable lower-cost DC-coupled storage. With installations and experience serving markets around the world, Ampt is the number one DC optimizer company for large-scale systems. The company is headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A., and has sales and support locations in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia as well as representation in Asia and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.ampt.com and follow Ampt on LinkedIn.
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SOURCE Ampt
