This was Tabuchi Electric, a ninety-year-old company from Japan, the first entry into the North America solar market, the EIBS Residential Solar Inverter. Compared to the competition, the industrial design was considered more industrial. It was also larger as well. The EIBS inverter can be mounted either outside the house or inside. EIBS did incorporate several technological features the competitors did not have at that time. Tabuchi has a solid reputation for quality and engineering.
The project goal was to keep the internal component layout the same to capitalize on the engineering already completed while improving the industrial design to create a brand of quality and engineering innovation. UL approval was granted to the current design, so it was important to keep changes to a minimum. EIBS inverter has a project product life of ten years. This was one key influence on industrial design as it must stand the test of time.
Responsibilities: Industrial design.
Materials: Thermal-formed cover. Sheet metal chassis.
Current industrial design and product graphics
EIBS Residential Inverter and Battery Unit
EIBS Residential Inverter ID Concepts
SolidWorks CAD for EIBS new ID sun shield.
Shiozaki Design proposed that the Safety Shut Off switch knob color change to Tabuchi Blue instead of the standard black color.
In some installations, because of the high solar panel capacity, two EIBS solar inverters are needed to handle the load. Below are images showing how two inverters will look together.
