JOHN DAY – The world debut of an advanced system management monitor/control took place July 25 at Grant County Fairgrounds during opening ceremonies of the EORenew SolWest Fair. Christopher Freitas, vice president of OutBack Power Systems, and Marty Spence, director of sales marketing, unveiled the state-of-the-art OutBack Mate inverter, which monitors a home’s power supply, uses icons for easier reading, and can plug into a computer. The inverter can be custom-built to service anything from a small cabin to a very large home.

SolWest Fair organizer Jennifer Barker said the fourth annual event drew in 1,984 attendees from 20 states, Mexico, Canada, France, Japan and Ecuador. Highlights included the 40-plus workshops for beginners to advanced students seeking answers to their alternative energy questions. “The turnout would have been much better if it hadn’t been for the fires,” said Barker, but she is satisfied with the success of this year’s event, held under sunny skies at Grant County Fairgrounds.