Sola/Hevi-Duty

The History of Sola Electric

Sola Electric opened in 1930 as an emerging laboratory in two modest size rooms in a Chicago bank building. It was a small beginning, but Joseph G. Sola had big ideas. Beginning in the 1930's, he practically invented the field of transformer magnetics and went on to revolutionize the fledgling electrical industry - winning 55 U.S. Patents along the way. In 1958, Sola merged with Basic Products Corporation, a Milwaukee-based firm, and continued to operate as an autonomous division. One year later, ground was broken for a new world headquarters in Elk Grove, a Chicago suburb.

In an effort to serve the future needs of the marketplace and to provide additional plant capacity for emerging UPS products, Sola opened a second plant in Ft. Payne, Alabama in 1967. In the early 1970's, Sola marketed their first line of ferroresonant UPS systems which eventually led to full electronic UPS versions up to 225 KVA. In 1977, Sola became a Unit of General Signal. In 1980, Sola marketed the first self contained, on-line UPS in the industry. Four years later, Sola introduced their first off-line models of UPS.

Sola has been a worldwide supplier of power protection products with two manufacturing plants in the U.S., and individual plants in Canada, Italy, Australia, and Great Britain. Sola, which got its start in two small rooms a half a century prior, stood as a giant in the industry. Since it's beginning Sola Electric has been involved in the science and application of power regulation and protective devices. As the demands for clean, reliable power have evolved, Sola was there with the latest in information and innovation to solve power protection problems.

In 1994, Sola Electric and Hevi-Duty Electric were merged to form a single unit. The ballast business was sold and renamed Ballastronix.

Joseph G. Sola

Joseph G. Sola, founder of Sola electric was both a far-sighted inventor and successful business man. Internationally recognized as the pioneer of transformer magnetics technology, his inventions and subsequent refinements of other electrical equipment were considered revolutionary by the electrical industry. Sola's first transformers for furnace ignition systems and neon lighting, based on his unique application of ferroresonant principals, led in 1938 to his invention of the constant voltage transformer. This timely discovery was eagerly accepted by prime military contractors during World War II, and established Sola as a world leader in voltage regulation. Sola was awarded 55 U.S. Patents during his lifetime, including five each for constant voltage transformers, Solatrons, electronic power supplies and 19 for high-intensity discharge lighting ballasts.

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