What Is a Solar Inverter?
Solar inverters are essential to solar systems and perform a range of tasks. They convert DC electricity into alternating current (AC) and manage the flow of energy back to the grid or household appliances.
Solar inverters can also monitor your system and provide portals for communication. This makes them crucial to solar-plus-storage systems and home backup batteries.
What is a Solar Inverter?
A solar inverter is an electrical converter that changes the direct current (DC) electricity captured by your solar panels into alternating current (AC) electricity. AC electricity is the standard flow of energy used in your home’s electrical circuits and appliances.
A good solar inverter is an essential component of a complete solar photovoltaic (PV) system. It’s Solar Inverter important to make sure your installer selects an inverter that is correctly sized for your solar panel array and that you understand what type of inverter will work best for your home. Your reputable installer will be able to help you with this.
Inverters come in different shapes and sizes, but they all do the same basic job. The size of your inverter should match the wattage of your solar panels. For example, a 7 kW system requires a 7 kW inverter. If you’re buying a solar inverter, look for one with a peak efficiency rating of 93% or higher.
Inverters are available in many different styles, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Some are more cost-effective, while others offer superior functionality. The inverter that is right for you will depend on a variety of factors, including the complexity of your roof and the amount of shade it receives. A reputable installation company will be able to advise you on what inverter will work best for your solar energy system.
Inverters convert direct current (DC) electricity produced by solar panels into alternating current (AC) electricity.
DC power from solar panels or batteries is transferred to an inverter, where it goes through switching techniques and filters to generate a low AC voltage. It then passes through a transformer that amplifies this voltage to a higher value (like 110V or 220V) that can be used by household appliances. Some inverters use residual or ground current detection to identify possible fault conditions, while others are designed to meet rapid shutdown requirements per NEC 2017 standards.
Inverters also change the electricity your solar system produces from direct current into alternating current – your home’s wiring conducts AC, so that’s what you need to power things like your table lamp. When you connect your solar energy system to the grid, known as being grid-tied, your inverter is what allows you to build credit with the utility company for the extra power you don’t use – or earn a feed-in tariff, depending on where you live.
Grid-tied inverters ensure that excess power your solar panels produce doesn’t go directly to the electric lines connected to your house, which could potentially harm line workers who are performing maintenance or repairs. In addition, they also prevent electricity from being sent back into the grid in a situation where the system’s battery bank has depleted. This is why a good quality inverter is essential for a solar-powered home.
Inverters can be battery-based or grid-tied.
There are two types of solar systems: grid-tied or battery-based. In a standard grid-tied system, electricity is sent directly to your home’s switchboard and used to power circuits and appliances. Any excess energy is then fed back into the utility grid and you receive credits for it (known as Net Metering). When the power goes out during the night or when your system isn’t producing, a backup generator kicks in to supply electricity to your house.
A newer option is to add a battery storage system. Batteries are much more expensive upfront than a generator, but they’re maintenance-free and much more versatile. Batteries store and manage energy to solar batteries manufacture help you take advantage of changing utility electricity rates. They can also be charged directly over DC, avoiding the need for a conversion to AC.
Many existing solar customers want to incorporate battery backup into their system. In this case, your installer will retrofit your existing system with an AC coupling controller and a battery-based inverter connected to energy storage (batteries). When the grid goes down, the inverters automatically shut off connection to the grid via a transfer switch and begin charging the batteries. The batteries then provide power to your essential loads during the outage.
It’s important to note that inverters don’t really perform at their nameplate rating when your system is operating in a backup mode. This is because they’re constantly converting DC into AC and back again, consuming some of the power they’re meant to generate.
Inverters can be single-phase or three-phase.
If your home has a single phase electrical connection (most homes do) then you will only need a single-phase inverter. However, three-phase electricity is more commonly used in industrial settings as it can be used to power larger equipment like heaters and electric car charging stations. Three-phase inverters cost a little more than single-phase but they can help you get much more power out of your solar energy system and send back into the grid when it isn’t needed.
With three-phase power you will be able to reduce your electricity bills to next-to-nothing, and easily add fast charging for an electric vehicle down the track. Three-phase inverters also give you more flexibility with grid export and import, which is important for anyone wanting to maximise feed-in tariffs or credits.
The first thing to consider when looking for an inverter is its efficiency rating. You will want to choose one that has a high CEC efficiency. This means the inverter is more efficient at turning DC input into AC output.
Another factor to look at is whether it has maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technology. MPPT will automatically adjust your panels to harvest the most energy in any conditions. This is especially useful in areas with variable sunlight. Finally, you will want to look for an inverter with monitoring and data logging capabilities. This will allow you to keep track of your energy production and usage, and identify any issues early on.