Choosing Solar Power Inverters For Your Electricity Needs

Solar power represents one of the most sustainable and effective methods of generating electricity for the modern landscape. With the right technology, you can reduce your reliance on the electrical grid and start saving money with endless amounts of natural and renewable power.

However, before you can start changing your life and protecting the environment, you’ll need to learn how these tools work and how different components can affect your results.

Today, we’re going to be looking at the solar panel inverter, and how this feature can make a massive difference to the way that you generate electricity in your home and business.

What Is A Solar Panel Inverter?

Solar panel inverters are tools that convert direct current electricity from your solar panels into something suitable for your commercial or home appliances (AC currents). Alternating currents are the electrical waves that power everything we do. In their natural form, the DC waves from solar inverters aren’t enough for your household or business. That’s why inverters exist.

A solar power inverter is a gateway between your solar PV system and the actual tools you use your energy in. In addition to supporting the conversion of electricity, solar inverters perform other critical functions too. For instance, they can monitor essential data and provide charge controller access. A high-functioning inverter for your solar panels keeps everything running smoothly.

Features include:

  • Data monitoring for AC electricity and DC electricity conversion.
  • Access to utility controls, applications, and system design information
  • The opportunity to link to batteries for off-grid solar systems

How Do Inverters Work?

Solar inverters are essential devices in your solar panel system. The primary function of this tool is to change your variable direct current output into an alternating current. The electronic components in the inverter circuit assist with conversions.

Only after you’ve converted the sine wave electricity in your panels into AC electricity can you use that energy to power things like your microwave and refrigerator.

However, the exact functionality of your solar PV inverter will depend on the kind of solar panels you choose. For instance:

Microinverters

Although microinverters may seem like one of the more advanced options for people searching for PV panels, they’re not as new a concept as you might think. Microinverters in a PV array started to appear in the mid-1990s. Some of the original PV inverter tools made with microinverters are still working at the Pentagon today.

Microinverters haven’t always been the easiest option for people searching for renewable solar energy because of their high cost and limited efficiency. However, rapid advances in semiconductor technology have made microinverters more attractive recently.

Manufacturers believe that the main benefits of microinverters for your PV system are that they come with a streamlined and straightforward design, excellent uptime, and easy installation. The inverter efficiency is usually much greater with this kind of technology because there’s no single point of failure in your entire solar power system.

Off-Grid Solar Inverters

Off-grid solar systems come with a very different kind of solar panel inverter. These tools offer a combination of inverter and charger technology, with two-directional energy performance that allows you to better manage PV and other energy sources while maintaining battery energy.

Until recently, the separation systems off the grid and grid-tied technology made it easy to divide the solar inverters on the market into two classes, with virtually no overlap. Capabilities often considered for off-grid inverters are growing increasingly common in grid-tied systems, as more people will discover the benefits of combining the freedom of an off-grid solution with the advantages of grid economics.

Speaking to your solar professionals will help you to determine how best to combine the advantages of both off-grid and on-grid inverter technology into a new installation.

String Inverters 

String inverters have an excellent trajectory when it comes to solar panel inverter options. Because these pieces of technology are highly reliable and accessible, they remain a well-suited solution for most residential and commercial systems. They’re particularly useful for people opting-in to solar energy under the various government schemes now in place.

Solar string inverters continue to make advancements in efficiency and power density with state-of-the-art components and innovations. A string inverter also comes with a variety of fantastic utility grid management and safety functionalities.

Central Inverters

Finally, central inverters are typically ground or floor-mounted, unlike string inverters, which usually appear on vertical structures like walls. These solar panel inverter options can handle a lot of power and even provide a combination of indoor and outdoor use. The simple architecture of these inverters includes a single conversion stage from DC to AC currents. Additionally, there may be a boost stage included to increase the voltage range.

A low-frequency transformer may be provided at the output to boost the AC voltage and provide more isolation opportunities. However, this functionality can sometimes decrease the efficiency of your solar panels while increasing their size.

Your installation team may suggest something called a Pure Sine Wave inverter for your business or home. These tools generate an output voltage wave that comes with minimal distortion. This means that you’ll opt for a pure sine wave solution if you want to get an electricity experience similar to obtaining power from the grid.

Because pure sine wave inverters reduce distortion, they’re more suitable for sensitive electronic equipment. They can help motors in a business environment to run faster and more quietly, preventing crashes and glitches in monitors. A pure sine wave inverter can also power virtually any device in your home or company.

What Size Inverter Do I Need?

Solar inverters come in various sizes, intended to support everyone from small families looking to improve their impact on the planet to solutions created for whole companies. However, inverter sizing can be challenging to understand if you’re new to the concept.

If you’re looking for a small inverter for your business or home, and you’re not sure where to get started when looking for solar kits, think about the following things:

  • Your PV Array: Your solar PV array is one of the most important considerations when choosing the right size of solar inverter. Your inverter is responsible for converting DC electricity from the solar system that you have installed. This means that you need the proposed inverter to handle all of the energy that you produce. Inverter manufacturers will often list sizing guidelines for the array capacity that inverters can offer. If you don’t have the right-sized solution when looking at types of solar inverter that could fit, this could reduce your claim on insurance and warranty agreements.
  • Geography: Your location in the world will also play an essential role in sizing the perfect solar inverter. Properties exposed to a lot of sunlight are likely to need a bigger solar panel inverter than systems in a cloudy area. That’s because solar panel systems in sunny areas will often produce a lot more energy than their counterparts. Alternatively, if your solar array experiences a limited amount of solar radiation or high temperatures, you can get by with a much smaller inverter.
  • Site-specific requirements: Because solar panel systems and PV modules come in so many different shapes and sizes, there are many unique factors that you’ll need to think about with inverter sizing. Everything from the tilt of your solar array to the way that it’s installed will affect how much electricity you can produce. Professional solar installation teams will often account for these considerations when telling you the total cost of your complete solar energy system. Speaking to an expert can help you to make the most of your solar strategy and ensure that you’re getting the most value from your investment.

What Is The Best Inverter For Your Home?

Choosing the right solar inverter for your home can be a complicated process. You’ll need to think about everything from which brands you trust the most to what you want to accomplish with your PV solar array. The most obvious thing to look at when you’re first getting started is whether the inverter is approved to work with your solar system in your area.

The energy council or group in your region is likely to have a list of approved products that you can install if you’re looking to take advantage of any benefits or financial allowances. If you choose something for your PV system that isn’t included on this list, you could be required to pay extra money on your solar environment.

Other points to consider include:

  • How much do you want to pay? Ultimately, the type of inverter you choose will change the amount you need to spend on your solar array. The most common option for people on a budget is a grid-connected inverter. These tools are often provided as part of a solar system package, which allows you to save money by selling energy back to the grid. Most solar panel inverter options start with a price tag of around $1,000. However, if you want a 3-phase inverter, then you can potentially pay a little less. Our best advice is that you should usually avoid spending money on the cheapest option that you can find, as these tools are unlikely to cover all of your needs.
  • What are your size/capacity requirements? As mentioned above, your inverter sizing strategy will depend on how much energy you plan on collecting and converting with your inverter. For instance, if you want to create a 5kW system for solar panels, you’ll need an inverter covering that much energy. Because of system losses that occur in solar panels, you may need to get an inverter that’s rated for a slightly higher capacity than whatever you want to accomplish, so you can boost your chances of collecting the most energy.
  • What’s the warranty and service like? Solar inverters usually come as part of a full solar installation. This means that you need to consider the kind of customer service and support you will be getting. Inverters can last up to 20 years, and you’ll need a warranty that can cover you if anything goes wrong. Additionally, if you notice a problem with any aspect of your PV system, it helps to know that you have a team that’s ready to help nearby.
  • Is the inverter expandable? This is a crucial consideration if you intend to expand your solar strategy in the future, as many households do. Ultimately, your first inverter will only last you so long. If you expand your house or create a bigger business, then you may need more power. A maximum power point tracking inverter could be ideal for those who want to expand.

Choosing The Best Solar Array 

A solar array is more than just a collection of panels stuck to the top of your roof. You’ll need to think about everything from the kind of solar PV you’re going to be investing in, and how much energy you can collect to ensure you get the best value from your investment.

An excellent solar panel inverter is a critical part of ensuring that you can reap the benefits of a full photovoltaic system as quickly as possible. Combine your solar inverter with proper PV panel sizing and installation, and you could have something that increases the value of your home and allows you to give something back to the earth too. To start seeing what you can accomplish with solar power, speak to an expert today.