Choosing a quality inverter that is exactly right for your project is critical for getting the most out of your solar investment.
Inverters are an important part of the solar energy cycle. You wouldn’t be able to use the sun’s energy to power your electrical equipment if you didn’t have one.
But do you know what they are or how they function?
1. Inverters are in charge of converting the direct current (DC) produced by your solar panels to the alternating current (AC) used in your home and by the grid if you are exporting it.
2. Assuring that your solar panels produce the maximum amount of electricity. This is also known as Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) – a digital charge control function that makes sure you get the most power possible from your solar panels at any given time, which is extremely effective in low-light conditions.
3. You can monitor your solar system via wifi, Bluetooth, or simply by looking at its display.
4. Inverters helps in feeding energy back to the grid and qualify for feed-in tariff credit on your power bill.
String solar inverters are the most common type of solar inverter, and they are connected to a series of solar panels. String inverters are the most common type of inverter used in Europe, Australia, and Asia, and they are gaining traction in the United States, where micro inverters are also popular.
Hybrid inverters, also known as battery ready inverters, combine a solar inverter and a battery inverter into a single unit. Most can also provide basic backup power in the event of a power outage. As hybrid inverters are becoming more competitive with solar inverters.
Off-grid or stand-alone power systems necessarily involve powerful battery inverters with built-in chargers that can be configured as either AC or DC coupled solar systems. Off-grid inverter/chargers which are modern and flexible could also be used to create advanced hybrid grid-connected systems.
Micro inverters, also known as micros, are extremely small solar inverters that are directly attached to individual solar panels. Because each micro inverter and panel operates independently, they are an excellent choice for complex roof layouts and areas with shading issues. Micros are extremely popular in North America, despite their slightly higher price.
Since the release of the innovative snap-in design in 2012, Fronius Inverters has held the top spot for much of the last eight years. Due to their proven performance and reliability, as well as the excellent service provided by the Fronius support team, these Austrian-made inverters have become the inverter of choice for many domestic and commercial solar installations.
An additional free five years extended warranty is available when the inverter is registered online, which gives a total ten warranty period.
Prior to the Fronius, German manufacturer SMA Solar Technologies was widely regarded as the best string inverter manufacturer. However, after SMA relocated all manufacturing back to Germany in 2019, the new Sunny boy AV series regained a significant market share. SMA inverters have a proven track record of dependability and are widely regarded as among the highest quality inverters available. Local service and support is excellent and SMA provide an optional 10 to 20 year extended warranty.
Sungrow is a leading Chinese inverter manufacturer and one of the world’s largest suppliers of solar inverters. Because of their low cost and high reliability, residential SG inverters have grown in popularity among installers. Sungrow is a major international player with a solid reputation for service and quality.
The very good support from the Sydney based office in Australia has further helped improve their reputation.
Sungrow also manufactures the best value hybrid solar inverters on the market, and a very affordable hybrid inverter for home energy storage systems that includes integrated backup power for powering basic essential loads during a blackout.
They offer excellent value for money and are now backed by a 10-year warranty.
GoodWe is a large, well-known Chinese inverter manufacturer that was founded in 2010, and the new generation Goodwe DNS series inverters have received positive feedback from installers thus far.
We now have a large selection of hybrid inverters. Wifi monitoring is standard on all Goodwe inverters. The DNS series has a 5-year warranty with the option to extend it to 25 years.
The new Goodwe SEMS system monitoring portal is an excellent, comprehensive platform for monitoring both PV and energy storage systems.
Growatt first entered the solar inverter market in 2010 and has since grown to become one of the world’s largest inverter manufacturers. Growatt now provides solar and energy storage inverter solutions for both residential and commercial applications. Many of the new models, which are still aimed at the entry-level market, have been on the market for less than two years and have yet to make their place in the solar industry.
Growatt appears to be eager to improve their position, and they have established local support centres in many countries that provide excellent service in the event of a failure or warranty claim.
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