What Is The Solar Power Inverter And How It Works

March 06, 2017
Solar Power Inverter
The solar power inverter is an important component in a solar power system. This is an integral part of such system since its early development. Without it, the solar power collected through the solar panels from the sunlight won’t be usable.

This is the heart of the solar power system, solar power inverter convert the sun’s energy into a usable electricity which is suited for home consumption.

With the solar power inverter, we can now enjoy the cost effective converted sun energy into electrical energy which our home appliances will work with. Through the years, the technology behind solar power inverter have been well-developed.

Now, there is even an advanced inverter that is grid-tied , that means this automatically manages the power coming from the solar panels and from the grid, so it won’t be conflicting each other, instead providing smooth transition when one is absent.

Solar power inverter is the one responsible for converting the DC (Direct Current) power coming from the solar panels into AC (Alternating Current) that can then be utilize by the appliances and other electronic gadgets we commonly use on our day to day activities.

Despite the fact, this appears like a passive functionality, solar power inverters however, need to have a relatively state-of-the-art circuitry to make certain that it can produce AC electricity which is perfectly compatible towards the standard 60 Hz/120VAC which most homes have, as this is the standard being set.

The Grid-Tied Solar Power Inverter

Lately, solar power inverters took an added kind of functionality which is now available on some brands and specific models accomplishing some additional vital functions. A lot of the latest innovation on solar power inverters are usually smarter when compared to their older counterparts.

This inverters are called the grid-tied inverters, these are installed in between the power supplied by the solar panels from the roof and the power coming from the local utility power grid. It actually function like an intelligent switching device.

Normally, it will supply the home with power generated by the solar panels and at the same time it detects if the power from the panels is low, this is when it switches its power source from the local grid. Additionally, this will guard power from the solar panels that it won’t go over to the local utility grid side when there is a power interruption for maintenance purposes.

That way, those people working on the local utility lines won’t get electrocuted. This smart feature of the modern inverters ensure that the home where it is installed will have an uninterrupted supply of electricity.

Moreover, most solar power for homes installed on homes are particularly engineered to provide even more electricity during daytime more than the the entire home required.

When these grid-tied solar power inverters are installed, it is smart enough to deliver this extra electricity into the local power utility company, which in turn generate credits for the homeowner.

With this method, the homeowner can later utilize the accumulated credits in order to offset the power charges from the local utility company when power is needed during night time when solar panels cannot generate the energy from the sun.

Thanks to these innovative solar power inverter, the chances of wasted energy is significantly minimized.

Replacing Solar Power Inverter Batteries 

In order for the solar inverter to function its job efficiently, it must have the battery installed and these must be in good condition and of good quality, preferably, deep-cycle batteries.

Typically, a battery bank will be installed along with the solar power inverter, in this battery bank the power generated from the solar panels are stored as well as the excess power that will be feed later to the utility company.

That is why, it is necessary to have the battery to be in good condition at all times. Additionally, this will store the power needed to power the home during nighttime and during the days where solar panels cannot generated at its optimum production for some reasons like cloudy and rainy days as well as during the time when blackouts happen.

Micro Power Inverter The New Innovation For Solar Power Inverter

The most recent innovation for solar power inverter is the way they are installed and their sizes. The conventional solar power inverter is typically a large unit that will aggregate all the power from the solar panels and where all the  conversion to AC take place.

Originally, this will require long electrical wiring coming from the panels terminals up on the roof going to the solar power inverter which typically installed near the power panel at the home, probably in the basement or garage area.

Solar power inverter developer have been able to design a micro power inverters, which is very compact in size and are now installed within the solar panel modules. This is a significant improvement as power loss is now almost zero, unlike the conventional one which has some power loss due to the resistance in the long electrical wiring.

Now that the actual power conversion from DC to AC is now taking place at the solar panel modules, it is more efficient and AC run through the electrical wiring don’t have much power loss. With these new kind solar power inverter, power generated and supplied is now much more efficient.

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