More people are engaging in the collection of solar energy to meet their household power needs. After all, the power given off by the sun is clean, efficient, and consistent. Thanks to improvements in the technology used in solar panels and household solar battery storage, the average homeowner can now afford the needed hardware to collect the sun’s energy and direct it to power standard household appliances commonly found in the home. That represents quite a leap over the last decade; before, solar power required a far higher entry threshold for residential usage.

Solar power inverters

While the panels that collect solar energy may be the most visible component in a residential solar power system, the inverters make the efficient use of solar energy possible. Essentially, solar inverters are the brains of your solar power system; they’re responsible for converting the DC power generated from the solar panels into AC energy that can be used by modern household appliances. But many inverters do much more than change DC power to AC. They also provide monitoring capabilities that can help maximize solar efficiency in the collection phase as well as in storage. Keep reading below to learn more about the various types of solar inverters and how they’re used.

 

String Inverters

In most household solar arrays, solar panels are installed in strings or rows alongside one another. Systems can have several strings depending on the power needs of the home. String inverters are inverters that act as hubs for the strings of panels. For example, if you have 12 panels with four strings of three panels each, those four strings will be running through a single string inverter. Some larger systems also have multiple string inverters with each serving a few strings.

While string inverters represent time-tested technology at an affordable price point, they’re best used in arrays where shade isn’t an issue. The reason is that if one panel on a string is shaded, the output of every other panel on the string will be reduced as well. String inverters can also present challenges when there’s an underperforming panel on a string because there’s no way to isolate which panel is underperforming without testing each one. One way to overcome some of the limitations of string inverters is to use them alongside power optimizers. Power optimizers attach to each panel and can help offset the weaknesses of string inverters when it comes to shading.

 

Central Inverters

As the name would indicate, central inverters act as hubs for all the power generated by the multiple strings of the system. Unlike string inverters which route the power from several strings into a single inverter, the strings aren’t routed directly to the central inverter, but instead go to a combiner box first. The power from the strings is collected at the combiner box as DC current, and it’s then transferred to the central inverter where the DC power is changed to AC. The benefits of central inverters are that they can handle power from larger arrays efficiently and they require fewer individual connections. However, the use of a central inverter means additional hardware must be installed in the form of a combiner and additional space must be dedicated to the system for the extra hardware.

Row of solar panels

 

Microinverters

Microinverters combine the strengths of several different styles of inverters and mitigate their relative weaknesses. Much like power optimizers, microinverters are attached to each panel individually. However, unlike optimizers which much be connected to a string inverter, the microinverter transforms the current right at the panel without further hardware. Microinverters provide exceptional monitoring ability and control over the performance of each panel. A user can see how each panel is performing rather than only getting the performance metrics for a string. Unlike string inverters, microinverters are well-equipped for dealing with arrays with shading issues since other panels on a string aren’t reduced to the level of efficiency of the lowest producing panel. Microinverters are affordable and scalable, meaning they can be used with solar arrays ranging from small to large.

While solar panels and solar power battery storage may get plenty of ink, the solar inverters you choose for your system are of equal importance. Inverters are the brains of your system, so it’s important to choose wisely when selecting an inverter. To learn more about the different types of solar inverters and which will best meet your needs, contact The PowerStore, Inc., at (888) 595-0580.