But how does that sunlight turn into electricity?
This is where the essential part of a residential solar system comes into play: a solar inverter.
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Going into your inverter shopping experience armed with information will ensure you’re getting the best deal available.
Here’s what you oughta know.
What is a solar inverter and what do they do?
Aninverter’s main functionis changing the electricity from direct current to alternating current.
Solar panels generate direct current electricity, which can’t be used by the grid.
An inverter ensures the power you generate is compatible with the grid by switching it to alternating current.
Inverters today do a lot more, though.
They’re the bit of equipment that monitors and reports power generation and usage.
Advanced solar inverters can disconnect your home from the grid in case of a power outage.
Types of solar inverters
Inverters come intwo types: string inverters and microinverters.
String inverter
String inverters are the old guard of solar inverters.
The downside of string inverters is that they’re a bit of a blunter tool than their microinverter counterparts.
A roof that’s partially shaded throughout the day might be better suited to microinverters.
you’re able to pair your string inverter installation with DC power optimizers.
When power optimizers are installed, one solar panel dipping in energy production doesn’t affect the other panels.
With microinverters at each panel, the production of panels aren’t chained to each other.
Because microinverters are connected to each panel, servicing them requires a technician getting up on the roof.
Microinverters typically come with stronger, 25-year warranties, than string inverters, which are typically about 12 years.
A solar panel system might also use a string inverter with power optimizers.
Power optimizers don’t convert the electricity to alternating current.
That still happens in one place at the string inverter.
Instead, power optimizers make it possible for panels to produce independently of each other.
If one is shaded, the others can carry on.
More or less, power optimizers and microinverters accomplish the same job in different ways.
Within each category, there are a couple of usefulpoints of comparison: warranty and efficiency.
A longer warranty might make one inverter a much better choice than another.
Efficiency ratings should be readily available for any inverter on the market.
Higher efficiency means less energy lost between the panels and your house.
The bottom line
Education is one good guard against falling prey toscammy solar companies.
In 2023, supply was a big issue for homeowners looking for solar inverters.
