Whenever someone mentions a renewable energy source, the first thing that often comes to mind is solar energy. Now, most people limit their solar power equipment knowledge to solar panels and forget a crucial part of the system; solar power inverters.
All About Solar Power Inverters
When the sun shines on solar panels, the solar cells move about, creating direct current energy. But most homes use alternating current energy. Thus, the solar power inverter's role is to convert said DC energy into usable AC energy for the home or building structure. If more energy is produced than required for use, the electricity is sent back into the grid to be used later.
Here are some key factors that help decide the best solar inverters for your home or business:
- Ensure you know the types of solar power inverter that exist and choose the best one based on your need. Here are the available options
- String Inverters: Used in residential solar power systems, they can be connected to a string of solar power panels
- Central Inverters: Used in large commercial buildings, they are massive metal cabinet like structures with 100s of kiloWatts of capacity
- Microinverters: These are extremely small units that work as one per solar panel and are used in partially shaded areas
- Optimized String Inverters: Like string inverters, the difference lies in the optimizer attached to the back of the panel to optimize each output.
- Battery Inverters: It is the most expensive option that feeds the AC energy from the battery into the switchboard instead of the grid
- Hybrid Inverters: These are especially used in regions where it's not always sunny so that on those days, one can plug batteries into the solar system to generate electricity
- Do not purchase the cheapest inverter on the market if you aim to purchase the best solar inverter. This doesn't imply going for the costliest but rather checking the components and features of the moderately priced ones to make sure you pick the right brand and model for your home or business.
- Ensure that your inverter at a minimum can handle the maximum capacity or power of your solar panel system
- Examine whether or not the inverter’s cooling system works efficiently regardless of the weather condition
- Other criteria to be considered before selecting and purchasing the best solar inverter for your home or company include quality, reliability, service, warranty, and features such as weatherproofing, display, and expandability.
Solar Power Generators
The ideal power backup for any commercial or residential application is a solar power generator, one of the most silent generators. Solar power generators have four main components: portable solar panels, a solar charge controller, a solar battery, and the solar inverter.
They are sturdy and thus suitable for the outdoors without the worry of damage. They come equipped with storage batteries to store excess electricity to be used at a later time. Some of these silent generators even come with the additional option of mobility.
Apart from being quiet, some of the other advantages include low maintenance, renewable clean energy, and zilch fuel requirement. In contrast, a few of the disadvantages include expenses during the initial purchase. Taking time to recharge only works in sunny regions and sunny days (it doesn't work as well in the winter). But as sunlight is an energy source that can never deplete, scientists try to convince more companies and residential areas to incorporate solar panels into their structures.
