Solar Inverter
Photovoltaic cell converts sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. This type of electricity will not be suitable for household application because for home appliance we normally use alternating current (AC). A solar inverter is needed to do the current inversion.
There are three types of solar inverter available:
- On-grid or grid-tie inverter, used to complement the utility grid with solar panels electricity. To allow the solar power integration into the grid power this grid-tie inverter should produce AC electricity that matched phase with the grid power sine-wave. For safety reasons during utility power outages the inverter should shut down automatically. If you experience loss of utility supply often and want to back it up with solar power generator this type of inverter will not help you. The main reason why people use this inverter is because they prefer not to purchase the solar batteries and instead they use the utility grid to bank the excess electricity generated by the home solar panels. They don’t mind having no backup power during utility outages. If utility supply doesn’t trouble you much in your area then you may consider this option because this system is less expensive than the others.
- Battery backup solar inverters. These inverters are also connected to the utility grid, similar with the grid-tie inverters, but they are designed to draw the electricity from a battery and control the battery charging by means of a solar charge controller and send the excess electricity to the power grid. Because this system store the solar electricity in the battery, the solar inverter can draw DC electricity from the battery bank and still produce the AC power during power outages. To fully comply with the safety regulation these inverters are required to have anti-islanding protection. Without this protection during a power blackout the utility workers may experience a hidden electrical shock hazard because they don’t know that the solar power generator is still injecting power to the grid.
- Stand-alone or off-grid inverters. These inverters are used in remote or isolated areas with no power lines available. The solar inverter will draw the DC electricity from the batteries charged by the electric solar panels and/or other sources such as fossil fueled generators, wind turbines or hydro turbines. Some of these inverters are also equipped with integral battery chargers to replenish them from the AC power when available. Because these inverters are not necessarily connected to the utility grid they don’t have to be equipped with the anti-islanding protection.
Depending on its type, the lifespan of a solar inverter may vary from 5 years to 15 years. Consult with the solar company you are dealing with in case you are in doubt. While home solar system are said to have a long lifespan people sometimes forget that the only one part of the solar kits that may reach 20 more years lifespan is the photovoltaic panels.
the Solar Cost Admin
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