When it comes to solar power equipment, your inverter is one of the most vital parts of your entire system. Without it, the DC power your panels produce is completely useless. But how do you ensure you choose the right solar inverter for your needs? There are several key features you should consider when making your selection. Keep reading to learn what they are.
Size
For solar inverters, size definitely matters. In this case, however, you shouldn’t be looking at physical size; rather, inverter size refers to how much power your inverter can handle, as well as how much it can push out at once. When building a solar power system, you’ll need to carefully calculate how much power you need to ensure you’re purchasing enough solar panels. That calculation will also be used to match the size of your array to the size of your inverter.
If you’ve done your calculations correctly, your inverter should be able to handle the power your panels produce when they’re at peak production, and also be able to meet your electrical needs, even when you need a large surge of power to start up an appliance.
Type
There are many types of inverters, with three main categories being grid-tied, hybrid, and off-grid. Selecting the correct inverter type will ensure that it meets your needs and suits your solar application. Grid-tied inverters are designed for homes that are connected to the city grid and don’t have any other backup power source. Off-grid inverters, as the name implies, are for solar applications that are not connected to the grid and rely on backup power sources when there’s no solar power. Hybrid inverters combine these two functions, allowing you to connect to the grid and to a backup power supply for broader functionality of your system.
Any of these inverters will get the job done and convert power for you. You simply need to weigh the pros and cons of each inverter type to find the one that works best for your specific system.
Efficiency
When it comes to solar power, efficiency is everything. You want to get as many watts as possible out of every ray of sunshine that strikes your solar panels. This means you should be looking at the efficiency rating of not only your inverter, but your panels and your batteries, if you’re using a battery bank. For inverters, efficient conversion will minimize the amount of energy lost when converting it from DC to AC electricity. You should look for an inverter with a maximum efficiency of 95% or more. For example, many SMA solar inverters have efficiency ratings of 96.8% to 97.1%, making them some of the most efficient inverters on the market.
