A solar inverter plays an important role in a solar system. It converts the electricity your solar panels produce into a form that can be used by your appliances, and other electronics in your home. It offers ground fault protection and is also responsible for maintaining the quality and safety of the power coming out of your solar system.
When the sun shines on your solar photovoltaic system, electrons within the solar cells start moving around, which produces direct current energy. Circuits within the cells collect that energy so that you can use it in your home. When solar panels collect sunlight and turn it into energy, it is transferred to the inverter, which takes the DC energy and turns it into AC energy. Therefore, your solar electricity can easily power your appliances and electronics, and in case you are producing more electricity than you need, it can feed that electricity back into the grid.
Broadly, a solar inverter can be divided into 3 categories:
- On-Grid Solar Inverter
- Off-Grid Solar Inverter
- Hybrid Inverter
On-Grid Solar Inverter
An on-grid solar inverter can be defined as a type of inverter which is capable of feeding the converted energy into the main power grid by matching their corresponding phase and frequency. These inverters automatically shut down for safety reasons when there is no grid supply to prevent any electrical shock to the linemen at work. Electricity which is produced by the solar panels is used for running home appliances, and excess electricity is exported to the grid, which further helps in reducing your electricity bills.
Following are the benefits of using an on-grid solar inverter:
- It offers easy installation.
- An on-grid solar inverter is affordable.
- It is a reliable and cost-effective storage system.
- An on-grid solar inverter helps you in saving money by exporting excess power generated to the grid.
Off-Grid Solar Inverter
An off-grid solar inverter is also known as a standalone inverter. These inverters are not dependent on utility grid. An off-grid inverter is responsible for converting DC power generated by solar panels to AC power to run your home appliances.
Following are the benefits of using an off-grid solar inverter:
- It offers easy installation in rural areas and remote towns where the utility grid is located at far-off locations.
- An off-grid solar inverter is a self-sustainable system without depending on power grid.
Hybrid Solar Inverter
A hybrid solar inverter can be defined as a combination of off-grid and on-grid solar inverters. which can function without any grid, store electricity in batteries, and export excess energy to the grid.
Following are the benefits of using a hybrid solar inverter:
- It offers continuity in power supply.
- Helps in effective load management.
- A hybrid solar inverter is an ideal choice for efficient energy management as it facilitates the use of stored energy at times of high energy requirement.
Invest in the Best Solar Inverter for Home
Once you have a basic understanding about the functioning and types of a solar inverter, the next step is that you have to decide which type is the best for your solar PV system. You can purchase a solar inverter from trusted brands like Luminous. It is advisable to carefully browse through the different solar inverter options, carefully compare and analyse their benefits and price and choose the one that will suit your needs the best. You can explore their website and seek help from solar experts who will help you in choosing the best solar inverter for your home.
Image Source: Luminous