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How to choose an inverter for solar panels

One of the most important decisions we have to make in our photovoltaic installation, after choosing the solar panels , is choosing the type of inverter. A solar inverter transforms the direct current energy coming from the photovoltaic generator into alternating current. Unlike solar kits , which already have their inverter in the kit itself, now is the time to decide the type of inverter you need and in this post we are going to help you decide.

How to choose an inverter for solar panels

In order to choose the inverter that best suits your photovoltaic installation, we will first take into account some considerations such as…

How does a solar inverter work?

What types of investors are there?

How to choose a solar inverter according to my photovoltaic installation?

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We trust that this post can help you understand which is the best option in solar inverters.

If after reading it you have more doubts or questions, you can always contact our professionals, they will be happy to help you.

Before choosing a solar inverter…

When our photovoltaic panels receive sunlight, the electrons begin to move inside the solar cells, which produces direct current electricity. The circuits inside the photovoltaic cells collect that energy for us to use in our home.

This is where the solar inverter comes into play. Most homes use alternating current electricity, not direct current, so the energy produced by solar panels is not useful on its own.

When the solar panels collect sunlight and convert it into power, it is sent to the inverter, which receives the direct current electricity and converts it to alternating current.

That’s when solar electricity can power appliances and electronics or, if we’re producing more electricity than we need, store it in batteries or we could feed it into the power grid.

 

The main functions of a solar inverter are…

  • Convert energy : The photovoltaic solar inverter converts direct current into alternating current, which is used by all electrical appliances.
  • Optimize energy to the maximum : Maximizes the energy generation of the solar panels. To do this, the panels are insulated individually in order to increase energy production and, therefore, improve the overall performance of the installation.
  • Monitoring and protection : A solar inverter monitors the energy performance of the photovoltaic system, the electrical activity and the signals when a problem arises.
  • Constant operation : A photovoltaic installation is designed to provide energy in all weather conditions. The PV inverter offers constant operation by dissipating heat in a consistent manner.

 

There are different types of investors

String or chain inverters

Most small-scale solar power systems use a string inverter, also known as a “centralized” inverter. In a solar self-consumption installation with a string inverter, each panel is connected in series. When they produce power, it is all sent to a single inverter, which is usually located on the side of the house, in the garage or in the basement. The inverter converts all the green energy generated by your solar panels into electricity that you can use in your home or business.

Recommendation. Our recommendation for the use of this inverter is that it be used for homes with unobstructed roofs, which receive constant radiation throughout the day, and for owners looking for photovoltaic systems at the lowest cost.

Microinverters

If a string inverter can be considered as a “centralized” inverter, microinverters are “distributed” inverters. In photovoltaic installations with microinverters, each solar panel has a small solar inverter installed. Instead of sending power from all the panels to a single inverter, microinverter systems convert DC solar power to AC power on the roof itself.

Recommendation. This type of inverter is often used for solar panels with different orientations, homeowners who want to maximize solar energy production in a small space, and homes that have “complicated” roofs with chimneys or other objects that can cause shade.

power optimizers

Power optimizers can be thought of as a happy medium between string inverters and microinverters. Like microinverters, power optimizers sit on the roof next to – or integrated with – individual solar panels. However, systems with power optimizers still send power to a centralized inverter.

It works differently from the inverter, since it searches for the maximum power point taking into account the power of the set of photovoltaic panels; while the optimizer acts on each photovoltaic panel, which increases the precision in locating the maximum power point.

Recommendation. Homeowners who are willing to pay more to increase the efficiency of their solar panel system, but don’t want to purchase microinverters. With the power optimizers we get that certain limitations such as shading are reduced.

 

How to choose a solar inverter according to my photovoltaic installation?

Solar inverters for isolated systems

They allow to extract the energy captured through solar plates or panels and that is stored in the solar batteries to deliver it with an adequate voltage so that it can be consumed by the devices and appliances present in a conventional home.

One advantage they have is that they do not require special maintenance.

If you need to buy inverters for isolated systems:

  • Axpert VM1000 1kVA 12Vdc inverter
  • Inverter Charger 3kVA 24Vdc (Axpert VM3000-24)
  • Inverter Charger 3kVA 24Vdc (Axpert MKS 3K-24)
  • Inverter Charger 5kVA 48Vdc (Axpert King 5K)
  • Inverter Axpert MAX 7200-48-230

Solar grid connection inverters

These systems, made up of  solar panels  and these inverters, are designed to capture solar energy from  photovoltaic modules  and transform it into direct current energy. Then the inverter acts, transforming this current into alternating current, which can be sold to the public network. In this way, economic benefits can be obtained while taking advantage of renewable energies for the production of electricity, being respectful with the environment.

If you need to purchase a grid connected solar inverter:

  • PIKO IQ 5.5 Grid Connected Solar Inverter (KOSTAL)
  • Red Solis Mini-3000-4G inverter

  • ABB Grid Inverter UNO-DM-5.0-TL-PLUS-SB-Q 5.0 kW

 

 

 

Now that we understand more clearly how solar inverters work, we must decide which one is best suited to our installation, taking into account whether it is self-consumption or isolated. Our choice will largely depend on the budget we have if we want to obtain additional performance and if, in addition, we add the cost of possible maintenance.

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