The Importance and Function of Solar Inverters in Photovoltaic Systems

Important Role-Solar Inverter

The best solar inverter is the heart of the solar photovoltaic system. The solar inverter is one of the most important components in the solar structure. The inverter converts the energy output by the solar panels into a form of consumable electricity used in residential or commercial properties. Direct current is power that flows in one direction in a circuit and assists in providing current when there is no electricity.

Simply put, a best solar inverter converts direct current (DC) power to alternating current (AC) power. This is important because solar panels generate direct current, but ordinary homes, businesses, and appliances require alternating current to operate. Therefore, without an inverter, you are actually creating a large amount of solar energy that can be stored but actually cannot be used (if you have solar cells). Therefore, solar inverters are generally regarded as the “gateway” to solar systems.

So what exactly does an inverter do?

1. Convert DC to AC power

The basic function of an inverter is to convert the direct current (DC) power that solar panels create to alternating current (AC) power that is usable in homes and businesses or fed directly into the grid in front-of-the-meter projects (utility-scale solar arrays).

2. Maximizing Energy Production

Solar inverters track your solar array’s voltage to maximize the power that the solar panels operate at, so you can generate the most and cleanest electricity possible.

Grid-tied home solar inverters also output a more pure sine wave (a measure of how smoothly the direction of current changes) compared to low-cost inverters that generate a modified sine wave, which ensures the smooth and efficient functioning of your sensitive appliances.

3. Maximize power output

Inverters are responsible for continuously tracking the solar array’s voltage to identify the maximum power at which the modules can operate. If shading occurs from environmental factors or if modules are degraded, the inverter can accidentally identify the wrong peak in the string, thus reducing the overall energy production of the system.

4. Interface with the grid

Smart inverters, the new frontier of solar inverters, have advanced from one-way communication to two-way communication with the grid, assisting with grid-support functions. Thanks to advanced software, smart inverters can perform specific grid-supportive functionalities related to voltage, frequency, communications and controls.

One of the most important grid assistance capabilities of smart inverters is the ability to ride through small disturbances (for example, voltage changes). Smart inverters can switch into standby mode in the case of a voltage change and observe how long the disturbance takes place, then turn off only if the disturbance lasts too long. This ensures that there are minimal voltage fluctuations on the grid due to distributed resources turning all the way off and halting power production.

5. Ensure safe system operation

Inverters are required to shut down in the event of an electrical arc, which can be caused by system aging and material degradation. They’re programmed to identify these arcs, but not all inverters do so effectively.

Because inverters are made up of so many electronic parts and perform numerous duties, they are more likely to fail than any other component of a PV system. String and central inverters come with different pros and cons, but string inverters are more easily serviceable when a failure inevitably happens.

Of course, the safe and effective system design and the good perfrmance of inverter is critical. It is best to seek professional help in the design stage. We hope this article has been useful in getting you started.