You may know PV solar panels generate direct current (DC) electricity. With DC electricity, electrons flow in one direction around a circuit. With AC (alternating current) electricity, electrons are pushed and pulled, periodically reversing direction, much like the cylinder of a car’s engine. Generators create AC electricity when a coil of wire is spun next to a magnet.
How do we get DC electricity into the AC grid? We use an inverter called solar inverter. A solar inverter takes the DC electricity from the solar array and uses that to create AC electricity.
Inverters are like the brains of the system. Along with inverting DC to AC power, they also provide ground fault protection and system stats, including voltage and current on AC and DC circuits, energy production and maximum power point tracking. Nowadays, there are many solar inverters in the market, and you can find some popular inverters like ABB TRIO-5.8/7.5/8.5-TL-OUTD Inverter, SMA Sunny Boy 3.0/3.6/4.0/5.0 from SMA, and other brands from Kaco, Fronius and so on.
Central inverters have dominated the solar industry since the beginning. The introduction of micro-inverters is one of the biggest technology shifts in the PV industry. Micro-inverters optimize for each individual solar panel, not for an entire solar system, as central inverters do. This enables every solar panel to perform at maximum potential. When a central inverter is used, having a problem on one solar panel (maybe it’s in the shade or has gotten dirty) can drag down the performance of the entire solar array. If one solar panel has an issue, the rest of the solar array still performs efficiently.
Let's see an example of how a home solar energy installation works, which may makes it easier. First, sunlight hits a solar panel on the roof. The panels convert the energy to DC current, which flows to a solar inverter. The inverter converts the electricity from DC to AC, which you can then use to power your home.
How Does a Solar Panel System Work? You can find answers in the last article and I am glad to receive your feedback about solar panels and solar inverters.
