![]() We have more details on power optimizers in this post. Micro-inverters and power optimizers are gaining popularity and prices are dropping as the technology advances. It’s not quite as quick or convenient as having your own exchange office a few steps from your home, but there’s no waiting around once you get to the central office. Imagine being able to cut to the front of the line at the currency exchange office. This is more efficient than a string inverter, as any sluggish production from one panel doesn’t slow the whole system, but more cost-efficient than a standard micro-inverter setup. But rather than change the DC to AC right there on site, these inverters optimize the current before sending it to one central inverter. Power optimizers are somewhere in between string inverters and micro-inverters both in how they function and in price.Īs with micro-inverters, power optimizers have a component (the “optimizer”) underneath and within each solar panel. Not necessary if all panels face the same way and are not shaded.Good for rooftops where solar panels may face different directions.Increasing power needs are easier and less expensive than installing a second central inverter. ![]() Shade from a nearby tree won’t reduce the whole solar panel system power output.Read more about string inverters vs microinverters here. Adding more solar panels and inverters is easier and less expensive than adding an additional central inverter for a string inverter system. Say you buy an electric car and you’ll need more power to charge it every night. Microinverters also make it easy to increase power usage if you want to. This type of inverter can be more expensive than string inverters, but it can pay off over time by getting more power from your system overall. This is helpful for spotting any issues with a single panel so you can have it repaired before it slows down the whole system’s productivity. Microinverters also enable you to monitor the performance of each individual panel. Any drop in efficiency only affects one panel. Even if the panel next to it has a tree branch shading it for most of the day, all the other panels can convert at full capacity. This gives each panel the ability to function at peak performance, independent from its neighbors. Think of it as having mini currency exchange stations on every nearby street corner. Microinverters are small units built into each individual solar panel that convert power. Increasing power needs are more difficult and may require second central inverter installation.Not optimal if your solar panels are facing different ways.No ability to monitor each panel individually.Overall production decreases if one panel is damaged or shaded.String inverters are standard in the industry, and they’re the least expensive. It’s also great if you have all of your solar panels facing the same direction. This is a standard inverter, and it works just fine if you don’t have any encroaching shade from nearby trees or a big chimney. String inverters have one centralized inverter - or, keeping with the metaphor - one central currency exchange station. Team up with an Energy Advisor to see which inverter is best for your solar project Solar Inverter Types, Pros and Cons String Inverters There are three options available: string inverters, microinverters, and power optimizers. Inverters are incredibly important pieces of equipment in a rooftop solar system. Inverters change the raw DC power into AC power so your lamp can use it to light up the room. The electricity produced by solar panels is initially a direct current (DC). Your home is wired to conduct alternating current (AC) power. You might have a fistful of yen, but until you stop and exchange it for USD, you can’t pay for lunch stateside. Think of it as a currency exchange for your power. Inverters change the power produced by your solar panels into something you can actually use. Solar energy doesn’t provide electricity in a format that your table lamp could be powered by.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |