Solar Inverter Selection Tips

1. Solar Inverter Selection Tips Solar cells produce direct current (DC electricity. This is then converted to alternating current (AC) by the solar inverter. Converting electricity from DC to AC enables you to deliver to the grid or use it to power buildings. When it comes to solar installation, you need to select a solar inverter based on the amount of DC power that will be produced by the solar and how much AC power the inverter is able to output. The first step to selecting a solar inverter is to understand the DC to AC ratio. This is known as the inverter loading ratio (ILR). It does make sense to oversize the solar arrange so that the DC to AC ratio is more than 1. This enables more energy harvest when production is less than the solar inverters rating. Any power that is lost due to a limiting solar inverter AC output is known as inverter clipping or power limiting. When an oversized solar array is relative to the solar inverters rating, your system is able to capture more energy throughout the day. This means you can purchase an additional solar inverter or lost energy through inverter clipping. A solar inverter should effectively reduce the system from reaching its maximum power point, capping the power at the inverters power rating. In order to reduce the risk of this happening, you need to model inverter clipping to a system design with a DC to AC ratio more than 1. By knowing how much energy is clipped, the designer is able to understand the effectiveness of the over sizing scheme to increase the energy harvest. A DC to AC ratio of 1.0 will provide an annual AC energy production of 163.16 Mwh with 0.0 Mwh energy loss, but a system of 1.3 DC to AC ratio will have an annual AC energy production of 193.86MWh, leading to a 0.9% energy loss, while a DC to AC ratio of 1.5 will have 217.24 annual AC energy production with a 4.8% inverter clipping loss. There are some other factors to consider when it comes to selecting a solar inverter. The one is micro inverters. These are devices that convert DC output to AC. They are smaller than the typical solar inverter and are placed under each solar panel in a ratio of one micro inverter for every one to four panels. Micro inverters offer numerous benefits including higher yields, accurate monitoring, easier expansion and rapid shut- down. They also have a longer lifespan. At the same time there are some downsides to these solar inverters. They are more expensive than the average solar inverter and they can be challenging when it comes to servicing or replacement. A big decision when it comes to selecting a solar inverter is the power you need. The input voltage of the inverter is determined by the watt rating. For solar inverters with a low power rating, such as 100 watts, they have three input voltages; 12V, 24V or 48V. You can choose the voltage based on your electricity needs. Bear in mind the solar panel, solar inverter and batteries should have the same input voltage. The next thing you need to understand when it comes to selecting a solar inverter is inverter stacking. This is wiring two or more inverters together to increase the power or voltage output. This can be done when the solar inverters are compatible. When these are wired in parallel, they increase the watts, while wired in a series connection, they increase output voltage. About Us: Springers Solar is a well-established family owned solar specialist company based in Lawnton and Capalaba in Australia. This company offers over ten years of industry knowledge and experience offering everything from installations to batteries and inverters to chargers, solar panels, lighting and more. They cater to private and commercial clients offering auto and electrical solutions. Springers Solar offers a wide range of products complete with a design and installation service that clients can rely on and trust. They have over five thousand solar panels successfully installed and have become a top choice for solar installations on a national scale. To find out more, visit https://www.springers.com.au/.