Solar Inverters 101: What are they and what features should I look for?

What does a solar inverter do?

Solar inverters convert the energy harvested by your solar panel to usable electricity. It is a crucial tool that converts the DC electricity generated by the solar panels into AC electricity needed to power your home appliances and connect the system to the grid. Today, solar inverters have evolved to become much more smart and intelligent units, performing other functions such as data monitoring, advanced utility controls, etc.

It’s important to understand that the efficiency of a solar panel system depends on the quality of its components, and a high-quality inverter is an essential part of the setup. A reliable inverter is capable of maximising the energy generated by your solar panel, optimising this process, and maintaining top-notch performance for a long period of time.

In summary, PV inverters:

– convert direct current to alternating current;

– maximise your solar system’s power output;

– communicate with the utility grid;

– giving feedback information about power production; and

– ensure overall safety of your solar PV system

What are different types of solar inverters?

Different types of inverters are meant for different goals and power setups for every project.

OFF-GRID INVERTERS

Also called stand-alone inverters, off-grid inverters draw DC energy from batteries charged by your PV panels/array. As the name suggests, they are not connected to the utility grid, and being so means that they do not need to have anti-islanding protection. Many off-grid inverters incorporate integral battery chargers to replenish the battery from an AC source when available.

What is Anti-Islanding Protection?
Automatically disconnects the solar power system from the grid during outages to avoid dangerous situations and equipment failure.

ON-GRID INVERTERS

On-grid inverters are designed to shut down automatically upon loss of utility supply, for safety reasons. These are the most common type and are designed to work when connected to the mains power supply only. These inverters are certificated to G98 for inverters less than 4kW and G99 for those over. On-grid inverters also enable homeowners to sell back energy to the grid and benefit from the Smart Export Guarantee (UK) and Feed-In Tariffs (EU).

HYBRID INVERTERS

Intelligent hybrid inverters manage photovoltaic arrays, battery storage and utility grid, which are all coupled directly to the unit. These modern all-in-one systems are usually highly versatile and can be used for grid-tie, stand-alone or backup applications but their primary function is self-consumption with the use of storage.

V-TAC offers both on-grid and off-grid inverters, as well as single and three-phase inverters to accommodate a range of load requirements. Highlighted features include the Time-Of-Use Optimisation which further improves efficiency and savings, Zero Export Function which ensures stability and avoids unnecessary surcharges, and additional safety layers such as smart fault detection, Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI), Anti-Islanding Protection, and more.

AUTOMATIC BATTERY SWITCHING
Supports automatic switching from solar – battery – grid supply when batteries are running low to support the load

TIME-OF-USE RATES OPTIMISATION
Increase your solar power efficiency and energy savings by matching inverter functionalities with Time-Of-Use (TOU) rates.

ZERO EXPORT FUNCTION

Ensures that the inverter functions at an appropriate rate and there’s zero reverse feed going into the grid. Zero Export limit or restrict the excess amount of solar power automatically based on the load requirement.

BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (BMS)

Supports both CAN/RS485 communication protocols for battery management for flexible battery management

REVERSE EXCESS POWER PROTECTION

Designed to prevent electric bill surcharge from reverse current flow

V-TAC now offers a Complete Solution to Solar Power Installations

From being one of the top makers of LED lighting across the UK and Europe for a decade, V-TAC has recently introduced the new Energy catalogue which includes a range of top-of-the-line solar equipment at market-leading prices. The brand aims to promote the shift to clean energy by building efficient and specialised solar systems to sustain the growing global energy demand. With V-TAC, you can find all solar solutions under one roof.

At V-TAC, we prioritise the importance of selecting a high-quality inverter for your solar panel system to ensure optimal performance.

Feel free to reach out to us at vtacenergy.com/contact-us where you can also find contact details for our offices and distributors worldwide.