Have you ever wondered how the raw energy produced by solar panels turns into usable AC electricity? This is crazy! It looks like we can harvest sunlight and produce energy from thin air with the help of science and technology. Many solar components contribute to power production, but a “Solar Inverter” handles the whole energy conversion. It makes the raw DC electricity usable for home appliances by turning it into AC.
But how do solar inverters work? Here, we will talk about the mechanism of solar inverters and find out how it works. So, without wasting any time, let’s dive into solar inverters.
What is a Solar Inverter?
Before we get into how solar inverters work, first, let’s remember the basics. A solar inverter is a system component that converts Direct Current (DC) into Alternating Current (AC). AC is the standard form of electricity that almost all household appliances and grids use.
A solar inverter optimizes power output, regulates voltage, manages energy flow, and provides security against power surges. In a nutshell, it is the bridge between the solar panel and your usable electricity.
What are the Types of Solar Inverters?
There are many solar inverter providers in the market with different types of inverters depending on their usage and configuration. Here are the major types of solar inverters you can get from the best solar component provider in Bangladesh.
- String Inverters: Mostly used in commercial setups where multiple solar panels are connected in a series and the power converges through a single inverter.
- Micro Inverters: It is installed in individual solar panels to convert power at the panel level and maximize individual panel performance.
- Hybrid Inverters: Hybrid inverters work with solar panels and power storage solutions (Batteries).
- Central Inverters: These are used in large-scale solar farms or industrial applications.
- Battery-based Inverters (Off-grid): Specially designed for off-grid solar systems, it converts power and manages battery charging and discharging.
What are the Basic Components of a Solar Inverter?
Let’s find out what the solar inverters are made of. Here, we will talk about a solar inverter’s most common and basic components.
- DC Input: It takes DC electricity from the solar panels as input.
- Power Electronics: This is the internal circuit responsible for the DC to AC conversion, including transistors, diodes, and other components.
- Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT): MPPT solar inverters harness maximum energy by optimizing current and voltage.
- AC Output: Provides converted AC electricity to be used to power electrical appliances.
- Cooling System: To avoid overheating, a cooling system is installed in the inverter.
- Microcontroller: Controls and monitors various functions of a solar inverter to ensure efficient performance.
- Display: Almost all modern solar inverters come with a display to show important system status like current, voltage, charging status, and others. Some of them come with remote control options through WIFI.
Difference between DC vs AC Electricity
To understand the conversion, you must understand what DC and AC power are. So, what actually is DC and AC power?
DC electricity is a form of electricity where the power flows in just one direction. This form of electricity is not usable for household electronic devices that run on AC power. The flow of electrons is specific and goes from the negative to the positive side. One of the most common examples of DC power sources is batteries.
On the other hand, AC is the opposite, where the current keeps changing the direction of its flow. The pattern is generally a sine wave pattern, there the electricity keeps moving back and forth. Grid electricity is a great example of an AC power source and is a usable form of electricity for your home appliance.
In a nutshell, the difference between AC and DC electricity lies in the direction of current flow. DC electricity has a constant flow and AC electricity keeps changing direction.
How Solar Inverters Work?
All the basics about inverters are covered. Now, let’s see how the actual conversion process is done. To make this complex process easy and understandable for everyone, we have divided it into 6 steps. We will scratch the surface here to keep this information digestible.
- DC Input: First, the solar-generated DC power is received by the inverter.
- Switching Mechanism: The inverter has complex electronic components, like transistors and capacitors. They work together to switch the direction of the current flow. This switching happens rapidly, more or less 50 cycles per second. This rapid switching of directions turns DC currency into AC current.
- Waveform Shaping: The inverter then shapes the AC current into a sine wave. This is the waveform that AC electricity flows. It is done by controlling the frequency and amplitude of the wave to make it grid-standard (50-60 Hz).
- Voltage Regulation: Next, the inverter makes sure that the output electricity maintains a stable and grid-standard voltage level. The voltage is usually 110V or 240V, depending on your region and grid standard voltage.
- Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT): It is an advanced technology that dramatically increases efficiency and energy production. The inverter tracks the optimal voltage and current from the panels. It allows the inverter to ensure maximum power production in different weathers.
- AC Output: Finally, it is time to deliver the sine wave AC electricity for regular usage. In off-grid steups or if you have a power storage system, you can use this electricity or MPPT solar charge controllers to recharge your batteries to use later.
Final Thoughts
So, the bottom line is solar inverter takes DC electricity from the panels and runs it through a complex circuit. Different transistors and capacitors work together to rapidly change the electricity’s direction to convert it into AC output.
Therefore, if you want the best solar inverter, check out our extensive collections of solar inverters. You can get the inverter you want at the best price with the ultimate after-sales service.
FAQs
Which solar inverter should I use for my home setup?
If you plan to go totally off-grid, then a battery-based inverter will be the best option. Or, if you want to use a power backup system with batteries, a hybrid inverter is the way to go.
Should I look for MPPT inverters?
Yes, of course! MPPT technology maximizes efficiency and harvests most of the solar energy. As a result, your bills will be reduced significantly and bring you most of the solar system.
Why can’t I use DC electricity for household usage?
The home appliances are basically designed to run on grid electricity, that is in AC form. You can’t use DC power to use these devices because thay are made to run using AC electricity. That’s why you must have an inverter in your solar system.