If you have a household solar system, your inverter probably performs several functions. In addition to converting your solar energy into AC power, it can monitor the system and provide a portal for communication with computer networks. Solar-plus–battery storage systems rely on advanced inverters to operate without any support from the grid in case of outages, if they are designed to do so.
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Historically, electrical power has been predominantly generated by burning a fuel and creating steam, which then spins a turbine generator, which creates electricity. The motion of these generators produces AC power as the device rotates, which also sets the frequency, or the number of times the sine wave repeats. Power frequency is an important indicator for monitoring the health of the electrical grid. For instance, if there is too much load—too many devices consuming energy—then energy is removed from the grid faster than it can be supplied. As a result, the turbines will slow down and the AC frequency will decrease. Because the turbines are massive spinning objects, they resist changes in the frequency just as all objects resist changes in their motion, a property known as inertia.
As more solar systems are added to the grid, more inverters are being connected to the grid than ever before. Inverter-based generation can produce energy at any frequency and does not have the same inertial properties as steam-based generation, because there is no turbine involved. As a result, transitioning to an electrical grid with more inverters requires building smarter inverters that can respond to changes in frequency and other disruptions that occur during grid operations, and help stabilize the grid against those disruptions.
Grid operators manage electricity supply and demand on the electric system by providing a range of grid services. Grid services are activities grid operators perform to maintain system-wide balance and manage electricity transmission better.
When the grid stops behaving as expected, like when there are deviations in voltage or frequency, smart inverters can respond in various ways. In general, the standard for small inverters, such as those attached to a household solar system, is to remain on during or “ride through” small disruptions in voltage or frequency, and if the disruption lasts for a long time or is larger than normal, they will disconnect themselves from the grid and shut down. Frequency response is especially important because a drop in frequency is associated with generation being knocked offline unexpectedly. In response to a change in frequency, inverters are configured to change their power output to restore the standard frequency. Inverter-based resources might also respond to signals from an operator to change their power output as other supply and demand on the electrical system fluctuates, a grid service known as automatic generation control. In order to provide grid services, inverters need to have sources of power that they can control. This could be either generation, such as a solar panel that is currently producing electricity, or storage, like a battery system that can be used to provide power that was previously stored.
Another grid service that some advanced inverters can supply is grid-forming. Grid-forming inverters can start up a grid if it goes down—a process known as black start. Traditional “grid-following” inverters require an outside signal from the electrical grid to determine when the switching will occur in order to produce a sine wave that can be injected into the power grid. In these systems, the power from the grid provides a signal that the inverter tries to match. More advanced grid-forming inverters can generate the signal themselves. For instance, a network of small solar panels might designate one of its inverters to operate in grid-forming mode while the rest follow its lead, like dance partners, forming a stable grid without any turbine-based generation.
Reactive power is one of the most important grid services inverters can provide. On the grid, voltage— the force that pushes electric charge—is always switching back and forth, and so is the current—the movement of the electric charge. Electrical power is maximized when voltage and current are synchronized. However, there may be times when the voltage and current have delays between their two alternating patterns like when a motor is running. If they are out of sync, some of the power flowing through the circuit cannot be absorbed by connected devices, resulting in a loss of efficiency. More total power will be needed to create the same amount of “real” power—the power the loads can absorb. To counteract this, utilities supply reactive power, which brings the voltage and current back in sync and makes the electricity easier to consume. This reactive power is not used itself, but rather makes other power useful. Modern inverters can both provide and absorb reactive power to help grids balance this important resource. In addition, because reactive power is difficult to transport long distances, distributed energy resources like rooftop solar are especially useful sources of reactive power.
The best solar inverter for your home depends on the conditions surrounding your system.
String inverters are excellent for use in solar energy systems where all panels face the same direction on one plane that experiences little disruption from shade or other sun-blocking elements.
String inverters are the least expensive inverter option. They are simple to install and wire and have fewer components that can break. Maintenance is easy, and troubleshooting or repair work is simplified by all elements being in one location.
String inverters can’t discern which panel is sending power. Because all of the panels send energy to the inverter in bulk, if one panel stops or slows production, the entire system becomes limited to the maximum power generation of the weakest panel. In other words, the whole system is less productive if one panel experiences less sunshine than the others due to shade, snow cover or other elements.
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Also, string inverters handle a lot of power simultaneously, which generates heat. The heat must be dissipated by placing the unit in the shade, cooling it with fans or both to keep it running efficiently.
Microinverters are great for use in solar energy systems where not all panels face the same direction or parts of the array experience shade for some of the day. They also work well for those who may enlarge their system later due to their expandability.
Microinverters immediately change the DC power to AC at the solar panel. If one panel or inverter slows production or fails, the other panels and microinverters aren’t affected, and each one can continue to provide maximum power to the system.
Microinverters are small devices that don’t generate much heat and don’t require mechanical cooling to maintain optimal energy efficiency. For that reason, they also last longer than string inverters.
Microinverter technology is more expensive than string inverter technology, and each panel requires its own inverter, so you must purchase more units. That means that the system as a whole is more costly than its counterpart.
In addition, there are more active components in a microinverter system, and those parts are located on the roof. Meaning maintenance is more involved, and troubleshooting or repairs are more expensive.
A string inverter with a power optimizer system is the best of both worlds for some consumers.
Power optimizers act similarly to micro inverters in that each panel is independent of the next. That means that shade or sun-blocking on one panel doesn’t affect the efficiency of others or the system in general.
Additionally, power optimizers can monitor each panel’s output for easy troubleshooting. The associated string converter has fewer active components than a microinverter system and is easy to maintain and repair.
String inverters with optimizers are more expensive than a simple string inverter system. Also, the optimizers are located on the roof at each solar panel, so repairing parts of the system can be more costly.
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