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Haven’t yet made the switch to solar? We can help. Simply pop your details into this form, and we’ll connect you with local installers who’ll provide you with free quotes to compare.
In a solar PV system, a solar inverter (or solar panel inverter) is essentially the gateway between your panels and your home. Any electricity that your panels generate must pass through this corridor before it can be used to power your premises.
But what’s the point of this middle man? Well, solar panels create direct current (DC) electricity, whereas the majority of home appliances need alternating current (AC) electricity. The inverter transforms all DC electricity into AC electricity.
Alongside crucial AC/DC conversion, most solar inverters also offer some kind of monitoring, typically via an app. This means you can keep an eye on how much electricity your panels are producing, and spot any faults with the system.
Over time, this will give you a sense of when your solar panels’ electricity production is highest – which is when you should be carrying out most of your daily electricity usage. Although, this is easier said than done, we admit.
A typical solar inverter is around 95-98% efficient, meaning it loses around 2-5% of the electricity it converts. This is understandable, as an inverter needs to use some of the electricity to power itself.
Andrew had a 3.95 kWh solar panel system installed in June 2022, which cost roughly £6,000. Despite electricity prices increasing around the world, Andrew’s panels are already saving him £32.93 on energy bills. He’s also projected to save around a tonne of CO2 a year with his panels.
So if you had a 3.5 kW solar PV system comprised of 10 350W panels, you’d need to spend either £1,000-1,500 for 10 microinverters, or £1,000 for £400 worth of optimisers and a £600 inverter.
The first time you buy solar panels for your home, the inverter will come as part of the purchase and installation. This means that any solar panel quotes you receive will include the cost of the inverter – so no need to worry about adding on any extras.
A string inverter (or centralized inverter) is the cheapest of the three options. It functions as a lone operator, processing the DC electricity of all your solar panels. Usually up to 14 panels are wired together in a ‘string’ (this is a figurative term), sending all their electricity to one inverter.
And yes, as you may have guessed, this gives the string inverter a lot to do. All your panels are essentially working together as one big unit, and all their output is flowing through the same box (normally located in a loft or garage).
The main disadvantages? With a string inverter, your solar PV system is only as effective as its weakest point. If one panel is affected by a bit of tree shading and its output drops, the output of your entire system will fall to that level. This sounds like a fairly huge disadvantage, but if you keep all your panels out of the shade then this will never be an issue.
If a string inverter is like one big independent bear, microinverters are like a pack of small wolves. Although more expensive (costs are detailed below), they work together to get much more out of a solar PV system.
Crucially, there’s one microinverter per panel, meaning that each solar panel’s DC electricity is converted separately from another panel’s DC electricity. The merging of each panel’s electricity only takes place once it has been converted into AC.
The main advantages? Most importantly, your high-performance panels aren’t held back by the bad ones. If a solar panel is affected by shading, or its microinverter is having issues, everything else will just crack on. Also, you’re able to monitor the performance of each panel, and quickly identify any faults.
The main disadvantages? The higher cost is obviously the main setback, but if your solar PV system is sometimes unavoidably immersed in shade, microinverters might be your best bet. Maintenance is also trickier to undertake, as each microinverter is located on the roof (underneath each panel).
About Diamond solar inverter
As the photovoltaic (PV) industry continues to evolve, advancements in Diamond solar inverter have become critical to optimizing the utilization of renewable energy sources. From innovative battery technologies to intelligent energy management systems, these solutions are transforming the way we store and distribute solar-generated electricity.
When you're looking for the latest and most efficient Diamond solar inverter for your PV project, our website offers a comprehensive selection of cutting-edge products designed to meet your specific requirements. Whether you're a renewable energy developer, utility company, or commercial enterprise looking to reduce your carbon footprint, we have the solutions to help you harness the full potential of solar energy.
By interacting with our online customer service, you'll gain a deep understanding of the various Diamond solar inverter featured in our extensive catalog, such as high-efficiency storage batteries and intelligent energy management systems, and how they work together to provide a stable and reliable power supply for your PV projects.
