Lost solar or photovoltaic inverters There are components that are responsible for to transform the energy produced in a photovoltaic installation in the form from direct current to alternating current, so that in this way household appliances and other electrical appliances can work normally.
In other words, it is in charge of transforming the energy collected by the solar panels (direct current) into electricity in order to be able to use it in a place to live a company (alternative current). This process allows us we generate and consume our own electricity.
Coward the main functions of a investor solar it SOLAR son:
- Convert THE alternating current electricity, the most requested type of energy in any home or business. Without this inverter, DC/AC transformers should be installed in the electrical equipment.
- Improvement electrical current because it stabilizes electrical waves and ensures a quality and constant supply, thus preventing the suffering of electrical devices.
- mmonitor operation THE photovoltaic installation always. Thanks to it we can know if there is something that is not working properly, notifying us of any problem.
What are they for?
electrical current generated by photovoltaic panels of our installation is not the ordinary current that is normally used in the house, nor is it that which flows through the conventional electrical distribution network, so a transformation is required.
Lost solar panels produce direct currentwhile the majority appliances, electrical appliances and lights use alternating current.
Thanks to the photovoltaic inverter we can transform direct current into alternating current so that we can use it in the home or industry and so that the surplus energy can also be injected into the general electrical network.
How it works
As we just discussed, the mission ofINVESTOR solar It is Decemberdirect current reversal What do solar panels produce? in alternating current that we can use
To achieve this transformation, the solar inverter has electronic power devices (transistors, thyristors, coils, capacitors, etc.) through which with transforms a linear current into a sinusoidal current (the one we use at home or in our business).
This process generate heat, which is dissipated by the inverter to make the conversion process efficient. For this reason, some inverters have built-in fans and others dissipate heat by convection.
In addition to its main function solar inverters They are also responsible for:
- To facilitate SUPERVISION dgood functioning a THE installation SOLAR. In the event of a problem, the inverters are able to immediately stop power production, thus avoiding any risk.
- offer information about equipment diagnostics to anticipate possible problems.
- Improve overall plant performance allowing to obtain the maximum energy use of the solar panels.
Types of solar inverters
The classification of inverters varies depending on whether the photovoltaic installation is connected to the grid or isolated:
Grid Tie Inverters
are those transforms the energy generated by the solar panels into electrical energy, either for the sale of energy or for self-consumption, and therefore must be synchronized with the general electrical network.
Depending on its technology and functionalities there are three types of plug-in inverters a red one:
- Grid Tie Inverters row CHAIN: It is the most used inverter. Each solar panel is connected in series and the energy produced is sent to a single inverter. They are ideal for houses that have a roof that is not affected by shadows and that has only one direction. If they have optimizers, they will improve performance if each panel has a different solar output.
These inverters are the cheapest and also provide easy maintenance. Although they are not recommended for installations with a lot of shade.
- Microinverteres or distributed inverters: Unlike String, in which there is only one inverter in the entire installation, the microinverters are placed in each individual solar panel.
The main advantage it offers is the elimination of the negative impact produced by shadows, since the installation will continue to produce energy even if one or more boards in the system have lower performance. In addition, they allow individual monitoring of each panel.
- String Grid Connection inverters with optimizers: Power optimizers are located next to the solar panels or integrated into them individually, although systems with power optimizers continue to send power to a centralized inverter.
A solar panel installation with power optimizers is more efficient than one using only a string inverter. In addition, you can monitor the performance of each solar panel individually and reduce the effect of shading on overall performance. They have lower maintenance costs.
Inverters for isolated photovoltaic installations
sonny uused in installations without connection to the electrical network, requiring the use of batteries. They are perfect for solar systems in isolated places without connection to the mains electricity grid such as boats, country houses etc. We can further divide them into the following categories:
- isolated: They convert current from batteries to 220V to power household appliances. They are programmed to turn off the supply when the voltage is too low and to avoid overdischarge.
- Inverter-charger: In addition to the inverter for isolated installations, it has a charger that is activated when the battery voltage is very low. By having a charger, you can charge the batteries whenever needed.
hybrid inverters
They are the ones that allow obtaining energy both from the electrical network and from solar batteries. They are perfect for those homes where the electrical network reaches with difficulty.