Residential Solar Powered Products & Information

 

Nitro-Pak Preparedness Center

Solar Power Inverters

A solar power inverter converts DC power that is collected from solar cells, and changes it to AC power that traditional appliances utilize.  It also has a few other important roles to play in your solar energy system.  Do to the fluctuation in power generated by solar panels, the inverter needs to regulate the output supplied to the AC devices connected to it.  It also needs to moderate the loads provided to the batteries to avoid over / under charging them.  They contain components to prevent internal damage from device surges.  Grid interactive inverters can send excess energy back to the grid yielding credit or money for the owners.  These systems are usually not used in conjunction with batteries and are not intended for emergency electricity.  Costs for these is typically lower due to the lack of components necessary to accomplish it's primary mission of feeding energy to the grid.

 

 

If you do choose to tie your inverter into the grid you'll want to make sure that it has some anti-islanding protection.  Islanding is a condition where the power is out and the power lines are "dead".  Because the inverter is still receiving power from solar panels or wind turbines it can still make lines "live" outside the home.  This can be dangerous to utility workers trying to restore service.  It is important that your inverter only provides power to your local circuit (inside your home) in the event of a power failure.

 

Since this is such a vital piece of hardware in your solar setup, you'll want to make sure to consider a few things...

What kinds of loads will your inverter need to handle?  (appliances / lighting)

Is the powers cleanliness absolutely critical?   (powering sensitive devices)

Is the size and weight of the unit important?  (intend to move the unit around or fix it in place)

How much are you willing to spend?

 

Because of the importance of the inverter it will probably be the costliest component in your home solar power setup.

 

The links below offer a tremendous amount of information about this topic.

http://www.wholesalesolar.com/inverters.html  (Everything you could want to know)

 http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/yago89.html  (Inverter basics)

 


 

Solar Home and RV - 60 Amp Battery with 1800 Watt AC Inverter


From: Earthtech Products

5000 Watt Continuous/10,000 Watt Peak Power Inverter

5000 Watt Continuous/10,000 Watt Peak Power Inverter

Great for use in an RV or away from home.