The function of an inverter is to effectively manage the way your solar system works. This includes maintaining the balance between the two types of energy involved in powering your appliances.

First, there’s direct current power, which is also referred to as DC. This is the type of power that you find in batteries, and it’s the same power that solar panels generate. However, DC energy on its own cannot be used to power your appliances, which is why you need an inverter.

Because all the electrically powered appliances in your home use an alternating current (AC), you need an inverter to convert the DC energy stored in the solar panels into AC power that you can use.
Experts and consumer reviews of the leading brands of residential sized solar inverters show the best solar inverter to suit your home in 2020

The solar inverter is like the control center for your solar system. If you ask anyone that has been in the solar industry for a while, they will tell you the inverter is the most important part of the system. Far more system failures are due to inverter faults than are caused by problems with the solar panels themselves. Historically most inverters were of the string inverters type, and SMA and Fronius (US manufacturers)were probably the leading string inverter manufacturers in the world. Then along came micro-inverters that were pioneered by the American company Enphase around 2011 and started to gain traction.

Micro-inverters optimized power at the panel level rather than the array level as string inverters do. Another American brand Solar Edge then further developed the industry with panel level power optimizers. These did not convert the power to AC at the panel level as the Enphase micro-inverters did, but intead achieved much of the same benefit by varying the voltage at each panel to maximize the output current. The power optimizers were able to handle shade and differental roof planes much like a micro-inverter but with less electronics (and thus lower costs and better reliability) on the roof. We here at SolarReviews like power optimizers ver much, but we are also still big fans of Fronius and SMA string inverters.

Types of solar inverter

  1. String solar inverter.
  2. Hybrid solar inverter
  3. Off-grid solar inverter
  4. Microsolar inverters

To determine the efficiency and capacity of your inverter you need to apply some rating criteria such as.

  • Quality & Reliability
  • Service & Support
  • Warranty
  • Features
  • Monitoring
  • Price

Types of solar inverter

BEST SOLAR INVERTERS

List of top 5 solar panel inverters

he SolarEdge HD-Wave is our most popular inverter. But it’s not the least expensive option on the market – a title held by the SMA Sunny Boy- the HD-Wave’s power optimizers put in a ton of legwork to ensure your system always produces at maximum efficiency. But it has recently increasingly gained popularity globally, more so, in the United States and Australia. Uk and southafrica Founded in 2006 SolarEdge is rather unique among Inverter suppliers as they do not manufacture conventional string solar inverters but what the company refers to as ‘intelligent inverter systems’ using power optimisers to maximise power generation at the individual panel level.

Monitoring system

SolarEdge inverters have ‘optional’ wifi which together with the optimisers can provide power output data for each panel individually. This is great for both system monitoring and a very good tool for fault detection, especially for installers. Also SolarEdge definitely have one of the best smart phone apps for remote system monitoring. See the full solar edge monitoring system

Fronius

Fronius is one of global leaders in the industry of photovoltaic products, that is, from solar inverters to smart meters. The release of their snap-in design in 2014 brought the company to public stunt, but what is currently raving most people is the Fronius Primo. This solar inverter has attracted extremely positive feedback from all around the globe, thanks to its active cooling system.

The cooling system

One of the reasons for Fronius’s reliability and performance is due to the ‘active cooling’ system incorporated into all Fronius snap-in inverters. The fan forced cooling system extracts heats at a higher rate which reduces thermal stress and increases output in high ambient temperatures. All power electronics have a maximum operating temperature after which the power needs to be reduced to prevent overheating and potential damage, this is where active cooling can help improve both reliability and performance.

The cooling system

One of the reasons for Fronius’s reliability and performance is due to the ‘active cooling’ system incorporated into all Fronius snap-in inverters. The fan forced cooling system extracts heats at a higher rate which reduces thermal stress and increases output in high ambient temperatures. All power electronics have a maximum operating temperature after which the power needs to be reduced to prevent overheating and potential damage, this is where active cooling can help improve both reliability and performance.

SMA Sunny Boy

MA inverters are considered to be among the best solar inverters available in the market with a proven track record for durability as well as reliability. Most of the SMA inverters are suitable for use as string inverters. They used to dominate the market before the Fronius Snap-In series posing stiff competition. German manufacturer SMA Solar Technologies was widely regarded as the best string inverter manufacture before the Fronius snap-in series took the top spot in 2016. SMA’s decision to locate the manufacturing of the new AV series inverters in China rather than Germany also hurt the companies sales and reputation. However, itw as relocated back and SMA inverters have a proven track record for reliability and are generally considered one of the highest quality inverters available. Local service and support is very reliable and SMA provides an optional extended 10 to 20 year warranty.

Monitoring system

The SMA inverters provide free and accurate monitoring options. With the smart monitoring techniques, the solar inverter can connect to Wi-Fi and send data collected to a centralized system. The user would then get access to the data from the Sunny portal.

GIANDEL 1200W Solar Inverter

Giandel is an ideal solar inverter for both off-grid applications as well as a tight budget. The inverter is easy to install, and one can easily plug it into a home electric grid. It has two alternating current outlets as well as a USB port, which allows connection to other devices. is quite affordable than most quality inverters in the market. It is portable and light, thus making it an excellent option for residential installations.

The battery size is sufficient enough to support common appliances in your household. However, it is not quite as powerful as other solar inverter options.

Enphase IQ7 Solar Inverter

Generally regarded by installers as one of best quality American made inverters. This is not surprising as Enphase is a global electronics giant which has been manufacturing power control systems around the world these inverters are micro-inverters that are installed on each solar panel. Although the installation of micro-inverters is not the cheapest, the reputation of Enphase IQ7 precedes it.

Enphase solar inverters have a long life-span and are a great option as a grid-tied solar inverter. These inverters are easy to install, shade tolerant, and are flexible to any array design. If you wish to install a micro-inverter in your solar system, the Enphase IQ7 solar inverter is an advisable option.Micro inverter manufacturers argue that whilst the upfront cost of their technology is higher than string inverters, they are better value over time. It stands to reason that if micros allow for greater performance and output of your solar system and are more reliable, then over time they will have a better pay back

ABB Solar Inverter

ABB is a premium manufacturer offering a range of high quality string solar inverters but previously gained a bad reputation from the old ‘Aurora’ branded inverters. ABB acquired Aurora ‘Power-one’ back in 2013 and thus have to deal with many warranty claims and service issues from the unreliable old generation Aurora inverters. Although ABB sold its solar inverter division to FIMER, which is an Italian company, and that will take over in 2020, it remains to be a major manufacturer of quality solar inverters. ABB has built a colossal reputation using the new series of UNO solar inverters, which are lighter yet more compact.

The inverter can work under any environmental conditions; whether indoors or outdoors, thanks to the natural convection cooling system as well as the outdoor enclosure casing.

The new UNO inverters have the common plug & play interfaces, are lighter, more compact and have wifi included on all models.

Recommended Posts