What Is A Power Inverter?
Friday, December 11th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
The inverter is one of the key components of any solar power system.
In most cases, home solar systems involve solar panels charging batteries, with the batteries then supplying electricity to fixtures within the home. The purpose of this arrangement is to make sure that power is available even at night, when the solar panels aren’t actually generating power. Of the two types of electricity, both solar panels and batteries work with Direct Current (DC). Outlets in the home, though, use Alternating Current (AC) electricity. The conversion from DC to AC is handled by the inverter.
Currently, there are both Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW) inverters available. MSW inverters convert DC electricity into the simplest form of AC power. Certain appliances work fine with MSW inverters, but others don’t. Some types of audio equipment, for example, often experience problems when used with MSW inverters. TSW inverters, though, have no problems in a home setting.
Maintaining an inverter requires a few precautions. Avoid keeping the inverter in the same box as the batteries, but make sure it’s otherwise as close to them as possible. The wire between the batteries and the inverter needs to be of sufficient size. The instruction manual for the inverter should list the correct size. All wires to and from the inverter should have a fuse. As is the case with any electrical appliance, the inverter must not be exposed to moisture or extreme temperatures.
Solar power inverters are known to encounter a couple of common issues. First, there’s RF interference. When they’re running, all inverters give off some radio noise. Radio receivers should be kept as far away from the inverter as possible. Battery powered radios don’t have problems with this interference though, and the batteries can be recharged when need be with the solar power system.
So-called “phantom loads” represent the other common problem. Most new electronic devices, including TVs, continue to use a minor amount of electricity even while they’re turned off. Inverters are unable to go to sleep while these devices keep on drawing power. This in turn results in the inverters themselves using more power than they ought to. Usually, this problem can be solved through the use of a power strip with an on/off switch. Turning the power strip off will keep the devices from draining electricity, so the inverter can then switch to its low power mode.
To learn more about the latest technological improvement being offered in solar panel systems, visit Solar Micro Inverter.
For the best guide to building your own solar panels, including complete instructions and step-by-step videos, go to Build Your Own Solar Panel.
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