What Are Solar Inverters, and What Do They Do?

Solar power systems are highly technically complex and have many components. Manufacturing them is an incredibly complex process, and we’ve been researching and developing them consistently for decades to reach our current position.

Photovoltaic systems need a lot of equipment to function properly, including an inverter. Most people don’t even know what an inverter is, let alone how it works. Usually, micro-inverters are used instead of power inverters in solar power, but we’ll call them just inverters for the purpose of this post.

Here are some basic things you should know about inverters.

The conundrum of DC-to-AC conversion

Normally, solar PV cells, which are found in solar panels, generate electricity from sunlight. Hence, the current that flows out of these solar panels is called direct current. The term direct current (DC) describes a single direction of electron flow. 

“Alternating Current”, or AC, occurs when electrons flow in both directions. In order to provide energy to the various points throughout a residential building or home, AC power is necessary.

Solar panels create electricity in DC format, but inverters are needed to convert this to AC format for energy use.

An inverter’s sole function is to convert DC to AC. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Actually, not really.

Releasing and storing

Here is how inverters in solar panels work:

1. When the grid’s AC voltage is near zero, the inverter stores energy from the panel.
2. Inverters release stored energy when voltage is increased.
3. Thousands if not millions of ‘store and release’ operations can be carried out using the electrolytic capacitor used for this cycle.

Every inverter and every micro-inverter will fail over time. The features of such devices are extremely precise. On the other hand, Iseli energy supplies high-performance, long-lasting inverters that can last decades without wearing out.

Want to learn more? Contact Iseli Energy’s Technical Sales Team