How to Choose the Quality of PV Inverters

How do I choose the right solar inverter?

To find the right solar inverter or inverters for your installation, you must consider several specific features of your property, including your energy demand, roof complexity, and whether shading will affect your system’s performance. Learn more about solar and shade.

Does a solar inverter have a monitoring system?

Most solar inverters come with a solar monitoring system that allows you to track the performance of your solar panels online or with a smartphone app. This can include real-time data on power output, overall energy production, and system health.

Can I add solar panels later with a microinverter?

While it’s easier to add solar panels to your system later with microinverters, choosing the right string inverter before your installation is critical, as central inverter systems are typically built-to-suit without the capacity for expanded solar generation. Use our online tool to find the right sizes for your solar energy system components.

Why are solar inverters important?

When people think about a solar energy system, solar panels are usually one of the first things that come to mind. While solar panels are undeniably important, solar inverters are an equally crucial system component—especially when it comes to creating sustainable energy solutions in homes and buildings around the world.

What happens if a solar inverter fails?

With a single point of failure, a string inverter-based solar energy system will shut down entirely when a replacement is necessary. Individual solar microinverters are installed underneath each solar panel in your system.

What should a solar inverter capacity be?

The inverter's capacity should generally match or slightly exceed the total wattage of the user’s solar panel array. The inverter must be able to handle the power input from the solar panels; exceeding the inverter’s limit will result in excess power being clipped, leading to energy losses during peak production periods.