Photovoltaic installation: which type of inverter to choose?

Published on : 25 June 20204 min reading time

There is nothing more profitable than buying a photovoltaic inverter that is both ecological and economical, without going broke. It should be noted that the sun has become an increasingly popular source of energy for many households in recent years. With this in mind, in order to use it for as long as possible, under the best conditions, it is exclusively recommended that you start by choosing the right inverter for your photovoltaic installation project.

Photovoltaic chain inverter or micro inverter

First of all, it is advisable to briefly review the specific characteristics of a solar inverter. In most cases, the latter includes a main support, a disconnect switch to secure the intervention when the equipment is installed, as well as an AC plug. The latter is used to connect the photovoltaic inverter to the entire electrical installation in your home. However, to produce electricity from solar energy, you can choose between a string inverter and a micro inverter. The first being a more classic model remains the most economical and can drive 8 to 12 solar modules on its own. The only downside is that once a module is in the shadows, the chain is no longer able to produce electricity normally. In other words, the production of solar energy is being reduced. As for the micro-inverter, it is an innovative solution that allows you to make the most of your solar photovoltaic installation. With this new technology, each module can now have its own inverter. This allows it to become completely autonomous and independent. From this perspective, even if one module is in the shadows or out of order, the others can still continue to produce electricity without any worries. Of course, between the economical and innovative solution, it is up to you to choose the type of inverter that best suits your photovoltaic installation.

Choose your inverter according to its power

Whether you choose a string inverter (the classic model) or a micro inverter (the innovative model), in order to get the most out of your photovoltaic installation, it is strongly recommended to take into consideration the power of the inverter. In this regard, you will find two types of power on the data sheets of each inverter, namely nominal power and peak power. On the one hand, the first one (nominal power) shows you the optimal power that the inverter can produce in the long term. So, to measure the nominal power you may need, it is simply important to add the power of the various electrical equipment’s you regularly use at the same time. On the other hand, the peak power is the maximum power that the photovoltaic inverter can deliver for a few seconds. More precisely, it allows knowing the inverter’s response capacity to a situation in which the starting current of certain household electrical equipment (freezer, household appliances, etc.) suddenly increases. The peak power must be much higher than the total sum of the electrical power of your various household appliances and equipment that can operate at the same time.

A photovoltaic inverter with or without transformer

Apart from the model and power, you can also choose between an inverter with or without transformer. For information, the latter is renowned for its ability to isolate the photovoltaic field and the grid. This is an additional safety device to effectively combat the risk of electrical overvoltage from the grid or photovoltaic panels. However, the transformer can reduce the efficiency of your solar installation at any time. There are diverging ideas about choosing an inverter with or without a transformer. The use of the know-how and advice of a solar energy professional can help you make the right choice and guarantee a photovoltaic installation that will be profitable in the long term.

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