In a solar energy system, the solar panels mainly produce direct current, but this current cannot be used in most of the electronic devices, then you need an solar inverter, which will convert the direct current produced by the solar panels into alternating current, so that the current can be used in most of the electronic devices. But before we install an inverter, we also need to determine how big of an inverter we need. Yet again, there are many sizes of inverters and choosing the right one can be difficult. In this article, we will explain how to choose the right inverter.

1. How do I determine the size of the solar inverter I need?

Before determining the size of the inverter, you need to consider several factors, the main ones being the power of the solar panels, the power of the load and the size of the installation location.

The power of the solar panels:

Make sure that the maximum PV input power of the inverter matches the power of the solar panels. This is to ensure that all the output current of the solar panels can be converted into alternating current by the inverter, but note that the maximum PV input power of the inverter is not its rated power, which will be larger than its rated power. This is also equivalent to the ratio of solar panels to inverter capacity.

If the total power of your solar panels is 10kwp, then the maximum PV input power of the inverter should be greater than 10kwp, so as to ensure the normal operation of the solar energy system, but the rated power of the inverter as long as it is greater than the 8kw or so can be!

The power of the load:

The current is converted into AC power through the inverter before it can be provided to the load for use. In this process, it is necessary to ensure that the current and voltage of the alternating current match the current and voltage of the load input. Considering the loss of current in circuit transportation, the power of the inverter should be greater than the total power of the load working at the same time. Note that the simultaneous power of the loads is not the total power of all the loads connected to the inverter.

If the total power of your loads working at the same time is 10kw, and taking into account inductive and resistive devices, the minimum rated power of your inverter is 10kw. Then, according to the above comparison between the total power of the solar panels and the maximum PV input power of the inverter, in the case that the total power of the solar panels is 10kwp, and the total power of the loads working at the same time is 10kw, the minimum rated power of the inverter you need is 10kw. rated power minimum of 10kw.

And in this process for the inductive equipment and resistive equipment on the inverter requirements are not the same, inductive equipment in the start-up, it needs to start the power is rated power 2 to 5 times, which requires the inverter’s maximum output power to be greater than the power of the inductive equipment at the same time work. For resistive devices, there is almost no difference between their starting power and rated power, so as long as the power of resistive devices working at the same time is considered to be less than the maximum output power of the inverter, the demand can be satisfied.

The size of the installation location:

Inverters are usually installed on the wall or floor, although they are not very large, but also to ensure that they have enough installation space, so after determining the power of the inverter, you also have to buy the right size of inverter according to the power you selected, which does not mean that as long as there is enough space to install the inverter can be, you also need to leave enough space for heat dissipation in the neighbourhood of inverter, so as to ensure the normal operation of the inverter, you need to consider the power of resistive devices working at the same time is less than the maximum output power of the inverter can meet the needs. You also need to leave enough space near the inverter to dissipate heat in order to ensure the normal operation of the inverter.

2. Considerations when buying an inverter

Budget cost:

After you have decided the power rating of the inverter, the most important thing to do when buying an inverter is to compare the actual cost of the inverter with your budget cost. Try to control the inverter cost around the budgeted cost, for example, I need the inverter rated power minimum 10kw If you consider to upgrade the solar system later, you can buy the inverter power can be about 15kw. But you can’t buy an inverter with too much power just because you want to upgrade your solar system, this not only increases your cost, but may also cause the inverter to not work under ideal conditions for a long time, resulting in a decrease in the performance of the inverter.

Type of Inverter:

Above we have only determined the power and size of the inverter, before purchasing an inverter, you also need to know what type of solar system you have and choose the inverter according to the different types. Mainly because different types of inverters correspond to different outputs and internal control modules, different solar systems should use the corresponding inverter, in this way, the whole solar system can work properly.

Compatibility between inverter and solar system:

When purchasing an inverter, you should also consider the overall compatibility between the inverter and the solar system, which mainly includes the power output of the inverter, the rated current, rated voltage, and the maximum power tracking point. In addition to this, the over-voltage and short-circuit protection of the solar system should also be considered. In this way, you can install the inverter with better compatibility with the solar system, which ensures the maximum output of the whole solar system.

CONCLUSION:

When you are selecting an inverter, you mainly have to determine the power of the inverter based on the total power of the solar panel square and the total power of the load at the same time. In this process, you also need to consider some other factors such as the type of inverter, the compatibility of the inverter with the system and so on so that you can select the most suitable inverter.