A complete solar PV system will usually comprise several solar panels to form an array, an inverter to convert the DC electricity generated by the panels into usable AC electricity and a generation meter to tell you how much electricity the system has created.
Inverters come in a variety of forms depending on the size of the installation and where the array is located.
- A “string” inverter will convert the energy from multiple solar PV panels which are connected in line. The disadvantage of a string inverter is that if a single panel is partially shaded it will restrict the amount of electricity the entire array will produce.
- An alternative to a string inverter is to opt for a system using “micro-inverters”. These are just small inverters with a separate one for each panel in the array. This allows each panel in an array to generate independently of the other panels making them ideal for situations where there may be partial shading.
- “Solar optimisers” work in a similar way to micro inverters in that one is required for each panel, however these control the flow of the DC current from each panel to a single inverter that acts for all the panels in the array. As with micro-inverters, they offer higher system efficacies than by means of a string inverter and are ideal for use where shading of the array could be an issue. An additional benefit of solar optimisers is that they can provide real-time performance monitoring of every panel in an array.
- Hybrid inverters will also charge a battery system and are a useful options if a battery might be added later.