Posts Tagged ‘Solar Power Inverter’

What is a Micro Inverter?

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

With a solar power system, you can reduce or even completely eliminate your monthly electricity bill. Since they were first introduced, solar power systems have had a number of improvements, and now they are less costly, more efficient, and easier to install than ever before. Recently, a device called a micro inverter has been incorporated in some solar panels, and this may prove to be one of the most important upgrades of all.There are various types of solar inverters. You can check out Solar Power Inverter for further information regarding solar power inverters.

Most solar systems adhere to the same basic pattern. Usually, the solar panels themselves are mounted on the roof of the home, unless there’s a nearby area that receives even more sunlight exposure. When the panels are exposed to sunlight, they generate DC electricity.

This DC electricity is then routed to a large inverter, which is generally located near the home’s electrical panel. Devices in the home that require electricity use AC electricity, and the inverter converts the DC electricity to AC for this purpose.

Previous solar power systems had long wires transferring the power from the panels to the inverter, and this cause a fair amount of power loss. Low voltage DC electricity is particularly vulnerable to power loss. The only solution in the past was just to generate more power to make up for the loss.

The answer to the problem of power loss has arrived in the form of solar micro inverters. Now that solar panels can be equipped with their own individual micro inverters, the conversion can be performed instantaneously, negating most of the loss. This makes solar panels more efficient, as you can generate more usable power with fewer panels. AC electricity can move a longer distance with less loss than DC electricity. This also means that you can now add to your system more easily, as you can increase the number of panels whenever you decide, without having to worry about upgrading your inverter. In spite of the slightly greater up-front cost, these improved solar panels will allow you to save even more money in the long run, thanks to their superior efficiency.

Alomost any solar power system that utilizes batteries needs a solar charge controller. The solar charge controller functions to control the power as it moves from the solar panels to the batteries. To know more solar charge controllers, you can check out Solar Charge Controller.

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Solar Panels For Your Roof

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Before you make the jump to a solar power system, there are a few important things to consider.  The sheer variety of roof solar panels available today can be overwhelming. Roof solar panels can offer a number of different benefits, and it’s worth getting to know some of the different kinds that are available.

All roof solar panels have a transparent exterior which allows sunlight to pass through and strike the solar cells inside.  DC electricity is produced by these solar cells when they’re struck by sunlight.  It’s possible to generate any amount of voltage you’d like by wiring together the right number of solar cells.  The DC electricity is then sent to an inverter, which is in most cases located in the vicinity of the home’s electrical panel, where it is then turned into the AC electricity used by appliances in the home.  Power that isn’t needed can then be sent back to the grid.  When this happens, the electric meter is reversed, and the power company will provide a credit for the power provided.  For the times at which the roof solar panels aren’t generating electricity, such as in overcast conditions, the homeowner has a couple of options.  One solution is to have batteries, which are charged by the system during the day and then take over as the main power source when the sun goes down. To know what type of solar power battery is the best to use, visit Solar Power Battery.

 

Otherwise, it’s possible to use power from the grid whenever the solar power system isn’t generating enough.  The cost of installing a battery bank is almost always recouped before too long, as it provides significant savings. If you are interested to learn about the different types of power inverters, check out Solar Power Inverter.

It’s important to pick the right roof solar panels.  Some work more efficiently than others.  With the same amount of sunlight exposure, two different roof solar panels can produce vastly different amounts of power.  A system with efficient solar panels will be able to produce the same amount of power with fewer panels.

Durability is also important.  For one thing, the durability of the enclosure is crucial.  The solar cells inside the enclosures are very fragile and require protection from the elements.  If the enclosure isn’t well made, it won’t be able to guard the cells from all of the dangers it will likely be exposed to.  If cells are damaged repeatedly, the cost of replacing them can quickly snowball.  The reliability of the solar cells themselves is also something to consider.

Solar cells differ in how they’re built and, as a result, the benefits they offer.  The two main types of solar cells are monocrystalline cells and polycrystalline cells.  The superior of the two in terms of quality is the monocrystalline solar cell.  Their durability and performance are greater than those of polycrystalline cells.  Monocrystalline cells are worth the increased cost for these reasons.  If you want to learn about solar cell efficiency, check out Solar Cell Efficiency.

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What Is A Power Inverter?

Friday, November 27th, 2009

Solar power systems always rely on some form of inverter.

In most cases, home solar systems have solar panels charging batteries, with the batteries then supplying electricity to fixtures within the home.  Solar panels do not produce power at night, so this arrangement ensures that power is still available even when the sun isn’t out.  The electricity present in both solar panels and batteries is of the Direct Current (DC) variety.  Outlets in the home, meanwhile, use Alternating Current (AC) electricity.  Solar power inverters handle the task of converting the DC electricity to AC.

In terms of inverters, there are two basic types: Modified Sine Wave (MSW) and True Sine Wave (TSW).  Of the two, MSW inverters are the more bare-bones type, as they only convert DC electricity into the most basic form of AC power.  Some appliances work problem-free with MSW inverters, but others don’t.  Some kinds of audio equipment, for example, often experience problems when used with MSW inverters.  TSW inverters, while more costly, are usually preferred, because they don’t suffer from these problems.

Maintaining an inverter is no problem provided you pay attention to the following.  While it’s good to make sure that the inverter is as close to the batteries as possible, don’t put it in the same box.  Make sure that the wire connecting the batteries to the inverter is large enough.  The correct size will probably be listed in the inverter manual.  It’s good to have a fuse on all wires to and from the inverter.  As is the case with any electrical appliance, the inverter can not be exposed to moisture or extreme temperatures.

In terms of common problems, there are just a couple which are particular to solar power inverters.  First, there’s RF interference.  Inverters produce radio noise while they work.  Any type of receiver should be kept as far away from the inverter as possible.  Using a battery powered radio will also negate this problem, and the batteries can then be recharged with the solar power system.

So-called “phantom loads” represent the other frequently cited issue.  A phantom load is the electricity used by a device while it’s turned off, which is a common issue among many recent TVs and other devices that have “standby” modes.  Not only do these devices waste electricity in this way, but they also keep your inverter from going to sleep.  The inverters themselves, then, are forced to use more power than they really ought to.  Usually, this problem can be addressed through the use of a power strip with an on/off switch.  This will keep the devices from drawing power from your system while the power strip is turned off.

If you would like more information about solar inverters, take a look at Solar Micro Inverter.

If you want to build your own solar panel, visit Build Your Own Solar Panel.

 

 

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