Your Solar Inverter Can Monitor Your System and Communicate With the Grid
Your Solar Inverter Can Monitor Your System and Communicate With the Grid
Your solar inverter transforms the variable direct current output from your solar panels into alternating current electricity that’s used in most homes. It can also monitor your system and communicate with the grid.
A good inverter should have a high conversion efficiency and include maximum power point tracking to ensure peak energy extraction. It should also have a portal for monitoring your home electricity consumption and system performance.
Solar Panels
Solar panels convert sunlight into energy for homes and businesses. They produce electricity without creating greenhouse gases or other environmental problems caused by traditional fuel sources, such as acid rain, smog, rapidly filling landfills and water pollution from oil spills. They also help us reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels, which are causing global warming and climate change.
Photons from the sun hit solar cells and knock electrons loose from a semiconductor wafer, usually made from silicon. Metal contacts between the layers allow the free electrons to flow out of the panel and into a power inverter. The inverter transforms the Direct Current (DC) into Alternating Current (AC), the type of electricity that your appliances use to work. Without the inverter, you would be able to plug DC energy into your house but most devices would smoke or catch fire.
The inverter can also optimize your solar energy and monitor system productivity. It can also be used with a battery to provide backup during a blackout, and with some systems it can sell back excess electricity to the grid through net metering.
Most PV solar panel systems use a string connection method that uses electrical wires to link multiple panels together. The PV modules are often arranged in parallel with each other to achieve higher voltages than can be achieved by a single panel alone. They are also connected in series to ensure the panels meet minimum voltage requirements. The PV Solar Inverter module electrical connections are protected by blocking diodes and bypass diodes that prevent current from flowing backwards through the module.
Inverter
Inverters convert the direct current, or DC, output of solar panels into alternating current, or AC, power that can be used in homes. This is necessary because most appliances and devices in our homes run on AC, not DC power. Without inverters, any direct current that gets sent out from your solar system would fry many of your gadgets and cause them to smoke or catch fire.
Whenever there is a disruption in the electric grid (as is common with a storm), smart inverters are designed to respond in several ways. Most will remain on during small deviations in voltage and frequency, but if the problem lasts too long or is especially large, they can disconnect from the grid and shut down.
All of this is possible because of how inverters are made. They contain transistors that open and close in pairs, causing the electric current to rise and fall gradually. Inverters are programmed to keep the voltage’stepping up’ and’stepping down’ in a pattern that’s more like a sine wave than a square one, so electricity can flow reliably through your home.
Some less-advanced inverters use rather cheap electronics and produce a ‘pixelized’ waveform, which may not work well with some appliances. This is why it’s always best to use a CEC approved inverter, as recommended by your accredited installer.
Battery Storage
Battery storage systems enable solar customers to maximize their energy production by storing excess electricity produced during the day for use in the evening. This reduces the maintenance free deep cycle battery reliance on the grid, making your customer less vulnerable to price spikes and power outages.
A solar energy storage system is a great way to save money on electricity bills, especially in areas with time-of-use rates or demand charges. It’s important to choose a battery that can deliver the amount of stored energy needed and will last for about 10 years. You’ll also want to find an installer that specializes in solar-plus-battery storage systems. They will know how to integrate the battery into your existing solar panel system and ensure that everything is working properly.
The inverter in a solar energy storage system performs several functions, including monitoring. It’s important to look for an all-in-one unit that can handle both the charge controller and inverter, since this makes installation easier. Professionals will use industry best practices and adhere to electrical codes and safety standards to prevent hazards.
If you’re already a solar panel owner, adding battery energy storage to your existing solar PV system is easy. Your installer will install an all-in-one system that combines a charge controller and inverter, which is much simpler than installing separate units. Then, they will connect the battery to the inverter and your home’s electrical panel.
Monitoring
Using a solar monitoring app can help reduce the time and labor costs associated with collecting and recording data manually. It also helps technicians track performance metrics and troubleshoot issues with solar energy systems.
Whether you have a grid-tie or off-grid solar system, an important part of the maintenance process is tracking system performance and efficiency. Solar inverter monitoring can help identify issues and ensure a high-performance system for years to come.
A good monitoring app will be easy to use and can offer a variety of information, including the ability to compare your solar power output with other systems in your area that have agreed to share their data with the public. It will also allow you to calculate energy and environmental benefits and see a graphical representation of your solar panel production over time.
Many microinverter and DC power optimizer manufacturers include inverter monitoring as a feature. This means you can monitor your system in a web browser or mobile application without adding additional hardware. SolarEdge, for example, has a monitoring platform called Enlighten that can provide you with per-panel and inverter performance data as well as an overall system overview. However, you’ll need to install their power optimizers on each solar panel in your array in order to get more granular information.
Other manufacturers like SMA have their own portal and smartphone apps, but they’re pretty basic and don’t offer much besides daily, weekly, or monthly energy production graphs. A solar expert can assist you in choosing a monitoring system that will work best with your unique solar power installation.