What Are Microinverters?
These little guys are the hard workers behind the scenes who never get the glory they deserve. Despite their lack of recognition, choosing the best microinverters is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when going solar; choose wrong and your whole system may fall apart! These small but powerful microinverters are tucked beneath each solar panel, converting the direct current produced by your solar panel into energy usable by your homes.
How do they work?
Solar panels absorb energy from the sun in the form of direct current (DC) where the current only flows in one direction. By contrast, your home is powered by alternating current (AC) which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously over time.
Microinverters do the job of converting the direct current electricity the solar panel creates into AC electricity that you can actually use. In short, they allow your solar panels to solar power your home. Apart from this highly important task of electric current conversion, microinverters also give you the ability to disconnect from the power grid in the event of a power outage (anti-islanding protection) and transfer power efficiently regardless of weather conditions (maximum power-point tracking). This means that whether your panels are in the sun or the shade, they will be capturing and converting energy, usable even when the rest of your neighbors are sitting in the dark, without air conditioning.
Microinverters Versus String Inverters
We’ve all heard the saying “a chain is only as strong as the weakest link,” well, this same concept applies to string inverters. Unlike microinverters, string inverters are connected and essentially act as a single solar panel. Because a string inverter functions as a singular unit, the total energy aligns with that of the weakest link, making them more prone to malfunction and decreased energy production. A single manufacturing defect within a string converter puts the whole system out of commission
Luckily, microinverters aren’t bound by this limitation. With a microinverter, each panel is individually collecting and converting energy, meaning that even if one is shaded, those in the sun are still working. This results in greater total energy output, and a more reliable system overall.
There are many advantages to Duracell Power Center microinverters:
- Built to last. Our microinverters were designed to last decades even in harsh conditions, that’s much longer than a string inverter system. Want extra reassurance? The Duracell microinverters are backed by our 25 Year Full Coverage Warranty.
- More power production. Since each inverter can work on it’s own, each panel is individually collecting and converting energy. No need to fret if one panel is in the shade, the other panels have it covered.
- Greater efficiency. As weather conditions vary throughout the day, the microinverter adjusts accordingly. The Maximum Power Point Tracking ensures the highest power transfer is always occuring
- Pays for itself. After the initial setup, the system will essentially pay for itself. Decreased electrical bills, increased subsidies from the government, and while contributing to the longevity of our environment. You get to do something good and save money in the process, what could be better than that?
- Much safer. With low DC voltage at about 40V compared to 200 to 800V for String Inverters the same if not more energy is being produced with lesser risk. Micro-inverters also have lower heat holds and are thus less prone to overheating. Not to mention a manufacturing defect within a string converter will put the whole system out of commission.
Why Choose Duracell
With such a key role in safety, efficiency, and reliability, you’ll want to look for the Duracell brand of Microinverters, a trusted name in power. Using the Duracell Power Center Microinverters along with your Duracell Power Center Solar Plus Battery Storage System gives you access to clean, reliable energy anytime of the day or night, or during a power outage. That costs a lot less and helps the planet.
[Source for CA Solar Articles: https://calssa.org/]