When it comes to solar power for home and business, solar panels seem to capture most of the attention, but there’s a critical component in a grid connect and off grid solar power system that’s often ignored – the inverter.
An inverter is a device that converts the DC electrical output from solar panels into AC power suitable for use in the home. Without it, special DC-compatible appliances would need to be purchased and these appliances are often far more expensive than their AC counterparts.
Not all inverters are created equal and sometimes the cost of high quality panels in a solar power system package will be offset by a cheap, poor quality inverter in order to maintain a low pricing point.
According to Max Sylvester, co-founder of national solar power systems provider Energy Matters, “Australia is being flooded with sub-standard inverters and many people don’t realise that inverter efficiency significantly impacts on the overall performance of a system.”
While DC to AC conversion efficiency may vary by just a few percent between models, this can make a huge difference in regards to final output. Very cheap inverters may also have a far shorter lifespan than widely recognised brands such as Fronius or SMA, who have been producing inverters for the home and business market for over 15 years.
Mr. Sylvester says that some cheap inverters come with questionable guarantees designed to reassure people, but regardless of the length of a warranty, if the company is no longer around to honour it, the insurance is useless. Companies can close down overnight, only to spring back up under another name in the future.
“People should also be wary of products offering only in-house certifications as to inverter efficiency. Inverter efficiency should be independently verified.”, says Mr. Sylvester.
Energy Matters offers a free consumer’s guide to buying solar power systems in order to help people recognise and avoid the pitfalls of buying a solar power system. The guide was published with dual goals – to help protect consumers and by raising consumer awareness, to make for a more level playing field for the many ethical solar companies operating in Australia.
