Inverters play a crucial role in any solar energy system, whether it’s a 2-kW residential system or a 5-MW utility power plant. An inverter’s basic function is to “invert” the direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic (PV) system into alternating current (AC). AC is the standard used by all commercial appliances, which is why

Microinverters are not a new concept. Since the earliest days of the PV industry, solar engineers and entrepreneurs have sought to create grid-compatible AC power direct from a solar panel. Some of the first commercial microinverters appeared in the mid-1990s, including the SunSine AC Module developed by Ascension Technologies. In fact, one of the first

String inverters have a proven trajectory. Because of their established reliability, accessibility and high efficiency, they remain well-suited for most residential and small commercial systems under performance incentives. With added competition from micro-inverters and two-stage inverter systems, solar string inverter designers continue to make advancements in efficiency and power density using new and better components

Central inverters convert the DC power collected from an array of solar modules into AC for connection to the grid. They are typically floor or ground mounted, as opposed to string inverters, which are typically installed on a wall or other vertical structure. They range in power from around 50kW to over 1MW and can