An inverter is a device having usage across homes and commercial establishments for converting direct current (DC) into alternative current (AC). The inverters used in homes carry out the DC into AC conversion job very efficiently. They use the DC power stored in the batteries to produce AC. Some of the major components of a solar inverter made and supplied by the leading solar inverter manufacturers in India include the following:
● Solar panels
● Charge controller
● Batteries, and
● Inverters.
The variable direct current in a solar inverter is produced by the photovoltaic solar panel which is converted into alternating current. The power achieved this way can be fed into different electrical networks or grids to be used by so many appliances, tools, and machines. As a solar panel cannot produce the necessary alternating current on its own that’s why an inverter uses to serve the purpose.
Types of the solar inverter at a glance
There are different types of solar inverters available in the market which you can choose as per your requirements. All of them have different characteristics and properties. Discussed below are some major types:
Sine Wave Inverter
The solar inverters in this category generate a sine wave almost all the appliances are designed and built for. Most common home and even commercial appliances can run very smoothly on the current output that these solar inverters provide.
Square Wave Inverter
Square wave inverters have an alternative name as digital inverters. The solar inverters in this category generate square wave AC on which all the home appliances cannot run. It is because home appliances and a large number of other tools have the design and development essential to run on the sine wave pattern of current only. In case you use a square wave inverter to run any of your home appliances, it will start creating a humming sound. The device no doubt can bear that but still, square wave inverters are not recommended for running home appliances and other allied tools and machines.
Stepped Sine Wave Inverter
Stepped sine wave inverters are somewhere in the middle of the two categories of the solar inverters mentioned above. This format is also not very much acceptable and accessible in the market. The solar inverters in this category are recommended to run electronic gadgets like computers and allied devices. Stepped sine wave solar inverters are also considered to be a cost-effective power solution when compared to other available inverters.
A concise and meaningful buying guide
Buying an ideal inverter as per your exacting needs might be a tough task for any layman who doesn’t have sound knowledge of this domain. There is a wide range of power solutions available in the markets, and at various times aggressive marketing can also mislead you. Therefore, before you make your move to buy a solar inverter made and supplied by any of the leading solar inverter manufacturers in India, here is a guide to go through:
Calculate your power requirements
Before settling on a solar inverter, you need to calculate your power requirements. This can further help in achieving a rough estimation. All through the course, you need to remember that no inverter is a generator. Accordingly, solar inverters also have their limits. You cannot run all your home appliances through a single randomly bought and installed inverter. In case your energy requirements are more than 4000 VA, then a random purchase will not serve your purpose at all.
You need to be calculative if you want to run your air conditioner and refrigerator. The choice you want to make needs to be quite different than the ordinary one. Further, a person will have to choose a high-performance solar inverter. One must have some basic idea of how the wattage rating for typical home appliances goes. Given below are a few examples:
● Refrigerator 160 – 250 Watts
● Tube Light 40 Watts
● CFL 18 Watts – 20 watts
● Computer 80- 150 Watts
● Fan (Ceiling) 50-75 Watts
● Fan (Table) 25-50 Watts
● Laptop 20- 75 Watts
● LCD TV (32”) 100 – 150 Watts.
Understand the concept of starting power and running power
Before you choose a particular solar inverter for any of your power requirements, you need to understand the concept of starting power and running power. It might come to you as a big surprise that the starting and running power prerequisites of almost all the tools and appliances are distinctive. A 20-watt CFL bulb takes around 25 watts of power when you switch it on. After some moments, the power consumption by the bulb balances out to around 20 watts.
In the same way, some heavy-duty appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators take almost double the power when compared to the standard running power. Therefore, it is quite necessary to find out the starting power of all the gadgets and appliances that you have to run on the newly bought solar inverter.
Checking the Inverters for Durability
For many individuals, buying a solar inverter either for a home or even a commercial establishment can be a robust long-term investment. After all, you cannot indulge in inverter-related matters almost every other day. Therefore, it is quite mandatory to check and compare them for quality, durability, and reliability. Make sure the inverter you are going to buy is capable of performing under all types of weather conditions.
Some inverters might not be very good at performance under extreme temperatures and as result, they can break down leaving you in the lurch. Therefore, go deeper into specifications as much as you can before finalizing a particular model of solar inverter. This will ensure your peace of mind while keeping you away from performance-related hassles.
The Closing Note
Insolation Energy is one of the top solar inverter manufacturers in India. The company owns a world-class solar panel manufacturing facility with specialized infrastructural prowess in manufacturing high-efficiency solar PV Modules. Today, the company is well-known the world over for producing and installing the best utility-scale solar panels. The company has a team of passionate and knowledgeable solar panel experts and installers.
