A solar inverter converts solar energy into usable electricity in your home. Here’s our selection of the best.
We’ve looked at the features of several of the most common and widely used solar inverters on the market. The SolarEdge Home Wave Inverter is our top pick. This is the most efficient inverter we’ve ever seen, meaning you’ll be able to use more of the energy produced by your solar panels. SolarEdge also scores highly for its strong warranty and highly rated applications by users.
Without a solar inverter, you will not be able to power your home with solar panels. But what exactly?
The operation of a solar inverter is simple: it converts the DC power generated by solar panels into AC power that can be used by home appliances. But not all solar inverters are the same. Choosing the right solar inverter for your home can be a daunting task. This is why solar panel installers usually handle this task. But installers often carry more than one inverter with them. Here are some things you might encounter on your journey to the Sun.
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Each inverter on this list has gone through a methodological process and received a rating. To develop this approach, I read and compared dozens of inverter specifications and spoke with engineers and industry experts to determine what really matters when choosing an inverter for your home.
Only single-phase grid-tied hybrid inverters for US homes were considered. DC power optimizers are not included in the reviews or ratings of any string inverters mentioned in this article. However, DC power optimizers are popular add-ons that you can install along with your string inverter. We also want to point out that we have not done any real testing on any of the inverters on this list.
Practical testing of solar equipment and companies is difficult. We check specifications, talk to companies and take customer feedback into account to find the best products.
The SolarEdge Home Wave Inverter is our pick for the best inverters that score highly in almost every category.
It has the highest efficiency rating of any residential inverter we’ve ever seen. It is available in a variety of sizes and comes with a strong warranty. The app also has very high user ratings. However, SolarEdge inverters come at a price.
The SolarEdge Home Wave Inverter is a grid-tied inverter available in six sizes from 3.8 to 11 kW. It has the highest peak efficiency rating and CEC efficiency rating of any inverter we’ve reviewed so far. It has a peak efficiency of 99.20% and a CEC efficiency of 99%.
This means you lose virtually no power generation. The SolarEdge app also has the highest user ratings of any inverter app we’ve ever seen. This SolarEdge inverter comes with a 12-year limited warranty, which can be extended to 20 or 25 years at an additional cost.
Practical testing of solar equipment and companies is difficult. We check specifications, talk to companies and take customer feedback into account to find the best products.
The best way to describe Tesla’s solar products is “comprehensive.” The same goes for Tesla solar inverters. It has high performance ratings and app user ratings. This inverter also comes with the longest limited warranty we’ve ever seen on an inverter. But it only comes in two sizes, and Tesla has a bad reputation for customer service.
Tesla solar inverters are grid-connected and come in two models: 3.8 kW and 7.6 kW. It comes with a 12.5-year warranty, which is the longest limited warranty of any string inverter we reviewed. It has a peak efficiency of 98.60% and a CEC efficiency rating of 98%. User reviews for the Tesla app are decent, but not great.
User reviews for the Tesla app are decent, but not great. However, user ratings for the Tesla app are much higher than most other inverter apps. Tesla solar inverters also tend to be cheaper than other string inverters.
Practical testing of solar equipment and companies is difficult. We check specifications, talk to companies and take customer feedback into account to find the best products.
Compared to string inverters, the choice of microinverters is small. But Enphase’s IQ8 series is the best residential microinverter we’ve found. Each of them is quite effective and has a 25-year warranty. Enphase lacks customer support and size categories. Prices are similar to other microinverters we’ve seen.
Enphase offers six IQ8 models. They are grid independent, meaning they are connected to the grid and can power your home during a power outage with the right equipment without the need for batteries. Each microinverter comes with a 25-year warranty.
The IQ8 microinverter has a peak efficiency of 97.4% to 97.6% and a CEC efficiency of 97% to 97.5%. The Enphase Enphase Enlighten app has received generally good reviews from users.
Practical testing of solar equipment and companies is difficult. We check specifications, talk to companies and take customer feedback into account to find the best products.
Growatt is the best hybrid inverter we found during our search. It is available in a variety of sizes and comes with a fair warranty and performance rating. It is also cheaper than other inverters, which is surprising since hybrid inverters tend to be more expensive. But the Growatt app is not the most user-friendly and may have some problems.
Growatt single-phase hybrid inverters are available in nine sizes from 3kW to 11.4kW, so you’ll likely find at least one size that matches the capacity of your solar panel system. A hybrid inverter essentially combines a solar inverter and a battery inverter into one unit, making it an excellent inverter choice if you have solar energy storage plans in the future. Efficiency ratings are also good, but Growatt customers don’t seem to have the best experience with the included software. Most user complaints seem to be about bugs or glitches in the software and poor customer support.
Like any other type of solar equipment, not every solar inverter is suitable for every home. Solar energy is a site-specific decision-making process, and finding the “best” inverter for your home can be difficult without on-site consultation. We also only looked at the single-phase residential inverters included in the California Energy Commission’s solar equipment inventory program. We haven’t done any real testing.
Instead, we’ll focus on a relatively objective way of evaluating and comparing these solar inverters to see which ones stand out from the competition. Here’s how we found the best solar inverter.
The first step is to determine which categories to use to rate each inverter. We then give each category a weight. The weight we assign to each category reflects the importance we consider relevant to the average consumer. After extensive research and speaking with several subject matter experts (who had no influence on the choices we made for this list), we decided to rank the categories (and their weights) for each inverter.
We looked at the 10 most popular inverter brands on the market and compiled data for each category to compare the numbers. Each category (for each inverter) is given a rating on a scale (1 to 5) to evaluate which aspects of each inverter are above average (on our list), average, or below average.
Chilicon Power Microinverter: The Chilicon Power is another microinverter option, but it is less efficient and more expensive than the Enphase IQ8 series of microinverters. Chilicon Power microinverters also come in only two sizes and have low user application scores.
Delta Single Phase Transformerless Solar Inverter: The Delta solar inverter is a good choice, but there are better options. The highest-rated inverters on our list have the best warranties, efficiency ratings, and the best overall user ratings. However, Delta appears to have a better reputation for customer support than other manufacturers on this list.
Fronius Primo: The Fronius Primo single-phase inverter has lower efficiency ratings and user application ratings than other inverters on this list. The limited warranty on the Fronius Primo inverter is also the shortest we’ve seen for an inverter (5 or 7 years). But it is still worth mentioning the extremely wide range of sizes: 9 standard sizes with a power from 3.8 kW to 15 kW.
SMA Sunny Boy: SMA Sunny Boy received average scores in almost all categories. But since other inverters perform above average, average is not enough.
Sol-Ark: The Sol-Ark residential hybrid inverter is expensive, and its efficiency and warranty are not as good as other inverters on our list. The Sol-Ark app also has poor reviews from software users.
What type of inverter you choose for your home solar panel system is perhaps the most important part of your inverter decision.
”The appearance of a residential solar installation can vary depending on the exterior of the home,” Rachel Kurchin, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, told CNET. “Perhaps your home has a truly pitched roof or has trees around it that provide shade in for part of the day, or maybe it’s not that big of a deal. Those are the things that can really make a difference. An inverter solution makes the most sense.”
When it comes to home solar installations, homeowners can consider three types of solar inverters: string inverters, string inverters plus DC power optimizer, or microinverters. Each inverter installation has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here’s what you need to know.
As the name suggests, a string inverter connects a group of solar panels (also called a string) to a single inverter. The inverter will convert DC power from each solar panel connected to the string. But if a solar panel in a string is partially shaded, shaded, or encounters maintenance issues, it compromises the performance and efficiency of all other panels in the string. To prevent this, many homeowners also choose to install a DC power optimizer in the string inverter.
DC power optimizers are installed individually on each panel and take into account the performance of each panel in the chain individually. This means that if one panel is hidden or closed, all other panels will work fine. If your roof is partially shaded or not at the best angle to catch sunlight, it is recommended to use a DC power optimizer.
“With microinverters, each panel has one, so if you have to replace a bunch of microinverters, it will be a big problem because there can be as many microinverters as there are panels,” Ku Erqin said. “And a center string inverter is usually not mounted on the roof. Therefore, labor and safety considerations when replacing it are not that difficult. This thing will last 10 to 15 years. And then it may have to be used only for the life of the panels. About half of them will be replaced.”
Please note that some manufacturers require that their string inverters have a DC power optimizer installed. String inverters are also usually cheaper than microinverters. However, installing a DC power optimizer along with a string inverter requires additional costs. DC power optimizers and string inverters also typically come with separate warranties.
Homeowners who choose to install microinverters will have a completely different solar installation. Instead of a large inverter bank connected to multiple solar panels, a microinverter is a “tiny” inverter mounted on each individual solar panel in an array. Because microinverters operate at the panel level, they are suitable for complex solar installations, partially shaded roofs, or roofs that may not be at the best angle for solar power. Microinverters also allow for easier system expansion.
“It will be much easier to expand the system later,” Kurchin said. “For example, if you only have the money upfront to install panels on half a roof, and you want to install more panels later, it is much easier to add more panels using a microinverter. The inverter system is a DC optimizer and a central string inverter, and the inverter will be sized to fit your existing system.”
Because microinverters are considered rooftop units, their warranties tend to be much longer than string inverters. The standard warranty for microinverters is 25 years. But because they are mounted on the roof, they are more difficult to repair and replace.
“The disadvantage of microinverters for homeowners is that each microinverter is mounted behind each module on the roof. When one microinverter stops working, you have to send someone to the roof in the middle. A series of modules,” Roger French, professor. in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, CNET reported. “This is actually a big problem for a lot of people.”
Choosing an inverter for your home can be a daunting task. In most cases, the installer will do this for you. In addition to choosing a reliable installer, there are several other factors to consider when choosing an inverter.
Knowing what solar panels and equipment you need for your home is only half the battle. The other half is finding the right solar installer. Solar energy is a big investment, and you want to make sure your system is installed correctly the first time.
“I think the most important decision a homeowner can make is who will install their system. So, by having a certified company that is qualified and has a good reputation in the field, you know that they are going to install the system correctly. ” Christopher Davis, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Central Florida, told CNET. “If something goes wrong, they will provide the service in a few years.”
When looking for a solar installer, look at their track record and the number of solar projects they have completed. Try to find an installer who has experience with your type of roof and the type of installation you need. If you are planning to install solar panels, choose an installer who is also experienced in this field.
A reputable installer will conduct a roof inspection and energy audit ahead of time to find out what type of solar installation is best for your home. Your installer should also tell you all your options and answer all your questions clearly, no matter how difficult they may be.
“I respect their track record. When someone is new to installation, they make more mistakes. If he’s installed a lot of systems over the years, that’s one of the best things about him,” said F. Ranch.
Some installers also offer performance guarantees to ensure that your system was installed correctly and will continue to function properly after a certain period of time. “You should also see if your installer can help you understand how to monitor your solar panels,” says Davis. If energy production drops significantly, you’ll want to know what the process will look like and who to contact if something goes wrong. Davis says if your installer can’t answer questions like these, it’s a red flag.
Post time: Dec-19-2023