If solar energy has piqued your interest and you spent some time researching it and potentially implementing it into your remote home, you've probably heard about inverters. The inverter is considered the solar system's brain, as it manages power flow controlling the two types of power - DC and AC. DC is the power produced by your solar panels and stored in batteries, whereas AC is the power that all your appliances need to operate. Inverters are tasked with transforming DC energy from your panels or batteries into AC to be used for your TV, fridge, lights and other household appliances. When shopping for the best off grid inverter, there are a couple of things you need to know. For starters, you need to understand how off-grid inverters are different from their grid-tied counterparts. Grid-tied inverters take DC power directly from the solar panel, transforming it into AC that powers your house, or is fed back to the grid for credit. These inverters are much simpler and easier to wire because they only consist of two main components - the solar panels and the inverter itself. However, an off grid inverter also needs a battery bank to operate. So in the case of off-grid inverters, the solar panels feed the DC power into the batteries, which then the inverter takes and transforms into AC power for use, essentially working as a miniature power grid. Your inverter won't completely deplete your batteries if the solar system is designed and set up right. The battery bank will constantly get recharged by the solar panels and a charge controller to control the charge rate, and a backup generator for the colder months. That being said, off-grid solar systems are slightly more complicated, simply because they include extra parts like a charge controller, extra AC and DC circuit breakers and battery monitors. All of this makes them more difficult to install and wire. Additionally, buying off-grid equipment can be challenging as there are quite a few associated accessories, such as surge suppressors, remote controls, breakers and enclosures, battery monitors, etc. The first thing you need to think about when buying an off grid solar inverter is how much power you need. Luckily, sizing one is pretty straightforward. All you have to do is make a list of all the appliances and devices that are going to be powered at the same time. A small cabin that only needs power for things like lights, a TV, fridge and a few other small appliances will require an inverter that can provide 1-2kW of power. Most off-grid homes will need anywhere between 4-8kW, and large off-grid homes, ranches, farms and commercial buildings will need anywhere between 8-16kW.
Next, make sure you get a pure sine wave inverter. Pure sine wave inverters provide clean power, unlike modified sine wave inverters. The power provided from a pure sine wave inverter is the same type of power than the one provided by the power grid. The clean power will ensure all of your sensitive appliances are powered properly. Modified sine inverters can cause a lot of issues when providing unclean power to appliances such as computers, motors, pumps, TVs, compressors, etc. Furthermore, you'll have to take a look at some of the technical specs, such as efficiency, which refers to how much power from the batteries the inverter will deliver when it isn't operating in ideal conditions. A decent peak efficiency rating for an inverter is around 95%. Then, you have to consider the surge capacity, which refers to how much short-term overload the inverter can handle before it trips. Some appliances, such as fridges and pumps, require as much as 3 time their running power to start up. Furthermore, consider how much power the inverter will need by just idling. Obviously, you want this number to be as low as possible. Next, consider the temperature range, as most inverters are sensitive to extreme heat, so make sure you install them where they won't be exposed to them. Lastly, consider the warranty. The more years you get, the better. The inverter may need some special features to operate optimally. These include a battery charger that allows your system to be charged from a backup generator. Most large inverters will include a battery charger, and they're known as inverter/chargers. Next, consider whether you want the inverter to have grid-tied capability. This can be useful if the grid becomes available to you in the foreseeable future. And consider whether you want an automatic generator start, which may require an extra add-on, although some charge controllers and inverter models can take care of it. Last but not least, read up on the inverter's manufacturer. Check their reputation and history. You can do this by going through online reviews. Since the inverter will be operating 365 days a year, for multiple years at a time, you'll want a model that's reliable and a manufacturer behind it who has quality service and spare parts.
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