Solar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics
An inverter is one of the most important pieces of equipment in a solar energy system. It''s a device that converts direct current (DC) electricity,
Your islanding solar inverter works independently from the power grid. If there's a storm or other event that knocks out the main power grid, your solar power system will continue running and providing power to your home. Many people mistake going solar with going off-grid, but that's typically not the case.
In order to provide grid services, inverters need to have sources of power that they can control. This could be either generation, such as a solar panel that is currently producing electricity, or storage, like a battery system that can be used to provide power that was previously stored.
The grid-tie inverter enables your home to not just import power from the utility, but export power to the utility as well. When solar energy is available for usage, the inverter distributes power to your household appliances directly from the solar panel. In the instance that there is not enough solar energy, it switches back to grid power.
The grid-connected solar inverter operates according to a simple basic electrical theory. From a higher potential to a lower potential, the current flows. The grid-connected solar inverter attempts to keep its output voltage greater than the grid voltage. Net current flow from solar to the grid is the result of this.
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