Chapter 9
Inverters: AC (From) DC
IN THIS CHAPTER
Getting the scoop on grid-direct inverters
Exploring the ins and outs of battery-based inverters
Selecting the right inverter for the system you’re designing
If PV modules (see Chapter 6) are the heart of any PV system, inverters are the brains. These devices take the direct current (DC) power produced by the modules (and stored in batteries) and turn that electricity into the alternating current (AC) electricity that people use in their homes and businesses. Not only that, but inverters are smart enough to realize when the utility is gone and when the batteries need some extra attention. Impressive, huh?
As I reveal in Chapter 2, you use one of two inverter types in any PV system:
- Utility-interactive inverters are classified into two subcategories:
- Grid-direct (for use in grid-direct PV systems)
- Battery-based (for use in utility-interactive, battery-based PV systems)
- Stand-alone inverters (for use in stand-alone, battery-based PV systems) are all battery-based.
In this chapter, I describe the operation and features of both grid-direct and battery-based inverters. I also help you discover what the considerations are when specifying ...
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