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Solar Panels Inverters Overview

The document compares three types of solar panel inverters: string inverters, power optimizers, and microinverters. String inverters are the most commonly used globally but can be less efficient if panels experience shade. Power optimizers and microinverters, also called MLPEs, condition electricity at the individual panel level, allowing for monitoring of each panel's production and better optimization when shade occurs. While MLPEs offer benefits, they are typically more expensive than traditional string inverters. The document provides details on how each type of inverter system works and factors to consider when choosing an inverter for a solar installation.

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83 views6 pages

Solar Panels Inverters Overview

The document compares three types of solar panel inverters: string inverters, power optimizers, and microinverters. String inverters are the most commonly used globally but can be less efficient if panels experience shade. Power optimizers and microinverters, also called MLPEs, condition electricity at the individual panel level, allowing for monitoring of each panel's production and better optimization when shade occurs. While MLPEs offer benefits, they are typically more expensive than traditional string inverters. The document provides details on how each type of inverter system works and factors to consider when choosing an inverter for a solar installation.

Uploaded by

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© © All Rights Reserved
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String inverters vs. power optimizers vs.

microinverters: what you need to know


https://news.energysage.com/string-inverters-power-optimizers-microinverters-
compared/

Reading Time: 5 minutes

As you consider a solar panel system for your home, one of the key decisions you need
to make is the type of inverter to install. Inverters convert direct current (DC) electricity
generated by your solar panels into usable alternating current (AC) electricity. Given the
complex power electronics and software contained within, inverters are vital to the
ongoing performance of your solar power system.
Breaking down solar panel inverter technologies:
string inverters, power optimizers, and microinverters
There are three types of inverters that are currently available to you for your solar
energy system: string inverters, power optimizer systems (also known as string
inverters + power optimizers), and microinverters. Power optimizers and
microinverters are often collectively referred to as “Module-Level Power Electronics”
or MLPEs.

String inverters are by far the most commonly deployed inverter option globally, and
make up the vast majority of the world’s inverter market. However, MLPE technologies
have gained in market share over the last five years as their costs have come down.

Key takeaways: string inverters, microinverters &


power optimizers

• Inverters convert the DC electricity that your solar panels produce into
appliance-friendly AC electricity.
• The three main inverter options available for residential and commercial solar
installations are string inverters, microinverters and power optimizer systems.
• String inverters are the most commonly installed worldwide.
• Microinverters and power optimizer systems are typically more expensive than
string inverters.
• MLPEs allow you to monitor the power production of each individual panel.

String inverters

String inverters are the most cost-effective inverter option available in the U.S.
Traditionally, a solar installation company would propose a string inverter for your
system if your roof had limited shading throughout the day and did not face in multiple
directions (such as a gabled roof). However, thanks to recent hardware and software
updates from the major string inverter companies, string inverters are now applicable in
a wider set of circumstances.

How string inverters work


Your solar panels are arranged into groups connected by “strings” (hence their name!)
You can connect multiple strings of panels to a single, centralized inverter, which
transforms the DC electricity produced by the panels into usable AC electricity for your
home or business.

Solar companies have used string inverter technology for decades. It’s a super reliable,
tried-and-true technology, but as with your other inverter technology options, may not
be suitable for certain types of installations. Although modern solar inverter and panel
technology allows individual panels to continue producing power even if a part of the
panel is shaded, without module level power electronics, string inverters can only
optimize power output at the string level, not at the individual panel level. This means
string inverter systems aren’t always the best solution for homes that are prone to
shading throughout the day. However, their ease of install and lower price point make
them attractive to many homeowners and installers.

One of the most common reasons for individual solar panels to produce less power–or
stop producing power altogether–is shade from nearby objects. If your roof experiences
shade throughout the day or in certain seasons, you could either remove the source of
the shade (e.g. cut down a tree) or install the panels in a sunnier space (e.g. ground
mount or carport installation).

Compare your inverter options

EnergySage’s database of solar reviews has comprehensive information about specific


installers, financiers, and equipment manufacturers, including manufacturers of string
inverters, microinverters, and power optimizers. If you are looking for a review of
MLPE technologies, EnergySage has also developed a comprehensive comparison of
micro-inverter and power optimizer options.

String + power optimizers

Power optimizer systems offer many of the same benefits as microinverters, and are
often considered a compromise between microinverters and the standard string inverter.

How power optimizer systems work


Like microinverters, systems with power optimizers have an individual optimizer
component located at each panel. However, instead of converting the DC electricity to
AC electricity right at the panel site, they “condition” the DC electricity and send it to a
string inverter for conversion. If your roof experiences shade during the day, the panel
level optimization afforded by power optimizers often results in higher system
efficiency than using a string inverter alone.

Similar to microinverters, power optimizers not only reduce the impact of panel shading
on system performance, but also offer panel-level performance monitoring.

Microinverters

Microinverters, another form of MLPEs, are rapidly gaining in popularity, particularly


for residential solar panel systems.

How microinverters work

Systems with microinverters typically have an individual installed on the back of each
solar panel. They convert the DC electricity from your solar panels into AC electricity
on your roof, with no need for a separate string inverter. In most cases, installers mount
the microinverters onto the back of the solar panel itself, but they can also be placed
next to the panel on your solar racking system.

Microinverters take MLPE to the logical conclusion: while power optimizers aggregate
the electricity from your panels and send it to a string inverter for the DC to AC
conversion, microinverters make the DC to AC inversion right at each individual solar
panel. As a result, like with power optimizer systems, microinverters also allow you to
monitor the performance of individual solar panels.

How “smart modules” use microinverters and power


optimizers

How “smart modules” use micro-inverters and power optimizersMany microinverter


and power optimizer companies are partnering with solar panel manufacturers to create
“smart modules.” Simply put, a smart module is a solar panel with a piece of MLPE
equipment already integrated into it. This simplifies installation and cuts down on labor
costs for installers. Many of the world’s biggest panel manufacturers now have smart
module options available, including LG, Panasonic, and SunPower.

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