Hybrid inverters are a new piece of solar technology that combines the benefits of a traditional solar inverter with the flexibility of a battery inverter into a single device. A hybrid inverter is an up-and-coming solution for homeowners who want to install a solar power system that has room for future upgrades, including a battery storage system.
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With this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about hybrid inverters, including what a hybrid solar inverter does, the options a hybrid grid-tie inverter gives you for home solar, how hybrid inverters compare to other types of inverters, and more.
A hybrid solar inverter is the combination of a solar inverter and a battery inverter into a single piece of equipment that can intelligently manage power from your solar panels, solar batteries, and the utility grid at the same time.
A traditional solar grid-tie inverter converts direct current (DC) electricity produced by your photovoltaic (PV) system into the alternating current (AC) electricity that powers your house, which also allows excess electricity generation to be transferred to the utility grid.
A battery inverter handles the process of inverting DC electricity that&#;s stored in your solar battery storage into AC electricity that can be used by your home.
By combining these functions into a single device, a solar hybrid grid-tie inverter streamlines and improves the operations of the classic solar inverter. Even better, since the amount of solar power that&#;s available can depend on the weather and seasonality, a hybrid inverter can draw power from the electricity grid to charge your battery storage system if needed.
The basic purpose of an inverter is the conversion of DC input from your solar panel into AC output that your home can use. The function of hybrid solar inverter use takes this process to the next level, including the following benefits:
DC-to-AC Bi-Directional Power Conversion: Normally solar batteries are charged by either DC electricity received directly from solar panels (DC coupled), or DC electricity that has been converted from AC electricity by a solar inverter (AC coupled). Then to release that power, an inverter needs to convert that stored DC electricity back into AC electricity.
With a hybrid inverter and battery, one device can do both roles. The hybrid grid-tie inverter can convert DC electricity into AC electricity to power your home, but it can also take AC electricity from the grid, and convert it into DC electricity that can be stored in batteries for later use.
Power Regulation: Solar power can fluctuate as sunshine levels increase and decrease, based upon the time of day and weather patterns. A hybrid inverter regulates this power to ensure the whole system operates within the required parameters.
Power Monitoring: Solar hybrid grid-tied inverters can be fitted with solar power monitoring software to measure and monitor your photovoltaics system via the display screen or a connected smartphone app to help identify any faults.
Power Maximization: Hybrid inverters with Maximum Power Point Trackers (MPPT) check your solar power output and correlate it to the battery's voltage. This enables optimum power output and conversion of DC electricity to the best voltage for the battery's maximum charge. MPPT guarantees your solar power system works efficiently under every condition, such as varying amounts of solar light, solar panel temperature, and electrical loads.
A grid-tied hybrid inverter allows for a seamless merger between your home&#;s solar power system and the electricity grid. Once your solar array generates enough power for your home, you can use any excess electricity to charge your solar battery system, and then transfer the rest to the grid after your battery storage is fully charged.
What makes the hybrid inverter stand out from the other central inverters available for your home is its bi-directional power transfer abilities. As we discussed earlier, a battery inverter converts between AC and DC power for storage, while a solar grid-tie inverter manages the relationship between the home, the home&#;s solar power system, and the electricity grid. (There are three primary versions of solar inverters: string inverter, micro-inverter, and power optimizer. To learn more about the pros and cons of each inverter option, check out our Solar Inverter Guide.)
The hybrid inverter does all of this, and can also use AC power from the grid to charge your solar battery storage if the energy from your solar panels is inadequate or being used to power your home.
There are definitely some benefits provided by a modern hybrid grid-tie inverter, but there are also some drawbacks that you should be aware of. Below are a few of the hybrid inverter pros and cons that you should consider.
Having a solar power system does not always guarantee you will have power during a power outage. If your system uses a traditional solar grid-tie inverter, it will still automatically shut off power from your solar panel system during a blackout for safety purposes.
A hybrid inverter paired with a solar battery storage system is a great solution for such a scenario. It ensures you have both off-grid and on-grid capabilities, so you always have access to power, even during a blackout.
A full solar power installation can be a significant investment, especially if you add an energy storage system to the other individual components. A hybrid inverter is designed to integrate storage at any time, allowing you to forgo the costs of installing battery storage from the get-go. You can then more easily add the battery bank later while still enjoying the full benefits of your solar energy now.
A hybrid inverter simplifies energy monitoring because you can check vital data such as performance and energy production via the inverter's panel, or through a connected smart device. If your system has two inverters, you have to monitor them separately.
If you want to upgrade your existing solar power system to include battery storage, choosing a hybrid inverter could complicate the situation, and a battery inverter might be more cost effective. All you really need is an AC-coupled battery with its own battery inverter to expand your system. Since you already have a grid-tied solar inverter, choosing to install a hybrid inverter requires a complete and costly re-work of your entire solar panel system.
The initial installation of a hybrid inverter can be more costly than a traditional solar power inverter. If your area experiences frequent power outages and you want the option of adding battery backup in the future, having a hybrid inverter can be worth the higher cost.
However, if your power grid is reliable and you have access to net metering, a regular grid-tied system might be sufficient, and would likely be less expensive than a hybrid inverter plus battery storage.
Solar battery design changes with advances in technology, and not all hybrid inverters work with every type of battery. If you install a hybrid inverter now with the idea that you might add a solar energy battery later, your future options may be limited by compatibility concerns. For example, some solar panel energy storage systems now come with built-in inverters, eliminating the need for a separate hybrid inverter altogether.
While a hybrid solar inverter does require a larger initial investment, it can be worth the extra cost if you plan to include solar battery storage with your initial solar installation, or shortly after.
A hybrid inverter aids in the elimination of issues like intermittent sunlight and unreliable utility grids, so it performs exceptionally well compared to other types of solar inverters. Better still, a hybrid inverter helps you to store energy for future consumption more effectively, including backup power to use during power outages or peak hours.
Hybrid inverters also allow for more efficient power generation and management, especially when it comes to your relationship with the wider electricity grid through net metering and time of use rates. Additionally, ultra-modern tech allows you to conveniently monitor and manage your solar power system from anywhere via connected smartphone apps.
Most home solar panel systems remain tied to the greater electricity grid, meaning they&#;re not truly off-the-grid. If you want to fully disconnect your home from the power grid, you must install enough battery capacity to power your home for days at a time, when your panels don&#;t generate enough electricity or there&#;s a grid outage.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Remote monitoring hybrid storage inverter.
If you do want to go completely off the grid, a hybrid inverter can help, because they are designed to complete multiple tasks as a single device, including solar panel operation, battery storage, and drawing electricity from generators and other sources of power.
Even with higher initial costs, a hybrid inverter can pay off in the long run by giving you a solar inverter that maximizes the operations of your PV system. A hybrid inverter can help reduce your reliance on the grid, lower your carbon footprint, enjoy advanced monitoring tools, and enhance your power generation.
If you&#;re ready to learn more about inverter technology and the right solar power system for your home, get started today with a Free Solar Savings Estimate, and then connect with a solar expert at Palmetto who can walk you through the various options that are available to power your home.
There are many misconceptions in the solar industry. Below are some common truths and myths about solar inverters and their capability.
A marketing ploy used by some solar companies is to say that a system is sold with an &#;up-gradable&#; inverter, because the inverter capacity is significantly larger than the panel capacity. This sounds great in theory but in reality the inverter size should be matched to, or be a little less than, the solar array size for the system to operate at its maximum efficiency. Also if you decided you wanted to upgrade in the future then you would need to source the same size and type solar panels, and this can be difficult a few years down the track as they may no longer be available.
Another common misconception is that a typical on-grid or grid-tie solar system can still operate when the grid goes down or there is a blackout. This is wrong. Many people who have invested in a solar setup are surprised when they have no power due to a blackout in the middle of the day. This is because all on-grid inverters are required by law to automatically shut down when there is a grid outage or when the grid voltage is unstable, a feature known as anti-islanding. This is very important to protect line workers who may be repairing a fault in the grid. It would be very dangerous if your system was still producing electricity and feeding it into a faulty grid network. To have backup power during a blackout you will need a hybrid solar system or an AC battery system with grid isolation such as the Tesla Powerwall.
This is incorrect, solar panels will generate energy when it is cloudy and foggy but the amount of energy is proportional to the thickness and type of clouds. If there is a high, thin cloud layer solar panels can still produce over 50% of there rated output but if there are dark rain clouds then the energy can be 10% or lower. Also the time of year will have a big impact on the solar generation especially if the panels are mounted very flat or at a low angle. To increase winter generation the panels should be tilted towards the midday sun up to 45 degrees if possible.
We have many other articles to help you understand inverter technology and select the appropriate inverter for your installation. Check out our best solar inverters review and hybrid systems summary.
See also: Hybrid inverters can future-proof solar+storage installations
Hybrid inverters are commonly used in the developing world, but they are starting to make their way into daily use in certain areas of the U.S due to their ability to stabilize energy availability.
A solar inverter&#;s main job is to convert DC power generated from the array into usable AC power. Hybrid inverters go a step further and work with batteries to store excess power as well. This type of system solves issues renewable energy variability and unreliable grid structures.
&#;Inverters for grid-tied applications can only provide power based on what the array can immediately generate from the sun,&#; explained Bryan Whitton, product manager at Darfon. &#;Hybrid inverters can store power in batteries and then drawn upon it as needed for energy stabilization.&#;
Hybrid inverters can vary in size, performance and features. But Mara White, product manager for OutBack Power, said most models usually operate bi-directionally, meaning they can convert DC power from modules to usable AC power and then convert stored AC from the batteries to power loads when needed. &#;Hybrids can also remain grid-connected and use a mix of renewable and non-renewable energy to charge batteries and offset loads,&#; White added.
Some contractors have used hybrid inverters in the residential, remote home applications for the past decade or two. But Allan Gregg, VP of applications engineering at GreatWall&#;which manufactures Satcon inverters&#;said the range of applications has expanded over the past few years to include large capacity microgrids as well as grid-connected systems.
Historically, hybrid inverters have been used more frequently in developing countries that do not have access to a reliable power grid.
&#;In North America and Europe, hybrid inverter-based systems are usually elective,&#; White explained. &#;Users choose to use them for storing energy for self-consumption or provide back-up power during emergencies. But in the developing world, hybrids are more of a necessity to compensate for weak or intermittent grids or a lack of grid electricity all together. Microgrids in places such as India, Asia and Africa are also driving hybrid inverter adaptation.&#;
Still, Whitton said hybrid models are beginning to be used on a more daily basis in areas of the U.S. where the grid is unpredictable, such as Hawaii, or in states where net-metering has been widely supported. &#;Applications with less than ideal solar characteristic are also good for hybrid-based systems because they can store power and redistribute it during peak times, improving payback,&#; he added. &#;Basically, if the site has the potential for losing the grid frequently, you should consider a hybrid for off-grid operation.&#;
Having the flexibility of a hybrid system can add initial cost to a project, though experts say this can be offset by the ability to self-consume all of one&#;s available PV electricity.
There are also important design considerations when using hybrid inverters. For example, Gregg warned that the battery bank voltage should be compatible with the DC input requirements of the inverter, and there should be enough solar capacity to supply the load as well as charge the batteries.
Wiring can also be more complex when using hybrid inverters, especially when panels are dedicated for critical backed-up loads. &#;And as with any device that does several jobs at once, a hybrid inverter is usually slightly less efficient,&#; White added, &#;although, improvements in other balance-of-system components can compensate for that slight loss easily.&#;
There are also specific electrical safety issues with any type of energy storage, so White recommended getting specialized training in energy storage techniques and design. &#;Most available training is focused on simple grid-tied systems because they have been the majority of U.S. solar installations until now,&#; she said. &#;But with incentives changing and the surge in energy storage interest and applications, it&#;s important to get ahead of the curve and get advanced training quickly.&#;
Andrew McCalla of Austin, Texas-based Meridian Solar, a Solar Power World top contractor, said he commonly used hybrids in the mid to late &#;90s when the now standard grid-tie inverter sector was just a glimmer. &#;I can imagine that, when regulatory hurdles are fabricated to limit the consumer and societal benefits of bi-directional power flow from distributed generation, these battery-based platforms will become far more common. What is old is new again!&#;
Another breed of hybrids
Another segment of hybrid inverters includes inverters that can use two energy sources. For example, Ginlong offers a PV / wind hybrid inverter that has inputs for both sources, instead of having to use two inverters. In much of the United States, wind speeds are low in the summer when the sun shines brightest and longest. The wind is strong in the winter when less sunlight is available. Therefore, because the peak operating times for wind and solar systems occur at different times of the day and year, such hybrid systems have the potential to produce power when it&#;s needed, and reach a higher return on investment.
When comparing different inverters, you should consider the power rating, efficiency, warranty, and communication features that can affect their performance and functionality. The power rating should match or exceed the peak output of your solar panels or batteries, and the demand of your appliances. Efficiency measures how much of the DC power input is converted into AC power output, so look for an inverter with at least 90% efficiency. A longer warranty means more confidence and protection, so look for an inverter with a warranty of at least 5 years. Communication enables remote access, control, and optimization of your solar system, so look for an inverter with wireless or internet connectivity and compatible protocols.
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