Solar Power Inverters | Solar Power Inverter Choices

Solar panels are a great technology that let you gather up energy from the sun and turn it into usable electricity. More and more people have turned to these panels to supplement the energy in their home because of the cost savings and benefit to the environment. There are several ways to use the energy that is collected, but unfortunately it rarely translates directly into usable electricity without additional components. One of those components is a solar power inverter.

You have to use solar power inverters in order to make use of the energy because it is naturally drawn in a DC, or direct current, format. Common electronics use AC, or alternating current, electricity which is also what is used in your home. A power inverter changes the DC signal to an AC signal so that electronics can be plugged in and make use of the energy source.

It will also be a good idea to look into grid tie inverters before you commit to any solar power inverter purchase. A grid tie inverter allows you to convert the electricity and run it into the electrical system of your home and potentially out onto the grid. This would allow you to use your alternate source of energy from within your home in combination with the regular electricity that you draw from your utility company. The best part is that once you have the system hooked up, you won’t really have to give it another thought; you can continue your normal electricity usage, which will just be supplemented from your alternate source.

A regular solar power inverter (non grid tying) will allow you to use the power generated from the solar panels but only when it is available at that exact moment. It is possible to set up a bank of batteries that are always getting depleted and recharged, but this is a serious undertaking that requires a significant amount of knowledge and experience.

No matter what your choice, the necessary power inverter will cost a fair bit of money. A small solar inverter for immediate power use should cost a couple hundred dollars or less, depending on the level of power output it can deliver. It will have outlets right on it so you can plug in your electronic devices.

Grid tie inverters, on the other hand, can cost several thousand dollars, but provide immense benefits. You not only reduce your utility bills but can actually ‘sell’ power back to the grid if you produce more than you use.