A modern hybrid solar technology inverter combines the best of both worlds: the traditional solar inverter and a solar battery to charge that inverter in the same package. This is the best option for homeowners worried about having their power run out or for people suffering from frequent power shutdowns. This article will tell you everything you need to know about hybrid inverters.
Hybrid Solar Inverter
When you combine a battery inverter and a solar inverter, you get a hybrid inverter. This can easily manage all the power from your utility grid, solar panels, and solar batteries simultaneously. An average solar grid-tie inverter changes the direct current from your solar panels into the alternating current your home needs.
However, a battery inverter manages the process that is converting the DC into AC electricity. Instead of having two different devices for these closely related actions, a hybrid solar inverter improves the pace and efficiency of the process. Furthermore, it can also take power from the electricity grid if the battery needs charging, which means that your inverter will never run out of energy.
Functions
A hybrid solar inverter can perform the following functions:
Power Maximization:
Some hybrid inverters come equipped with Maximum Power Point Trackers (MPPT). These can check your solar power output and see if it matches the battery's voltage. This way, you can know the efficiency of your solar power system. Even in fluctuating amounts of electrical loads, solar light, and solar panel temperature, the MPPT allows you to maintain that maximum energy output.
Power Monitoring:
You can fit solar power monitoring software into your system to monitor and measure your photovoltaics system via the display screen. Many softwares also have mobile applications to help you get real-time updates or notifications if any faults are detected.
Power Regulation:
Since no day is the same and the shifting of weather and season is constant, different days will have different solar outputs. However, your inverter regulates this power to ensure the correct working of the whole system within optimal parameters.
DC-to-AC Bi-Directional Power Conversion:
Solar batteries can be charged in two ways:
- By converting DC to AC electricity by a solar inverter and then feeding it to the battery (AC coupled).
- By the DC electricity made by the solar panels when sunlight hits them (DC coupled).
In times of need, this DC electricity stored in the solar battery is converted to AC electricity by the solar inverter to power your home.
Hybrid Inverter vs Other Inverters
There is no disconnect between the two processes. It’s a seamless process of charging your solar battery with the excess electricity produced by your solar panels. If your solar batteries are fully charged, this extra energy will be fed to the grid. The major difference between a hybrid inverter and other inverters is that it has bi-directional power transfer abilities.
What we mean by this is that a battery inverter changes AC into DC electricity for storage while a solar grid-tie inverter looks after the energy transfer between the electricity grid, your home, and your home’s solar power system. For your information, there are three versions of solar inverters:
- Power optimisers.
- String inverters.
- Micro-inverters.
A hybrid inverter is a single device that can perform the above functions easily. Moreover, it can also take AC power from the grid to charge your solar battery storage if your solar panels are not making enough energy.
The Benefits
Energy Monitoring Made Easy:
No complex mechanisms to check your hybrid inverter's energy production or performance. You can easily see everything on the inverter's panel or open your smartphone to see all the data listed through a smart device. Hybrid inverters ensure that you have on-grid and off-grid functionality so you can access the inverter anywhere and anytime, even during a blackout.
Flexible Battery Storage:
Since it has everything you need, you don’t have to install another battery with a hybrid inverter. This way, you save money while also getting energy as per need. Coming equipped with a battery storage option itself, hybrid inverters take care of your energy needs in power outages.
Power Resiliency:
A solar power system can sometimes fail and not provide enough power to last during a power shutdown. Even a solar grid-tie inverter will automatically shut off power from your solar panel system during a blackout to protect you. This is where hybrid inverters shine, as they always have power in their batteries even if the solar panel aren’t generating much energy.
The Drawbacks
Little Future Design Flexibility:
Technology gives birth to new solar battery designs, and hybrid inverters might not be compatible with every type of battery. Installing a hybrid inverter now with the assumption that you’ll add in a solar energy battery later is a bad idea since the future will hold limited options for compatibility. Now, you can even find solar panel energy storage systems equipped with built-in inverters, which defeats the purpose of having a separate hybrid inverter.
Higher Equipment Costs:
You should only opt for a hybrid inverter if you experience frequent power outages. An inverter with a battery backup can be a lot of help. However, hybrid inverters are higher in cost than traditional solar power inverters. If your area has consistent electricity and no fluctuations in power, then a regular grid-tied system will do the job just fine, plus you’ll save money.
Upgrading Difficulties:
Choosing a hybrid inverter can be a bad choice sometimes. For example, if you want battery storage for your existing solar power system, you could buy a battery inverter instead of a hybrid one. This will fulfil the AC-coupled battery condition and will also expand your system. Having an existing solar panel system means a grid-tied solar inverter, and if you want to install a hybrid inverter, then this will demand an expensive and complete re-work of your entire solar panel system.
Is It Worth It?
It may seem expensive, but it can be cost-effective if you’ve already decided to add solar battery storage to your initial solar installation. It can also cover issues like an unreliable utility grid or intermittent sunlight. Plus, you can store energy for times of need in the future, like during peak hours or power outages.
If you want better management of power and efficient energy generation, hybrid inverters do both of those things exceptionally well. If you have enabled net metering, hybrid inverters will help you greatly. Furthermore, you can easily monitor your solar power system through smartphone apps and the modern technology that hybrid inverters are equipped with.
Going Off-Grid
Going completely off the grid means disconnecting your home from the power grid. With a solar panel system, that might not be possible as you might not have enough battery capacity to power your home for days, but with a hybrid inverter, there is a possibility since a single device can manage multiple tasks like battery storage, getting electricity from sources of power, and solar panel operation.