Solar Power Inverter
Solar power inverters convert one type of electrical current into another type.
The power produced by solar energy, and most power that comes from a stoarge battery is DC (direct current) power, while most appliances and lighting operate on AC (alternating current) power.
Solar power inverters simply convert DC power to AC power for use in the home or by other aplliances that operate on AC power.
Power inverters come in many different sizes and power ranges, obviously if you want to power a laptop you'll need a much smaller solar power inverter than you will need if you want to power your 21 cubic foot refrigerator and freezer. The good news is that there is an inverter that is just right for your needs.
Additionally, solar power inverters can be simple "stand alone" inverters that you will connect a small device to; or in the case of a whole house solar power system, you might need a solar powere inverter like the one shown above.
The image above is of a "grid-tie" inverter, which is a much more complex device. Being on the grid means that your home solar system is connected to your local electric company's power system. You can be using solar generated power and purchased electricty, too. A grid-tie inverter will actually allow you to route excess power back to the electrical grid - in effect selling your unused electricity back to your electric company. Grid-tie inverters also monitor incoming power and can respond immediately in the event of a power failure.
If your solar power set up is small, you are only running some lights, or maybe your hot water heater by solar power, then there is no need to have a grid-tie solar power inverter, you can pick up a small unit that will proide only the amount of power that you need for your particular application.
If you are building a solar power system to power your entire home; or the better part of it, you will need a more complex system for converting DC current into AC current; and for monitoring incoming and out going power - one that can sync the power that you produce with the power on the grid.
Read about building a whole solar energy house on the next page.
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