When using solar panels to generate electricity on their own, inverters have a very important function. Solar panels generate direct current (DC) like batteries, but most of your household appliances require alternating current (AC) to operate. Solar inverters convert direct current into alternating current, so your electrical equipment can use the kilowatt hours generated by solar panels.
However, solar inverters also have another little-known important function – they synchronize with the voltage and frequency of the local power grid. In this way, homes and buildings can switch between solar energy and the power grid at any time, or they can use both sources of energy simultaneously – all without the need for physical switches.
Traditional series inverters aim to only convert direct current from solar panels, but many systems now include batteries. If you plan to use energy storage batteries in your home solar system, you will need a hybrid inverter. The hybrid inverter aims to manage solar panels and batteries that work together.
