Patent ID: 7414870

Claim:
An inverter comprising: a converter having an input side for receiving an input power signal from photovoltaic elements and an output side for outputting a converted output power signal based on the input power signal; three inverter bridges connected in parallel to the output side of the converter and connected in parallel to one another, each inverter bridge has an on state and an off state, wherein the inverter bridges output an inverter power signal based on the converted output power signal, wherein the inverter power signal is one of a one-phase, two-phase, and three-phase inverter power signal depending on which of the inverter bridges are in the on state and which of the inverter bridges are in the off state; and a controller operable for individually switching the inverter bridges between their on and off states, wherein the controller switches one inverter bridge to the on state and switches the remaining inverter bridges to the off state when the power of the inverter power signal falls in a relatively low power range, wherein the controller switches two inverter bridges to the on state and switches the remaining inverter bridge to the off state when the power of the inverter power signal falls in a relatively medium power range, wherein the controller switches on all of the inverter bridges when the power of the inverter power signal falls in a relatively high power range.