Solar panels produce electricity in the form of direct current (DC). However, your home appliances use alternating current (AC) electricity, which means the electricity flows in both directions.
This means that the solar electricity from your panels needs to be converted from DC to AC to make it usable in your home. To convert DC power to AC power, you need an inverter.
The type of inverter you use depends upon the size and configuration of your home solar energy system. A simpler system typically uses a string inverter, a single box in a central location near your circuit breaker.
More intricate systems use microinverters in which each panel has its own individual inverter. Other inverter options include power optimizers and hybrid inverters, depending upon your home’s energy needs.
Solar inverters also allow you to connect your solar panel system to the internet so you can access information about your system’s performance.
This helps you compare your solar energy production and your household energy consumption so you can check if the system is functioning properly and meeting your electrical load as required.