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| Solar Power Inverters, AC Voltage, Modified Sine Wave or True Sine Wave. There are many types of solar inverters. We in the home owners or the do it your self field, are mainly concerned with two types. The first is the Modified Sine Wave Inverter and the second is the True Sine Wave inverters. Both are capable of producing AC house current to operate your kitchen appliances or your computer and TV sets. |
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| Modified sine wave inverters do have a use. I have one in my truck which plugs into the lighter/hot point on the dash. I use it to charge my laptop or my cell phone. I have read stories saying the modified sine inverters will confuse the battery chargers and they will not stop charging. I have never had this problem because I keep a watch on it. If I’m charging it from my truck I am in a big need for my laptop anyway. True sine wave AKA Pure sine wave inverters do not have any of the above problems to worry with. If it works great in your home it will work great with Pure/True sine wave. The hair dryer is the biggest and meanest power user that I know of at 120 volts. These things will use as much as 1800 watts of power. That is a full 15 amps which just so happens to be the breaker size in some homes. On a 12 volt battery bank it would be about 150 amps (that is more then most batteries have in them). Did you know you can weld metal with 60 amps of power and less? This justifies 2000 watt inverters and larger. Microwaves use around 11 amps power or about 1300 watts. You do need a little extra power for lighting so she can see her pretty hair while she is blow drying it. So in this case an 1800 watt inverter would be too small for your needs. Stackable power inverters are normally found in the larger sizes as well. Most of the bells and whistles are found in the 2000 watt range or higher. A built in and programmable battery charger is a good option in inverters. If you are using a 24 volt battery bank you don’t have to spend the extra cash and buy a charger if it is already built into the inverters. Normal battery chargers you find in a department store or auto shop are not what you need to charge a deep cycle battery. Most will not even equalize the batteries. |
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AC transfer switches come built in the better inverters. You wire in 120 volts and the built in
charger will keep the batteries charged while by passing the inverter to power your home. But
when the power goes down it auto switches to the backup power. You will never even
notice it happened. No noticeable flicker or interruption that I can see at all.
Running on solar power only. Can be done by turning off the grid power at the breaker. The
Prosine inverters I use will allow me to turn off the built in charger so the batteries are only
charging from the solar panels. Doing this would let you go total solar power with just a flip of a
switch.
An external stand alone transfer switch can be installed in side your home. As long as
the grid power is on it will shut off the power from your inverter. The second the grid goes down it
switches over to your inverter and battery backup. It is importune to have a way to keep the
battery backup inverter from feeding electricity back into the electric power lines. You don’t want
to hurt a lineman while he is working on power lines on top of a pole. If you like you can get an
inverter without a transfer switch built in and use an external switch. Either way is legal as long as
it is UL listed. Don’t forget to have an electrician look it over. Play it safe and ask your local
inspector.
You should always start from the load end when planing what size of a solar power system
you will build. Get the inverters to match the heaviest load with a little extra power for a light while
she is drying her hair. Pick the wave form type you will require, either Modified Sine Wave or
True Sine Wave. Make up your mind if the inverters with a build in transfer switch will be useful to
you or if you want to go external. Or if a switch is needed at all. And do you need a built in battery
charger?
Inverters are the first item of interest in a solar backup system or just a backup power
system. You look for inverters that will do what you need them to do and then size the rest of the
system accordingly.
You are the only one that knows what your plans are for your solar battery backup system
so you have to pick the right inverters and other components. So take a little time and put
together a few numbers before you buy. Try your best to pick the inverter you will need a year
from now, Because once you buy it the money is spent. If you upgrade after you build and
you did not get a stackable inverter you could have a shelf item.
charger will keep the batteries charged while by passing the inverter to power your home. But
when the power goes down it auto switches to the backup power. You will never even
notice it happened. No noticeable flicker or interruption that I can see at all.
Running on solar power only. Can be done by turning off the grid power at the breaker. The
Prosine inverters I use will allow me to turn off the built in charger so the batteries are only
charging from the solar panels. Doing this would let you go total solar power with just a flip of a
switch.
An external stand alone transfer switch can be installed in side your home. As long as
the grid power is on it will shut off the power from your inverter. The second the grid goes down it
switches over to your inverter and battery backup. It is importune to have a way to keep the
battery backup inverter from feeding electricity back into the electric power lines. You don’t want
to hurt a lineman while he is working on power lines on top of a pole. If you like you can get an
inverter without a transfer switch built in and use an external switch. Either way is legal as long as
it is UL listed. Don’t forget to have an electrician look it over. Play it safe and ask your local
inspector.
You should always start from the load end when planing what size of a solar power system
you will build. Get the inverters to match the heaviest load with a little extra power for a light while
she is drying her hair. Pick the wave form type you will require, either Modified Sine Wave or
True Sine Wave. Make up your mind if the inverters with a build in transfer switch will be useful to
you or if you want to go external. Or if a switch is needed at all. And do you need a built in battery
charger?
Inverters are the first item of interest in a solar backup system or just a backup power
system. You look for inverters that will do what you need them to do and then size the rest of the
system accordingly.
You are the only one that knows what your plans are for your solar battery backup system
so you have to pick the right inverters and other components. So take a little time and put
together a few numbers before you buy. Try your best to pick the inverter you will need a year
from now, Because once you buy it the money is spent. If you upgrade after you build and
you did not get a stackable inverter you could have a shelf item.
Inverters with an AC transfer switch.
Solar Energy Inverter types | Modified sine wave | True sine wave AC electrical voltage
Both types of power inverters come in all sizes and some with a built in transfer switch. And
some inverters with a built in battery charger. Both types of inverters come with AC outlets
mounted right on the front of them or hard wire type. Most all of the smaller inverters come
packaged with battery post clamps or a lighter plug. Starting at around 2000 watts most are hard
wired. 2000 watts at 12 volts would be pulling about 166 amps. That takes some good
connections and large wires.
Electric motors and compressors such as what are in a refrigerator or freezers do not
like the wave form of a modified sine wave inverter. Some times you can hear the sound of
the wave form in the speakers of your computer or your radio.
some inverters with a built in battery charger. Both types of inverters come with AC outlets
mounted right on the front of them or hard wire type. Most all of the smaller inverters come
packaged with battery post clamps or a lighter plug. Starting at around 2000 watts most are hard
wired. 2000 watts at 12 volts would be pulling about 166 amps. That takes some good
connections and large wires.
Electric motors and compressors such as what are in a refrigerator or freezers do not
like the wave form of a modified sine wave inverter. Some times you can hear the sound of
the wave form in the speakers of your computer or your radio.
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