FAQ: What is a hybrid inverter?
A: In a nutshell, it’s the “smart” part of your energy storage system. Let’s take a closer look.
As we are all trying to make more sustainable choices, renewable energy sources like solar and wind power are gaining in popularity. However, harnessing energy from these sources can be challenging due to their reliability in weather conditions.
One solution to this challenge is the hybrid inverter. But what is a hybrid inverter, how does it work, and what is its role in bridging the gap between renewable energy and the electricity grid?
Understanding the hybrid inverter
Understanding hybrid inverters involves knowing how solar energy becomes usable power for your home. When sunlight hits a solar panel, it creates direct current (DC) electricity. However, DC electricity can’t be used to power most household appliances.
Enter the inverter. Inverters play a crucial role by turning this DC electricity into the kind we can use in our homes: alternating current (AC). Hybrid inverters can do even more, though. They can also work with AC power from the grid. This means you can choose both the grid and solar panels as your power source.
Hybrid inverters manage energy from various sources like solar panels, wind turbines, and the grid. When renewable sources generate excess electricity, the hybrid inverter will charge your home storage battery. It can also send any extra energy back to the grid, potentially earning you credit.
So, this process ensures you can make the most of your renewable energy. When renewable sources can’t produce enough electricity, the storage battery energy kicks in, keeping your power supply steady. This makes hybrid inverters essential for off-grid or grid-tied solar-plus-storage systems.
As hybrid inverters offer many benefits, they’re widely used in the solar industry. They efficiently handle power generation and usage, contributing to a more reliable and eco-friendly energy world.
Benefits of hybrid inverters
Hopefully, we now understand what a hybrid inverter does. But from a benefits perspective, what is a hybrid inverter good for?
- Energy independence: Hybrid inverters enable you to become more energy-independent by utilising renewable energy and stored power. In turn, this reduces your dependence on the electricity grid.
- Cost savings: By optimising the use of renewable energy and stored power, you can significantly reduce your electricity bills. Plus, you can potentially earn income through grid feed-in tariffs.
- Grid support: Hybrid inverters facilitate a more stable and reliable electricity grid. They do this by efficiently managing renewable energy flow and providing power during peak demand periods.
- Environmental impact: The integration of hybrid inverters into renewable energy systems helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and overall environmental impact.
Combining the hybrid inverter with battery storage
Solar energy generation can fluctuate due to weather conditions. For example, on a sunny day your solar panels might produce more energy than you need. So, it’s not always feasible to use solar power as soon as it is produced.
That’s where batteries come into play. Battery storage technology allows you to store the energy generated by your solar panels for later use.
These batteries store the direct current (DC) power produced by your solar panels. Your inverter can then convert this power into alternating current (AC) for use in your home or business. Additionally, inverters can channel any surplus energy from the solar panels to charge the batteries instead of sending it to your appliances. So, you can get strategic about energy storage.
In times of changing weather or grid failure, the hybrid inverter can seamlessly switch to battery power. This gives you a continuous power supply to keep your home functioning. Since the energy from DC batteries is in the same format as the energy from your solar panels, there’s no noticeable difference for the end user.
Plus, if you experience insufficient sunlight and your batteries are depleted – but the grid is still operational – the hybrid inverter can draw AC power from the grid to recharge your DC batteries.
In short, a hybrid inverter paired with a home battery puts you firmly in control over how you buy, sell, and use energy.
TL;DR: What is a hybrid inverter?
In conclusion, the hybrid inverter elegantly combines renewable energy generation, battery storage, and backup power into a single unit. It’s an ideal, streamlined solution for anyone seeking to optimise their solar panel setup for their home or business.
So, want to start your clean energy journey? Combine GivEnergy products and create an end-to-end ecosystem to control your energy.
✨ Guest post by Micaela Vignoni – our support team star ✨
