Advice on Selecting An Inverter For Home Solar Power System

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Before choosing an inverter that meets your needs, we recommend that you read this article and pay attention to the definitions explained. This will help you understand how to calculate and choose the right inverter.

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What size inverter should I use?

The size of the inverter you choose depends on the power (in watts) (or current in amperes) of the equipment/equipment you want to run (please refer to the specification board on the equipment or tool to determine the power consumption, otherwise you It will be in the equipment manual. You need to know the continuous rating in watts or amperes. And the peak/surge rating in watts or amperes. Without this information, no further calculations are possible.

Continuous vs peak/surge watts

The rated power of the inverter is continuous power and peak/surge power. Continuous power is the total WATTS that the inverter can support indefinitely, while peak/surge power is the power that the inverter can provide in a short period of time (usually when the device/device is started). The start-up peak/surge of induction motors driving air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, pumps and other equipment is likely to be 3 – 7 times the continuous rating.

Converting AMPS to watts

Multiply the equipment/appliance AMPS x 230 (AC voltage) = WATTS (approximate)

Working out the power

Multiply the equipment/appliance AMPS x 230 V (AC voltage) to give the approximate WATTS or AC power.

One of the most important factor that you must know before buying an inverter is your “Power requirement”. In simple words- what all electrical appliances (like fan, tube lights, television, CFL etc.) you want to run at the time of power failure. The power requirement is addition of the power consumed by various electrical equipment.

Suppose you want 3 Fans, 3 Tube lights, 1 CFL & 1 television to operate at the time of power failure. Below is the power consumed by these items:

1 Fan – 70 Watts

1 tube light – 60 watts

1 CFL – 25 watts

1 Television – 120 watts

Therefore your total power requirement is ( 3*70 +3*60 + 25 + 120) = 535 watts

Calculate approximate startup load (peak/surge watts)

Multiply the equipment WATTS x 3 = PEAK/SURGE WATTS (approximate)

So if you want to run an appliance with a continuous load of 5 Amps and a peak load of 15 Amps :

Power : V x I = VA i.e. 230VAC x 5A = 1150 Watts continuous power

Power : V x I = VA i.e. 230VAC x 15A = 3450 Watts peak/surge (also known as start or inrush current)

You would need an inverter with a continuous rating of approximately 1500 watts and with a peak/surge rating of approximately 3500 watts. It is always advisable to build in a safety factor by overrating the continuous rating by 20 – 25%.

【Conclusion】

Regardless of the reason, it is important to know the inverter that suits your house. The power requirements of your home may be different from those of your neighbors. Therefore, don't just blindly install the same inverter (in terms of power) at home. Before buying an inverter for your house, please do some homework and understand the basics