The last piece of the puzzle is battery energy storage. Because of the variability of solar power generation (due to inclement weather conditions, for example), it’s not always possible to use solar power as it’s generated. Batteries allow you to store energy from your solar panels for later use or in the event of a grid outage, and we consider them a must-have for any solar energy system.
Batteries store DC power, which is what your solar panels produce. As mentioned before, inverters can convert this DC power to AC for use in your home or business. Your inverter can also charge your batteries by funneling any excess energy from your solar panel that’s not being used at a given moment to the battery rather than to your appliances.
If the weather conditions change, or your local grid goes down, inverters can also automatically switch you over to battery power to keep your home running. Since energy from DC batteries is in the same format as the energy from your solar panels (namely, direct current), there’s no perceivable difference to the end user.
But what if you’re not getting enough sunlight, have no battery power left, but still have access to your local grid? In this case, the rectifier function in your hybrid inverter can pull AC power from the grid to keep your DC batteries charged.
The beauty of the hybrid inverter is that it seamlessly integrates solar power generation, battery storage, and backup power into a single unit. It’s an ideal solution for anyone looking to streamline their solar panel set-up for their home or business.