It’s what’s underneath the panel that counts.
Solar panels may be what you can see on the roof, but it’s the inverter that does the hard work beneath. The solar panels on your roof absorb sunshine in the form of direct current (DC) power. The inverter then converts that DC power to alternating current (AC), this is the form of electricity you can use in your home or business.
The two types of inverters we commonly use are micro inverters and string inverters.
We recommend an Enphase micro inverter when there is going to be shading from neighbouring objects or when the system requires panels to be installed facing multiple directions or different angles. The independence of each micro inverter allows us to be much more flexible in the design and will maximise the performance of the system.
In a traditional string inverter system the panels are wired in a series and then to a single inverter. This means that each panel can only perform as well as the lowest performing panel. Over the life of the system, the degradation of each panel will differ and cause variations in output which over time, will result in far less energy being produced then an Enphase micro inverter system.
We would recommend using a Fronius string inverter if you know the system will not have any issues with shading. This can even include the possibility of being covered by leaves or over hanging TV antennas, that surprisingly make great places for birds to hang out and make a mess below.
This simple design utilises one or two different roof directions and angles. The Austrian made Fronius inverter is a good choice when considering the pay back period of your system, as one of the most trusted brands in the solar industry with almost 30 years of manufacturing under their belt. Their unique snap-in design allows for easy installation; built in wifi for remote monitoring and an active cooling system that permits better performance when exposed to excess heating.
