Hybrid inverter provides more convenient and free choice for household electricity use!

Hybrid inverters are a new solar technology that combines the advantages of traditional solar inverters with the flexibility of energy storage inverters in a single device. Hybrid inverters are an upcoming solution for homeowners who want to install a solar system that has room for future upgrades, including energy storage systems. Hybrid inverters can be understood as a new type of inverter that combines the functions of three types of inverters: grid-connected, off-grid, and energy storage.

Through this article, you will learn all about hybrid inverters, including the functions of hybrid solar inverters, the functional options that hybrid grid-connected inverters provide for home solar energy, and the comparison between hybrid inverters and other types of inverters.

What is a hybrid solar inverter?

A hybrid solar inverter is a combination of a solar inverter and an energy storage inverter into one device that can intelligently manage the connection of solar photovoltaic panels, solar cells, and the utility grid at the same time.

Traditional solar grid-connected inverters convert the DC power generated by photovoltaic panels into AC power to power your house while allowing excess power to be transferred to the utility grid.

Energy storage inverters can store the DC power generated by photovoltaic panels in batteries and convert it into 220V current when needed for daily household use.

Hybrid inverters are devices that integrate power storage, current and voltage conversion, and the integration of excess power into the grid. This device can also be improved when the weather is bad and the solar panels are not generating enough electricity. In some areas of China, the electricity prices are different during the day and night or during a certain period of time when electricity consumption is peak. Integrating the power in the battery into the grid during peak electricity consumption and storing it in the battery during low electricity consumption can help households using photovoltaic power generation systems save electricity bills or even make money.

What is the function of a hybrid solar inverter?

The basic purpose of an inverter is to convert the DC input of a solar photovoltaic panel into an AC output that can be used by the household. The use of hybrid solar inverters takes this process to a new level, including the following functions:

DC-AC bidirectional power conversion: Usually, the DC power received by the photovoltaic panel (DC coupling) or the DC power converted from the AC power of the grid is used to charge the battery. During peak grid demand, the battery power is released and the inverter needs to convert the stored DC power back to AC to feed into the grid.

Hybrid Inverters One device can perform both the roles of inverter and energy storage. A hybrid grid-tied inverter can convert DC power to AC to power your home, but it can also draw AC power from the grid and convert it back to DC to store in energy storage for later use.

Power Regulation: Depending on the time of day and weather patterns in the country, solar power fluctuates as the level of sunlight increases and decreases. Hybrid inverters regulate this power to ensure that the entire system operates within the required parameters.

Power Monitoring: Solar hybrid grid-tied inverters can be installed with solar power monitoring software to measure and monitor the PV system through a display or connected smartphone app to help identify any faults.

Power Optimization: Hybrid inverters with a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) check your solar output and correlate it with the energy storage voltage. This enables the maximum power output and converts DC power to the optimum voltage for the energy storage to be charged accurately. MPPT ensures that your solar system works effectively under various conditions, such as different amounts of solar energy, solar energy storage panel temperature, and power load.

How do hybrid inverters compare to other types of inverters?

Grid-tied hybrid inverters allow for a seamless merger between your home solar system and the grid. Once your solar energy storage array generates enough power for your home, you can use the excess power to charge your solar energy storage system, and then transfer the remaining power to the grid once the energy storage is fully charged.

What makes a hybrid inverter stand out from other home central inverters is its ability to transfer power in both directions. As we discussed earlier, energy storage inverters convert between AC and DC power for storage, which solar grid-tied inverters cannot do.

A hybrid inverter can do all of this, importing power from the grid to power your home or charge the solar energy storage system if the solar energy storage panel is insufficient. When the solar energy storage panel has sufficient energy, it can be stored in the battery energy storage system or connected to the grid.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hybrid Inverters

Modern hybrid grid-tied inverters definitely have some benefits, but there are also some disadvantages that you should be aware of. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of hybrid inverters that you should consider

Advantages of Hybrid Inverters

Power Resilience

Owning a solar power system does not always guarantee that you will have power during a power outage. If your system uses a traditional solar grid-tied inverter, it will still automatically cut power to the solar power system during a power outage for safety reasons.

For this situation, a hybrid inverter paired with a solar energy storage system is a great solution. It ensures that you have off-grid, grid-tied, and energy storage capabilities at the same time, so you can always get power even during a power outage.

Easily retrofit energy storage system

A complete solar installation can be a major investment, especially if you add an energy storage system on top of other separate components. Hybrid solar inverters are designed to store at all times, allowing you to forgo the cost of installing energy storage from the beginning. At the same time, you can also more easily add energy storage groups and enjoy the full benefits of solar energy.

Simplified Energy Monitoring

Hybrid inverters simplify energy monitoring because you can check important data such as performance and energy production through the inverter’s panel or connected smart devices. If your system has two inverters, they must be monitored separately.

Disadvantages of Hybrid Inverters

Not suitable for upgrading existing systems

If you want to upgrade an existing solar system to include energy storage, choosing a hybrid inverter may complicate the situation, while an energy storage inverter may be the most cost-effective. All you really need is an AC-coupled energy storage with an energy storage inverter to expand your system. Since you already have a grid-tied solar inverter, choosing to install a hybrid inverter requires a complete and expensive rework of the entire solar energy storage panel system.

Increased Equipment Expense

The initial installation of a hybrid inverter may be more expensive than a traditional solar inverter. If your area is prone to frequent power outages and you want to add backup energy storage in the future, it may be worth the higher cost to have a hybrid inverter.

However, if your grid is reliable and you can use net metering, a regular grid-tied system may be sufficient and may be better than a hybrid inverter plus energy storage.

Reduced Future Design Flexibility

The design of solar energy storage changes as technology advances, and not all hybrid inverters are suitable for every type of energy storage. If you install a hybrid inverter now with the idea that you might add solar energy storage later, your future options may be limited by compatibility issues. For example, some solar energy storage systems now come with built-in inverters, eliminating the need for a separate hybrid inverter altogether.

Should You Invest in a Hybrid Solar Inverter?

While hybrid solar inverters do require a larger initial investment, the extra cost may be worth it if you plan to include solar energy storage with your initial solar installation or soon after.

Hybrid inverters help eliminate issues like intermittent sunlight and an unreliable utility grid, making them particularly good compared to other types of solar inverters. Even better, hybrid inverters can help you store energy more efficiently for future use, including backup power during outages or peak hours.

Hybrid inverters also enable more efficient power generation and management, especially when connected to the wider grid through net metering and time-of-use rates. Additionally, MPPT controllers can make it possible for you to conveniently monitor and manage your solar system from anywhere through a connected smartphone app.

Can a Hybrid Grid-Tie Inverter Help Me Go Off the Grid?

Most home solar energy storage panel systems are still connected to the country’s power grid, which means they are not truly off the grid. If you want to completely disconnect your home from the grid, you must install enough energy storage capacity to power your home for days at a time when your panels can’t generate enough electricity or the grid goes down.

If you really want to go completely off the grid, hybrid inverters can help because they are designed to accomplish multiple tasks as one device, including solar energy storage panel operation, energy storage, and drawing power from generators and other power sources.

Key Takeaways

Even though the initial cost is higher, hybrid inverters can maximize the operating efficiency of your PV system in the long run by providing you with a solar inverter. Hybrid inverters can help you reduce your reliance on the grid, lower your carbon emissions, enjoy advanced monitoring tools, and increase your power generation.

If you’re ready to learn more about inverter technology and the solar energy system that’s right for your home, get started with a free solar savings estimate today, and then contact a solar expert at Hubei Hongguang New Energy who can walk you through the various options for powering your home.