PV inverter or Solar inverter is one of the most critical components of the solar power system and is often referred to as the heart of a solar PV system. It converts DC (like 12V/ 24V/ 48V) electricity from solar panel into AC (like 120V/ 230V/ 240V) power required to run your applicance. Photo-Voltaic power generation system is mainly composed of solar panels (components), controllers and inverters. They are mainly composed of electronic components, but do not involve mechanical components.
After taking the decision to install your solar system, you select the most suited solar company to design the system, get the approval on solar system capacity from your electric utility, then installation is done finally. Actually it takes approx. 3 weeks in average to install your solar photo-voltaic on your roof depending on the system size, and weather conditions.
Now there are 4 steps to follow after installing the solar system:
- Step one: Inspection
Your solar system installer will send a safety certificate to the electric authority to arrange for their coming to do inspection. This inspection process should be done within ten days after installation.
- Step two: Energy meter upgrade
Your solar system installer will send a second document to the eclectic authority regarding your existing energy meter, so if you have a traditional meter, it will be needed to be replaced with a smart one. Because the smart meter will be able to register the exported energy to the grid and imported energy from the grid.
- Step three: Start Saving Electricity
Once your new energy meter is installed, you are ready to run the system, and start to get the clean and free electricity.
- Step four: Maintenance
That is an important step, because you will need to make sure your solar system is working efficiently, so even the solar system generally requires little maintenance, you still need to keep doing it periodically.
From aforementioned steps, you have noticed that installing the solar system is Not just placing solar panels on the roof, but it involves some paperwork to do.
One important Note to take care about is if your house has 3-phase energy meter, it’s a must to install 3-phase bi direction meter as well, otherwise you will only get the energy of one phase and you will lose much of solar electricity. Your solar installer who knows about your site and energy meter type will take care about such issue.