Inverters and Their Role in Renewable Energy

Inverters may be the one piece of electrical equipment that most solar energy users do not know much about.  They are very discrete, unobtrusive boxes that convert direct current (DC), in this case from solar panels, to alternating current (AC) for practical use.  With the use of proper transformers, switching, and circuit controls, AC can be converted to any voltage and frequency.Apart from solar panels, inverters are also used to transmit power from batteries and fuel cells.Most property owners using solar electricity use grid tie inverters.  These inverters are capable of feeding back energy into the utility grid because it produces alternating current with the amplitude and frequency as the energy provided by the utility distribution network.  These are quite useful as they can shut off in the event of a blackout.Micro-inverters are used to convert direct current from individual solar panels into alternating current solely for feeding it into the utility grid.A commercial generator or uninterruptible power supply uses a battery and an inverter to store alternating current for a main power distribution outage.  Once main power is restored, a rectifier is used to supply direct current electricity for recharging the battery.Though inverters are frequently unnoticed when admiring a solar system, there role is what makes any solar energy generation project possible. According to a new report from Yole Developpement, a French industry analysis firm, the growing photovoltaic market has resulted in a multi-billion euro market for European inverter manufacturers.  The photovoltaic inverter market is expected to double in value during the coming years.  Analysts project the industry to be worth an estimated $8.1 billion by 2014.

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