Choosing the Best Off Grid Solar Inverter for Energy Independence

The main function of the off grid solar inverter is to convert direct current into usable alternating current for use by household appliances. And without a utility grid connection, you will need the best off grid solar inverter to ensure a stable power supply from your solar panels to your house.

The best off grid solar inverters can also charge electric cars and store energy for future use. The great thing about having an off grid solar inverter is that you can be completely self-reliant and don’t have to rely on other less reliable suppliers.

Therefore, this blog is written to introduce solar inverters off grid and some different types of it. We will also recommend the 3 best off grid solar inverters to help you choose one.

An Introduction to Off Grid Solar Inverters

Off grid solar inverters include battery storage and solar panels so you can get power from both sources at home.

Typically, off grid solar inverter get their power from solar panels to power your home in the morning and use batteries at night.

Off grid solar inverters control the flow of energy, which controls both DC and AC power sources, which are then used to replace the traditional electricity in your own home.

This type of inverter is ideal for those who want to use solar energy to power their homes. Each of us has different kinds of appliances, such as TVs, kitchen appliances, washing machines, and the lights we use around the house.

This alone requires a lot of energy to light it up, especially if you want it to work 24/7. That’s why off grid solar inverters convert and store the energy you can use day and night to ensure all your appliances are working without adding to your electricity bill.

Off-grid or stand-alone power systems often require more powerful battery inverters and built-in chargers that can be set up for AC or DC-coupled solar systems. Modern, flexible off grid solar inverter chargers, also known as multi-mode inverters, can also be used to create advanced hybrid grid-connected systems.

Small and DIY off-grid systems use simple MPPT solar charging controllers, also known as solar regulators. These are not inverters, but DC solar cell chargers that are connected between the solar panel and the battery to regulate the battery charging process and ensure that the battery is properly charged or, more importantly, not overcharged.

Different Types of Off-Grid Solar Inverters

There are two types of off grid solar inverters: pure sine wave and modified sine wave, which usually differ in three aspects, namely: quality of output power, compatibility, and price. Processing the power quality of the output of these off grid solar inverters, the power quality from pure sine waves is cleaner. Since these two measurements are called AC output power quality, it is possible that the output power quality of a pure sine wave is better or better than the output power quality of the grid. Therefore, it can be speculated that pure sine waves provide higher quality output than modified sine waves.

A off grid solar inverter type with a higher output quality is said to be more recommended, even if it is relatively more expensive. In addition to this reason, almost all electrical appliances can use this type of inverter. Another reason why correcting a sine wave is cheaper than another is that it can cause certain damage and problems with certain appliances. For example, pumps and motors in refrigerators tend to burn out faster, and compressors run at higher temperatures, leading to equipment damage.

In addition to appliances, corrected sine waves can also cause damage to sensitive electronics. This type of TV inverter usually causes lines and a buzz on the screen, which results in degraded video and audio quality. Some devices do not work completely with this inverter. However, you can still choose a modified sine wave over a pure sine wave because it is cheaper if you are sure this will work with the device or device. In addition to these types of inverters, you can install a prewired power center that includes an inverter, charger, remote control, and circuit breaker as well as battery monitor and suppressor.

The Benefits of Off-Grid Solar Inverters

The fundamental advantage of off grid solar inverter is energy independence. Other benefits of this technology are the ability to provide a steady supply of electricity through power outages even in most remote areas and to reduce electricity bills while protecting the environment by making it cleaner and greener.

In the event of a disaster, communities connected to the main utility grid lose power. Such power shortages or atrocities can cause electrical damage.

Loss of revenue may also result if your business relies primarily on electricity use.

Having an inverter is indeed an advantage, as the DC stored by the deep cycle batteries of the solar panels can provide a steady supply of electricity to your home when converted to alternating current.

If you own a off grid solar inverter, you will also experience financial freedom because the grid company has reduced monthly electricity bills, which means you can save money in the long run.

Because grid companies are unable to supply electricity to some rural areas, the device could help households get access to the same quality electricity that individuals enjoy in highly urbanized areas. This is possible because the converted AC output originally comes from sunlight.

Another advantage of the product is that it provides renewable energy and helps to green the planet. Solar energy is available anywhere, so the device works no matter where you are.

Power companies are known to be causing air pollution and other environmental problems, and patronizing this technology will help save the planet.

3 Best Off Grid Solar Inverters 

Single Phase Hybrid Storage Inverter 8-12 kW

• Max.240A: Max. Charge/Discharge Current 240A
• PV Oversize: 1.5 Times PV Oversize
• MPPT Channels: Up to 3 MPPT Channels
• UPS Function: Switch Time < 10ms
• Parallel: Max.6 Parallel Stacking
• Input: Support Generator

Three Phase Hybrid Storage Inverter 3-30 kW

• Sodium Metal Chloride Battery: Support Sodium Metal Chloride Battery
• Wide Range: Voltage Range(150-800V)
• 100% Unbalance: Support Unbalance Load
• PV Oversize: 1.5 Times PV Oversize
• Max.40Adc: String Current Up To 40A
• UPS Function: Switch Time< 10ms
• Input: Support Generator

Three Phase PV String Inverter 40-60 kW Low-voltage Series

• SMART: Intelligent string monitoring,Smart l-V curve scan
• PROTECTION: Type II Dc &AC Lighting Protection
• MAX.38Adc: String Current Up to 38A
• PV OVERSIZE: >1.5 Time PV Oversize input
• POWER FACTOR: Active and Reactive Power Compensation
• ANTI-FLOW: Anti-Feed-in Function

What Do The Best Off Grid Solar Inverters Have In Common?

The best off grid inverters are all-in-one solutions. They combine three essential parts in a pre-wired configuration:

• An MPPT solar charge controller
• A pure sine wave inverter
• An AC to DC charger (generator/utility backup charger)

On top of that, they all support the latest lithium batteries and have a dedicated app for cloud monitoring and online configuration.

How to Pick the Best Off Grid Solar Inverter?

Output voltage of the inverter

This will be based on your load requirements and is usually the same as the standard supply voltage/frequency in your country/region. The output voltage of the off grid solar inverter should correspond to the nominal voltage of the load. 240V in Europe and Africa and 120V in the US. Inverters should be maintained at 50Hz in Africa and Europe and 60Hz in the United States.

Inverter power range

For solar equipment, power range is important. You should make sure that the equipment you choose can meet your power needs. Even if you have enough panels to generate the right amount of power, it doesn’t make much sense if your inverter can’t handle the load. Therefore, the power range of the inverter is also important. The following are the various inverter power ranges and their typical applications:

• 1 to 2 kW: Small cabin with light, TV, refrigerator, and telephone.
• 2 to 4 kW: Larger cabins and some small energy-efficient homes.
• 4 to 8 kW: Most off-grid homes.
• 8 to 16 kW: larger off-grid homes, farms or ranches, and small businesses.

Although the sizes of inverters are larger and smaller than those listed above, these are the most popular options, with 4 kW and 8 kW being preferred.

Input the dc voltage of the inverter

Once we have selected the power capacity and the brand/manufacturer of the solar inverter, there will be a corresponding DC input voltage range in the inverter specification sheet, and we need to choose the battery voltage to match it.

The inverter with built-in solar charging controller will be MPPT or PWM

MPPT is technically better because it is able to convert the high voltage of the solar panel to a lower voltage, so it charges the battery with low loss (high efficiency), but it costs more than the PWM type. On the other hand, if we can correctly select the PWM solar charging controller type according to the solar panel specifications, then we can confirm that it can work as well as the MPPT charging controller type.

Consider pure sine waves instead of modified sine waves

Some manufacturers you may hear talk about pure sine wave inverters. You do not need to know exactly how they work . It is sufficient to know that the power output of a pure sine wave inverter is “cleaner” than a modified sine wave inverter.

For a pure sine wave inverter to provide a higher quality power output, similar to (or better than) our grid. Modified sine wave inverters are cheaper, but output lower quality power.

For this reason, improved sine wave inverters may cause problems for some equipment. Motors, pumps and compressors run hotter and wear out faster. In some sensitive equipment (e.g., computers), they may be damaged or not work at all. These inverters also often produce background noise in the stereo and degrade the video and audio quality of some televisions.

This is why we do not recommend the use of modified sine wave inverters in most applications; Most of our off-grid customers use pure sine wave inverters to avoid these potential problems.

Need a quick way to tell the difference? View the inverter’s total harmonic distortion (THD) rating. THD is an indicator of power quality output that will be listed on the specification sheet of any good inverter. Rule of thumb To avoid trouble, choose a pure sine-wave inverter with a THD of 5% or less.

Look at the technical specs

• Efficiency: This is a measure of how much power your solar inverter battery provides to your home when operating in perfect conditions. A good peak efficiency rating is about 94 to 96 percent.
• Temperature range: Solar inverters are extremely hot. If you plan to install a solar system in a garage or anywhere that may be exposed to extreme temperatures, pay special attention to the temperature range.
• Warranty: Solar inverters come with a 1-year warranty, typically 3-5 years, and some manufacturers offer a 10-year warranty extension option. Afore offers standard factory warranty which is valid 5 years from the  date of  installation and no more than 5 and a half years from the delivery date from Afore.

Conclusion

An off grid solar inverter is an absolute essential component for those who are seeking energy independence. This is especially true for remote areas or those looking to reduce their dependence on traditional electricity providers. There are multiple advantages to the best off grid solar inverters. These include the ability to convert and store solar energy, provide backup power in the event of a power outage, and lower electricity bills over time. They come in various types such as pure sine wave inverters and modified sine wave inverters, with pure sine wave models being more recommended for their high quality output and compatibility with a wider range of appliances. The best off-grid solar inverters usually integrate an MPPT charge controller, a pure sine wave inverter, and a backup charging system to ensure efficiency and reliability. By considering the inverter’s power capacity, voltage range and output quality, you can choose the best solution to meet your needs and contribute to a greener, more sustainable energy future.