Inverters for Photovoltaics

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Andrew Bolda Participant Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4	Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/20/2009 12:58 AM
	What are some of the new inverters on the market for Photovoltaic installations on a residential service.
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lighthasmass Guru Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Burnt Ranch, State of Jefferson Posts: 688 Good Answers: 20	#1 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/20/2009 11:55 PM
	Are you looking for "new" companies or "new" models from established companies? As an installer I trust companies with a track record over "new". __________________ “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” -Mark Twain
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Andrew Bolda Participant Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4	#2 In reply to #1 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/21/2009 12:06 AM
	I am looking to see new inverters from both new companies and established ones. Whats the point of researching if you do not respect potential investments. In all applications there is a learning curve so new companies will only be bad if you do not know what you are comparing and contrasting as a whole!
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Andrew Bolda Participant Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4	#3 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/21/2009 12:34 AM
	I am looking to compare and contrast inverters from both new and established companies. If you don't try and seek out all of the information, how do you have an accurate perspective? Please advise toward any information applicable. Thank You!
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lighthasmass Guru Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Burnt Ranch, State of Jefferson Posts: 688 Good Answers: 20	#4 In reply to #3 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/21/2009 1:32 AM
	I am always interested in new products, but, on the practical side, it is a real pain to change out components because "new" fails in short order. I use Outback components as they are tried and tested. The company is relatively new but the engineers all came from Trace when Xantrex bought them out. Although I haven't installed any, Magnum inverters are also an off-shoot of Trace. Both companies inverters push 95% efficiency at peak... Outback systems are set-up for expansion to very large outputs, capable of stacking 16 inverters at 3.5kVA each. This is very attractive for those that want to start small and expand... They are also the inverters the US military is using in Iraq as they are built to withstand rugged conditions. Also, their voltage and frequency tolerences are +/-3% which is cleaner power than the local grid. __________________ “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” -Mark Twain
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Andrew Bolda Participant Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 4	#6 In reply to #4 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/21/2009 1:09 PM
	Thank you for the information based on your experience. Having a serviceable and reliable inverter would be ideal. I was aware of "outback" inverters and was interested if there were any competitors who compared in reality. Great feedback and I am more confident for future investments.
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Anonymous Poster	#5 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/21/2009 7:26 AM
	i've been using the magnum 4024 for 2.5 years now with no complaints (4000 watts/24 volt) they also have 12 and 48 volt models and have since come out with a 5000 watt inverter charger. i bought mine through wholesalesolar.com
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NotUrOrdinaryJoe Guru Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Lexington, KY Posts: 1639 Good Answers: 73	#7 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/22/2009 8:41 AM
	Check out this link http://powerelectronics.com/power_semiconductors/power_microinverters_computercontrolled_improve_0409/ It seems to me that some of the inverters fail to take advantage of all of the available power. __________________ A great troubleshooting tip...."When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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lighthasmass Guru Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Burnt Ranch, State of Jefferson Posts: 688 Good Answers: 20	#8 In reply to #7 Re: Inverters for Photovoltaics 05/22/2009 11:19 AM
	I agree that micro-inverters are an attractive option for grid-tied systems. All the systems I setup are capable of stand-alone and need a different installation than micro-inverters allow. Also, photovoltaics are only one aspect of power supply for many systems e.g. wind, hydro... __________________ “Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.” -Mark Twain
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Andrew Bolda (3); Anonymous Poster (1); lighthasmass (3); NotUrOrdinaryJoe (1)

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