Simplified inverter sizing and selection - Revision history

Alex at 15:26, 1 February 2021

2021-02-01T15:26:07Z

Alex: /* Step 1: Determine the inverter power/continuous duty rating */

2021-01-19T21:45:57Z

Step 1: Determine the inverter power/continuous duty rating

Alex: /* Step 1: Determine the inverter power/continuous duty rating */

2021-01-19T21:43:38Z

Step 1: Determine the inverter power/continuous duty rating

Alex at 21:42, 19 January 2021

2021-01-19T21:42:44Z

Alex: Created page with "Category:Inverter sizing and selection [[File:Inverterprocess.png|thumb|A flowchart depicting the primary inputs and outputs of the inverter sizing and selection process.]..."

2021-01-19T20:47:27Z

Created page with "Category:Inverter sizing and selection [[File:Inverterprocess.png|thumb|A flowchart depicting the primary inputs and outputs of the inverter sizing and selection process.]..."

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[[Category:Inverter sizing and selection]]
[[File:Inverterprocess.png|thumb|A flowchart depicting the primary inputs and outputs of the inverter sizing and selection process.]]
The [[Inverter|inverter]] is sized and selected almost completely based upon the power demands of the user outlined in the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation|AC load evaluation]]. The size of the [[:Category:PV source|PV source]] does not affect the size of the inverter and the [[:Category:Energy storage|energy storage system]] is only a concern if its capacity is significantly undersized relative to the size of the inverter as all types of batteries have a maximum amount of discharge current that they can safely supply.

The basic considerations for sizing and selecting an inverter are the following:
#The input voltage must match the DC system voltage.
#The inverter should be able to meet the continuous power demand for all loads that will operate at the same time.

'''Assumptions:'''
*Loads are assumed to have an average [[Power factor]] of .75
*The system has no large [[Surge loads|surge loads]].

This process is intended to serve as a guide, but the best option for a particular project will largely depend upon the available inverter sizes, the cost, and the particular project. There are a few common cases in which one may choose a different inverter size than is suggested here:
*It may make sense to buy an inverter that is smaller than is suggested by this process to keep costs low as the next size of inverter is significantly more expensive or would require the addition of an additional inverter that is ''stacked'' or added in parallel. In this case the users that they will have to manage their loads to avoid overloading the inverter. This makes the most sense with large infrequent [[:Category:Loads|loads]] that the users turn on and off. This approach is not recommended for projects that have large loads that may operate automatically - like a well pump or a refrigerator - as these loads are difficult to manage.
*It may make sense to buy an inverter that is larger than is suggested by this process to enable system expansion in the future or new additional loads.

====Step 1: Determine the inverter power/continuous duty rating====
All inverters have a continuous output (duty) rating that can be found in volt-amperes (VA) or watts (W) on their specifications sheet, which is the capacity that the inverter has to continuously supply loads. VA = volts × amperes, just like Power (P) in watts, but is used to account for [[Power factor]]. Regardless of the value used by the manufacturer (VA or W), the continuous duty rating of the inverter should exceed the [[Total AC connected watts]] from the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation|AC load evaluation]].

[[File:Inverterwatts.png|frameless]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:26, 1 February 2021
Line 1:		Line 1:
−	[[Category:~~Inverter sizing and selection~~]]	+	[[Category:Simplified system design]]
	The [[Inverter\|inverter]] is sized and selected almost completely based upon the power demands of the user outlined in the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation\|AC load evaluation]]. The size of the [[:Category:PV source\|PV source]] does not affect the size of the inverter and the [[:Category:Energy storage\|energy storage system]] is only a concern if its capacity is significantly undersized relative to the size of the inverter as all types of batteries have a maximum amount of discharge current that they can safely supply.		The [[Inverter\|inverter]] is sized and selected almost completely based upon the power demands of the user outlined in the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation\|AC load evaluation]]. The size of the [[:Category:PV source\|PV source]] does not affect the size of the inverter and the [[:Category:Energy storage\|energy storage system]] is only a concern if its capacity is significantly undersized relative to the size of the inverter as all types of batteries have a maximum amount of discharge current that they can safely supply.

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 ====Step 1: Determine the inverter power/continuous duty rating====
-All inverters have a continuous output (duty) rating that can be found in volt-amperes (VA) or watts (W) on their specifications sheet, which is the capacity that the inverter has to continuously supply loads. VA = volts × amperes, just like Power (P) in watts, but is used to account for [[Power factor]]. Regardless of the value used by the manufacturer (VA or W), the continuous duty rating of the inverter should exceed the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation|Total AC connected watts]].
+All inverters have a continuous output (duty) rating that can be found in volt-amperes (VA) or watts (W) on their specifications sheet, which is the capacity that the inverter has to continuously supply loads. VA = volts × amperes, just like Power (P) in watts, but is used to account for [[Power factor|power factor]]. A certain margin of [[Power factor]] is factored into the calculations in the table below, making it unnecessary to determine and calcualte for each load. Regardless of the value used by the manufacturer (VA or W), the continuous duty rating of the inverter should exceed the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation|Total AC connected watts]].
 [[File:Inverterwatts.png|frameless]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:42, 19 January 2021
Line 1:		Line 1:
	[[Category:Inverter sizing and selection]]		[[Category:Inverter sizing and selection]]
−	~~[[File:Inverterprocess.png\|thumb\|A flowchart depicting the primary inputs and outputs of the inverter sizing and selection process.]]~~
	The [[Inverter\|inverter]] is sized and selected almost completely based upon the power demands of the user outlined in the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation\|AC load evaluation]]. The size of the [[:Category:PV source\|PV source]] does not affect the size of the inverter and the [[:Category:Energy storage\|energy storage system]] is only a concern if its capacity is significantly undersized relative to the size of the inverter as all types of batteries have a maximum amount of discharge current that they can safely supply.		The [[Inverter\|inverter]] is sized and selected almost completely based upon the power demands of the user outlined in the [[Simplified load evaluation#AC load evaluation\|AC load evaluation]]. The size of the [[:Category:PV source\|PV source]] does not affect the size of the inverter and the [[:Category:Energy storage\|energy storage system]] is only a concern if its capacity is significantly undersized relative to the size of the inverter as all types of batteries have a maximum amount of discharge current that they can safely supply.