The Difference of Hybrid Inverter and Off-grid Inverter

The inverter is often called the brain of the solar system because it converts solar radiation into useful energy.

What are the three types of inverters?

1. On-grid inverters

2. Off-grid inverters

3. Hybrid inverters.

What are the main factors in inverter selection?

The choice of inverter mainly depends on the solar system component and energy consumption.

In order to choose the right inverter, it is important to know your requirements.

Among them, the off-grid inverter has no connection with the public power. It obtains direct current from the battery and then converts it into AC power supply. The main advantage is that it can operate even if the disconnect pubilc power.

The hybrid inverter is a mixture of on-grid inverter and off-grid inverter. It can be connected to the mains and the battery can power the appliances. It also includes the controller, which is not part of the off-grid inverter.

What is an off-grid inverter?

Off-grid inverters work separately and cannot be connected with the public power. Off-grid inverter converts battery current into alternating current and then supplies electrical applicance. Off-grid inverters do not have any connection to the public power.

What are the advantages of off-grid inverters?

Therefore, the main advantage is that it can operate without public power. The attractive feature of off-grid inverters is that they are cheaper than hybrid inverters.

What are the disadvantages of off-grid inverters?

The main problem with off-grid inverters is power failure. It doesn't work on the utility grid. So solar power alone may not be enough to meet demand, especially if the sun isn't shining.

What is a hybrid solar inverter?

Hybrid solar inverter is a combination of solar inverter and controller into one device. This feature helps to easily control electricity from solar panels, solar cells, and the public power simultaneously.

What are the advantages of hybrid solar inverters?

1. Flexibility

The big advantage of hybrid solar inverters is that they offer a lot of flexibility in power transmission by choosing between solar power, backup batteries and grid connections.

Hybrid inverters are often used in areas where power outage, failure and load rejection are frequent.

2. Provide backup power

Hybrid solar inverters is the ability to extract excess power from the grid when the solar energy generated is insufficient to run the load.

In addition, batteries can provide backup power in the event of a failure of the power grid. Therefore, hybrid inverters provide constant power and you do not have to worry about power outages.

What's the difference between a hybrid inverter and an off-grid inverter?

1. Battery backup function

The hybrid inverter is different in that it has a built-in battery connection that stores energy for later use. This battery backup capability enables most hybrid systems to also operate as backup power during outages.

2. Power acquisition

The off-grid inverter takes power from the battery, converting it from DC to AC. The off-grid inverter cannot synchronize with the public grid. These are designed to work alone. Off-grid inverters cannot feed power from solar or batteries to the utility grid.

Hybrid inverters, on the other hand, can feed power back to the utility grid.

What are the advantages of hybrid inverters compared to off-grid solar inverters?

One of the key differences between hybrid inverters and off-grid inverters is efficiency. Hybrid inverters tend to be more efficient than off-grid inverters because they can use the excess energy generated by solar panels rather than wasting it.

According to the US Department of Energy, typical hybrid inverters can be between 90-98% efficient, while off-grid inverters can be between 70-90% efficient.

What other factors need to be considered when choosing an inverter type?

Another important factor to consider is system capacity.

Hybrid inverters are typically designed to handle larger loads than off-grid inverters because they are meant to work with the grid.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a typical hybrid inverter can handle a maximum capacity of 10-15 kilowatts, while a typical off-grid inverter can handle a maximum capacity of 5-10 kilowatts.