Do I need a battery inverter for a solar PV system?

When upgrading the grid-tied system to an energy storage system the only part that changes is the AC Coupled battery inverter add-on. The existing solar PV system doesn’t need to change at all. The AC coupled battery inverter is installed alongside batteries which is then connected directly to your panel or mains.

Can a PV inverter retrofit an AC coupled storage system?

Whatever the case, to retrofit an AC coupled storage system, the PV inverter must be installed such that it is isolated from the grid during an outage by the battery based inverter. To do so, a critical loads panel is added to the facility where the PV inverter is interconnected.

Should a PV inverter be AC coupled?

Instead, contractors should persuade their existing PV customers to consider an AC coupled solution should they opt to add storage. In doing so the PV inverter remains within the system to send AC current from the PV to the battery based inverter (as can be seen in the block diagram above).

Can a PV inverter be left alone?

By preserving the PV inverter wiring on the roof can be left alone and the remainder of the installation can be limited to the utility room or point of interconnection. For a more in depth comparison of AC and DC coupling see our article HERE. Most existing PV system are tied into the main service panel of the building.

What is solar inverter based generation?

As more solar systems are added to the grid, more inverters are being connected to the grid than ever before. Inverter-based generation can produce energy at any frequency and does not have the same inertial properties as steam-based generation, because there is no turbine involved.

Do inverters provide or absorb reactive power?

Modern inverters can both provide and absorb reactive power to help grids balance this important resource. In addition, because reactive power is difficult to transport long distances, distributed energy resources like rooftop solar are especially useful sources of reactive power.