A hybrid inverter is the control center of hybrid solar power systems; these systems combine solar energy and battery storage with the stability of the power grid to give you greater flexibility and control over your home’s electricity. Unlike traditional grid-tied inverters, hybrid inverters don’t just convert DC power to AC energy for your home while feeding extra into the grid. Hybrid inverters can intelligently manage all 3 of your connected power sources: solar panels, battery backup, and the utility grid. By constantly monitoring your solar production, household use, and utility rates, hybrid inverters ensure your home is always using the cheapest power available. Keep reading to find out how.
How Hybrid Inverters Prioritize Energy Sources
Hybrid inverters are designed to make real-time decisions about where your energy should come from. When the sun is shining, solar power is typically the default choice, since the energy of the sun comes with no extra costs; so, during sunny days, your inverter will prioritize solar energy to meet your home’s energy demands. More often than not, those sunny days produce more energy than you’re actively using, so excess energy is stored in your batteries or, if the batteries are fully charged, exported to the grid.
When solar production drops, such as when the sun goes down or when it is cloudy, your hybrid inverter automatically swithces to stored battery power. By charging your batteries with solar power, you’re filling them up with little to no extra cost, making that stored energy just as cheap as active solar power, especially during those peak-rate hours, when the grid charges you more per watt. Only when solar and battery power are not enough to meet your needs will the inverter draw energy from the grid.
Optimizing Time of Use and Cost Savings
Hybrid inverters are able to respond to time-of-use rates in areas where the utility companies charge more during peak hours. A hybrid inverter can be programmed to avoid grid usage when rates are the highest, instead relying on stored battery power. This intelligent scheduling can help you dramatically reduce your home’s energy costs per watt.
You can even program the inverter to charge your battery bank, if solar power is insufficient, using energy from the grid outside of peak hours; this allows you to pay the lower rate to the grid while still using the energy when time-of-use rates would be at their highest.
Smarter Energy Management with Long-Term Benefits
By intelligently switching between solar, battery, and grid power, a hybrid inverter can give you lower energy costs, greater energy independence, and a more resilient and flexible solar power system. If you want to start reaping those benefits and always pay the lowest amount possible per watt, look for wholesale solar inverters that can support this setup.
