A solar inverter is a piece of equipment that converts the direct current (DC) produced by a solar panel system into a ready-to-use alternating current (AC) that is required to power homes, offices and other buildings. Residential premises mostly have single or 2-phase phase power installed, but commercial buildings almost always have a 3-phase connection.
Single-phase power
The cable connecting the local transformer to the premises contains two wires – a neutral and an active one that supplies 240V electricity that powers your household appliances.
2-phase power
A 2-phase power cable has three wires – a neutral and two active ones that readily accommodate a higher number of household appliances. Larger homes with air-conditioners, pool heaters or saunas require more power from the grid. As such, they often upgrade their power supply to a 2-phase or 3-phase power connection.
3-phase power
A 3-phase power cable carries four wires – a neutral one and three others that effectively triples the power available to the premises. Power can be split across the three phases to enable equipment that requires greater power to receive higher supply. Most commercial premises are connected to the grid by a 3-phase power cable.
Why a 3-phase solar inverter can be beneficial
If you live in a 3-phase home, there are benefits of including a 3-phase inverter in your solar panel system. Your appliances will be split across the three phases. A single-phase inverter can only be connected to one of the three phases. This implies that your inverter is only able to power a third of your household appliances. In addition, your single-phase solar power system will have to work harder to meet your household’s energy requirements. This can lead to voltage rise issues with the unpleasant solar panel trip-offs that accompany it.
These high voltage issues on the grid can become a problem for your network operator. To prevent this from happening, Arise Solar can install a larger solar power system for you on three-phase connections. If you are in Queensland, New South Wales or South Australia, you are in luck because we only sell to residents in those places. We also undertake solar panel maintenance to help you keep your system in top shape. A 3-phase solar inverter is not without its own downside, though. One apparent disadvantage is that it is more expensive than the single-phase inverter.
Conclusion
If you live in a home of modest size with single-phase power, you probably won’t need a 3-phase solar inverter. But if you have a large home and you are still using a single-phase inverter, your best bet is to upgrade. Installing solar panels in Gold Coast or in any of the regions previously mentioned can be handled professionally by Arise Solar. Get in touch with us today.
