Germany holds 7 of the top 10 most efficient inverters in the World. Not surprising as Germany holds the top spot for photovoltaic installations with 7.74  GW’s (see graph below).  Second place goes to Italy with  3.74 GW’s installed. Below are the top ten inverters and their efficiency ratings:

1. Steca                      98.6%
2. Sunways               97.8%
3. Fronius                 97.7%
4. Diehl Ako             97.7%
5. Voltwerk              97.7%
6. SolarEdge             97.6%
7. Mastervolt           97.5%
8. Mirsibushi            97.5%
9. Solutronic             97.4%
10. Fefu                          97.4%

(This information was compiled from product data sheets).

The solar inverter market leader in terms of market share, SMA, is positioned just under the best ten companies. The difference in the claimed maximum efficiency between Steca and SMA is 1.6% .  In actual  applications, the energy losses through inverters should be considered over the 10-15 years’ lifetime and efficiency in real-life conditions.

Source: Solarbuzz Marketbuzz 2010

*Market size definition based on PV systems installed and/or delivered to site.

Sun City Solar has installed several of these inverters. If you would like further information on any of these inverters or others, visit our website.

The efficiency and quality of a solar power system  are measured by the efficiency and quality of each individual component of the system. An accurate choice of components, especially the modules and inverters is of fundamental importance for your solar power system to operate at it’s optimum performance.

A Photovoltaic solar power system must be able to function efficiently for 25-30 years in all weather conditions and under the hot summer sun.

Grounding Hardware

What is commonly called in the Photovoltaic  industry “BOS” (Balance of System), i.e. the “rest of the system” (rails, grounding, surge protection, wire, cables, etc.), plays a very important role in ensuring that you and your home or building are properly protected and have adequate power production for many years to come.

From an economic viewpoint, it is even more important for each individual component of a solar power system to be chosen on the basis of the warranties provided by the product and its manufacturer than for a normal electric system. Why? Because the operating specifications of each device must remain unchanged throughout the entire life cycle of your system and investment.

Sun City Solar Energy is dedicated to providing reliable products from the direct current (DC) side through to the Alternate Current grid connected point. In fact, the solar panel we suggest, after careful research, has a 30 year unprecedented warranty!

Back-up power allows you to continue using certain (or all) appliances when utility provided electricity is not available.

If a storm knocks out your power or you simply want to disconnect from the grid, a back-up power system with a bank of batteries can be kept charged with solar panels OR BY THE GRID WHEN IT IS OPERATING and can supply power for a limited amount of time, depending on how many batteries you have and your battery charging method.

Here are your choices in order of complexity and cost:

1) Install an Emergency Battery-Based Back-Up System which can be kept charged by the grid when the grid is on line. This system will provide power until the batteries are depleted.

2) Install a battery-based backup system which can be kept charged with either  your utility provider, a generator or solar panels. This can work in a home or business that has grid power or in an off-grid situation where there is no grid power.

3) If you already have a Solar Power Grid-Tie system, you can install a battery-based back-up system which can be kept charged with the grid, when grid electricity is available or with your grid-tie system’s solar panels even when the grid is down. This can be planned at the time of purchase of your grid-tie system, or it can be added later.

Sun City Solar Power Battery Back Up Installation Little Rock, Arkansas

 When planning your back-up power system, the back-up power must be sent to a sub-panel that is not directly connected to your main AC service panel.

During a power outage, power will be supplied only to the backed up sub-panel, not to the main panel. This requires that you relocate specific circuits that you wish to have powered when the grid is down, to the new sub-panel. This is best accomplished by a solar company with licensed electricians.

The reason for this is twofold. First, if you were to send the “AC out” from the back-up system to your main panel, you would be back feeding a “down” grid. This is illegal and dangerous. Secondly, when the grid is “up”, power will be flowing, unregulated, back through the “AC out” connection on the back-up system. This means the state of charge on the battery bank is not regulated and the batteries will be overcharged and ruined.

When the grid is “up”, power will flow from the main panel through the battery back-up system to power the loads / circuits in the sub-panel. This power is limited by the power transfer capability of the inverter.  Sun City Solars’ technicians can help find the products that are right for you. For pricing and product information give us a call at 918-494-0886. We’ll also answer any questions you might have .