A power inverter is a complex piece of equipment that converts DC power from your solar charged battery into AC form which it is typically used in homes and other domestic situations. A well made power inverter will be efficient at all power levels, will be rugged enough to stand up to multiple environments, won't overheat and will offer the power you need and the wattage to run your small appliances.

Grid-Tie (On-Grid)

Inverters which are connected to your electric utility company and do not use a battery bank. These "grid-tie" systems tend to be lower in cost due to the fact that they don't use batteries. However, if the utility company's power goes down then your system will also shut down. If blackouts are frequent in your location or you want to have backup power, consider purchasing an inverter that is both on-grid and off-grid capable. Or, some folks even purchase a separate inverter with batteries just for emergency backup power.

Off-Grid

These inverters are principally meant to be used with solar power systems for a home or business totally disconnected from the electric utility company. They can also be used for providing emergency backup power to homes that currently use the power from an electric company. Inverters with the built-in AC charger option are particularly well suited to providing seamless backup power.

On-Grid & Off-Grid Capable Inverters

These inverters are primarily used for grid-tie (selling back to the utility company) purposes but also have the added feature that they provide backup power to your home when the electric utility fails.