The panels are the first thing that comes to mind when considering going solar. The inverter, however, is the component that matters the most to the system. The brain of a solar installation, solar inverters allow you to consume the power your solar panels produce. 

In this blog, we’ll learn more about power optimizers–one of the types of inverters.

Like microinverters, power optimizers are mounted to the back of each solar panel and enable individual panel monitoring. They are also known as DC power optimizers or DC power converters. They do not, however, convert DC power to AC. Instead, optimizers increase the output of each solar panel and transfer it to a string inverter, which transforms the DC power into AC electricity. 

Want to know more? See our breakdown of the DC power optimizer. 

Without spending a fortune, power optimizers let you overcome conventional string inverters’ drawbacks and use micro inverters’ advantages. Along with your panels, they make it simple to add solar batteries. 

Additionally, they only raise the cost of a typical solar installation by $300. It’s more than worth it because they increase the energy your system generates. 

One drawback is that if one power optimizer malfunctions, you must take down the entire system to replace it. As a result, your solar project might not generate solar power for a few hours while the problem is being rectified. Determining if issues with the solar system are brought on by the power optimizers or the string inverter can also be challenging. 

Additionally, even though the optimizers have a 25-year warranty, the inverter will only last that long. This implies that eventually, you’ll need to get your inverter replaced. Although it’s not a big problem, it can be a hassle and cost more money in the long run (not to mention having to track down two different warranties).

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