Inverter/Chargers
Inverters convert DC power to AC power and are necessary for Stand Alone Power Systems (SPS) that power AC loads, that is most common electrical appliances and fittings. Inverters are sized to suit your system voltage and to be able to manage your peak load, that is the total number of watts that could be demanded by your system at any particular time, also taking into consideration overload situations and the possibility of expanding electrical demand in the future.
Inverters can produce square, modified or pure sine wave patterns and the price of the inverter often reflects this when all other specifications may appear the same, so it is important that the correct type of inverter is used. Surge capacity is also important to take into consideration as many AC appliances require several times their operating power when starting.
Once again, Smart Energy can assist with specifying the correct inverter for your specific application.
Many of today’s inverters incorporate battery-charging circuitry, allowing the same unit to take the AC load from a back up generator and recharge the batteries with low voltage DC power at the same time as the generator is directly powering the AC load in your house. From a reliability, performance and economical standpoint, built in battery chargers are the way to go for most SPS systems.