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Battery inverter – an overview
What is a battery inverter? A battery inverter DC to AC converts the direct current (DC) intermediately stored in a battery into alternating current (AC) that is commonly used in households, businesses and industry. There are several types of battery inverters available, including AC-coupled battery inverter, 12 V battery inverter and 48 V battery inverter, among others. Battery inverters are therefore necessary to be able to use intermediately stored solar power. Learn more about the SMA battery inverters and their applications.
Battery Inverters for Off-Grid applications
Battery Inverters for large scale storage solutions
Sunny Central Storage UP-XT 3450 / 3600 / 3800
Extended grid-feed power. Battery inverter for large-scale storage systems.
Sunny Central Storage UP-XT 2300 / 2400 / 2530 / 2630
Extended grid-feed power. Battery inverter for large-scale storage systems.
Sunny Central Storage 1900 / 2200 / 2475 / 2900
Battery inverter for large-scale storage systems
Accessories
What is a battery inverter?
Inverters play an important role in the operation of a PV system with energy storage. Solar systems produce direct current (DC) electricity, which must be converted into alternating current (AC) to be used in homes, businesses, and for feeding back into the utility grid. PV inverters do this initial conversion. The same conversion process is required when drawing electric current from energy storage. Since energy is stored in a battery as direct current (DC), a battery inverter converts it back into alternating current (AC) for use.
A typical battery storage system for PV systems includes the following components:
PV Inverter: Converts direct current (DC) from the solar panels into alternating current (AC) for use in your home or business.
Battery System with Charge Controller: Stores excess solar energy for later use.
DC-to-DC Converter: Provides closed-loop control to regulate voltage levels within the system.
Battery Inverter: Converts stored DC energy from the battery back into AC for household or grid use.
Metering Infrastructure (if needed): Tracks the amount of electricity fed back into the grid.
Difference to the hybrid inverter
A hybrid inverter can perform the tasks of a traditional PV inverter as well as those of the battery inverter. It combines both functions in just one device. It can convert the direct current (DC) from the PV modules and the battery storage system into usable alternating current (AC) and in addition intermediately store the surplus solar power in the battery storage system.
Advantages of Battery Inverters for Homes and Businesses
SMA's battery inverters for PV storage systems offer a range of benefits.
Key Benefits at a Glance
Versatility: SMA provides battery inverters for various applications, whether it's peak load shaving, off-grid use, grid-tied systems, or supporting grid stability.
Compatibility: Our battery inverters work with a wide range of battery technologies and storage systems from different manufacturers, offering flexibility and adaptability.
Seamless Integration: SMA battery inverters can easily be integrated into existing PV systems and paired with electric vehicle charging stations or heat pumps, ensuring optimal use of solar energy.
How Does a Battery Inverter Work?
A battery inverter is essential for converting stored energy into a usable form for consumption or for feeding into the electricity grid. Since energy stored in a battery is in direct current (DC) form, and both the electricity grid and most electrical devices operate on alternating current (AC), the battery inverter performs the necessary conversion.
Conversion: The battery inverter changes the DC energy from the battery into AC.
Usage: This AC power can then be used in the home or business or fed back into the electricity grid.
Stability: The inverter ensures the output voltage and frequency remain stable, preventing fluctuations that could damage electrical devices.
Grid Stability: With the increasing use of renewable energy, grid stability becomes more challenging due to decentralised power generation. SMA’s battery inverters help manage these challenges, making a vital contribution to the success of the energy transition.
Secure power supply function
SMA battery inverters with secure power supply or backup function supply a household, a business or certain loads with the stored energy even if the electricity grid fails. More information is available in the planning guidelines SMA Home Energy Solution with Battery-Backup Function.
Download pdfRetrofitting battery storage systems and battery inverters
In the early days of photovoltaics there were no suitable storage systems for self-generated electricity. The first battery storage systems were of no interest for most homeowners due to their high original costs and large size. This has changed thanks to modern lithium-ion technology: A lithium-ion battery for inverters offer a more favorable battery inverter price. Today, storage solutions for PV systems are comparatively compact and – like a lithium battery inverter – economical to purchase and use.
The following options are available to choose from if you would like to retrofit an existing PV system with a battery storage system:
You keep your previous PV inverter, which converts the direct current (DC) of the PV system into alternating current (AC) for the household and for grid feed-in, and retrofit the battery storage system and a battery inverter.
You expand or modify the PV system with a hybrid inverter. It combines the functions of a PV inverter and battery inverter in a single device.
Frequently asked questions about battery inverters
Battery inverter 1-phase or battery inverter 3-phase?
A single-phase battery inverter is only suitable for small PV systems in a single-family home. This battery inverter for home use is only permitted for PV systems with up to 4.6 kilovolt-ampere (kVA). A three-phase battery inverter is mandatory for larger systems over 4.6 kVA. If you would like to use an inverter with battery for grid feed-in (or a grid-tie battery inverter) or with a battery-backup function, a battery inverter (3-phase) from SMA is the ideal choice. This ensures that the energy is fed evenly into the grid and all loads can be reliably supplied with electricity when providing backup power to your own household or business.
What battery is suitable for a 1000/2000/3000 watt inverter?
There is no general answer to this question but the basic rule is: the larger the PV system is, the more powerful the inverters and the associated storage systems should be. The SMA Home Storage can be configured for capacities of 3.2 kWh to 16.4 kWh and offers the right solution for all three variants.
Why can a battery inverter not be used in a system without PV inverters?
Overall, PV inverters and battery inverters work in combination in a PV system. This ensures that solar energy is used efficiently, the batteries are charged and the building’s and electricity grid’s energy needs are met.
The PV inverter converts the direct current into alternating current, feeds the surplus energy into the grid and optimises the energy: this is also possible without a battery inverter.
A battery inverter by itself can only convert direct current from an electricity storage system into the required alternating current, meaning it can only function when combined with a PV inverter.
How do you select a suitable battery inverter?
Various factors influence which battery inverter or battery and inverter combo fits which PV system – these include the size and performance of the PV system and the capacity of the battery storage system. But it’s not just compatibility that plays a role – other features also affect the selection. Additional functions such as an integrated energy management must also be considered as well as an energy yield that is as high as possible. Our trained solar power professionals as well as the SMA Planning Tool Sunny Design will help you with planning.
How far away from the inverter can the battery be located?
Most manufacturers of battery storage systems allow cable lengths of a maximum of 5 to 10 metres between the storage unit and the battery inverter. Each battery manufacturer specifies the exact requirements in the product documentation. The cross-section must be taken into account in addition to the cable length. If the cable route includes outside areas, it is also important to ensure that there is UV-resistant insulation. In general, battery storage systems and PV and battery inverters generate heat during operation. Therefore, take note of the maximum ambient temperature specified in the product documentation. For this reason, the components should be as close to each other as possible, but the distance should be large enough to allow the heat to dissipate.