How to Wire Inverters

Inverters change DC electricity to AC electricity and are necessary for any home using an alternative energy source like solar panels or wind turbines. Clean technologies cut carbon dioxide emissions to alleviate global warming, but require specialized electrical expertise in order for them to operate smoothly.

To wire an inverter, it is necessary to use the same wire size for the entire solar panel system, panel array, controller, battery bank, inverter and AC breaker panel. Does this Spark an idea?

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Wires
Power Inverter

Instructions

- 1
  
  Choose the right type of power inverter for your solar panel array. The best inverter is the true sine wave power inverter. It converts DC to AC electricity that is identical or better than your public utility provider, meaning it will smoothly power your home appliances and electronics just like electricity from the national grid.
- 2
  
  Choose the right wire size. The wire size has to be big enough to carry the maximum current (amps) without unnecessary voltage loss. All wire sizes present some resistance to the current causing decreases from the source to the load. Wire size must be selected accurately to insure sufficient current reaches the load for start up considering that the AC produced by inverters draws the most amps.
  
  Choose the maximum wire size that will limit voltage decreases to 5% at six feet distance from a 12 volt or 24 volt battery bank. The distance the current has to travel along the wire affects the voltage, a longer distance requires different wire sizes. To identify the right wire size, you need to have information on the the amps produced by your solar panel system, the correct voltage of your battery bank and the projected wire distance between the battery bank and inverter. Power inverter suppliers generally supply wire size calculators on their websites for you to enter this information and get the right wire size required for your system.
- 3
  
  Wire your inverter to the rest of your solar panel generating system. The solar panel array will be wired to a charge controller and then to a 12 volt or 24 volt battery bank. The battery bank will be wired to a circuit breaker for safety and then into the power inverter. It is customary to wire an AC generator into the inverter to transfer the AC power to convert the DC electricity via relay. The inverter is then wired to your home's AC breaker panel and usually to a "smart" meter for your utility company to calculate how much electricity you generate and sell back to the grid.

Tips & Warnings

Calculate your home's electricity requirements and relevant solar panel requirements to meet demand.
All wiring should be done by a licensed electrical contractor.