Hybrid inverters are available as integrated units or as separate units. These hybrid inverters can power your home, charge batteries and provide excess energy to the grid. If the network fails, the unit will be powered by a battery and will operate independently of the network. A hybrid inverter can operate without batteries.
Instead of a battery, it connects to the power grid. In this case, the inverter supplies energy from both the solar grid and the power grid. However, a backup battery allows you to use battery energy to back up any essential household circuits during a power outage. A hybrid inverter without a battery cannot provide power in the case of a black hole.
If grid stability isn't an issue, then a battery-free hybrid inverter would be a perfect economic option. Plus, it's easy to maintain because there are fewer components to take care of. Hybrid systems can export excess electricity and store excess energy in a battery. Some hybrid inverters can also be connected to a dedicated backup unit that can power some “essential circuits” or critical loads during a network interruption or blackout.
Grid-connected hybrid systems use lower-cost hybrid (battery) inverters and only require a battery large enough to supply power for 5 to 10 hours (overnight), depending on the application. In a “chain” inverter system, the solar panels are connected to each other in series and direct current electricity is brought to the inverter, which converts direct current energy into alternating current. A hybrid inverter is designed to integrate storage at any time, allowing you to dispense with the installation costs of battery storage from the start. Better yet, a hybrid inverter helps you store energy for future consumption more efficiently, including backup power for use during power outages or peak hours.
While a hybrid solar inverter requires a larger initial investment, it may be worth the extra cost if you plan to include solar battery storage in your initial solar installation or soon after. The grid-connected hybrid inverter can convert DC electricity into AC electricity to power your home, but it can also take AC electricity from the grid and convert it into DC electricity that can be stored in batteries for later use. A hybrid inverter regulates this power to ensure that the entire system works within the required parameters. A grid-connected hybrid inverter allows for a seamless fusion between your home's solar energy system and the electricity grid.
The hybrid inverter does all of this, and it can also use alternating current energy from the grid to charge the solar battery storage if the energy from the solar panels is inadequate or is used to power your home. However, if your power grid is reliable and you have access to a net metering, a normal grid-connected system could be sufficient and is likely to be less expensive than a hybrid inverter with battery storage. Since you already have a solar inverter connected to the grid, opting to install a hybrid inverter requires a complete and costly overhaul of your entire solar panel system. The main advantage of a hybrid inverter is that excess energy can be extracted from the grid when the solar energy produced is not enough to run the load.
The configurable mode of many hybrid inverters allows you to put your system on vacation or in standby mode. Therefore, hybrid inverters provide a constant power supply and you don't need to worry about power outages.
