The Evolution of Solar Inverter Technology
In 1993, SMA of Germany developed the first high-efficiency photovoltaic inverter, and in 1999, Kaco launched the world''s first
Traditional “grid-following” inverters require an outside signal from the electrical grid to determine when the switching will occur in order to produce a sine wave that can be injected into the power grid. In these systems, the power from the grid provides a signal that the inverter tries to match.
China, the United States, India, Brazil, and Spain were the top five countries by capacity added, making up around 66 % of all newly installed capacity, up from 61 % in 2021 . Grid-connected PV inverters have traditionally been thought as active power sources with an emphasis on maximizing power extraction from the PV modules.
Grid-tied inverters allowed solar systems to connect directly to the electricity grid, enabling homeowners to sell excess energy back to their utility provider through net metering. This innovation helped popularize solar power on a larger scale, as it made it easier to integrate solar systems into existing infrastructure.
In order to provide grid services, inverters need to have sources of power that they can control. This could be either generation, such as a solar panel that is currently producing electricity, or storage, like a battery system that can be used to provide power that was previously stored.
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