Featured in Distributed bliss – 06-2022

A word about inverter efficiency

Following an earlier investigation into how module PAN files can distort a project’s performance expectations (pv magazine 04/2022), Andreas Hensel, Franziska Hans and Steffen Eyhorn of Fraunhofer ISE looked at how the OND files that model inverter performance fit into such calculations. They included measurements that show how efficiency values on manufacturer datasheets can be overly optimistic by as much as 0.4%. This could affect the way PV systems are planned and designed, with potential impacts on performance.

By

pv magazine

24 Jun 2022

Fraunhofer ISE advises buyers to be wary when specification sheets only list the weighted or even maximum efficiency, without allowances for power and input voltage value, as this can lead to inaccurate yield calculations. | Image: Fraunhofer ISE

Inverters are a core component of any PV system. Their task is essentially to convert the direct current generated by a PV device into grid-compliant alternating current. The efficiency of this conversion process has a major influence on energy yield over the lifetime of a system. Along with cost, reliability, and service life, efficiency is …

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