Are string inverters good for energy storage?

Typically, central inverters have been the standard for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications. But that is shifting as costs drop and developers, EPCs, owners and operators discover more about the performance benefits of string inverters. The solar PV market embraced string inverters first, but energy storage is gaining momentum.

Are string inverters a good choice for utility PV projects?

ransition towards string inverters in the utility segment. As string inverters with higher power ratings were introduced to the market over the course of the last decade, large-scale utility PV projects which were built with string inverters were done so because of their superior performance and ease of

What is a string inverter?

As their name implies, central inverters centralize the project’s energy through one conduit. String inverters use a distributed architecture, breaking the system down into smaller, multiple inverters and usually more than one DC bus. The concept behind string inverters should be familiar.

Can a solar inverter create a microgrid?

Grid-forming capability. Inverters for solar PV are unidirectional, but string inverters designed for energy storage are bi-directional and some (such as those from LS Energy Solutions) have grid forming ability. This opens up the opportunity to create a microgrid.

Why are inverters important for energy storage projects?

Inverters also serve as the brains of an energy storage project, managing, optimizing and driving project performance and financial returns. The difference between central and string inverters, while simple, has profound implications for long-term project design, performance and safety.

Why should you add a string inverter?

Customers benefit because they don’t have to pay for excess inverter capacity. This modularity also allows for future string inverter additions as part of a battery augmentation strategy. That makes scaling a project a simple matter of adding modules. Energy and power augmentation.