The solar inverter is the heart of any solar panel system, converting the power produced by solar panels from DC to AC that is usable in the home.

There are multiple types of solar inverters available today, with qualities and specifications which are suited to different buildings and scenarios.

In this guide, we take a look at two of the newer types of solar inverters you can find taking over the market: Hybrid Inverters and Microinverters.

The solar inverter takes the Direct Current electricity generated by solar panels and ‘inverts’ it into Alternating Current so that it is usable in your home.

It then distributes that power to your home whenever there is demand, or sends it back to the grid when there is not.

Outside of this core function, the inverter also acts as a central hub for controlling other peripherals such as a battery or EV charger, monitoring the health and output of your solar panels, and providing a safety buffer between the panels and your home.

The basic form of the solar inverter is called a String Inverter. This name refers to the fact that it is a single box connected to an entire ‘string’ of solar panels connected in a circuit.

Microinverters and Hybrid Inverters take that basic functionality and expand on it in different ways.

A Hybrid Inverter acts in much the same way as a string inverter. It is a single unit connected to multiple solar panels and has all the same functionality.

A key difference in hybrid inverters is their ability to manage battery storage alongside the regular function of a string inverter.

A hybrid inverter can send power from solar panels directly to a battery, where it is also stored as Direct Current (DC). It can then later discharge that battery, converting its DC power into AC for use in the home.

A Microinverter is a much smaller inverter which is connected to an individual solar panel rather than handling a string of panels.

Rather than having power sent from all of the solar panels to a single unit for conversion, each panel is fitted with a microinverter, and the electricity is converted to AC right at the source.

Each panel then sends its power directly to the home rather than through a central unit.

Right off the bat, we’ll say that there is no absolute answer for whether microinverters or hybrid inverters are outright better.

Each of them will have areas where they perform better or worse, and choosing the right inverter will depend on your circumstances and needs.

Microinverters can potentially deliver a higher level of power output from your solar panels than having a single hybrid inverter.

For a hybrid inverter connected to a string of solar panels on one circuit, having one solar panel which is damaged or placed in shade can reduce the performance of all of them.

Whereas with microinverters, each panel essentially operates independently. This means that if one panel has a reduced output, the others can still work at peak performance.

However, this disadvantage for a hybrid inverter can be negated by installing power optimisers on individual panels.

The more work any electrical component has to do, the more stress it is under and the faster it will burn out.

Most modern hybrid inverters have an expected lifespan of 10 – 15 years before they need to be replaced. This is due to handling the load of all the solar panels and any peripherals, such as a battery.

Microinverters, which only have to handle the power of a single solar panel, can have a lifespan of 25 years, with a warranty to match.

This means they can potentially last the entire lifespan of your solar panels without needing to be replaced.

Having easy access to your solar inverter will make any necessary maintenance or repairs much easier.

A microinverter is much less accessible than a hybrid inverter since it is attached to the solar panel on your roof.

This makes it a more complicated and expensive task to replace or repair it since you need roof access and to remove a solar panel to get to it.

A hybrid inverter will likely be in a more accessible location, such as a garage, attic, utility room, or outdoors, which makes maintenance easier to carry out.

A hybrid inverter will have a much higher price tag per unit than microinverters, but typically works out much less expensive per kW.

A hybrid inverter will cost in the region of €750 – €1,500 in most instances. A microinverter, on the other hand, might cost €150 – €250 per unit.

A single hybrid inverter would be able to handle a domestic solar PV system, whereas you might need 12 – 16 microinverters for the same system.

If you are getting power optimisers along with a hybrid inverter, costing roughly €60 – €80 per unit, this will narrow the price gap.

A direct price comparison will need to take into account how many solar panels you have, and if the inverter will need to be replaced during the panels’ lifetime.

All inverters can be used to monitor solar panels, informing you of their performance and any breakdowns, in conjunction with an app designed for that purpose.

A hybrid inverter can only tell you what is happening with the system as a whole, whereas microinverters can monitor each individual panel.

This level of monitoring can make repairs much easier and cheaper by letting you know exactly where the problem lies.

On the other hand, a hybrid inverter makes it easier to monitor the status and health of any solar battery alongside the solar panels.

A hybrid inverter is designed to provide solar power both directly to your home and to a battery simultaneously.

Since microinverters convert electricity to AC at the solar panel, a separate inverter will be needed at the solar battery. This is to convert the power back to DC for storage, and then to AC again for use.

Having the electricity inverted three times in this case (DC → AC → DC → AC) will result in power being lost along the way since inverters are not 100% efficient.

Overall, while microinverters may offer an improved performance in some circumstances, in our opinion, the lower cost, ease of access, and battery storage capabilities make hybrid inverters a better option for most homeowners in Ireland.