Solar inverters fall into three types: on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid inverters. These inverters are available in different input capacity ranges, such as 12 volt DC, 48 volt DC, or even 96 volt DC. But without getting into the technicalities, let us take a closer look at the three main types of solar inverters. • – On-Grid Solar Inverter: Compatible with an on-grid solar system, i.e., the ones connected to the grid. It plays a major role in converting DC power into AC power. • – Off-Grid Solar Inverter: An essential component of the off-grid solar power system for converting DC power to AC power. • – Hybrid Solar Inverter: It works with both on-grid and off-grid solar power systems. What is the Difference Between On-grid, Off-grid, and Hybrid Solar Inverters? Now, we know that every pre-installed solar power system seeks a particular type of solar inverter. Let us understand the key differences between the three types of solar inverters. 1. On-grid inverter An on-grid solar inverter has an additional safety feature — Anti Islanding Protection. This feature allows it to shut down the power supply from the solar panel system for home when there is an electrical arc. Anti-islanding is compulsory because if electricity flow continues from the solar panels while a lineman works at the site of the fault, there are possibilities of an electrical hazard. This inverter also sends the excess electricity into the utility grid via a bi-directional meter. 2. Off-grid inverter This inverter is a two-way device. It is also known as a solar battery inverter or stand-alone inverter. It stays connected to a battery bank wherein the extra solar power produced by solar panels gets stored. The off-grid solar inverter draws stored energy from the battery bank whenever there is a power cut (when sunlight is unavailable or at nighttime). It then converts DC current from the battery to usable AC current and supplies it to the house for running electrical appliances. 3. Hybrid inverter A combination of on-grid and off-grid solar features is called a hybrid solar inverter. This inverter will serve all your purposes. It will: • – Supply power to your house by converting DC power from solar panels to AC power • – Charge your solar batteries • – Feed excess power to the grid. So, this inverter serves as a complete package by intelligently managing power from your solar panels, utility grid, and solar batteries. Moreover, you can use them without batteries in on-grid solar power systems. But in that case, they will be an expensive option. The following table compares the three types of solar inverters: