How Much Do Solar Inverters Cost

Before buying a solar inverter, we have to calculate the solar inverter cost first. Because an excellent solar inverter may be with us for 30 or even 40 years. To keep our subsequent expenses to a minimum requires us to calculate the cost carefully before buying the inverter.

So, in addition to the inverter’s electricity bill and maintenance, do you know what else may increase your prices? If you are still a beginner in solar inverters, please browse our guide on the cost of a solar inverter. Most solar installers provide a shortlist of inverters if you already deal with them. However, it may limit your choice of an inverter.

This is because factors such as availability, size, and the solar installation location are important. They determine which solar inverter to install in your home. There are many inverters on the market. Each solar inverter has its own price, efficiency, and warranty. Knowing some background information will go a long way in helping you make an informed financial choice. You will receive a quote from a solar installer when you are ready to buy. This quote should include the panels included in the installation, the inverter, additional hardware and labor, and the cost of each item.

The good news is that, while a solar inverter system isn’t cheap, it’s an excellent investment. As a result, solar installers can place huge orders for inverters, solar panels, and other relevant equipment. This enables them to obtain the best available pricing, which are frequently lower than what you or I can discover on the Internet or in stores.

What does a solar inverter cost?

1. Inverters with strings: The solar inverter cost of an inverter is determined by its size and brand. A string inverter can cost anywhere from $1,000 to over $2,000.
2. Micro-inverter: The solar inverter cost of a micro-inverter is mostly determined by the number of panels in the system and their rated output. A microinverter will set you back around $300. A system with a microinverter is expected to cost roughly 20% more than a system with a string inverter, according to popular estimates.
3. Optimizers: Optimizers are similar to microinverters but are less expensive. Adding an optimizer to a few panels that really require one, on the other hand, may only cost a few hundred dollars.
4. Hybrid inverter: Hybrid inverters are priced between $1,000 and $2,000, with many variants costing $3,000 or more.
5. Battery inverters: If the battery requires a separate battery inverter, the overall cost of the installation will normally increase by $2,000 to $3,000.

Solar Inverters cost between $1000 and $1500 for a medium – sized installation. However, as the size of the installation grows, the cost might drastically escalate. Professionals consider average installation prices, inverter and panel costs, and a variety of other issues.

They discovered that solar inverters cost roughly $0.28 per watt on average in early 2022, with prices ranging from $0.50 to $0.10. Inverters typically contribute for around 6% of the overall installed cost, with an average cost of $0.28 per watt and an average installation cost of $3.63 per watt.

This suggests that the inverter should account for around $1,100 of a total cost of $18,308 for a 6 kW installation. If your inverter is on the higher end of the spectrum, say $0.50 per watt (about 9% of the overall cost), it will set you back $1,650.

Larger solar systems necessitate larger, more costly solar inverters (and vice versa). However, multiplying the installation size (in watts, i.e. 5600 watts) by the typical solar inverter cost ($0.28/watt) can instantly tell you if your installer is seriously overcharging (or undercharging). This will serve as a standard against which you may compare your own inverter prices.

As an example, a 10 kW inverter installation should cost around $2,800. The inverter would cost around $4,760 for a 17 kW installation. Remember that this is the average price. Solar Inverters, microinverters, and high-efficiency inverters built in the United States are costly.

If your inverter accounts for more over 8% to 11% of the total installed cost, speak with your installer to figure out what’s going on. They could have made the sales or installation procedure easier. Inverters are therefore less expensive than others for other installations, rather than being overly expensive (labor, panels, etc.). In this scenario, the higher percentage of the total inverter cost is really beneficial to you (if they are still installing quality equipment).

Of course, you are free to purchase your own solar inverter. However, keep in mind that you will only be purchasing individual solar inverters, not in bulk like solar firms do. Then you’ll almost certainly have to pay a greater amount.

Of course, the amount you spend is determined by the manufacturer and model, as well as efficiency, warranty, and brand awareness. You will save on labor, sales and marketing, operating expenses, real estate rent, and other “soft costs” if you do your installation. These are all added to the overall installation cost by the installer. If you can avoid these costs, you will save a lot of money.

Because solar inverters are the most vulnerable component of a solar PV system, this is a critical consideration. Protecting the solar inverter might also help us save money.

There are two basic ways in which your solar inverter might be damaged.

• Installed incorrectly – If the solar inverter was not installed by an MCS-approved installation, it may have further issues. If you undertake a DIY installation, you may end up with unreliable fuses and poor wire connections since your inverter is not sized to accommodate your solar panels.
• Environmental deterioration – It is vital that you locate your string inverter in a safe environment. If you store your inverter too close to the ground, it will suffer from dust and high humidity in the summer. The best habitat is a well-ventilated garage or attic space.

Disadvantages

Solar panels have the ability to provide insufficient amounts of electricity. Because the panels in a string are connected in series. If one panel becomes shaded, badly contaminated, or fails entirely, the output of the entire string is decreased, usually to the level of the shaded panel.

In other words, if one panel’s output drops to 50% for any reason, the output of the complete string of panels also decreases to 50%. By doing so, you can basically lose the majority of the string’s output.

However, without shading concerns, this is unlikely to happen. You also keep your system in good working order and monitor its performance to spot any problems early.

Tips

• Microinverters are slightly less efficient than a decent string inverter on their own. However, because of the reduced impacts of shadows, broken panels, and other factors, the overall efficiency of installing a microinverter can be boosted by roughly 12%.
• You will only lose the output of a panel if it fails or goes dark.
• There is no risk of arcing or fire with microinverters because they use AC power.

For a couple of years, everything can function nicely. What about in five years? What about ten years? Let’s say 15 years. We have piece of mind knowing that we have an extended warranty. In general, the longer the manufacturer’s free warranty, the higher the product’s quality.

As a result, while choosing an solar inverter, we always prioritize affordability. However, make careful to consider its effectiveness, warranty, and reviews. Inverters are expensive, accounting for around 8% of the entire solar inverter cost of an installation. As a result, you must first ensure that you are purchasing a high-quality product before proceeding.