Reddit mentions: The best solar & wind power inverters
We found 26 Reddit comments discussing the best solar & wind power inverters. We ran sentiment analysis on each of these comments to determine how redditors feel about different products. We found 12 products and ranked them based on the amount of positive reactions they received. Here are the top 20.
1. SolarEpic 1000W Grid Tie Inverter MPPT Stackable Pure Sine Wave 10.8-30V Solar Input 90V-140V Output Fit for 12V Solar Panel
- MPPT Range 15.5-23V
- Vmp(of a solar panel) must be in the MPPT range to ensure the good output efficiency
- Doesn't work with 12V battery
- Island Protection
- Max Power Point Tracking and Stackable
Features:
Specs:
Size | Fit for 12V Solar Panel |
2. Samlex Solar PST-300-12 PST Series Pure Sine Wave Inverter
High efficiency, temperature controlled cooling fan – reduces energy consumption, and low idle power drawUPC – Universal Protection Circuit: low voltage, over voltage, over temperature, over load and short circuit, dual GFCI protected AC outlets, and LED indicators for power and protectionsDetac...
Specs:
Height | 2.6 Inches |
Length | 9.7 Inches |
Weight | 3.5 Pounds |
Width | 5.8 Inches |
Release date | March 2016 |
Size | 300 Watt |
Number of items | 1 |
3. Samlex Solar PST-600-12 PST Series Pure Sine Wave Inverter
- Industrial grade
- Silent Operation - temperature controlled cooling fan runs quietly and reduces energy consumption
- Low Interference - won't disrupt the reception of your TV, radio or audio equipment
- Two GFCI Protected Outlets
- Safety Certified - to UL standards, FCC Approved
Features:
Specs:
Height | 3.23 Inches |
Length | 10.87 Inches |
Weight | 7 Pounds |
Width | 9.47 Inches |
Release date | March 2016 |
Size | 600 Watt |
Number of items | 1 |
4. AIMS Power 2000 Watt Pure Sine Inverter Charger 120 Vac Single Phase, 6000W Surge for 20 Seconds -3X Surge Capability, Battery Priority Selector
- POWERFUL: 2000W continuous, 6000W surge for 20 seconds, 48VDC, 16 amps, 120VAC pure sine clean power, low frequency, auto transfer switch and 20A smart battery charger for 8 different battery technologies including Lead, Gel, AGM, LiFePO4 and more.
- PROTECTIONS: Overload, over temp, high voltage, low voltage, short circuit, internally fused, low and high voltage alarm, cooling fan, and isolated ground neutral.
- FEATURES: GFCI outlet, AC direct connect terminal block, charge current control dial, dip switches to set priorities, auto gen start, conformal coated, power save mode and battery temp sensor. Only one set of cables needed. Optional remote available.
- APPLICATIONS: Ideal for large applications going back and forth from shore/generator and inverter power automatically. Homes, boats, RVs, solar, mobile business & work trucks. 24 Volt more efficient and can use smaller cables. Offgrid & back-up power.
- TRUST AIMS: Buy with confidence. In business for over 20 year. All tech and warranty support in Nevada.
Features:
Specs:
Height | 7.05 Inches |
Length | 17.4 Inches |
Weight | 43 Pounds |
Width | 8.59 Inches |
Release date | September 2014 |
Size | 2000 Watt Single Phase |
5. AIMS Power PICOGLF20W24V120VR Pure Sine Inverter Charger, 2000 Watts Continuous Power Output, 6000 Watts Surge Rating, 24V, Battery Priority Selector, Auto Frequency, Four Stage Smart Charger
POWERFUL: 2000W continuous, 6000W surge for 20 seconds, 24VDC, 16 amps, 120VAC pure sine clean power, low frequency, auto transfer switch and 30A smart battery charger for 8 different battery technologies including lithium.PROTECTIONS: Overload, over temp, high voltage, low voltage, short circuit, i...
Specs:
Height | 7.05 Inches |
Length | 17.4 Inches |
Weight | 0.01 Pounds |
Width | 8.59 Inches |
Release date | September 2014 |
Size | 2000W |
6. 1.5KW PluggedSolar with 1500Watt Crystalline Solar Panels and Micro Grid Tie Inverter, Plug into Wall, 120V or 240V AC Outlet, Utility Approved Micro Grid Tie Inverter (UL-1741). Breakthough in Solar. 30 Percent Federal Tax Credit
- Get 30% Federal Solar Tax Credit. Additional Local Utility Rebate & State Tax Benefits may be available. UL & Utility Grid Tie Inverter.
- Includes 6 PCS Solar Panels (240 Watt)
- 1.5 KW Solar Power Generates average 2500 kWh of Electricity per year for life, saving up to 30% of bills removing the higher tiered rated electric usage.
- We provide Wireless Solar Power and Energy Generation (Watt & kWh) monitor. Contact PluggedSolar for buying Solar Panels and Solar Panel Mountings for Groud or Roof or Patio
- We are open for all the support you need. Please contact us at 1 (800) 823-9786 for any question
Features:
Specs:
Height | 50 Inches |
Length | 70 Inches |
Weight | 50 Pounds |
Width | 50 Inches |
Size | 120V AV Output AC Output |
7. CNFINEST 1000W Grid Tie Invertge with Internal Limiter clamp Sensor and WiFi Plug 22-65V DC to 110V /220V AC auto Sense
Both 1000G2-LCD and 1000GTIl2-LCD share the same program and there are ports for clamp sensor and wifi plug.With clamp sensor/wifi plug purchased,you could use the internal limiter function and wifi.Higher MPPT efficiency , Max 99%;Pure sine wave form output , THD < 5%22-65V ---inverter will start a...
8. SolarEpic Micro Grid Tie Inverter 600W Stackable w/MPPT 22-60V DC Input 110V Output
- DC input 22V-60V (Voc) .Compatible with 24V solar panel
- Small Size with high efficiency
- Easy installation
- Adopting high-frequency isolation transformer type, high efficiency, and high security.
- Unique circuit design, choice of import industrial electronic components
Features:
Specs:
Size | Fit for 24v solar panel |
9. Renogy 700W 12V Pure Sine Wave off GRID Solar Home Use Inverter 700 Watt 12 Volt Battery Power Inverter
- 【POWERFUL DC-AC】700W continuous, 1400W peak surge during load start-up, 12V to 120VAC pure sine wave with conversion efficiency >90%, reduces conversion loss.
- 【SAFE FOR USE】LED indicators for under-voltage and over-voltage protection, over-temperature protection, over-load protection, and short circuit indication. Cooling funs and ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) protection.
- 【PROTECT YOUR ELECTRONICS】Advanced pure sine wave technology provides quality AC equivalent to grid power which will protect and extend the life of your electronics and appliances. With its quiet and high inductive loads, there are no strange buzzing sounds when your electronics are turned on and allow them to run smoother, cooler, and quieter.
- 【EASY-TO-USE】 Offers a built-in 5V/2.1A USB port and 2 AC Outlets, along with a 3Ft 6AWG Cable and a 19.8ft Wired Remote Control.
- 【RELIABLE QUALITY】ETL certified product ensures safety and quality. Offers 1-Year material and workmanship warranty.
Features:
Specs:
Height | 3.3 Inches |
Length | 12.2 Inches |
Weight | 5.6 Pounds |
Width | 7.4 Inches |
Release date | October 2018 |
Size | 700W |
Number of items | 1 |
10. GOWE 3KW grid tie wind turbine generator
Grid tie 3KW wind power system. Including: 1pcs 3KW wind turbine; 1pcs 3KW grid tie controller; 1pcs 3KW grid tie inverter; After your order please tell us your voltage ,110V/220V ,50HZ/60HZ.
Specs:
Weight | 2.20462262 Pounds |
11. Samlex America PST-2000-12 PST Series Pure Sine Wave Inverter
- Industrial grade
- Silent Operation - temperature controlled cooling fan runs quietly and reduces energy consumption
- Low Interference - won't disrupt the reception of your TV, radio or audio equipment
- Two GFCI Protected Outlets
- Safety Certified - to UL standards, FCC Approved
Features:
Specs:
Height | 6.4 Inches |
Length | 20.7 Inches |
Weight | 17.2 Pounds |
Width | 12 Inches |
Release date | March 2016 |
Size | 2000 Watt |
Number of items | 1 |
12. MPP SOLAR 2400w Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter 80A MPPT Solar Charger DC 24V AC Output 110V 120V with 60A Utility Charger 50HZ or 60HZ
- ☑ High quality 2400W 24vdc battery-based pure sine wave solar inverter with 110V/120Vac output design for USA, Canada and Puerto Rico power standards. Both 50Hz and 60Hz load can be supported through LCD programming
- ☑ Built-in max 80A 3-stage MPPT solar charger with up to 2000W PV output. Max 145V Voc input and 30V-80V MPPT range
- ☑ Full feature LCD program allows users access to AC and DC output priority modes along with many other settings.
- ☑ Parallel operation support up to 6 units, in single phase or three phase operation (parallel kit required for each unit, sold separately)
- ☑ Other useful features include built-in genset starter dry contact (inverter-type generators required with remote start function) and bundled monitoring software in multi-platform OS (Windows, Mac, and Linux)
Features:
Specs:
Color | white |
Height | 8.267716527 Inches |
Length | 23.228346433 Inches |
Width | 15.354330693 Inches |
🎓 Reddit experts on solar & wind power inverters
The comments and opinions expressed on this page are written exclusively by redditors. To provide you with the most relevant data, we sourced opinions from the most knowledgeable Reddit users based the total number of upvotes and downvotes received across comments on subreddits where solar & wind power inverters are discussed. For your reference and for the sake of transparency, here are the specialists whose opinions mattered the most in our ranking.
>I want to start small with just enough to charge phones and laptops and eventually add enough to run a small AC unit and TV.
So, keep in mind that you will end up throwing away / getting rid of the equipment you start with in this case. Essentially all at once, too. :( Super small solar doesn't scale to medium-size at all really.
You definitely can't start with one panel and one battery and work your way up to levels to run air conditioning by adding onto the existing system. You'd have to replace it all, at once.
If you want 200 Watts of solar for your cabin, so you can charge your laptops and phones and have lights, it'll cost you ~$900 to do right.
If you want 1000 Watts of solar for the cabin and be able to keep the same equipment (some of it anyways) as you add to it, up to your end goal... it'll cost you ~$1800 and you won't have to throw away everything when you upgrade to your end goal, which will likely be around 5000 Watts of solar from what you're saying your goal is.
If you must start small, I recommend at least doing a 24 or 48 volt system starting out, so you can buy one inverter and keep it. Inverters are expensive, at least good ones. And it's not possible to parallel random little ones.
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You can do a 24 volt or 48 volt system starting out for just a little more than a 12 volt.
AIMS makes some nice 24 volt and 48 volt input models. There's a 2000 Watt one with a 6000 Watt 30 second surge, which is plenty for a small window unit Air Conditioner, as well as other auxiliary loads, all at the same time. :) It's also got a generator start relay built in. :)
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You could start with just ~500 Watts of solar, a good MPPT controller like the Midnite Classic 150, an AIMS 48 volt, 2000 Watt inverter, and four 100 Ah, 12-volt AGM batteries. It'd be around $1500 if you get some good deals on your batteries and such. And you could add on a substantial amount of panels without replacing anything.
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EDIT: Where are you geographically?
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EDIT 2:
Solar panels:
2 x 250 Watt, 72 cell panels OR 3 x 200 Watt, 60 cell panels.
Sometimes, deals pop up on ebay and/or craigslist for some big panels with shipping that won't kill the price, or close enough you can go pick them up.
Charge Controller:
Midnite Classic 150
https://www.altestore.com/store/charge-controllers/solar-charge-controllers/mppt-solar-charge-controllers/midnite-solar-charge-controllers/midnite-solar-classic-150-mppt-charge-controller-150v-96a-p8753/
Batteries:
4 x 100 Ah, 12-Volt AGM batteries
Check your local distributors, shipping on batteries can suck. You DO NOT WANT 'marine' batteries. They're not designed for what you are doing. Deep cycle batteries only. Not a starter battery or 'marine' type.
Inverter:
AIMS Power 2000 Watt 48 VDC Pure Sine Inverter Charger w/ 6000W Surge
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Inverter-Charger-6000W-Surge/dp/B00IRKZPE6/
Glad the info helped! Let's say you're using 100 watts (Xbox with TV). It sounds like you may be using only 90 watts, but we want to allow for electrical inefficiencies so we add 10% to your usage, so in this case that's 99 watts. Let's say 100 watts for simplicity and for a little extra margin.
The GoalZero website says their battery has 280.8 amp hours (Ah). You don't want to discharge a lithium battery more than 90%, so your real capacity is 252.7 Ah (280.8 * 0.9). Your system uses 8.34 amps (100 watts / 12 volts = 8.34 amps). To find out how many hours you can power your system on this, divide your Ah by amps, so 252.7Ah / 8.34A = 30.3 hours...which means your math is correct :) Keep in mind that it will take around 9 hours to recharge this battery.
A little more math: You can get a 100Ah lithium battery for $950, a 600 watt pure sine inverter for $220, and a lithium battery charger for $175. Throw in $20 for cabling and you're up to $1,365, so let's say $1,400 if there's any extra shipping. That's less than half the cost of the GoalZero and you'd get 10.8 hours of play from it, and recharge time would be 3.3 hours.
If you get two batteries, your numbers would be $2,315, 21.6 hours of use, with a recharge time of 6.6 hours.
I'm not saying you shouldn't get the GoalZero since it may be the perfect solution for your needs. Just trying to show you other possible choices.
Well there is no complete set on amazon.com, but you can assemble it yourself just like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Solar-Starter-Wanderer/dp/B00BCRG22A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468309528&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=solar+panel+200w
https://www.amazon.com/SolarEpic-Inverter-Stackable-10-8-30V-90V-140V/dp/B00XJCVC44/ref=sr_1_5?s=lawn-garden&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468310171&amp;sr=1-5&amp;keywords=solar+inverter
https://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Battery-Solar-Energy-Storage/dp/B018R8BRCG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1468309743&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;keywords=AGM+battery+100ah&amp;psc=1
You can scale with the numbers of solar panels, but then you probably have to consider a different controller. It depends on how much wattage your desired fridge has. You probably have to consider a powerful fridge with a good insulation, if it stays in the hot sun the whole day. You maybe have to scale the batteries, depends on how much "sun downtime" you have in your region.
You really need to research this a bit further, as I dont have any experience with your 115/120v grid/appliances and not much practical experience with solar panels and its combination with fridges.
And you need to consider if its worth the 600+ Dollar for a cold beer in the middle of nowhere. Those solar panels do have more uses, but I guess you know what I mean.
I'd just put the biggest marine deep cycle battery I can fit as my starting battery, (probably group 31) and get a $100 lithium jump pack in case I ran it down.
Or
You can build your own goal zero type portable battery setup for$200-400. The Yeti 400 is a 33ah 12v AGM deep cycle battery with 300w sine wave inverter and a 12v plug in. It also has features like low battery alarm, displays power usage, and comes with an AC charger. You won't save much $ making it smaller/less powerful, but it will weigh less if you'd like to use a smaller than 33ah battery.
$50-150 for an AGM deep cycle 12v battery, 33ah
$75-150 for a 300w pure sine wave inveter, you can save more money if you don't need pure sine wave or 300w, or don't mind an always on fan
$25-50 for a 12v trickle charger to charge the battery up at home, if you don't have a charger already
$15 for a male to male 12v adapter to charge it from your car, or use your jumper cables.
$10-20 for a 12v socket or two, or a USB charger socket
$10-50 for a battery case to hold the battery and mount the inverter and sockets on
$30 on misc parts like voltage display, wire, and fuses
Grid Ties, yes yes, sorry for not including that detail;
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077GFX63T/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1
There are rumours of Sunmax being discontinued. A 325 watt panel will cost $300 bucks so you aren't going to get much for $300. You want some type of microinverter system like Enphase.
Most utilities/townships will require permits to install the system even if it is only 1 panel so you will be going through a lot of trouble to install a very small system.
I installed a 4kw SolarEdge system on my house and the permitting fees were about $300 plus I had to pay $700 for an engineer to ok my roof. It would have been the same cost if I installed one panel.
You could get something like this and hook up a panel or 2:
https://www.amazon.com/SolarEpic-Inverter-Stackable-22-60V-Output/dp/B01A93QUH4/
However, it will not be a legal permanant install and it would only offset your usage because you wouldn't be able to get net metering with it.
a grid tie inverter like this?
Quick comment : I've also seen those listed, and yes they may be illegal. However, "suicide plug" is a misnomer. The ones I have seen use UL rated microinverters, which means they are rated to disconnect their output the moment they lose sync with the 60 hz AC sine wave from the power company. Hence, the plug would not be energized were you to pull it from the wall.
Also, the instructions state to use a dedicated circuit and plug, for the reasons you just outlined, where you could overload the wiring in theory by injecting, say, 15 amps and then withdrawing 30 amps from an appliance somewhere. The breaker would only see 15 amps and would not blow, while the wiring would see 30 amps.
Although you could easily fix this by installing a smaller breaker, where (solar + breaker rating) <= (wiring ampacity), that isn't allowed per the code.
I have been interested in one of these because it saves thousands of dollars in installation fees. I have not been able to find a definite source on how legal they are anywhere.
For example the linked article says Each inverter circuit must terminate to a dedicated circuit breaker or fusible disconnect [690.64].
So technically if you found a branch circuit in your house and removed all the plugs from it, except for one plug that you downgrade to a single receptacle, it would meet this particular code requirement. Or ran a new breaker and a new plug. There's also a formula given for the maximum ampacity allowed. To be on the safe side, it would just be (main breaker * 0.2). So if you have a 150 A main breaker, you are allowed 30 amps of solar. (which is 7.2 kW, big enough for almost anyone). There are plugs that can handle 30 amps if all the micro-inverters were on the same string, and you'd need to use #10 conductor solar wire.
Additional info : https://www.amazon.com/PluggedSolar-Inverter-Solar-Included-Breakthough/dp/B008AQS4AY
The FAQ says it's legal and you just send the UL listing datasheets for the inverters and the panels to the utility company with your application for interconnect. Technically if you just have the panels in your yard, plugged into the wall, the city can't demand a permit either because no new construction was done...
Also it occurs to me that you could probably pick up the microinverters and the other stuff cheaper buying it all yourself, for $1.50 a watt or less, and be in business.
Thank you for your input here. We've purchased 2gauge wire with tinned terminal connectors and will be making custom cables. Right now we have thinner cables all the same length. I'm not sure if we have a BMS or not. There is no device between the batteries and the inverter though. We are using this inverter
well they sell them...
http://www.amazon.com/PluggedSolar-Inverter-Solar-Included-Breakthough/dp/B008AQS4AY
http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/14/plug-solar-panel-kit-truly-diy/
So perhaps you should talk to them.
Мы выясняли, может ли децентрализованная возобновляемая энергетика заменить нынешнюю. Я не говорил, что именно ветряком можно за день теслу зарядить. Ветряки для дома тоже вариант в принципе, вот двухкилловатный, вот трех. Но солнечных мест больше чем ветренных. А про остальные проценты забыл написать, сейчас добавлю в предыдущий коммент.
Two Panels: https://www.amazon.com/ALLPOWERS-Bendable-SunPower-Resistant-Irregular/dp/B013E07FNM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1495643866&amp;sr=8-4&amp;keywords=solar+panel+flexible
Four Batteries: https://www.amazon.com/Vmaxtanks-Vmaxslr125-rechargeable-Solar-Inverters/dp/B00ACNO2AO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1495643913&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=battery+vmax
Charge Controller: https://www.amazon.com/CoZroom-Charge-Controller-Regulator-Intelligent/dp/B01ERF0LHA/ref=sr_1_6?s=lawn-garden&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1495643961&amp;sr=1-6&amp;keywords=charge+controller
Inverter: https://www.amazon.com/Samlex-Solar-PST-2000-12-Pure-Inverter/dp/B00AYH69UE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1495644314&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=samlex+solar+pst-2000