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Three Architectures, Three Trade-Offs
The choice of power electronics architecture profoundly affects system cost, performance under shading, monitoring granularity, and maintenance complexity. Each architecture has a different place in the market.
Feature | String Inverter | Microinverter | Power Optimiser + String Inverter |
|---|---|---|---|
MPPT level | String-level (one MPPT per string) | Panel-level | Panel-level DC optimisation; string-level AC conversion |
Shading performance | Worst — one shaded panel reduces entire string | Best — shaded panels don't affect others | Very good — each panel optimised independently |
System voltage (DC) | High (300–1000 V) — requires compliant DC isolation | Low (single-panel voltage 30–60 V) — much safer | Panel voltage + safety shutdown on signal |
Monitoring | String-level — can only detect whole-string faults | Panel-level — exact panel performance visible | Panel-level optimiser data + string-level inverter data |
Upfront cost | Lowest | Highest (25–40% premium) | Moderate (15–25% premium over string) |
Warranty | 10–12 years (inverter), 25 years (panels) | 25 years (microinverter) | 25 years (optimiser), 10–12 years (inverter) |
Best application | Unshaded, simple roofs with single orientation | Complex roofs, significant shading, safety-critical applications | Moderate shading, monitoring required, cost-sensitive |
Australian Standard Implications
Microinverters change the AS/NZS 5033 compliance picture significantly:
System voltage is the panel operating voltage (~50V) — far below the 600V residential limit, making the DC side inherently safer
Rapid shutdown is built-in — microinverters cease output on grid loss (anti-islanding) and bring the roof-level voltage to near-zero
DC string sizing, fusing calculations, and DC isolator requirements of AS 5033 are largely not applicable — replaced by AC wiring rules on the branch circuits
Engr. Jason Morales — Founder, SolarEnergyPH
