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You are here: Solar Panel Home > SOLAR INFO CENTER > Why You Need A Solar Inverter

Why You Need A Solar Inverter Solar photovoltaic modules generate direct current (DC) electricity (they take the sun’s energy and convert it into DC electricity). However, the vast majority of electric current used in US households is alternating current (AC). This is why an inverter is necessary: it inverts DC into AC. Direct current is an electric current that has a constant direction and a constant magnitude. An example of a source of direct current is batteries. With direct current, it is difficult to raise the voltage high enough for energy transfer and then lower it so that it is once again safe for domestic use. This makes it difficult to use for long-distance power transmission. Alternating current, on the other hand, reverses direction and has a varying magnitude. By using transformers, it is easy to raise and also lower the voltage of alternating current. This means it can be kept at lower levels for both industrial and domestic use, but raised to high levels for transmission.