Photovoltaic inverters for commercial systems

The difference between residential and commercial inverters is the size, which defines the range of use of the inverter itself. Commercial inverters are usually defined as inverters with a power greater than 10kW.

Commercial inverters are commonly certified both CEI 0-21 and CEI 0-16, standards that regulate connection to low and medium/high voltage grids respectively.

These products are not limited only to energy conversion, but use technologies to make the system more efficient and long-lasting, some of the technologies used are the following.

MPPT

Through the use of MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracker) the inverter is able to maximize the energy produced by the photovoltaic modules, this happens because this technology allows each photovoltaic string to work at the maximum power point.

Anti-PID technology

The phenomenon that most influences the performance of photovoltaic modules over time is the PID (Potential Induced Degradation) which is due to the voltage difference that is established between the cells and the frame of the modules.

By now all commercial inverters are equipped with a technology capable of reducing the performance decay of photovoltaic modules, this technology is called Anti-PID.

Arc Fault Circuit Interruption

In commercial inverters the presence of AFCI (arc-fault circuit interrupter) is common, this device is a switch whose role is to interrupt the circuit when it detects the presence of electric arcs, the latter must always be avoided since their presence is a signal of the presence of loose connections in the wiring.

This is one of the most common causes of fires on roofs where there is a photovoltaic system.

Multi-string

Recent inverters have the ability to connect multiple strings of modules to the same MPPT, this allows you to simplify the installation of the system, avoiding the use of junction boxes.

Technical features

Commercial inverters have a power starting from 10/20 kW and generally accept DC input up to 1000V / 1100V, while the number of MPPTs varies from 2 to 10, depending on the inverter power, as regards the output is three-phase at 400V.

These devices are usually also equipped with safety systems such as:

• Reverse polarity protection
• Type I or Type II over-voltage protection
• AFCI

Electrical workshop

Commercial inverters are often used in electrical workshops, also known as power generation workshops.

These are a complex of energy production plants from renewable sources, operated by the same company, with a peak power of more than 20 kW and an energy generation aimed at self-consumption.

This means that any system that draws energy from renewable sources that exceed 20 kW installed for the production of electricity from self-consumption, must report to the Electric Workshop at the Customs Agency office of the competent territory.

Monitoring

In this type of inverter, monitoring plays an important role, as this allows you to detect any anomalies in the system and to intervene promptly to repair the fault.

In large systems, being able to locate the problem allows the installer to save time and consequently make the operation more economical for the end customer.

In large systems often also data loggers are combined with commercial inverters, which allow to verify the production of the inverters connected to them, sometimes with the possibility of adding sensors that allow you to record additional measurement values, for example irradiation and the ambient temperature.