Energy storage explained: the difference between hybrid inverters and battery inverters

What is a hybrid inverter?

A hybrid solar inverter is similar to a standard inverter, but with an added benefit: it can also work with an AC source.

This differs from a PV inverter as the hybrid inverter has a battery port to enable two-way power conversion.

But that’s not to say that you need a battery – it’s possible to use hybrid inverters with or without one.

If you don’t connect a battery to the port, your hybrid inverter will work just like any regular solar inverter. In fact, some hybrid inverters even support generators to ensure you still have power supply even when you’re off-grid – whether that’s due to extreme weather conditions or a random power outage.

As it’s a DC-coupled solution, you only require one inverter. This is because DC power from the solar panels is directed straight to the batteries, meaning it will only be converted once, to AC, to power appliances and feed the grid.

However, it does mean that you will need a charge controller to limit the amount of electricity entering the batteries, preventing overcharging and damage over time.

Hybrid inverters are unique in that they offer a higher DC-to-AC ratio , but with no energy loss , as excess power produced by your solar system will be stored in the battery.

But what does a DC-to-AC ratio mean? In short, it’s the ratio of the installed capacity of your PV modules to the rated output power of your PV inverter.

A higher DC-to-AC ratio can in some situations cause energy loss at midday when the sunshine is at its strongest. That’s because the DC power produced by the solar panels can be higher than the rated output power of the inverter, leading to energy loss (known as “clipping”).

But with hybrid inverters, the battery can store excess energy, so a higher DC-to-AC ratio will not result in energy loss.