Can Microinverters Improve Energy Harvest In Hilly Terrain?

Maximizing Energy Harvest with Microinverters in Hilly Terrain

In hilly terrain, shading from trees, buildings, or other obstacles can greatly impact energy production. Traditional string inverters can be affected by the performance of a single shaded panel, reducing overall energy output. Microinverters, on the other hand, enable each panel to operate independently, isolating the impact of shading on individual panels.

Benefits of Microinverters in Hilly Terrain

By using microinverters, solar panel owners can optimize energy harvest in hilly terrain. For example, if a string inverter system is 50% shaded, the entire array will produce 50% less energy. With microinverters, the shaded panels can continue to produce energy, albeit at a lower rate, while the unshaded panels continue to operate at full capacity. This allows for a more efficient energy harvest, even in areas with complex shading patterns.

Case Study: Improving Energy Harvest in a Hilly Terrain Solar Array

Consider a 10 kW solar array installed on a hilly terrain with 30% of the panels shaded. Using string inverters, the array would produce approximately 7 kW of energy. With microinverters, the array can produce up to 9 kW of energy, representing a 29% increase in energy production. This is achieved by isolating the impact of shading on individual panels, allowing the unshaded panels to continue operating at full capacity.