I'm setting up a ground mount solar array with three rows of panels, each around 5kW, and I intend to run about 200 feet of wire to connect to my house for a grid-tied system without any batteries. I'm wondering if it makes sense to go with three 5kW inverters instead of one larger 15kW inverter. My thought is that if one inverter fails, I could still generate power from the other two, rather than losing everything until I can get it repaired. What do you think?
1 Answer
From a cost and complexity perspective, a single inverter might be cheaper and simpler. However, it comes with a single point of failure. If you ever need three-phase power, then using three inverters would be more suitable. If you don’t have heavy power needs, a quality single inverter should work fine, especially if comfort with a little risk is acceptable for you.
That's true, but for three-phase, it's generally better to get a single three-phase inverter since they can better balance loads across the phases. Also, if you ever do install batteries, that setup will work nicely!