How does the inverter sizing tool work?
The inverter sizing tool can used to size the inverter required to provide back-up power to your home or office. Below is a brief description of how to use the tool and understand the recommendations it provides:
Selection of Appliances:
The tool requires you to select the type of appliance and the quantity of appliances that will be running concurrently, that is, at the same time during a power outage. To enable meaningful selection, appliances are classified into two primary categories: Essential Loads(those appliances that are essential and that you would like to keep running during a power outage), and, Non-Essential Loads (high-power consuming appliances that are optional and you might choose to run during a power outage for extra comfort). This distinction is important for you to consider as running non-essential loads with the inverter might significantly increase the rating of the inverter required due to the extra surge power consumed by these appliances during start-up.
Calculation of Inverter capacity & type of Inverter:
The inverter capacity is calculated taking into account the power consumption of each appliance, the surge power required to be provided for high-power consuming appliances during start-up and a diversity factor applied to arrive at a more realistic capacity for your inverter.
Based on the selected appliances, the tool also recommends the appropriate technology of inverter or UPS that will be suitable to your requirement. As an example, if you need back-up power for only lights & fans then a modified sinewave inverter would be a cheaper alternative and would be one of the recommended options whereas if you plan to provide back-up power to a pump then only sinewave inverters would be recommended.
Output or Recommendation:
Based on the inverter capacity and inverter technology selected above, the sizing tool makes the following recommendations:
Solar Options:
Non-Solar Options:
To learn more about how to make a purchase, click here
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