Clipping also has an advantage in allowing inverters to operate closer to maximum efficiency, because inverters tend to be most efficient when they are maxed out, which of course means while they are clipping or closer to their sustained peak. An inverter with sufficient capacity to avoid all clipping will be almost constantly operating less efficiently than an inverter of the same design with a smaller capacity. This means that a system that clips not only costs less, but can potentially produce more electricity overall, as well. A typical ratio of DC/AC power is 1.2, I believe, at least for microinverters. So for example a 360-watt panel would ideally be paired with a 300-watt microinverter in order to minimize cost while maximizing output. This is close to a happy medium or sweet spot between losses from clipping and losses from operating below peak efficiency. A smaller microinverter (higher ratio) would clip too much and/or too frequently, while a larger microinverter would operate less efficiently than it could. By the way, some might look at this as being wasteful of panel area/capacity, but that is not the case at all, as a panel with a higher-rated wattage will always generate more power, even with the same inverter (greater area under the graph). The point is to maximize overall power production from a particular panel, which actually requires some clipping (not the clipping itself--it's just a side-effect of a well-optimized system), and fortunately this means that less expensive (smaller-capacity) inverters can be used, which is a nice win-win. So yes, while clipping itself is theoretically a bad thing, in practice it is actually good when a system has a *certain amount* of it--not too little and not too much.
@dronequote
Жыл бұрын
I love that people more knowledgeable than me are willing to chime in and fill the gaps. Thank you, Sir or Madam.
@garyhiland6013
Жыл бұрын
The metric we are describing here is called "ILR" or Inverter Loading Ratio. More simply and descriptively it's also called DC to AC ratio. Between 2000 and 2020 the ratio for utility scale facilities has increased from just north of 1to 1 to about 1.33 to 1 where it has kind of stabilized. Much of the change has to do with the rapid decline in cost for modules from NASA-only to pretty much dirt cheap. Witness the example of the "400" watt panels that under real conditions produced only 300 watts. If you mated one of those to a 300 watt inverter, (1.33 to 1 DC to AC) you can see you'd not be clipping at all. One study was done that suggested 1.6 or 1.7ish was a sweet spot for the parameters someone defined. That sounds pretty good to me given the less-than-optimal orientation, soiling, and high rooftop temperatures that residential systems endure. An example of this would be the Eg4 3000 off grid inverter. It allows 5000w pv feeding into a 3000w inverter. 1.67 to 1. Now a system like that would be running at 100% inverter output a significant amount of the time and is obviously rated for that. You must check this specification for your intended inverter to see what the maximum pv input is. I've seen some rated for a maximum of 1.5 to one or 1.4 to one. Commenter @tsetem's question about an 11Kw array feeding a 7.6 Kw inverter. 1.45 to 1 ratio. I'd say absolutely cool -- unless the inverter spec sheet says something like "Maximum pv input 10.5 Kw.
@Roger-cp8ol
Ай бұрын
Thanks for the lucid explanation, R
@SpardaKnightz
Жыл бұрын
Great video about solar clipping, its also a great video of what a clipping mic sounds like.
@dronequote
Жыл бұрын
Damn, thanks for the feedback I’ll keep that in mind for future recordings.
@alisterg3582
5 ай бұрын
A DC coupled battery is also a great way to minimize clipping as it can dump the excess generation above the inverter nameplate value straight to the battery. I am over provisioned at 170% on my east / west array and have been surprised having started measuring just how much I am now recovering that was previously being clipped. I’m using Home Assistant to switch battery modes so as to keep the battery headspace and capture “previously clipped” solar which often equates to 10% of daily generation. That top of the graph looks small until you actually measure it.
@dronequote
5 ай бұрын
That's a great solution for people who oversized their system kw to inverter capacity and live in a state with rebates for batteries.
@Rambleon444
7 ай бұрын
Nice job with your explanation... I love KZitem!
@fuzailb7806
19 күн бұрын
I have a 5.4 kw system with 5kw inverter. My max output is clipped at 5.10 kw am I loosing the other 0.30 kw
@tsetem
Жыл бұрын
So is it alright to have an 7.6Kw inverter hooked up to 11Kw of south facing, unshaded panels such that it clips from 10am to 2pm during summer months? Asking for a friend....
@dronequote
Жыл бұрын
as with anything there's a limit. But you're referring to a 7.6kW inverter, which is typically a SE, so the next step up would be 10kW inverter. Should you want to avoid the clipping you'd have to go with a 5kW and a 3.8kW, but now you're buying two inverters to avoid that clipping.
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