Solar inverter comparison
The inverter converts panel DC to household AC. There are four architectures — the choice affects monitoring, shade tolerance, battery options and price.
Microinverters
One small inverter per panel. Per-panel monitoring and redundancy; costs more; great for shade and expansions. (Enphase IQ8, APSystems)
String inverter
One inverter for the whole array. Cheapest per watt; whole-string output limited by the worst panel; monitoring at array level. (Fronius, SMA, Growatt, Tesla)
String + power optimizers
Optimizers per panel + one string inverter. Per-panel monitoring without full microinverter cost; a single point of failure at the inverter. (SolarEdge)
Hybrid (battery-ready)
String inverter with a DC battery port — add storage later without a second inverter. (Fronius GEN24, Tesla inverter + Powerwall)
| Model | Type | AC output | Efficiency | Monitoring | Battery | Warranty | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EnphaseIQ8M / IQ8H | microinverter | 325 W | 97% | Per-module | IQ Battery (AC-coupled) | 25 yr | Current |
| SolarEdgeSE7600H + P505 optimizers | string optimizer | 7600 W | 99% | Per-module (optimizers) | SolarEdge Home Battery (DC-coupled) | 12 yr | Current |
| TeslaTesla Solar Inverter | string | 7600 W | 98% | Tesla app | Powerwall (DC-coupled) | 12.5 yr | Current |
| FroniusPrimo GEN24 | hybrid | 7600 W | 97.8% | Fronius Solar.web | Multiple (via hybrid port) | 5 yr | Current |
| SMASunny Boy | string | 7700 W | 97% | Sunny Portal | SMA Sunny Boy Storage | 5 yr | Current |
| GrowattMIN 7600 | string | 7600 W | 98.2% | ShinePhone | Growatt batteries | 5 yr | Current |
| APSystemsDS3-L | microinverter | 300 W | 96.5% | Per-module | Limited | 25 yr | Current |
Data class: market estimate — verify specs at the manufacturer. Last checked 2026-08-21.