Solar Battery System Types - AC Vs DC Coupled
December 20, 2019 Jason Svarc What is AC or DC coupling? AC or DC coupling refers to the way solar panels are coupled or linked to an energy storage or battery system. The type of electrical connection between a solar array and a battery can be either Alternating Current (AC) or Direct Current (DC). AC is when the current flows rapidly forward and backwards (this is what the electricity grid uses to operate) and DC is where the current flows in one direction. Most electronic circuits use DC, while solar panels produce DC, and batteries store DC energy. However, most electrical appliances operate on AC. This is why all homes and businesses have AC circuits. DC can be converted to AC using an inverter but, as explained below some energy is always lost in the conversion. The Solar battery evolution Simple DC coupled solar battery systems were once used only for remote power systems and off-grid homes, but over the last decade inverter technology advanced rapidly and led to the devel...