What Is a String Inverter?
A string inverter is one central unit, usually mounted on a garage or exterior wall, that collects direct current from panels wired together in series and converts it to the alternating current a home uses. A single box serves the whole array, which keeps equipment simple but ties each panel to the others on its string.
Pay only for booked appointments. No retainer.
A string inverter is one central unit, usually mounted on a garage or exterior wall, that collects direct current from panels wired together in series and converts it to the alternating current a home uses. A single box serves the whole array, which keeps equipment simple but ties each panel to the others on its string.
String Inverter explained
Panels in a string are wired end to end, so the whole string can only push as much current as its weakest panel allows. Shade from a chimney, a vent pipe, or a tree limb on one panel pulls down every panel sharing that string. Designers manage this by grouping panels that face the same way, and by giving shaded sections their own input on the inverter.
On a proposal, the term shows up as one line in an equipment list that most homeowners cannot read. Paired with module-level shutdown devices, it describes a central box plus small devices at the panels. Someone who has seen a neighbor’s app with a reading for every panel may ask why theirs shows only the total. A setter does not choose the architecture, but should know the designer picks it after studying the roof, and that the choice affects shade tolerance and monitoring detail.
Reps err in both directions. Some call string systems the cheap option and microinverters the premium one, which ignores that a simple, unshaded roof facing a single direction can be served well by a string design. Others skip the single point of failure: if the one inverter faults, the whole system stops producing until someone services it, and inverters generally wear out sooner than panels do.
Why it matters when you're buying
Afternoon shade or a roof that faces two directions is the homeowner flagging a problem for string designs, usually without knowing it. Note it and pass it along. A closer who hears it before the visit can explain the trade-off up front, instead of defending the equipment list line by line once the proposal review turns tense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a string inverter and a microinverter?
Do string inverters work on a partly shaded roof?
What happens if a string inverter stops working?
Put the playbook to work
VA Horizon books qualified Solar appointments and builds the systems behind String Inverter and the rest of your pipeline.
Book a Solar CallPricing set on a 15-minute call · Pay per booked appointment · No-shows replaced free
Recommended next steps