An inverter converts the direct current (DC) from your solar panels into alternating current (AC) for use in the home or to feed back into the grid.
During this process, the inverter itself uses a small amount of electricity to function internally: think of the electronic controls, cooling, and monitoring.
In practice, an inverter consumes:
Between 5 and 20 watts when active
Sometimes a very small amount (< 1 watt) in standby mode (at night, when there is no sunlight)
This self-consumption is usually automatically offset against the total energy production, so you as a user will hardly notice it.
The inverter’s self-consumption is already included in the specified efficiency (for example, 97% or 98%).
So you don’t need to account for energy loss separately:
Higher inverter efficiency automatically means lower self-consumption.
Modern inverters are designed to be so efficient that the effect on your total yield is negligibly small.
For a realistic picture of your yield
When choosing between different inverters (higher efficiency = better choice)
For installations that operate completely off-grid, every extra watt counts
An inverter consumes a small amount of energy itself, usually between 5 and 20 watts during operation.
Thanks to the high efficiency of modern inverters, self-consumption has hardly any impact on your total solar energy yield.
In short: Don’t worry: a good inverter costs you almost no extra power and is designed to deliver maximum efficiency.
