The solar power industry has experienced massive growth and incredible evolutions over the last decade. With more affordable, efficient, and accessible technology now available, more and more people are investing in solar. And the equipment continues to evolve and improve with each passing year. Solar inverters, a central component of every solar project, have experienced a lot of changes themselves, and more are likely to come. Here are a few potential improvements to look out for in the coming years.

Ever-Improving Efficiency

Efficiency is the name of the game when it comes to any kind of power source. Solar inverters have steadily become more efficient over the years, and many models now boast 97% efficiency and higher. It might seem impossible to reduce energy loss during conversion any more than this, but you can bet that manufacturers are going to try! It probably won’t be long before you start seeing solar inverters with 99% efficiency or higher being produced by all the industry giants.

Built-In Power Storage

This has already started to appear in some new solar inverters, but the odds are high that it’s going to catch on in a broader sense over the next year or 2. A large number of people installing solar power also want energy storage, and they’re willing to invest in battery banks to do so. However, if equipment manufacturers can build even a small amount of energy storage into the inverters themselves, they’ll make solar power more affordable and more powerful for the average user.

Without a backup power source, grid-tied homes still rely a great deal on the grid. But even basic backup energy can help users further reduce their grid reliance and also help them to keep essential appliances running in the event of a grid outage.

AI Technology

Solar inverters are already pretty intelligent. They possess the ability to automatically switch between actively generated solar power, stored energy, and grid power as needed. And these switches aren’t just based on availability. You can program an inverter to use stored solar power during peak hours when electricity from the grid is more expensive with a process known as peak shaving.

With this kind of intelligence already built-in, AI is a natural next step. A solar power system that can learn your family’s energy consumption habits and adapt to your needs could make these systems even more efficient. They could also notify you of spikes in power usage and make recommendations for reducing consumption.

As it stands, SMA solar inverters are already highly intelligent, efficient pieces of technology. It will be exciting to see what the future holds.