Select an inverter and its battery for home

How to Select the Right Inverter and Battery for Home in India?

As you are aware, a power inverter is an important item in every house and workplace to offer dependable power backup. Choosing a battery with the necessary capacity is just as crucial as choosing an inverter.

We also hope that this article is beneficial for those who are confused about how to purchase an inverter for their homes.

Let’s review some fundamental selection criteria for both the inverter and the battery. This page is primarily made up of

=> How to select an Inverter for Your Home or Office
=> How to Choose an Inverter Battery

Select an Inverter

How to choose an inverter for your home?

You can choose and purchase an inverter system from your local dealer or online retailers such as Amazon.

Even if you buy inverters and batteries from an online retailer, most major companies offer onsite warranties.

However, before buying an inverter, you must first decide on the type capacity, or size of the inverter.

All of these strategies of selection may also be used when buying an inverter for an office.

So, here’s a simple four-step process for finding the best inverter battery combination for your power requirements.

  1. Determine the type of inverter you demand.
  2. Evaluate the power required in your home or office.
  3. Ascertain the inverter power capacity (VA rating) and choose the best one for you.
  4. Choose a good battery based on its capacity.

Type of the Inverter

Inverters are categorized into three varieties based on the nature of their output waveform: square wave, modified square wave, and sine wave.

For the smooth operation of the loads, it is preferable to use an inverter with Sine Wave output.

Related: Best Rechargeable Emergency Lights for Homes in India

How Can You Decide Inverter Capacity for a Home or Office?

The capacity of the inverter is the next important factor to consider. Typically, inverter capacity is given in VA (Volts-Amps).

It is the total product of the maximum voltage and current that an inverter can feed without causing the inverter system to fail.

The most significant consideration in selecting an inverter is its power or VA rating. The output voltage of a single-phase inverter is always between 230 and 240 volts. The current output rating of an inverter is strictly a design consideration.

The rating of the inverter transformer and the power transistors employed in the inverter circuit primarily influence the output rating. On the market, commercially available inverters start at 600VA.

We were aware of the inverter’s power rating. Now consider how we arrived at the VA rating for our requirement.

It is undeniably dependent on the electrical load to be run on the inverter. To establish the capacity of the inverter, we must first compute our total load (Power) in Watts.

Power Calculation of an Inverter

The capacity of the inverter in your home is determined by the entire electrical load you intend to attach to it.

Let us understand how to calculate inverter capacity in VA practically.

Suppose we have to select an inverter for the loads below.

LED Bulbs – 10 Nos (9W each)

LED tube light -3Nos (20W each)

Fans -4Nos (60W each)

Television-1No (80W)

Desktop Computer -1No (200W)

Other small loads-50W

Total Load is (10×9 + 3×20 + 4×60 + 1×80 + 1×200 + 50) = 720W

The entire load is in Watts ( W). Then, divide Watts by the normal power factor (0.8) to get VA.

Total power required in VA = Watts/Power factor = 720/0.8 = 900 VA

The total power required is 900VA. However, as you are aware, there are certain losses in the inverter power system, and it should be able to handle those as well. It is estimated to be approximately 20 per cent.

As a result, the actual wattage required is = 900 x 1.2 = 1080 VA.

You now understand the inverter load calculation formula.

We may now proceed to the next higher rating available on the market, 1100VA. In our scenario, the inverter capacity required is 1100VA.

Always go with a higher-capacity inverter than our requirement so that we can meet future load requirements and avoid overloading the inverter.

If the calculation is complicated, you can utilize any accessible internet tool for this purpose. The inverter capacity for a home can be 1000 or 1100 VA for most normal applications.

Types of Inverters for Home

We’ve settled on the VA rating of the inverter. The next step in the process is deciding whether you want a stand-alone inverter, a solar inverter, or a hybrid inverter. The battery in a standalone inverter can only be charged from the grid supply.

However, in a solar hybrid inverter, we may intelligently configure the charging of the battery from solar panels or the mains supply.

In the case of solar inverters, it is also possible to consume power directly from solar panels rather than taking energy from the grid supply. As a result, we always recommend that you opt for a solar hybrid inverter.

Related: How Do You Convert A Normal Inverter To A Solar Inverter?

Now we understand how to select an inverter for the home. In the next section, let us see which inverter is best for our home.

Following the inverter type selection, we recommend going with a well-known inverter brand. Check to see if the brand has service networks in your location.

Best Inverters for Home or Office Use in India

Make  Model Capacity (VA) Amazon Price
UTL Gamma Plus rMPPT Solar 1000 Check Price
Luminous  Zelio+ 1100 1100 Check Price
Luminous Zolt 1100 1100 Check Price
V-Guard Prime 1150 1150 Check Price
UTL Heliac 1200 Check Price
UTL Heliac Solar 2550 Check Price

How Do You Choose an Inverter Battery?

Another critical component of a home inverter system is the battery selection of an inverter. Even if you have a high-capacity inverter system, you will not benefit if the battery cannot deliver the needed load.

In a typical inverter system, lead-acid batteries are also utilized. Today, more efficient lithium-ion batteries are also employed.

But lithium-ion batteries for a home inverter are incredibly overpriced. If you have the funds, a lithium-ion battery is preferable.

Related: Best Inverter Battery for Home Use in India: An Ultimate Guide

Battery Voltage

In a low-capacity inverter system, 12V batteries can be utilized. A higher-rated inverter system, on the other hand, necessitates the use of 24V batteries.

The voltage of a single battery is always 12V. If you want an inverter battery voltage of 24V, two batteries must be linked in series. Keep in mind that the batteries in the series must have the same ampere rating.

Battery Capacity (Ah or Wh)

The capacity of a battery is measured in Ah (Ampere-hour). The capacity of a battery in unit ampere-hour (Ah) is defined as its ability to supply 1A continuously for an hour.

For example, a battery having a capacity of 150 Ah means it can deliver 150 A for one hour. But in practical cases, discharging at a higher current rate than its specified value is not advisable and it will affect the battery life.

The battery’s capacity is also given as Wh (Watt-hour). A watt (W) is a power unit that is a product of voltage (V) and current (A). This indicates that a 1Wh battery can provide 1W of electricity for one hour.

They should be linked in parallel to boost the battery system’s capacity. While the batteries are linked in parallel, extreme caution should be exercised. They’re meant to have the same voltage and Ah for optimal performance and longevity.

How to Calculate the Capacity of an Inverter Battery?

Now we understand the fundamentals of the battery. How will we choose a battery for our inverter system?

Using an example, let us learn how to calculate the inverter battery capacity for the home.

Assume we want a battery backup for our inverter for 2 hours, and our load requirement is 1080VA as we calculated earlier.

Then the capacity of the battery (Ah) is = [Total Load in VA x Back uptime (in hours)] / Battery Voltage

Then in our example battery capacity is = (1080 x 2) / 12 = 180 Ah.

If you want more backup time, connect more batteries in parallel as required.

Inverter batteries are available on the market at 100Ah, 150Ah, 180Ah, and 200Ah. The home inverter battery capacity of a maximum of 200 Ah is enough for normal applications.

So in our example, the required inverter is 1100 VA and the battery is 180Ah (for 2 hours of backup).

Battery Type

Lead-acid batteries, as mentioned before in this article, are commonly employed in inverters and UPS. Don’t forget that the most recent Lithium battery technology is currently on the market.

Although lithium batteries are far more energy-efficient and have a longer lifespan than lead-acid batteries, they are a much higher investment. As a result, lead-acid batteries are widely used.

However, the benefits we get from lithium batteries justify the higher price.

Types of Lead-Acid Batteries

Lead-acid batteries come in a variety of sizes and shapes. As a result, we must determine which sort of battery is appropriate for our application.

The construction type of a lead-acid battery determines its categorization.

Normal or Flat Plate Battery

It’s a standard lead-acid battery. In this sort of battery, lead plates serve as electrodes, and sulfuric acid serves as the electrolyte. Flat plate batteries are less expensive on the market.

For simple applications, flat-plate lead-acid batteries can be used. This sort of battery is commonly found in automobiles.

Because of the chemical activity in this battery, it continually releases poisonous fumes, and therefore should not be used in enclosed areas with inadequate ventilation.

This sort of battery has a shorter lifespan. This battery requires regular care, such as refilling with distilled water.

Tubular Battery

Tubular batteries are constructed in the same way as flat plate batteries, with the exception that tubular electrodes are utilized instead of flat-type electrodes. Here, the tubular electrodes are covered in a protective fabric.

These batteries are more efficient and can tolerate severe discharge than flat plate batteries.

Tubular batteries cost more than flat-plate batteries. However, compared to flat plate batteries, you will have a longer life and greater energy efficiency.

It is preferable to utilize tubular batteries rather than standard flat-plate batteries, particularly with solar inverter systems. Don’t forget that this sort of battery also requires regular maintenance.

Maintenance Free Batteries

These batteries, as the name implies, do not require maintenance. It is likewise a lead-acid battery, but the electrolyte is of the gel type.

Because this sort of battery requires no maintenance because it is sealed, it is also known as the SMF (Sealed Maintenance Free) battery.

It is priced around the top of the category. High-capacity SMF batteries are incredibly tough to obtain across.

Related: Difference Between Short Tubular and Tall Tubular Batteries 

‘C’ Rating of Battery

The battery’s ‘C’ rating is a key consideration when choosing a battery for the inverter. It is defined as the maximum safe drain rate that the battery can withstand.

It’s frequently written as C5, C10, or C20. The minimum discharge duration in hours for that type of battery is indicated by the numbers 5, 10, or 20.

Let’s look at the distinctions between C10 and C20 batteries. Consider two 100Ah batteries with C10 and C20 ratings.

For 10 hours, the C10,100Ah battery may safely drain at a rate of 10A. The C20,100Ah battery, on the other hand, may be drained at a rate of 5A for 20 hours. In this case, the C10 battery has a faster drain rate than the C20 battery.

If the discharge rate is higher than stated, the battery’s life and efficiency will be compromised.

When it comes to solar applications, always choose a C10 or C5 battery over a C20 battery. The C10 battery is more costly than the C20 battery.

In a C10 vs C20 battery comparison, always go for the C10 battery for better results.

These are the most important factors to consider when purchasing an inverter and its batteries for your home or office.

Luminous Zelio 1100 inverter + Rc18000 150 Ah Tubular Battery+ Trolley (Black)

Conclusion

We hope you found this inverter buying guide interesting and would like to share your thoughts or recommendations about it. This information will assist you in selecting an inverter and an inverter battery for your future needs.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you want any assistance in this regard.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ah in the inverter battery?

The unit of battery capacity is Ah, and the expansion is ampere-hour. A battery with a capacity of 150 Ah can discharge 150A current for one hour or 15A current for 10 hours.

What is an inverter battery?

An inverter battery is a battery that is specifically designed for use with power inverters.

What is VA in an inverter?

An inverter’s power rating or capacity is expressed in VA. VA means in the inverter is its Volt-ampere capacity.

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