Power cuts are a norm in Indian households, and if you are frustrated with the frequent power cuts, then you should plan to invest in an inverter for your house. While selecting
the best inverter and battery for home you should choose the one that suits your needs as it should be based on the power requirements. So a little research and understanding the basics will help you in purchasing the inverter that is needed for your home.
Power requirement: The most important thing to find out before you go ahead with selecting an inverter is the power needs of your home. In simpler terms, the electrical appliances that you want to run when there is a power failure define your requirement. For example, if you want to run a fan, two tube lights, and a TV when there is a power cut, then it is calculated as below.
1 Tube light = 60 Watts
1 Fan = 70 Watts
1 TV = 120 Watts
Then your electricity needs are 2*60+70+120 = 310 Watts.
To calculate the VA rating needed for an inverter, the power factor of it should be calculated. The power factor is the ratio of amount of power required by the electrical appliances to the amount of energy supplied by the inverter. Inverter manufacturers in Chennai say that the power factor lies in the range of 0.6 to 0.8 and the efficiency of these inverters also ranges from 60 to 80%.
Also Read: How to Choose a Correct Sized Voltage Stabilizer?
An inverter converts current from DC to AC and depending on the kind of AC there are two types of inverters called the Square wave and the Sine wave inverter. The sine wave inverter and battery price are costly but worth the money you pay as they are safe, long-lasting and durable. If you want a less expensive but moderate performing inverter, then a modified sine wave inverter can be purchased, but there are very few models of these present in the market currently.
The battery is the main component of an inverter. An inverter life and its performance is dependant on the battery quality. The battery determines how long an inverter can help run your appliances when there is a power cut. The battery capacity is what decides the number of hours of backup that it provides thereby helping run the inverter. There are many battery capacities ranging from 100Ah to 180 Ah available in the market. After determining the power requirement, you should calculate the battery backup needed for your home. For example, if you need a backup of 2 hours
The capacity of the battery is calculated using, the following formula.
No. of watts of power required * hours of backup/Voltage of the battery
Considering the earlier power requirement of 310 Watts
Battery capacity = 310*2/ 12 = 51 Ah so a battery of 100Ah will be best suited for your house.
You can purchase inverters online or but it is best to purchase batteries from inverter battery dealers in Chennai as they are hazardous products and hence best purchased in stores. You can check these products on the manufacturer's website too to find the latest models.
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