Your needs change over time: a new air conditioner, a growing business, an older battery. Sooner or later most owners ask whether to add to the system, upgrade a part or replace it.
This guide helps you think it through before you spend.
Key takeaways
- Start from what has changed: the load, the supply or the age of the equipment.
- Additions must fit the limits of the existing inverter and battery.
- Mixing old and new batteries or different panels causes problems.
- Ask for advice first; a small change can avoid a large cost.
Adding panels
More panels need roof space and an inverter that can take them: the input voltage, the current and the total power must stay within its limits. If the inverter is at its limit, the options are a second inverter or a larger one. New panels should be of a similar type and rating to the old ones on the same input.
Adding or replacing batteries
- The battery must be of the type and the voltage that the inverter accepts.
- Old and new batteries should not be mixed in one bank.
- The charger settings must be set for the new battery.
- If you add capacity, check that the inverter can supply the load you want.
Upgrading the inverter
An older inverter may limit what you can add, or may no longer have spares. A newer one may offer batteries, better monitoring and higher efficiency. The decision depends on the age and the condition of the old one, see repair or replacement.
Before you buy
- Write down what has changed and what you want to achieve.
- Send us the make and model of the inverter, the panels and the batteries, and photographs of the labels.
- Ask us to check that the addition fits the existing system.
- Compare the quotation for the upgrade with the cost of replacing the part.
When to call us
Tell us what you have and what you want, and we will advise on the best next step. Use the contact page or the quote page, see our technical support, or look at the batteries and inverters we supply.
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