Power Inverters are a very important component of any Solar Pwer System.
Power Inverters convert the system's DC Power to a pseudo-AC Power. The power produced by the Photovaic Arrays is DC Power (as are the Batteries, that store the excess power produced). Most consumer appliances require AC Power, since the DC Appliances are both expensive and relatively small (they are oriented towards the Recreational Vehicle Market) - the best solution for a Solar powered Home is to convert the DC Power to AC.
Power inverters intended for Solar Power Applications are normally categorized into Two (2) Categories. Note: there are Inverters that fit into both these categories - they can be utilized as either grid-tie or stand alone, but they are also a lot more expensive than the ones that fit into only one of the inverter categories. These categories are:
1 : Grid-Tie Inverters.
1 : Stand-Alone Power Inverters.