You may be surprised to know that solar panels work in relation to the number of power phases coming into a house or a business. This is crucial to decide the kind and size of inverter you must attach to your solar panels. Three-phase power supply transmits more power than a single phase.

How to find out whether single-phase or double phase electric supply

You can find out if your house or business has single-phase power or three-phase power by checking your meter box. A meter box controls the flow of power to your property and is typically a single large panel(s) that contains various switches, circuit breakers, and other power control equipment. The next step is to find out the circuit breakers.

A circuit breaker is an electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overcurrent/overload or a short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow after protective relays detect a fault.

There will be a circuit break labeled as the “Main Switch” and from this; you will determine which phase of power you have based on its width. Single-phase power meter boxes only contain one fuse cartridge, and three-phase power meter boxes on the other hand consist of three fuse cartridges

Advantages of a three-phase solar system instead of single-phase

Single-phase electric supply can carry up to a single-phase 5kw inverter. The three-phase inverters come in a capacity of up to 30kW which allows users to install a high-capacity solar system.

3-phase solar inverters manage voltage rise and reduce the chance of appliance failures due to high voltages as the voltage rise in a single-phase connection is higher than that of 3-phase power.

By using the three-phase connection, the power supplied to the grid is distributed evenly and leads to grid stability.

It increases the local grid voltage and your circuits will have less chance of short-circuiting due to high voltage issues.

If a three-phase inverter is chosen, the consumers can meet their energy demands easily reducing their dependence on the grid for energy and leading to reduced utility bills.

Three-phase power combined with rooftop solar can reduce your household power bills to next-to-nothing.

It also provides you with scope to add energy-intensive appliances and power them for free with your solar electricity.

Getting a three-phase connection at the build stage is cheaper than doing it later. It also gives you greater scope to power your home 24/7 with solar panels and battery storage – and easily add fast charging for an electric vehicle down the track.