When you’re shopping for a solar system, the focus is almost always on the panels themselves—the brand, the wattage, the sleek black look. But the single most important piece of hardware for your system’s performance and reliability is often overlooked: the inverter. If the solar panels are the “muscles” of your system, the inverter is the “brain.” It’s the device that converts the DC power generated by your panels into the AC power that your home can actually use.
The choice between the two dominant technologies—microinverters vs. string inverters—has a massive impact on your system’s energy production, your ability to monitor it, and how it performs in real-world conditions. Understanding this difference is critical, as a solar company installing the wrong type of technology for your specific roof can be a leading cause of underperformance and a valid reason for a dispute.
What is a String Inverter? (The Traditional Approach)
A string inverter is the original, standard technology for residential solar. In this setup, your solar panels are wired together in a series, creating a “string.” The DC power from this entire string of panels runs down to one single, large inverter box that is typically mounted on the side of your home or in your garage.
Think of it like a string of old-fashioned holiday lights: if one bulb goes out or gets shaded, the entire string can go dim or turn off completely. In the same way, if one panel on a string is heavily shaded by a tree, a chimney, or even just bird droppings, it can drag down the performance of every other panel in that same string.
- Pros: Lower upfront cost, historically proven technology.
- Cons: A single point of failure; poor performance in partial shade; system-level monitoring only (you can’t see the performance of individual panels); often have shorter warranties (10-12 years) than the panels.
- Best For: Large, simple roofs with no shading issues whatsoever.
What are Microinverters? (The Modern Approach)
Microinverters represent a newer and often superior technology. Instead of one large central inverter, this setup places a small, individual inverter directly underneath every single solar panel on your roof.
Think of this like modern LED holiday lights: if one bulb fails, all the others stay brightly lit. Each panel operates as its own independent power plant.
- Pros:
- Superior Shade Tolerance: If one panel is shaded, the others continue producing at their full potential, unaffected. This maximizes your power production on any roof that isn’t perfectly unshaded all day long.
- Panel-Level Monitoring: This is a massive benefit. Your monitoring app can show you the performance of every single panel, making it incredibly easy to spot a single faulty or underperforming panel.
- Longer Warranties: Microinverters typically come with a 25-year warranty, matching the warranty of your solar panels.
- Easier to Expand: You can add more panels to your system more easily in the future.
- Cons: Higher upfront cost than a string inverter system.
When the Wrong Choice Leads to a Dispute
This technical choice is a frequent source of disputes. A common issue is a solar company selling a homeowner a cheaper string inverter system for a home with a complex roof that has multiple angles, dormers, or partial shading from trees. The salesperson’s proposal might show best-case-scenario production numbers, but they know (or should know) that a string inverter in that environment will never meet those numbers.
This isn’t just a bad choice; it can be considered a fundamental design flaw. If you were sold a system that was technologically inappropriate for your home and is now significantly underperforming as a result, you may have a strong case for a breach of contract.
Conclusion: Is Your System Designed for Success?
The choice between microinverters vs. string inverters is not just a technical detail—it’s fundamental to your system’s long-term performance and value. If you suspect your system is not producing the power you were promised, understanding the type of inverter you have is a critical step in diagnosing the problem.
Our comprehensive case review includes a technical analysis of your system’s design and equipment. We determine if the technology sold to you was appropriate for your home’s specific needs, or if a poor design choice is the root cause of your performance issues. This expert analysis provides the leverage needed to build a powerful case file for your dispute.