Microinverter
By Priya Nair · Last reviewed A small inverter that converts the DC output of one or two solar panels into grid-synchronized AC at the panel itself, rather than at a central string inverter. In plug-in solar it is the system's brain: it performs the grid synchronization, output limiting and anti-islanding shutdown that make an outlet connection possible.
Why it matters
The microinverter is where a plug-in system's safety case lives, so its certification (UL 1741 or ETL in the US, VDE-AR-N 4105 in Germany) is the single most checkable piece of evidence a vendor can offer. A certified microinverter does not make the whole kit a certified system — that distinction is exactly what UL 3700 exists to address.