With many new Adelaide properties and developments using three-phase instead of single-phase power, the question of whether a single-phase solar inverter can work on a three-phase power supply is becoming more and more prevalent.

And it’s not just for new builds—savvy homeowners with an existing single-phase inverter may be wondering if they have to upgrade their solar system if they decide to upgrade to three-phase power.

It’s understandable, as moving to three-phase power is not an inexpensive exercise in and of itself.

The good news is that a single-phase solar inverter can still work on a three-phase power supply.

What’s more is that moving to three-phase power for your Adelaide home or property shouldn’t negatively affect your financial return from your original solar system investment.

Without getting too caught up in jargon and technical details, the short version of what happens here is that your three-phase meter totals your power use on all three phases before calculating your net exports or imports.

This means each phase is not costed separately, so you won’t be disadvantaged for not exporting anything through the other two phases.

For example: if you export 5 kW on one phase through your solar system but use 2 kW of power on both of the remaining two phases for a total of 4 kW of power imported, your meter will total your power use across all phases and in this case determine that your net use is a 1 kW export (5 kW exported, minus 4 kW imported).

So, don’t worry—your single-phase solar inverter can still work on a three-phase power supply!

For help with installing, repairing, or maintaining solar systems on Adelaide homes and properties—whether they use one-phase or three-phase power—chat with our experienced solar team at BJ Energy today.

Call us on 0423 366 428 or enquire online.