Its not uncommon to have your solar panel installed on different facings of your roof. If this is you, then you should be well aware of the MPPT Inverters. (Maximum Power Point Tracker)
A standard inverter is designed to have a single string of solar panels which are installed facing the same direction, and the same pitch.
A MPPT or Duel Tracking Inverter is designed to take two strings of solar panels, each string can face a different direction, be on a different pitch or both.
So what would happen if you installed two strings of panels, each string facing a different direction wired into a standard inverter?
The system would still technically work however each panel would only output roughly the same amount of Watts as what the weakest panels are outputting.
If you install an MPPT Inverter, then the inverter will automatically select which string has the maximum power point. This means that you will not suffer any losses like you would if you installed a standard inverter. It’s almost like having two inverters built into one.
Each installation is different and should be treated differently by your CEC Accredited installer. Make sure that you ask for a copy of the diagram as well as the quote. Check out the diagram below. It matches the installation for the photo at the top of the page.
