Inverters guide
Hybrid inverters and home batteries
If you're getting solar and might add a battery, the inverter choice matters. A hybrid inverter is one way to get there — but not the only one.
Two ways to connect a battery
Hybrid inverter (DC-coupled)
One inverter manages panels and battery together. Tidy for new solar-and-battery installs, and for 'battery-ready' solar you'll add to later.
AC-coupled battery
The battery has its own inverter and connects alongside your existing solar. Common when adding a battery to a system you already have.
The two setups, side by side
DC coupling · one hybrid inverter
Solar panels and batteryBoth connect to the hybrid
Hybrid inverterRuns both
SwitchboardPowers your home
Good for a new solar and battery system. One inverter keeps it tidy, and it's slightly more efficient because energy is converted fewer times.
AC coupling · two inverters
Solar panelsExisting system
Solar inverterKept as it is
SwitchboardPowers your home
BatteryAdded later
Battery inverterThe battery's own
SwitchboardSame switchboard
Good for adding a battery to solar you already have. Your solar inverter keeps working as it is, and the battery gets its own inverter alongside it, so nothing that works needs replacing.
- Solar energy
- Battery energy
If you want battery-ready solar, ask
- Which batteries the inverter is compatible with — by brand and model
- Whether backup power is possible, and what extra equipment it needs
- What adding the battery later would involve and roughly how long it would take
- Whether the inverter and battery are on the Clean Energy Council's approved lists
- Whether the battery setup can join a virtual power plant, which federal battery incentives currently require it to be capable of
Sources
Facts on this page were checked on 26 September 2026. Rules and programs change, so confirm details with your installer.
Frequently asked questions
Is a hybrid inverter needed for backup power?
Backup depends on the specific equipment and how it's wired, not just the inverter type. Ask installers exactly which circuits would stay on during a blackout.
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