INVERTERS

Solar Panels convert sunlight into electricity and the electricity is taken through wires into the charge controller (regulator) and from there it is stored in the batteries.
For some smaller appliances the electricity can be used directly from the batteries. This electricity is called "direct current" and it is suitable for use on "DC" appliances only. Most appliances in the home, however, need "alternating current" (AC) to run. Most AC appliances can be substituted with a DC appliance but these are usually more costly. The AC current needed to supply appliances can be produced by utilizing an inverter which transforms DC current which batteries produce into AC current. The inverter will in turn power your circuit breaker box giving the rest of your home electricity.

Electricity travels more efficiently at higher volts, and in order to run DC electricity over a long distance the conductor has to be relatively thick. To alleviate this problem the current can be changed to AC. An inverter also supplies 220V appliances with a "cleaner" electricity than would be possible with a generator, free of any surges and spikes.

Inverters can be purchased in different "sizes" in order to meet your specific demands. When an inverter is only needed to run a few lights a small inverter can be used, it will not be able to run large appliances (such as washing machines, microwaves, etc.). For this purpose larger inverters are available. However these do pose a problem when a very small load is switched on (like a light), as the power required to run the light is below the turn-on threshold of the inverter.

Some appliances are guilty of "phantom loads", this is when an appliance (such as a TV, VCR, HI-FI and any appliance with a clock which runs continuously) constantly draws a small amount of electricity when it is on standby. This can be avoided by plugging these appliances out at the socket after use.
Note: A "phantom load" may be very small, but it draws a lot of electricity because it remains on throughout the day.