Inverter Standby Power Consumption

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In this short video, I'm going to show you the silent energy consumer of your off-grid solar system: the inverter standby power consumption. We'll dive into the details of low power consumption inverters and how to manage inverter idle consumption effectively.
First, we'll explore the idle consumption of all-in-one inverters, which combine an MPPT charge controller, inverter, and battery charger in one device. Many people don't realize that these devices consume power even when no load is applied, known as idle power consumption. For example, popular all-in-one inverters like the MPP PIP-2424LV-MDS consume 50W, while the Victron Multiplus 2 48V 5kW only uses 11W. I'll break down the daily idle power consumption of these and other models, showing how significant this can be for your system.
Standalone inverters also consume power in standby mode. Models like the Bestek 12V 300W have an idle consumption of 3W, whereas the Renogy 12V 3000W consumes 50W. Including these figures in your load calculation is crucial to avoid running out of battery power unexpectedly.
To reduce idle consumption, turning off the inverter when it's not in use is an option, though not always feasible for systems running essential appliances like fridges. Adding more solar panels can help compensate for idle consumption. Choosing inverters with low idle power consumption, such as the Victron Multiplus series, can also make a big difference, though they come at a higher cost.
Additionally, enabling eco mode can reduce idle power consumption by allowing the inverter to detect and power loads only when necessary. However, this might not work well with appliances that have very low loads, like fridges with electronic thermostats.

[@robertpaulis439]

I found by turning my freezer to a higher power during the day, then reducing it to just on at night will save consumption. Just remember to adjust accordingly.

[@Tab7.6.Tab7.6]

What is the difference in energy consumption on a daily basis with this strategy, compared to normal use?

[@robertpaulis439]

@@Tab7.6.Tab7.6 direct sun energy when batteries are topped off during the day and less consumption at night cause the items in the freezer are more deeply frozen = less cycles of the freezer going on due to lower night temperatures.

[@Tab7.6.Tab7.6]

@@robertpaulis439 Thank you for your reply, the strategy is obviously logical and not debatable. I was just curious if you might have a comparison in the form of a Wh or percentage difference, for example.

[@grahamjohnson4702]

@@robertpaulis439 Because you are not going in and out of the freezer at night it is OK to have your freezer attached to a timer to turn it off every night because it is so well insulated the internal temp will not drop by much if any.

[@junkerzn7312]

Very nice summary. A few more rules of thumb:
* LF inverters often have slightly lower idle consumption than HF. All the inverters shown are HF inverters except the Victron and the AIMS which are LF. However, LF inverters tend to be heavier and noisier and this isn't the main reason for idle consumption.
* Component quality matters even more, which is why Victron is so far ahead of the pack. The other designs (including the AIMS) use far lower-quality components and circuits which are not as well tuned to minimize losses.
* Idle consumption generally scales with inverter size. So for running something like a fridge and low-power always-plugged-in devices, consider buying a dedicated inverter that is only just big enough to run the loads that has low idle consumption. And if you have other devices that require more power than that inverter can reasonably handle, have a second inverter that is only turned on when those other devices/loads are required.
For example, the video actually made a mistake on the Victron multiplus-II specs. It is the multiplus-II 48V/3000W inverter that has the 11W power consumption, the 5000W version eats 15W.
* Output specs matter too. The 48V multipluses output 120V, the 6000XP outputs 240VAC split-phase.
* ECO modes are almost never usable.
-Matt

[@adon8672]

From reading several inverter spec sheets, I came to the conclusion that LF inverters generally have higher idle consumption than HF inverters. I also noticed that expensive inverters/high end brands tend to have lower idle power consumption.

[@junkerzn7312]

@@adon8672 That's a good observation. LF inverters have a very heavy dependence on the quality of their magnetic components (inductors, transformers), and because those components are huge, quality == cost. The easy comparison there is the Victron (95% efficient) vs the AIMS (88% efficient).
HF inverters have more flexibility because the components are much, much smaller and lighter. An HF transformer design can pick and choose where to put in quality components and the quality doesn't cost as much. So it is actually easier to make a reasonably-efficient HF inverter at low cost.
Most of the HF inverters shown in the video sit at around 90-92% efficiency at modest loads, but poorer efficiencies at low loads.
For the LF inverter, all the money is in the transformer. So if you put your money into a really high-efficiency, high-Q toroidal transformer (aka Victron), you wind up with a really good result. The Victron is 95% efficient over a good chunk of its power envelope (the 48V DC input helps there too).
-Matt

[@dustydawson8977]

Cleversolar made a video comparison low frequency vs high frequency inverters, I am in agreement with his pick that low frequency is definitely the way to go. That said, I own 2 Titan solar generators,these are low frequency 3000w 120v inverters, they can run past there 3000w ratings,and there idle consumption is under 15watts, when you can output that load while taking in 2000w solar input, and 1500w ac charge from the wall(2 chargers) at the same time is not something many on the market can do. I will bet my inverters will still be running when the high frequency generators shit the bed, eco flow are cheap enough, but I've never seen any of the many that crapped out ever get repaired, sometimes they will replace it, but not repair, they don't even want it back. That should tell ya something. JM2Cents

[@diyEVguy]

Note that if using multiple Victron units in parallel or series, power saving modes are no longer available. Nice video, important and ofter overlooked topic.

[@drpierrecaze4144]

Thank you Professor. I brought your book and read it almost daily to teach myself more and more. Thank you again.

[@MR_Garage]

The best 12v affordable inverter I have tested for idle draw is the Ampeak 2000W pure sine inverter. Just 5.5W! Very efficient too and meets spec. If you allow, I will post the testing of it here or viewers can just search. Much respect on this critically overlooked topic.

[@cleversolarpower]

I've heard of the brand but didn't know they had low idle consumption as well. Thank you for sharing. You can share it here and if I make another video I will post it.

[@glaflamme]

Last week I installed an MPP 3024LV - MSD. The idle consumption is 46 W. Keep up the great videos!

[@cleversolarpower]

Thanks for sharing with the community! 🙏

[@glaflamme]

@@cleversolarpower absolutely, you can't find this information anywhere unless you have a community like this or you get it yourself. I used a Victron smart shunt to collect the data when the panels were off, just to get accurate draw readings. Thanks again for everything you do!

[@herbertvonsauerkrautunterh2513]

I have the mpp pip-5648mt. It's very nice but loud and off power consumption is very high. I'll be upgrading to victron equipment and an additional 30kw of batteries to make a total or 50kw.
It's working great so far but it really uses a lot at standby. I need at least a 10kw inverter to do my whole house as i intend to set up an island off grid system and export grid connect solar for profit.

[@Ekanselter]

As always, great information!

[@stephenhickman9502]

I leave mine off until I need it. I installed a remote power button in my kitchen in a convenient place.

[@cleversolarpower]

Indeed, the remote power off switch comes in very handy.

[@EmmanuelDimgba-f7c]

Thank you very much for this eye-opening review.
But apart from inverter idle power consumption, don't you think that charge controllers ~ especially MPPT,~ consume power from the batteries too? So, the charge controller energy consumption should be taken into consideration ,

[@EmmanuelDimgba-f7c]

Kindly verify this, most of the charge controllers extract power from the batteries to operate and power their fans.

[@cleversolarpower]

That will be very minimal. Around 1-2W.

[@EmmanuelDimgba-f7c]

Let's do the maths,
2w x 24h = 48w/daily.
In my opinion, 48w is big enough and shouldn't be ignored.

[@Tab7.6.Tab7.6]

​@@EmmanuelDimgba-f7c48Wh/day to be exact. This is such a negligible value that it can easily be ignored.

[@stedyone1090]

Very nice 👌 👍

[@psikogeek]

My SunGoldPower Inverter/Charger is an energy hog: 50 or 60 watts.

[@cleversolarpower]

Thanks for sharing your numbers with the community!

[@ravindradaundkar9905]

That is huge consumption.

[@user-gq4ch1pd4c]

Amp lives matter !!!