Question-led planner
This planner is a sequence of questions, not a sizing tool and not a yield model. Each answer you cannot give stays on the brief as unknown. GridLink Sourcing will not convert an unknown into a specification.
Request Factory QuotesName string, central, microinverter or hybrid. Write rated AC power in kW, the DC input range, MPPT channels, phase, and grid voltage at 208 V, 480 V or another study value at 60 Hz. If the module sheet cites 1000 V DC or 1500 V DC maximum system voltage, attach that citation. Note maximum power voltage, open-circuit voltage and string current as module-side inputs the inverter supplier must accept or reject.
Count units or systems. Say whether a spare is required. A multi-building campus is several lines, not one blended quantity. Wholesale language belongs here only as the buyer lot size.
US destination, dock constraint, requested delivery window, included connectors, monitoring hardware and the warranty basis you want quoted. Currency and a per-unit or whole-order budget are optional. High-end, mid-range, budget or undecided is a preference, not a score.
Ask for the datasheet, the drawing, the protocol description and any listing file the supplier wants you to read. Efficiency figures are accepted only with the test basis, for example CEC weighted or European. Enclosure rating is copied from that same model. Nothing on this page is a pre-approved certificate.
If the site is unshaded and the crew wants fewer cabinets, central or string conversion is the path to describe. If shade, per-module data or a service plan built around small devices matters, module-level conversion is the path to describe. Say which constraint won. A plant that swaps one for the other without a mark-up has not answered the brief.
Grid-forming inverter behavior is a separate question from grid-following export, as the DOE inverter overview explains. Ask which operating mode the project study requires. With storage, ask whether the proposed converter supports bidirectional power, then compare AC-coupled and DC-coupled energy paths, voltage limits and controls. Record usable capacity in kWh, battery depth of discharge, battery management system alarms and thermal management on the storage line. Round-trip efficiency needs a defined complete-system boundary and test basis.
Communication protocol, a SCADA point list and any site controller stay in the document gate. OCPP is a charger topic; mention it only as a site constraint if chargers share the service, and do not turn this planner into a charger specification.
Record the DC-to-AC ratio supplied by the project engineer and the source drawing revision. Do not select a ratio from an example or treat it as a yield prediction. For a proposed sample or pilot, agree the model, firmware, grid voltage, operating temperature and acceptance criteria first. Compare labels and dimensions with the exact-model files, ask the responsible reviewer to witness the agreed functional or communication checks, and record results and deviations before any release decision. Sample availability, charges and scheduling require supplier confirmation.
Related reading: inquiry cards, how replies are normalized, the contact desk, and the procurement brief.
Send the application, quantity and destination with the electrical ratings you know. Mark the remaining questions as unknown so the proposed supplier can answer them explicitly.
Qualified business buyers
Compare factory quotations for the same inverter specification, quantity and US destination.
FREE basic specification and sourcing-requirements review
Eligible first orders may receive up to 3%
Eligibility applies to qualified business buyers and is confirmed after we review your product, quantity, destination, and sourcing requirements.