DC-AC Inverters are devices that change DC power supply to AC power supply which is used with most electronics. Power inverters are generally used in applications where high voltage and currents are involved.

AC voltage from power inverters is usually regulated to be same as grid voltage which is normally 120 or 240 VAC allowing them to power various devices designed for these voltages.

Power inverters often have an overall power rating expressed in watts or kilowatts. Since the runtime of an inverter powered by batteries is dependent on the battery power and the active load connected to the inverter output, see below formulae to calculate inverter battery capacity:

Battery Capacity (Ah) = Total Load (In Watts) X Usage Time (in hours) / Input Voltage (V)

Once we have the battery capacity required for a project, we can connect batteries either is a series configuration or parallel configuration.

In large paralleled batteries connection, they may be connected via diodes or intelligent monitoring with automatic switching to isolate an under-voltage battery from the others to avoid the risk of fire in case a single battery has a too low charge and other batteries discharge through it.

Applications for these inverters are in automotive-usually with 12 VDC source, photovoltaic cells used in homes or WAN solar sites, uninterrupted power supply systems, and power backup sites with battery banks.

See the comparison table below for high-efficiency power inverters (DC/AC converters)