Solar panel optimisers are devices fitted to individual panels that help maximise the electricity each panel produces, especially when part of a roof is shaded or panels face different directions. They sit between the panel and the inverter and adjust the voltage and current from each panel so the overall system can keep working efficiently. Without optimisers, one shaded panel can reduce the output of an entire string of panels.
They are useful when your roof layout or nearby trees mean shading is likely, or when panels are split across different roof angles. Optimisers can also make it easier to monitor performance at panel level and can improve safety by reducing the voltage on the roof when the system is switched off. For many homeowners and businesses, they help get more consistent output from a system that isn’t perfectly uniform.
