Professors Javier Pereda and Félix Rojas, from the Electrical Engineering Department at the Catholic University (UC), presented a revolutionary hybrid solar inverter with second-life battery storage, designed to help families reduce their electricity costs.
This device, a multi-port hybrid inverter, integrates with the home electrical grid and allows several appliances to be connected simultaneously, including electric car chargers. It also combines solar panels and reused batteries, optimizing energy use and reducing costs.
The system detects consumption in real time and, when the home’s power is about to exceed its limit, automatically resorts to solar energy or batteries, improving self-consumption and avoiding investments in additional capacity. It has seven operating modes adapted to household habits, such as charging batteries at lower cost times or taking advantage of solar energy in the middle of the day.
In August, a test will be conducted in a home in Santiago to demonstrate its benefits. The innovation, funded by FONDEF and supported by various institutions, is part of ANID’s Engineering 2030 program, which seeks to promote research and technological development in Chile.
This advance represents an accessible, easy-to-install solution with great potential to transform energy consumption in the country’s homes.