Ultimate Guide to Inverter VS. Generator: Which One is Better?

If you are considering buying a generator or an inverter but need to know the difference and which one you should buy, let’s answer some of your questions. Most people don’t know the difference between an inverter vs generator, as both of these sound similar and are related to electricity. Another thing that confuses people is that the new solar generators have built-in inverters.

solar generator
To give you a quick run-through, a generator produces electrical while an inverter converts direct current into altering current. But this doesn’t answer which one is better and which one is ideal for home use. This post will tell you everything you need to know about inverter vs generator, how they work, and what generators with built-in inverters are.

What is an Inverter
If you want to know more about inverters and their uses, let’s talk about AC and DC. Altering current or AC can travel back or forth, meaning it can travel for a long distance without much energy loss. Due to its nature, altering current can also tolerate high voltage, which makes it ideal for supplying power to houses and buildings. DC or direct current moves in one direction as the electron moves in a straight path. While your house runs on AC, you need DC to power the device.

As part of the inverter vs generator discussion, let’s talk about what an inverter is. It is an electronic device that converts direct current stored in batteries into altering current to power your home appliances. It has multiple electronic circuits for load management and to control battery charging. It acts as an adaptor for all of your home appliances as it can power low-voltage domestic appliances by using conventional wiring and a battery power setup. An inverter’s job is to produce powers that have similar in quality to what the main grid supplies. You can use them as a stand-alone unit, or you can connect them to the grid. They work perfectly in both cases.

How Does an Inverter Work
When talking about generator vs inverter, you have to understand the main detail that separates these two as completely different devices. Generators convert energy into electricity while an inverter can’t do that. Inverters take existing power from a battery or some other source in the form of direct current and convert it into alternating current to power your house. It runs the power from multiple switches in different directions to give a solid frequency to the energy wave.

What is a Generator
A conventional electric generator is an electrical device that can convert some sort of mechanical energy into electrical energy. Generators are the most commonly used power suppliers during shutdowns as they can work for a longer period, and you depending on the size of the generator you are using, produces enough energy to power your house or building. For the inverter vs generator topic, generators don’t require a battery storage system to work, and they don’t need an external electric power supply. Conventional generators use gasoline, natural gas, or coal to produce energy. Industrial-scale generators burn fuel constantly to power all the heavy equipment.

How Does a Generator Work
As you read, generators create electricity from mechanical energy, but it is an oversimplification of the process. Generators don’t produce electricity; they use the principles of electromagnetic induction to furnish electrical energy when an outer energy source drives it at a definite speed in the form of a prime mover. You can devise a generator to either produce alternating current or direct current. So it can’t manage the load or power low-voltage domestic appliances without a proper setup.