We often get asked for a quote on a 10kW inverter before anyone has checked what kind of supply the house has. Phase is the first thing to find out, because it narrows your choices straight away.
- Most 5 to 10 marla homes have single-phase supply.
- Larger homes, factories and plazas often have three-phase.
- A three-phase inverter balances solar across all three phases.
- Under net billing, phase matching affects how exports and imports are counted.
How to tell what you have
- Look at your bill: the connection type and sanctioned load are printed there. A sanctioned load above about 5kW often comes with three-phase supply, though not always.
- Look at the meter: a three-phase meter has three incoming live wires and usually shows readings for each phase.
- Look at the distribution board: three-phase homes typically have a 4-pole main breaker.
Our guide to reading your electricity bill explains this in more detail.
Single-phase homes
Most smaller homes are single-phase. A single-phase hybrid inverter from 3kW up to 6 or 8kW covers them well. If you need more, two single-phase units in parallel (on supported models) is common.
Three-phase homes and businesses
Bigger houses, offices, plazas and factories often have three-phase supply. Here you have two main options:
- A three-phase inverter that feeds all three phases evenly, like the Everon three-phase models. Best for balanced loads and for three-phase motors.
- A single-phase inverter on one phase, powering selected circuits. Cheaper, but the other two phases still run fully on grid.
Why matching matters
If your home has three-phase supply and you put a single-phase inverter on one phase, the solar only helps whatever is connected to that phase. Your ACs on the other phases keep pulling from the grid. Load also becomes unbalanced, which your electrician won’t love.
Under net billing, how your meter records imports and exports on each phase also matters. A balanced three-phase solar output avoids situations where you’re exporting on one phase while importing on another.
Three-phase motors
If you run a three-phase water pump, lift, or machinery, you need a three-phase inverter to power them from solar. A single-phase unit simply can’t.
Which Infinix models?
For single-phase homes, the 3kW to 6kW hybrid range covers most needs. For three-phase sites, the Everon HYD 15 to 20kW and the Everon HI commercial range are built for it. Tell us your sanctioned load and we’ll point you to the right one.
Not sure if you’re single or three phase?
Send a photo of your bill. We’ll tell you, and suggest the right inverter.