Inverters
The inverter is the primary means of removing power from the DC Bus. Lab and grid both draw from inverter AC output, not raw generation. Modified Sine is starting equipment. Higher tiers follow the Inverter Type research ladder (tier index N requires Inverter Type level N).
Bank
Five tiers, stackable up to a shared unit cap. The bank is uniform — every unit is the same tier — and total AC capacity is per-unit capacity × unit count:
Inverter_Total_Capacity = Per_Unit_Capacity × Unit_Count
- Add Inverter: buys one more unit of the current tier at its flat price (Mechanical Room).
- Tier upgrade: replaces every owned unit, so it costs the next tier’s price × unit count (identical to buying that many units outright — no stacking exploit). The bank size and smart-config settings carry over.
- Efficiency and smart features come from the tier, not the count.
Routing
Inverter research tier sets maximum AC output capacity. Inverter efficiency increases DC draw per unit of AC output. The inverter always attempts rated AC output; if insufficient DC is available, it curtails AC output to match (still factoring efficiency).
Inverter_AC_Output = min(Rated_Capacity, Available_DC × Efficiency)
Base load consumes first from inverter output. Remaining output is available to grid and lab. The Power Allocation Slider sets that split, but the lab only draws while at least one research project is active. With none active, the lab’s would-be share diverts to the grid.
Grid sales earn Energy Credits using Time-of-Use and the Reset Multiplier.
Smart inverter features
Features stack with each tier; all are available by tier 5. Hybrid grants Export at 100% / Research at 100% / Divert to Lab alongside its charge limits. Grid-Tie adds the Export Schedule and Charge-Only Segments. Parallel adds Predictive Export.
- Export Schedule: specify start/end times for grid export.
- Export at 100%: begin export when the battery is full.
- Research at 100%: divert excess to lab.
- Divert to Lab: send max available power to lab when not exporting. When disabled and grid export is off, inverter generates 0.5× max output, sending that full amount to lab.
- Charge-Only Segments: up to 3 time segments where the inverter will not discharge (Grid-Tie+).
- Predictive Export: projected-gain-based export optimization (Parallel tier).
Inverter capacity caps AC output. The Generation tab can warn when the inverter or a charge controller is the bottleneck.