Concerned with Inverter Radiation

[j_kraut]

Very close to having a 4.5kW system put on my roof of home. I'm concerned about the potential health affects of having that electricity generated and the inverter so close to where my family eats, sleeps, and plays. Should this be a concern? The power inverter will be located in the basement, but that also could be a bedroom someday. Thank you!

[solar pete]

Very close to having a 4.5kW system put on my roof of home. I'm concerned about the potential health affects of having that electricity generated and the inverter so close to where my family eats, sleeps, and plays. Should this be a concern? The power inverter will be located in the basement, but that also could be a bedroom someday. Thank you!

Hello J, if it were me I woulnt put the inverter anywhere that is likely to be a bedroom. There are a few threads here that have discussed the heck out of this in the past. So to skip to the end, inverters are basically safe, if you follow the established rules and regulations

[Mike90250]

I don't think there is much to worry about, as long as you don't "live" your life within 3' of the inverter. It will produce some heat, which will warm a room up a bit, and if it's cooling fan turns on, it might be noisy. But the EMF from it should be no different than a 1950's electric service panel & meter on a wall of a house. There may be some audible 120Hz hum from loose laminations in a transformer.

[thejq]

EMF comes from high voltage circuits (like a high voltage power transmission line). Its effect on human is debatable without solid scientific evidence. Nevertheless houses near power lines tend to be cheaper. If you must, you can get a Gauss Meter commonly available in electronic stores (like Frys in CA) and test it around where your future bedroom would be when the inverter is at peak production. You can Google it to find out what's normally considered safe. If the reading is too high to your standard, you can build a customized shield box relatively easily, just make sure there's enough ventilation for heat dissipation.

[SunEagle]

EMF comes from high voltage circuits (like a high voltage power transmission line). Its effect on human is debatable without solid scientific evidence. Nevertheless houses near power lines tend to be cheaper. If you must, you can get a Gauss Meter commonly available in electronic stores (like Frys in CA) and test it around where your future bedroom would be when the inverter is at peak production. You can Google it to find out what's normally considered safe. If the reading is too high to your standard, you can build a customized shield box relatively easily, just make sure there's enough ventilation for heat dissipation.

Measuring the output might make sense if there was an issue. As far as I know all of the home sized string inverters produce little to no EMF.

It is no where near the strength or magnitude of a HV transmission line which as you mentioned as having harmful effects on humans is still being debated but there is no solid evidence as causing harm to back up those claims.

Now if the OP had an MIR in the garage then I would say that magnetic field could make his electronics and anything with iron in it suffer.

[truav8r]

Yea, this is a total non-issue. We are all getting bombarded with gamma rays 24/7/365, not to mention your cell phone probably puts out more radiation than these inverters. As another poster said, unless you live your life exclusively within 3 feet of these inverters, have no fear. Distance is your friend

[sdold]

Yea, this is a total non-issue. We are all getting bombarded with gamma rays 24/7/365, not to mention your cell phone probably puts out more radiation than these inverters.

I looked a couple of inverter specs (Solar Edge, Enphase, etc) and they all complied with the FCC Part 15 requirements. I compared the allowed Part 15 B emissions with that allowed from wireless routers and the wireless routers can emit much more, so personally I wouldn't worry about the inverter (or the router) if it complies with Part 15 B.

I think EMF is over-rated You could stand in front of a transmitting long-haul microwave backbone dish, like the kind you see on tall towers, and get less radiation than you might get from a microwave oven with the door closed.

[thejq]

I looked a couple of inverter specs (Solar Edge, Enphase, etc) and they all complied with the FCC Part 15 requirements. I compared the allowed Part 15 B emissions with that allowed from wireless routers and the wireless routers can emit much more, so personally I wouldn't worry about the inverter (or the router) if it complies with Part 15 B.

I think EMF is over-rated You could stand in front of a transmitting long-haul microwave backbone dish, like the kind you see on tall towers, and get less radiation than you might get from a microwave oven with the door closed.

Yes, I'm completely with you guys that EMF from inverter is mostly none-issue. But since it's attached to the house, you can never be sure if the people who's buying the house will care if it's placed close to the bedrooms. eg. even as an EE, I told my kids not to stare at the microwave and walk away when it's on. Why take a chance when you don't have to, despite knowledge and logic says otherwise.

[SunEagle]

Yes, I'm completely with you guys that EMF from inverter is mostly none-issue. But since it's attached to the house, you can never be sure if the people who's buying the house will care if it's placed close to the bedrooms. eg. even as an EE, I told my kids not to stare at the microwave and walk away when it's on. Why take a chance when you don't have to, despite knowledge and logic says otherwise.

Interesting story about your kids and microwaves.

I use to not worry about sitting in front of the color tv's that came out in the late 60's. That was until I put a pack of undeveloped photographic paper on top of our 23" quasar tv console for a few hours. I later found out that half of the photo paper (the side touching the surface) had already been "exposed" to so type of light/radiation" and the half that was overhanging the tv console was unexposed.

I let my father know about my findings and he then had everyone sit back farther from the tv then before. He even use to chase our cat that would like to sit on top of the console. Talk about lack of shielding.

[sdold]

I think the CRT emissions were Xrays. I remember there was a warning in some TV service manuals, or maybe inside the TVs, that you needed to be careful with one of the adjustments or the Xray emissions would be excessive.

[albert436]

Interesting story about your kids and microwaves.

I use to not worry about sitting in front of the color tv's that came out in the late 60's. That was until I put a pack of undeveloped photographic paper on top of our 23" quasar tv console for a few hours. I later found out that half of the photo paper (the side touching the surface) had already been "exposed" to so type of light/radiation" and the half that was overhanging the tv console was unexposed.

I let my father know about my findings and he then had everyone sit back farther from the tv then before. He even use to chase our cat that would like to sit on top of the console. Talk about lack of shielding.

Great story!