voltage and using the one closer to the DC side will take advantage of slight efficiency improvements in the conversion hardware. The reduction, or outright elimination, of energy storage requirements, simplifies the device and eliminates the one component that is expected to define its lifetime. Instead of a decade, a three-phase microinverter could be built to last for the lifetime of the panel. Such a device would also be less expensive and less complex, although at the cost of requiring each inverter to connect to all three lines, which possibly leads to more wiring. Disadvantages The primary disadvantage of the three-phase inverter concept is that the only sites with three-phase power than can take advantage of these systems. Three-phase is easily available at utility-scale and commercial sites, and it was to these markets that the systems were aimed. However, the main advantages of the microinverter concept involve issues of shading and panel orientation, and in the case of large systems, these are easily addressed by simply moving the panels around, the benefits of the three-phase micro are very limited compared to the residential case with limited space to work in. As of 2014, observers believed that three-phase micros had not yet managed to reach the price point where their advantages appeared worthwhile. Moreover, the wiring costs for three-phase microinverters is expected to be higher. Combining phases It is important to contrast a native three-phase inverter with three single-phase micro-inverters wired to output in three-phase. The latter is a relatively common feature of most inverter designs, allowing you to connect three identical inverters together, each across a pair of wires in a three-phase circuit. The result is three-phase power, but each inverter in the system is outputting a single phase. These sorts of solutions do not take advantage of the reduced energy storage needs outlined above. Intelligent hybrid inverter An intelligent hybrid inverter or smart grid inverter is a solar power inverter which also connects to battery storage. Unlike off-grid systems with battery storage or grid-tie inverters they are also able to store electricity from the grid in batteries for later use. Intelligent hybrid inverters are usually used in solar power applications using renewable energy for home consumption, especially for solar photovoltaic installations. Electricity from solar panels is generated only during the day, with peak generation around midday. Generation fluctuates and may not be synchronized with a load's electricity consumption. To