While the solar panels get all the glory, it's the inverter that quietly sits in the background and does all the heavy lifting. The brains of the solar systems, inverters are the key component that converts light from the sun from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) so the energy can be used in your home. It's also at this stage the monitoring of your system takes place. Inverters enable monitoring so installers and owners can see how a system is performing. Inverters can also provide diagnostic information to help O&M crews identify and fix system issues. With the growth of solar+storage, inverters are also taking on responsibility for battery management.