Comparative Technical and Economic Performance of Four Inverter Architectures in Urban PV Microgeneration Systems

This article presents a comprehensive technical and financial assessment of four grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems in Manaus, Brazil, each employing a distinct inverter configuration: SolarEdge module-level power optimizers (MLPO), Growatt string inverter (SI), and Deye and Hoymiles microinverters (MI, considered as a single technology). In contrast to previous studies, which were mainly based on simulations or conducted outside of Brazil, this work provides the first empirical comparative analysis in the Brazilian Amazon, integrating twelve months of real operational data. Technical performance was evaluated using the Performance Ratio (PR) and Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF). At the same time, economic viability was assessed through the Payback Period (PP), Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and Return on Investment (ROI), all normalized to facilitate a fair comparison. The results reveal architecture-specific responses to tropical conditions: the MLPO system demonstrated the strongest combined performance, with a CUF of 15.30%, a PP of 2 years, an NPV of $160,197.97, an IRR of 56.24%, and an ROI of 1,334.95%, while the MI system achieved the highest PR of 78.80%, but showed limited profitability due to its smaller scale and higher normalized cost. These findings establish empirical benchmarks for PV systems in the Amazon region and demonstrate that inverter architecture significantly influences not only energy efficiency, but also long-term economic performance.