Why are most inverters 115 volts?
Most utility connected homes in North America have dual AC voltages – 115 and 230. On a typical home there are three wires coming in – 115-neutral-115. It is 230 volts across the two outside ones. The 115 is used for most things, while 230 is used for water heaters, electric clothes driers, well water pumps, and air conditioning. Since these high-power items are not practical in a solar powered home, they are either not used or are replaced with gas appliances. Most off-grid homes have little use for 230 volt AC power – but even so many newer ones are wired just like a standard home to meet electrical and building codes. If it IS required, you can “stack” two 115 volt inverters to get 230. The one exception to the above is that many AC well pumps are 230 volt. If the well pump is the only 230 volt item you have, the best choice is probably to get a step up transformer, such as the Xantrex or Outback Power 120 to 240 step up transformer. There are export versions of most inverters for 1
