The Solar guy@GbeleePaul
Do you know how a solar inverter works?
Okay, let's break it down. An inverter is measured in kVA or kW; 1 kVA is 1,000 W, but only 80% is useful.
Most manufacturers use a 0.8 power rating. In that case, if you have a 1 kVA inverter, only 800 W is useful. That's where we're going today.
An inverter is like a generator; generators are rated in kVA too, like 2.5 kVA and so on. Inverters are also rated in kVA.
A battery is like petrol; it keeps the generator running. If there's no petrol in your generator, it won't work.
Similarly, without a power source (panel or battery), the inverter won't work!
If you want to refill your generator, you go to a fueling station and buy petrol.
The panel is like a fueling station, refilling your battery. Battery capacity is like a keg; you want to use it when buying fuel.
The difference is, at a fueling station, you tell them the amount of fuel you want to buy, but the panel will give you all available power it's generating.
However, your battery capacity won't collect more than what it can contain.
Lastly, if you refill your generator's petrol tank, its lasting time depends on the loads you put on the generator.
For example, two people refill their generators: one is using his to charge and watch TV, and the other is using his for AC, freezer, TV, and a pumping machine. The one watching just TV will last longer than the one who puts a lot of load on his. That's why we advise minimizing heavy loads at night, so your inverter system will last longer.
The truth is, the sunlight coming out around 4 pm is not charging your battery again most of the time because the power would have dropped below 170 V. Switching off heavy appliances when it's 4 pm will preserve your battery for evening time, especially if your battery capacity is not much. The more you maintain your system, the more you enjoy it.