Inrush Current

Inrush current — the large, brief surge of current drawn when a system is first energised — is often overlooked in PV commissioning but can cause nuisance tripping, breaker damage, and connector stress if not properly understood and managed. Inverter DC bus capacitor charging, transformer magnetisation, and coupled storage systems all contribute to inrush events of varying magnitude and duration. This section covers measurement equipment, data capture techniques, and safe energisation sequencing to characterise and manage inrush events on PV systems.