What Is An Optimizer?

The term "Voltage Optimiser" is often used interchangeably with MLPE, but they are a subset of MLPE with a very specific function: they reduce the effects of shading or mismatch on your solar installation.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), "Partial shading can result in annual performance losses of 10%-20% or more in residential installations." Additionally, according to NREL, "Module-level power electronics such as microinverters or DC power optimizers have been shown to reduce mismatch in systems, recovering 30%-40% of the power lost due to partial shading." So, basically, optimizers help you regain the energy you lose due to shading.