Very good question! An inverter is essentially the brains of a solar system. It performs a lot of different functions, especially with the advancements in technology these days, inverters can do a lot of cool stuff! However at their core the main role of inverters in a solar system is to change the DC power produced by your solar panels into AC power that can be used by the appliances and electrics in your household or business. Therefore it connects both to your solar array (DC side) and to your switchboard (AC side).