I’ve been designing/contracting residential PV for 17 years and I’ve installed thousands of both Enphase and SolarEdge inverters. We basically stopped recommending SE years ago because their failure rate is simply unacceptable. SE’s RMA process also is less than adequate. They make a great product when it’s working but the last thing any solar contractors wants is thousands of installed systems under warranty that are prone to failure; case in point is Pink Solar who just went BK as a direct result of what I’m describing above (not SolarEdge related though). If you’re a homeowner and you’re in the market for a 12kw or smaller system then it’s worth it to spend a little more and get Enphase. That’s my opinion. When you start getting into the larger systems like +30kw then SE might start to make a little more sense
Also any other voltages than 240 or 208 is difficult to install with Enphase, so that’s a slight bonus for SolarEdge if you’re installing a solar system on a building with 277/480 voltages.
@@markwullenschneider195 Is that still the case with the SE update thst promised higher reliability. Joe mentioned in the video that it's been addressed but would welcome your on the ground POV.
@@ram64man So far I have not experienced the clipping effect. I’ve seen some very bad clipping with other users but the inverter size was not a match for the panel. I.e., 410w panels matched with the IQ+ and not the IQM or better. The heat is tough in South Central Texas and the panel efficiency goes down. Cheers How do you like the Tygos. I think they have a good product.
@@af1023im in upper state ny, with two arrays an LG 380w 6kw, on SMA 3phase thats been frankly trouble free, and 8kw ground mount REC alpha, due to the location it can get some shading due to the tree line, at the time I couldn't get any iq7+ in my area but would have badly clipped the output in peak solar day, by over 2kwh so I asked the contractor what else and he opted for the tygos. so far its been a bit hit and miss, no issue with the solar but had 5 failed within 6 weeks, tygo replied to my email within 2 days on a warranty call out, they handled it through a 3rd party since my original contractor sadly died in a car accident , they identified it as a bad batch, so swapped ALL the optomisers , since then I have had no issue even through the winter storms this christmas, last summer they hit there peak of 380w each unit with no clipping since they were rated to 450w, this allowed the max to be generated and ended up topping up a 24kwh pylontech battery backup
I have 16 x REC Alpha Pure 405W with IQ8M inverters. I asked to be upgraded from IQ8Plus to IQ8M because I was worried about clipping. I've seen minor clipping on sunny days between about 12 and 3PM, but not enough to make a big difference in overall power output. I'm glad that I asked for the slightly better inverters though, because the smaller ones would have had more significant clipping. If going up to a 420-430W panel, I'd probably go up to IQ8A.
@@citystuff7184 Excellent move, same here, the Tech at Solar Surge designed the system with the IQ8M on the REC Alpha Pure panels and have seen relatively little to no clipping. The roofs in South Central Texas get way too hot for a good part of the year.
In all these videos you're leaving out one of the main components as well and that is the monitoring systems. By far the solar edge has better monitoring and it allows the installers or the owners to problem solve any issues. You should do a video on the differences and abilities of the monitoring portals.
Joe, I gotta give you some critiques on this video. First of all, I’ve installed SolarEdge systems and Enphase systems for almost half a decade now and I’d say that the failure rate for the SetApp SolarEdge inverters is still around 30-40%, especially around year 5 of the install. This failure rate is still unacceptably high and I believe it has to do with a few design flaws with the SolarEdge central inverters. It’s also highly annoying as an installer to have to drop everything on a service call when a customer’s entire system goes down because of a central inverter when replacing a single microinverter take only around 15-30 minutes tops and it’s only one panel down in the entire system. Also, Enphase has a powerful 384 VA IQ8 H microinverter for 240v systems but obviously that microinverter is going to be very expensive in a quote. I would say one of the main advantages of SolarEdge is still for commercial installations, because Enphase doesn’t have a very easy to install solution for 277/480 buildings besides to add in a step-down transformer which can be annoying to have to install. Because most high powered modules are still around the 400w stc level, the clipping losses are pretty insignificant especially when paired with an IQ 8H inverter. That said there is a tiny round trip efficiency boost with SolarEdge because of the DC to DC conversion, but it’s not really enough in my opinion to justify having to deal with the single point of failure problem which can be extremely frustrating and annoying to deal with on service calls.
Hey Nolan would you be willing to come on the channel and give your take on installing both systems? An honest take. If so our contact is in our about. Thnx -Vitaly
My solaredge system was out 5 times last year.........nearly 1/3 of the year. Solaredge is an equity based system, the "optimizers" turned off the system. The reason was because I optimized the locations to get the most sun. The problem was that the optimizers did not like that because only 5 of the panels get the best level of sun. I switched to enhpase which is a meritocracy based system. This one allows me t have the panels that to do get an even amount of solar energy. I can also monitor each panel easily.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 01:25 🌞 String inverters convert high voltage DC power from multiple solar panels into 240 volts AC, but have drawbacks like reduced performance due to shading and no module-level monitoring. 03:29 🔄 Enphase introduced micro inverters, placing a small inverter on each solar panel, enabling module-level monitoring and eliminating single points of failure. 05:34 🔌 SolarEdge introduced DC Optimizers, placing a device on each panel, providing module-level monitoring while maintaining the simplicity and lower cost of string inverters. 07:41 🏭 SolarEdge faced initial reliability issues with its SetApp inverters, but both Enphase and SolarEdge are now similarly reliable. 09:46 ⚡ Clipping loss occurs when the solar panel's DC rating exceeds the inverter's AC rating, and SolarEdge has an advantage in minimizing clipping loss. 12:47 🔋 Both Enphase and SolarEdge offer batteries, load controllers, and EV chargers, becoming comprehensive home energy system providers. Made with HARPA AI
Warning… I’m going to be controversial on this I’m sure… First- Joe, your last video comparing these products was good and when I saw this one, I thought it was that previous video, but I clicked anyway and I’m glad I did. I very much liked this one. Second- my opinion based off my experience is, we way too easily accept the idea and the studies that say clipping loss is actually good, helpful in some locations or acceptable. I have not read many many studies and claim to be anything close to an expert on the methodology of these studies, however it causes me to wonder who is most set to benefit from this type of finding? Maybe Micro inverter manufactures? I’m sure this is a terrible example but I don’t want to spend my hard earned money on a home air conditioner that’s capable of cooling my whole home, but then my electrician only provides enough electrical power to use part of the cooling capacity and call it clipping and tell me it’s acceptable or good for me…I want my system capable of running full capacity. I struggle that it seems we say, oh well that’s just clipping loss and accept it. It seems we then tend to encourage Home Owners to accept it also. I know some higher VA Micros are coming or are in the works, yet this not the whole of my comment, but I’m speaking to the mental acceptance over the last many years. I offer this possible other questioning attitude…Instead of simply accepting this mindset as many have up to this point, why don’t we collectively demand higher VA from Enphase or other manufacture? Our dollars are powerful! Especially when see modules are capable of producing between STC and NMOT, And we know the module industry is consistently showing increased module wattage year over year it seems. I realize there are pros and cons for increased VA Output of micros, yet for the purposes that often times we are trying to harness as much light energy to convert to electrical energy as possible per given amount of space, For me, I want higher VA Micros that the common customer can reasonably afford. Ok, I’m done. Lol Thank you Joe! You run a great program!!
DC coupling is a superior architecture, especially when storage is added to a system. Adding a battery to a SolarEdge system eliminates any downsides of clipping. The single point of failure is still there, but the inverter can be serviced from the ground without going on the roof. I've found the optimizers to be extremely resilient and provide the benefits of micros at a much more acceptable cost.
I definitely understand the issue with micro-inverters clipping. But with 384 VA micros and 400 watt panels, very few NMOT conditions will even produce 400 DC watts of power from a solar panel. That said, clipping is still an efficiency loss, even if it can be small. One of the annoying aspects of Enphase is also the tighter tolerances on voltage drop/voltage rise, which isn’t always mentioned. Enphase systems only allow 2% for the entire system, which SolarEdge is close to 4%. So field wiring costs can sometimes be more expensive for Enphase depending on distance of the solar system to POI.
I just took the class to become a installer for enphase after doing as much research as I possibly am able to I find that enphase is the best fit for me. Super easy rma US based support I cannot stress this enough how important this is. I don’t think solar edge is bad but changing out a micro inverter is way easier than changing the main converter that comes standard with an only 12 year warranty and you have to pay ore for longer. I know both have there purposes I just feel like enphase has a better support system and teaching utilities support when needed. Love your videos always watch everything new.
Sounds like you are on a fun adventure. As for simply changing out the micro compared to the SE inverter, depends of how tall the roof is, weather and roof conditions, accessibility of the bad module/where in the array it’s at, how well you kept a notes of the modules, etc. sometimes changing out the SE is preferred in my book. Best to you.
@@davidorcutt9246 my intention is to become certified in both. However the redundancy of the micro inverters is pretty good. I also have seen where even with the SolarEdge systems of shaded enough do not perform as well. I would imagine there are better systems for different situations. The fact that only have a 12 year warranty though makes me wonder a little.
@@charlesdavis7461 we can’t think like this at that point never buy a car or a tv or anything for that matter because we are constantly innovating and moving forward. For me at least I feel like we are at a point where it’s much more feasible to invest in solar because they pay off period is getting to be less and less and with most products having a 25 year warranty. After 10 years your making money. Also the roi on a solar system is about 14% where as the stock market is roughly 6-8% so your further ahead putting solar on then wall street at this point
@@davidorcutt9246 another thought is that with the app and how they have you build your solar array in the work space and the enlighten system it’s almost impossible u less you don’t do your job to not know what inverter is bad. They also do over there air diagnostics and automatic rma to get new product to you. I do agree with the roof thing though it could be a pain in the butt. Again every job has a certain system that’s needed.
I'm off grid right now I have 5 x100 w panel, wind Tribune, 3x gel battery and a MPPT high-end type wind solar hybrid controller. This is not meeting my need. We have a total off grid 2 bedroom home with the common utility but we also want to add aircondition. 10:57
Great video. Like always straight to the point and not to heavy on your feelings mostly facts with good suggestions and quick and short on the feelings perfect ratios. Don’t change a thing on your videos.
Hey joe, I have been meaning to talk with you about your use of the term Daisy chain wiring to describe series wiring. It is a great sound bite, but it is wrong. Daisy chain wiring describes parallel wire common ground and common hot along the string. In Printed circuit design low speed circuits can be star or Tee wired. To control the trace (wire) impedance high speed circuits use daisy chain routing this reduces the refections of the trace. A better analogy would be series strings are like the very old Xmas tree lights that when one lamp fails the whole string fails versus newer Xmas tree lights that are wired in parallel so that when one light fails the rest of the lights stay on. In summary string inverters are basically series strings ( optimizers bypass the failed or poor performing panel). Micro inverters are true parallel circuits. Mixing and matching solar panels with Micro inverters is not a problem. Mixing and matching panels with a series circuit and optimizers provides no benefit. Before I go, what is missing from the current solar ecosystem is a vendor agnostic balance of system. If I choose a Tesla Powerwall I am locked into their gateway, their switch….This is true of every vendor in the market. There are some bleeding edge solutions in the DYI market, but nothing that I can get permitted or approved in my market here in San Mateo County CA. I have enphase Micro inverters and 2 tesla powerwalls, Tesla doesn’t give me a generator option Enphase does. Neither provides a solution that allows me to cross upgrade or maintain my current system. There are no barriers to entry just the need for existing players to produce battery, inverter and solar agnostic balance of system hardware *this includes incoming grid service panels. It is ridiculous that we have to upgrade the service panel to handle loads that it will never see. I send people your way almost everyday. Keep up the good work. Thanks for all you do.
Enphase's combiner box has an 11 panel limit per line to roof, not "13 or 14" as you describe. I don't understand what happens on the roof but my understanding is that they plug into the line in parallel. So our 21 panel system only has 2 lines going to the roof. However; one advantage to getting DC from the roof (unlike AC from MicroInverters) is that battery storage & use can all be done before conversion loss, and before the power company can complain about exceeding limits (as with California's NEM rules) - potentially a major factor for future expansions that include a battery. With AC, it has to re-convert to DC for battery, then back to AC to be used or re-sold back to Edison. Do I have this right? Finally; life-expectancy is a major factor. Historically I've heard that central inverters last about 10 years, but micro-inverters should go for 25 or more. That's a HUGE difference that most reviews gloss past. I'd be interested to learn if that's been improved on.
the limit to the number of panels on a string has everything to do with the output ampacity. it could be anywhere from 8 to 20, depending on the power output of the panels and which model of enphase microinverter
SMA inverters have an extended warranty up to 25 years. And their RSD's come with a standard 25 year. You say micro inverters go for more than 25 years. I find that interesting since Enphase was founded in 2006 with first product released in 2008. SMA has been in existence for 40 years.
I have both systems installed on my house. South side has Enphase. The installer was terrible and the support from chat and voice both equally useless. Took a year and several technician visits to get it to work right. Even then, it's only 4kw. North side of house, different installer, wasn't much better. Even after 3 inspections, the ONE thing they should have done, but didn't, was to make sure it turns on. It did not. Took another 16 days to get a tech out. Both systems combined is 8kw. Had I to do this again I would max out the entire roof, tariffs be damned. The monitoring software doesn't understand there are two systems. Basically have to trust NVEnergy to not do me dirty.
Have installed solar edge in 2019, only worked for 1 1/2 years, I also have the 25 year full warranty, they sent 11 technicians ( who did not fix the unit), to my house an still refuse to honor the warranty.
Joe, another great video. I am about to have an Enphase system installed in Australia. Enphase will only provide a 15 year warranty on the micro inverters rather than the northern hemisphere 25 year. Maybecthey are concerned about long term heat affects. I chose micro inverters for the redundancy aspect, although my only concern was, what if Enphase closed, where would a replacement micro-inverter come from?
Where does the newer Aptos micro inverter for into these - especially for their powerful 440 watts panels?....How about their clipping results vs these two?......Price point comparisons on these three would help as well....Thansk, as usual,.
I installed panels last year (2022) and was fully aware of 2:52 - shade will bring down entire string to lowest efficiency. I read this in all the places I learned about solar panels. So I bought 3 optimizers to see what is the difference between panels with optimizers and without. But to my surprise, in real world, I don't need optimizers. The shade drops either on optimized panel or not, it doesn't bring my whole string down. Where do I read about WHY that happens? I have Growatt MOD 9000TL3-X inverter and Jasolar JAM54S30-405/MR panels. 'm aware that panels have bypass diodes, but I'v been thinking there are physics into play that prevent specific amount of current going through shaded panel, etc, etc... so where do I learn about what part of the system enables a simple string inverter to behave pretty good in partially shaded env? I guess maybe panel gets "shutdown"/bypassed instead of getting any shaded juice out of the panel in my case, but I have to experiment a bit more to find out.
I think you mention in a straight up String of solar panels... if one leaf falls on one panel the whole string plummets. I think that is basically incorrect as each panel has bypass diodes which take care of this. The one panel will plummet, but the rest of the pa els will deliver. Do i have this wrong?
I am surprised that you completely ignored the need for a DC buss and DC rated “fusing”. At least in my area the cost to build out an approvable DC system to the string inverter, eats up any cost advantage of the optimizers. I chose Micro-inverters for my install because it is the cleanest solution. No DC buss, built in redundancy, and the ability to mix and match solar panels of differing output, size and manufacturer. LG has exited the solar panel business, If and when one of my 39 LG panels fails it is a no brained to replace it with another panel from a different manufacturer and different performance. This is not the case with a string inverter with or without optimizers. I get it that in the trades the lower bid almost always wins, but who wants a solar system that is obsolete the day it gets installed. Overcapacity on the Micro inverters is a feature not a bug. I have worked as a EE for a long time an reliable systems always have head room designed in. Enphase is delivering mature products that’s just work. A DC system is not simpler to install or permit. I have nothing against optimizers, I just can’t for the life of me come up with a scenario where I would rather have then on my system. I appreciate all that you are doing. Thanks for the great content.
Overcapacity? I heard his comments just the opposite. He said the Enphase inverters are undersized for the newer and larger panels. That is the opposite of having headroom designed in.
Ive had 12 enphase solar pannels installed on my roof with seperate micro inverters and its working brilliantly BUT im trying to get a price for a powerwall but when i asked enphase through the contact us link and they wont give me a price they keep telling me to contact my installer, surely installing an enphase battery energy storage powerwall cant honestly require an enphase tradesman to install the powerwall?....can it !?, or can someone on here tell me how much a powerwall will cost me and tell me jow easy or difficult installjng an enphase powerwall will cost me?.
I think it is a good philosophy to keep complexity within replaceable devices. It is simpler to replace a complete assembly not working. And to minimise interdependence of devices. You do not want to have to decide which device of an inter- related group has failed. Best to dumb down and make ultra reliable on site work. Simple AC connections are easy to do, reliable, and easy to fault find. Enphase micro-inverters seem best to me. But I have no actual experience working with solar.
Isn’t Enphase efficiency at a disadvantage for solar battery charging as it has to do two AC/DC conversions (into the battery and out again) whereas SE only has to do this once?
yes, this would be a (very small) disadvantage. however, it's not a normal use case, IMO. when using storage, i am typically using a string inverter or charge controllers. if grid-tied, i would use the enphase every time
Doesn’t Solar edge with dc optimizer mean that you can use a DC coupled battery with less AC->DC->AC loss that occurs with AC coupled battery? Also that battery wouldn’t need its own inverters
Yes, the SolarEdge architecture allows direct DC-to-DC solar-to-battery charging. The SolarEdge battery needs toe be connected to a SolarEdge central inverter.
In my case and my experience its not brainer ENPHASE its the best 😎. I will explain why in my opinion is. Here in Puerto Rico beside the experience with hurricane we have a BIG problem with the ELECTRIC company GRID its a old system and problematic along with the management that operate the company so long story short I had a SolarEdge system with 24 solar panels and the inverter use was 76000 serie inverter the big monster elephant in the room that has to operate with a small transformer on the side do to the batteries that I was using the Powerwall first generation (6.4km) 2 of them and that system was giving me all kind of problems, probably the batterie incompatibility wrong setup or connection you name it but the main issue that I found was that during of grid mode the combine energy consumed from the inverter and transformer to operate and maintain my hose was using a lot of energy from the batteries so with this new system that I have same 24 panel iQ7 and one Tesla Powerwall 2 battery its a big difference that battery it last me all night and morning till sun come up. I will never ever use a Solar Edge product again not event a BOLT or NUT made from solar edge
I have Hoymiles, HMS-2000-4T-NA, 4-in-1 microinverters in stock. Each microinverter can output 475W per solar panel, which is 25% more power than an Enphase IQ8H, and includes a 25-year warranty.
That warranty doesn’t help much as it likely Hoymiles go bankrupt. Also for installing a whole home energy system it’s much easier to rely on Enphase for almost all components.
@@Wildsam157 FYI: Hoymiles reliability is just as good as Enphae, 99.95%+, and a 25-year warranty. Until recently, Enphase inverters were made in Mexico and some in China. They only recently opened their "first" manufacturing plant in the US. The Chinese quality and pricing are kicking their arse! You are welcome to pay 2X more for their inverters and cut your ROI in half.
Hello, I live in central Pennsylvania. I am working with a solar contractor that utilizes Enphase inverters. He is specifying the iQ8+ inverter for a 38 panel system with REC 405 pure panels. I was looking at the output of the panel compared to the continuous power input for the iQ8+ and it looks to me like the panel put out more than the inverter can handle continuously. I asked if they thought I would be better off with the iQ8a which looks to exceed what the panel can put out. I was told that the iQ8a isn’t as good with low light power as the iQ8+ and that because I live in the north east the iQ8+ would not likely clip or have the panel exceed the inverter. Does this sound correct?
The problem with the microinverters is that you have to convert twice to store in DC batteries whether they are station batteries or EV battlers. The EV will be one your largest consumers of power so shouldn’t you be geared towards that demand? I don’t think microinverters will have as much draw as we move into more home batteries and V2H / V2G configurations. Too much power lost converting. Besides replacing a string inverter every 10 to 15 years ushers in new functionality and maybe even more efficient dc-to-ac conversion.
that's something i've struggled with for my next install. the IQ8H is rated for 380 continuous VA, btw. i plan to just get 370W panels and deal with it...
Please, when speaking about string inverters stay with the current panel technology, not old, with multiple diodes, split cell, and much improved inverter MPPT that works extremely well. Much research has proven that the past shade advantages of micro inverters and optimizers is in the past. Also, failure rate of solar panels is 5 in 10,000! Yes, .05%. Think about this, Solar Panel warranties are 12-30 years because of the reliability. Thus monitoring each solar panel is unnecessary. Regarding SE and Enphase, get Enphase.
SolarEdge just sent an E-mail allerting users will loose the ability to remotely monitor their systems. They said, T-mobile cancelled service for the network. I can purchase a new modem. What terrible customer service. Six or Seven years into a 25 year warranty. Shop around and find a better company.
I have both systems. A 4kWp solar edge system and a 6kWp enphase system. Both work fine although I prefer the solar edge app over the enphase app. Enphase provides a basic app but does not allow you to drill down on each panel like the solar edge app. Enphase provides a more comprehensive app but at a cost, in my case it would be £250.
Enphase DOES provide information down to the panel/inverter. Look at your array, see the symbol in the lower right corner of each panel, click that for more information.
TL;DR Enphase advantages the home owner. SolarEdge advantages the installer. In my area, Im kinda sick of installers pitching and pitching and pitching SolarEdge and downplaying Enphase, ironically saying "microinverters fail more often" (ummmm... I asked you about your experience with Enphase).
Would you rather have an ultra reliable PV array connected to an easily serviced string inverter and not see individual panel failures or. hard to service under array electronics operating in a hostile environment that gives visibility of panel failures? Why compromise the reliability of your array with under array electronics? Hard to service
? I had an optimizer go bad when my system was five years old and I changed it out myself with a used p320 optimizer off ebay for $30. Took less than 30 min and that was 3 years ago.
I think the information on DC to AC ratio in this video is overly simplistic. There's a lot more that goes into it. In areas of high heat, like Florida, you can get away with a much higher ratio without significant clipping. Enphase has done an extensive white paper on the subject showing module pairing scenarios in different climates.
It is more efficient to convert 240 VDC to 240 VAC than to convert 12 VDC to 240 VAC. But it is easier to ship AC over wire for distance than it is to ship DC. So maybe we should get DC optimizers and string inverters on the roof, then combine the outputs of the different string inverters to send down to your panel.
A lot of good info, too bad Joe didn't cover the operating temp limitations of Enphase and speak about the warmer climates of the South. 60 deg C and our rooftops in Las Vegas can exceed 170 deg F. MAJOR CLIPPING!!!!!!
3 Gen IQ battery shipping now features the IQ8HP, and 4 Gen battery will feature IQ9 with GaN before the end of 2023 in the USA . IQ9 with GaN for PV in early 2024 sign up for beta
@@maximus20895 simple put, you know how your phone has those heat warnings? And you know how when you charge your phone it gets really hot? So that’s a micro inverter converting ac to dc. Enphase is doing that on your roof under every panel. So when it’s 110-120 out your roof is about 30-40 degrees hotter. Now imagine a cellphone on the roof charging for every panel you have. It ain’t reliable. And oh by the way any contract you sign the installer won’t service 1 micro they wait for about 5-7
Problem: IQ8 is a no see in Europe - so it's an easy choice Additionally with panel at/over 470w Enphase inverters aren't powerful enough - I know it'll work but the discrepancy gets too much
Why do you keep talking about shading on string inverters when there are many videos online just proving that they put lots of shades on those string inverter panels and it has very little effect so that advantage now has become moot, and probably because of the multi cell configurations within the solar panelwhat’s your response to the new stuff? This info is a little outdated now.
I’ve been designing/contracting residential PV for 17 years and I’ve installed thousands of both Enphase and SolarEdge inverters. We basically stopped recommending SE years ago because their failure rate is simply unacceptable. SE’s RMA process also is less than adequate. They make a great product when it’s working but the last thing any solar contractors wants is thousands of installed systems under warranty that are prone to failure; case in point is Pink Solar who just went BK as a direct result of what I’m describing above (not SolarEdge related though). If you’re a homeowner and you’re in the market for a 12kw or smaller system then it’s worth it to spend a little more and get Enphase. That’s my opinion. When you start getting into the larger systems like +30kw then SE might start to make a little more sense
Also any other voltages than 240 or 208 is difficult to install with Enphase, so that’s a slight bonus for SolarEdge if you’re installing a solar system on a building with 277/480 voltages.
HI there! I was wondering what state you install in?
As a solar technician, I can agree that I replace 5 SE inv. A week
@@markwullenschneider195 Is that still the case with the SE update thst promised higher reliability. Joe mentioned in the video that it's been addressed but would welcome your on the ground POV.
What about a system in-between those sizes. I'm looking at a 20kw system and can't decide which route to go.
My 10Kw REC Alpha 400 rooftop array coupled with the Enphase 8 microinverters has been a solid win.
Thank you Joe
I went the tygo route on my 400w panels how have you found it? Especially in peak conditions since the enphase will clip the output on our panels
@@ram64man So far I have not experienced the clipping effect. I’ve seen some very bad clipping with other users but the inverter size was not a match for the panel. I.e., 410w panels matched with the IQ+ and not the IQM or better. The heat is tough in South Central Texas and the panel efficiency goes down. Cheers
How do you like the Tygos. I think they have a good product.
@@af1023im in upper state ny, with two arrays an LG 380w 6kw, on SMA 3phase thats been frankly trouble free, and 8kw ground mount REC alpha, due to the location it can get some shading due to the tree line, at the time I couldn't get any iq7+ in my area but would have badly clipped the output in peak solar day, by over 2kwh so I asked the contractor what else and he opted for the tygos. so far its been a bit hit and miss, no issue with the solar but had 5 failed within 6 weeks, tygo replied to my email within 2 days on a warranty call out, they handled it through a 3rd party since my original contractor sadly died in a car accident , they identified it as a bad batch, so swapped ALL the optomisers , since then I have had no issue even through the winter storms this christmas, last summer they hit there peak of 380w each unit with no clipping since they were rated to 450w, this allowed the max to be generated and ended up topping up a 24kwh pylontech battery backup
I have 16 x REC Alpha Pure 405W with IQ8M inverters. I asked to be upgraded from IQ8Plus to IQ8M because I was worried about clipping. I've seen minor clipping on sunny days between about 12 and 3PM, but not enough to make a big difference in overall power output. I'm glad that I asked for the slightly better inverters though, because the smaller ones would have had more significant clipping.
If going up to a 420-430W panel, I'd probably go up to IQ8A.
@@citystuff7184 Excellent move, same here, the Tech at Solar Surge designed the system with the IQ8M on the REC Alpha Pure panels and have seen relatively little to no clipping. The roofs in South Central Texas get way too hot for a good part of the year.
In all these videos you're leaving out one of the main components as well and that is the monitoring systems. By far the solar edge has better monitoring and it allows the installers or the owners to problem solve any issues. You should do a video on the differences and abilities of the monitoring portals.
Yeah I sold SolarEdge just because the monitoring was more intuitive for homeowners. Come on enphase. Consumption BELOW the x axis? Thats useless.
@@shroud1390 how is the failure rate in your experience?.. and isn't it warranted anyway if there is a failure ?
Joe, I gotta give you some critiques on this video.
First of all, I’ve installed SolarEdge systems and Enphase systems for almost half a decade now and I’d say that the failure rate for the SetApp SolarEdge inverters is still around 30-40%, especially around year 5 of the install. This failure rate is still unacceptably high and I believe it has to do with a few design flaws with the SolarEdge central inverters. It’s also highly annoying as an installer to have to drop everything on a service call when a customer’s entire system goes down because of a central inverter when replacing a single microinverter take only around 15-30 minutes tops and it’s only one panel down in the entire system.
Also, Enphase has a powerful 384 VA IQ8 H microinverter for 240v systems but obviously that microinverter is going to be very expensive in a quote.
I would say one of the main advantages of SolarEdge is still for commercial installations, because Enphase doesn’t have a very easy to install solution for 277/480 buildings besides to add in a step-down transformer which can be annoying to have to install.
Because most high powered modules are still around the 400w stc level, the clipping losses are pretty insignificant especially when paired with an IQ 8H inverter. That said there is a tiny round trip efficiency boost with SolarEdge because of the DC to DC conversion, but it’s not really enough in my opinion to justify having to deal with the single point of failure problem which can be extremely frustrating and annoying to deal with on service calls.
Hey Nolan would you be willing to come on the channel and give your take on installing both systems? An honest take. If so our contact is in our about. Thnx -Vitaly
HI there Nolan, What state do you install in?
I'm taking Enphase all day everyday. Safer, more reliable, better in shaded situations and modular so you can grow your system over time.
Best to get more solar upfront if you can then add later imho.
My solaredge system was out 5 times last year.........nearly 1/3 of the year. Solaredge is an equity based system, the "optimizers" turned off the system. The reason was because I optimized the locations to get the most sun. The problem was that the optimizers did not like that because only 5 of the panels get the best level of sun. I switched to enhpase which is a meritocracy based system. This one allows me t have the panels that to do get an even amount of solar energy. I can also monitor each panel easily.
Did it cost much to convert from solaredge to enphase? thanks.
cost was zero..........the installer guarantees his stuff and so he paid @@theresamorgavi9196
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
01:25 🌞 String inverters convert high voltage DC power from multiple solar panels into 240 volts AC, but have drawbacks like reduced performance due to shading and no module-level monitoring.
03:29 🔄 Enphase introduced micro inverters, placing a small inverter on each solar panel, enabling module-level monitoring and eliminating single points of failure.
05:34 🔌 SolarEdge introduced DC Optimizers, placing a device on each panel, providing module-level monitoring while maintaining the simplicity and lower cost of string inverters.
07:41 🏭 SolarEdge faced initial reliability issues with its SetApp inverters, but both Enphase and SolarEdge are now similarly reliable.
09:46 ⚡ Clipping loss occurs when the solar panel's DC rating exceeds the inverter's AC rating, and SolarEdge has an advantage in minimizing clipping loss.
12:47 🔋 Both Enphase and SolarEdge offer batteries, load controllers, and EV chargers, becoming comprehensive home energy system providers.
Made with HARPA AI
Warning… I’m going to be controversial on this I’m sure…
First- Joe, your last video comparing these products was good and when I saw this one, I thought it was that previous video, but I clicked anyway and I’m glad I did. I very much liked this one.
Second- my opinion based off my experience is, we way too easily accept the idea and the studies that say clipping loss is actually good, helpful in some locations or acceptable.
I have not read many many studies and claim to be anything close to an expert on the methodology of these studies, however it causes me to wonder who is most set to benefit from this type of finding?
Maybe Micro inverter manufactures?
I’m sure this is a terrible example but I don’t want to spend my hard earned money on a home air conditioner that’s capable of cooling my whole home, but then my electrician only provides enough electrical power to use part of the cooling capacity and call it
clipping and tell me it’s acceptable or good for me…I want my system capable of running full capacity.
I struggle that it seems we say, oh well that’s just clipping loss and accept it.
It seems we then tend to encourage Home Owners to accept it also.
I know some higher VA Micros are coming or are in the works, yet this not the whole of my comment, but I’m speaking to the mental acceptance over the last many years.
I offer this possible other questioning attitude…Instead of simply accepting this mindset as many have up to this point, why don’t we collectively demand higher VA from Enphase or other manufacture?
Our dollars are powerful!
Especially when see modules are capable of producing between STC and NMOT,
And we know the module industry is consistently showing increased module wattage year over year it seems.
I realize there are pros and cons for increased VA Output of micros, yet for the purposes that often times we are trying to harness as much light energy to convert to electrical energy as possible per given amount of space,
For me, I want higher VA Micros that the common customer can reasonably afford.
Ok, I’m done. Lol
Thank you Joe!
You run a great program!!
DC coupling is a superior architecture, especially when storage is added to a system. Adding a battery to a SolarEdge system eliminates any downsides of clipping.
The single point of failure is still there, but the inverter can be serviced from the ground without going on the roof. I've found the optimizers to be extremely resilient and provide the benefits of micros at a much more acceptable cost.
I definitely understand the issue with micro-inverters clipping. But with 384 VA micros and 400 watt panels, very few NMOT conditions will even produce 400 DC watts of power from a solar panel.
That said, clipping is still an efficiency loss, even if it can be small.
One of the annoying aspects of Enphase is also the tighter tolerances on voltage drop/voltage rise, which isn’t always mentioned.
Enphase systems only allow 2% for the entire system, which SolarEdge is close to 4%.
So field wiring costs can sometimes be more expensive for Enphase depending on distance of the solar system to POI.
I just took the class to become a installer for enphase after doing as much research as I possibly am able to I find that enphase is the best fit for me. Super easy rma US based support I cannot stress this enough how important this is. I don’t think solar edge is bad but changing out a micro inverter is way easier than changing the main converter that comes standard with an only 12 year warranty and you have to pay ore for longer. I know both have there purposes I just feel like enphase has a better support system and teaching utilities support when needed. Love your videos always watch everything new.
All the best on your career. My concern is that there is so much innovation, a good thing, until you have to purchase everything that is now better.
Sounds like you are on a fun adventure.
As for simply changing out the micro compared to the SE inverter, depends of how tall the roof is, weather and roof conditions, accessibility of the bad module/where in the array it’s at, how well you kept a notes of the modules, etc.
sometimes changing out the SE is preferred in my book.
Best to you.
@@davidorcutt9246 my intention is to become certified in both. However the redundancy of the micro inverters is pretty good. I also have seen where even with the SolarEdge systems of shaded enough do not perform as well. I would imagine there are better systems for different situations. The fact that only have a 12 year warranty though makes me wonder a little.
@@charlesdavis7461 we can’t think like this at that point never buy a car or a tv or anything for that matter because we are constantly innovating and moving forward. For me at least I feel like we are at a point where it’s much more feasible to invest in solar because they pay off period is getting to be less and less and with most products having a 25 year warranty. After 10 years your making money.
Also the roi on a solar system is about 14% where as the stock market is roughly 6-8% so your further ahead putting solar on then wall street at this point
@@davidorcutt9246 another thought is that with the app and how they have you build your solar array in the work space and the enlighten system it’s almost impossible u less you don’t do your job to not know what inverter is bad. They also do over there air diagnostics and automatic rma to get new product to you. I do agree with the roof thing though it could be a pain in the butt. Again every job has a certain system that’s needed.
I'm off grid right now I have 5 x100 w panel, wind Tribune, 3x gel battery and a MPPT high-end type wind solar hybrid controller. This is not meeting my need. We have a total off grid 2 bedroom home with the common utility but we also want to add aircondition. 10:57
Great video Joe
Great video. Like always straight to the point and not to heavy on your feelings mostly facts with good suggestions and quick and short on the feelings perfect ratios. Don’t change a thing on your videos.
Hey joe, I have been meaning to talk with you about your use of the term Daisy chain wiring to describe series wiring. It is a great sound bite, but it is wrong. Daisy chain wiring describes parallel wire common ground and common hot along the string. In Printed circuit design low speed circuits can be star or Tee wired. To control the trace (wire) impedance high speed circuits use daisy chain routing this reduces the refections of the trace. A better analogy would be series strings are like the very old Xmas tree lights that when one lamp fails the whole string fails versus newer Xmas tree lights that are wired in parallel so that when one light fails the rest of the lights stay on. In summary string inverters are basically series strings ( optimizers bypass the failed or poor performing panel). Micro inverters are true parallel circuits. Mixing and matching solar panels with Micro inverters is not a problem. Mixing and matching panels with a series circuit and optimizers provides no benefit. Before I go, what is missing from the current solar ecosystem is a vendor agnostic balance of system. If I choose a Tesla Powerwall I am locked into their gateway, their switch….This is true of every vendor in the market. There are some bleeding edge solutions in the DYI market, but nothing that I can get permitted or approved in my market here in San Mateo County CA. I have enphase Micro inverters and 2 tesla powerwalls, Tesla doesn’t give me a generator option Enphase does. Neither provides a solution that allows me to cross upgrade or maintain my current system. There are no barriers to entry just the need for existing players to produce battery, inverter and solar agnostic balance of system hardware *this includes incoming grid service panels. It is ridiculous that we have to upgrade the service panel to handle loads that it will never see. I send people your way almost everyday. Keep up the good work. Thanks for all you do.
Enphase for the win! Thats what we have.
Enphase's combiner box has an 11 panel limit per line to roof, not "13 or 14" as you describe. I don't understand what happens on the roof but my understanding is that they plug into the line in parallel. So our 21 panel system only has 2 lines going to the roof.
However; one advantage to getting DC from the roof (unlike AC from MicroInverters) is that battery storage & use can all be done before conversion loss, and before the power company can complain about exceeding limits (as with California's NEM rules) - potentially a major factor for future expansions that include a battery. With AC, it has to re-convert to DC for battery, then back to AC to be used or re-sold back to Edison. Do I have this right?
Finally; life-expectancy is a major factor. Historically I've heard that central inverters last about 10 years, but micro-inverters should go for 25 or more. That's a HUGE difference that most reviews gloss past. I'd be interested to learn if that's been improved on.
That's true. String inverters generally carry only a 10-12 year warranty, compared to 25 years with Enphase micro-inverters.
the limit to the number of panels on a string has everything to do with the output ampacity. it could be anywhere from 8 to 20, depending on the power output of the panels and which model of enphase microinverter
SMA inverters have an extended warranty up to 25 years. And their RSD's come with a standard 25 year. You say micro inverters go for more than 25 years. I find that interesting since Enphase was founded in 2006 with first product released in 2008. SMA has been in existence for 40 years.
It would be nice to see you throw SMA into your comparisons.
SMA not top 3 so most won’t look that way for an inverter
Well-explained. Congratulations.
I have both systems installed on my house. South side has Enphase. The installer was terrible and the support from chat and voice both equally useless. Took a year and several technician visits to get it to work right. Even then, it's only 4kw.
North side of house, different installer, wasn't much better. Even after 3 inspections, the ONE thing they should have done, but didn't, was to make sure it turns on. It did not. Took another 16 days to get a tech out.
Both systems combined is 8kw. Had I to do this again I would max out the entire roof, tariffs be damned.
The monitoring software doesn't understand there are two systems. Basically have to trust NVEnergy to not do me dirty.
Have installed solar edge in 2019, only worked for 1 1/2 years, I also have the 25 year full warranty, they sent 11 technicians ( who did not fix the unit), to my house an still refuse to honor the warranty.
Thanks so much for continuing to provide clear explanations and perspective.
Joe, another great video. I am about to have an Enphase system installed in Australia. Enphase will only provide a 15 year warranty on the micro inverters rather than the northern hemisphere 25 year. Maybecthey are concerned about long term heat affects. I chose micro inverters for the redundancy aspect, although my only concern was, what if Enphase closed, where would a replacement micro-inverter come from?
Thank you for the thoughtful comparison. Struggling with this choice right now and the information is great!
what did you end up using ?
Where does the newer Aptos micro inverter for into these - especially for their powerful 440 watts panels?....How about their clipping results vs these two?......Price point comparisons on these three would help as well....Thansk, as usual,.
I installed panels last year (2022) and was fully aware of 2:52 - shade will bring down entire string to lowest efficiency. I read this in all the places I learned about solar panels. So I bought 3 optimizers to see what is the difference between panels with optimizers and without. But to my surprise, in real world, I don't need optimizers. The shade drops either on optimized panel or not, it doesn't bring my whole string down. Where do I read about WHY that happens? I have Growatt MOD 9000TL3-X inverter and Jasolar JAM54S30-405/MR panels.
'm aware that panels have bypass diodes, but I'v been thinking there are physics into play that prevent specific amount of current going through shaded panel, etc, etc... so where do I learn about what part of the system enables a simple string inverter to behave pretty good in partially shaded env? I guess maybe panel gets "shutdown"/bypassed instead of getting any shaded juice out of the panel in my case, but I have to experiment a bit more to find out.
Are your panels split?
@@bernadetteconnolly512 split how? They have 3 bypass diodes I think, so kindof split in 3
Yeah, theirs a lot of misinformation regarding shading advantages with micro inverters...
Hoymiles has my interest.
Thanks so much
I think you mention in a straight up String of solar panels... if one leaf falls on one panel the whole string plummets. I think that is basically incorrect as each panel has bypass diodes which take care of this. The one panel will plummet, but the rest of the pa els will deliver. Do i have this wrong?
I am surprised that you completely ignored the need for a DC buss and DC rated “fusing”. At least in my area the cost to build out an approvable DC system to the string inverter, eats up any cost advantage of the optimizers. I chose Micro-inverters for my install because it is the cleanest solution. No DC buss, built in redundancy, and the ability to mix and match solar panels of differing output, size and manufacturer. LG has exited the solar panel business, If and when one of my 39 LG panels fails it is a no brained to replace it with another panel from a different manufacturer and different performance. This is not the case with a string inverter with or without optimizers. I get it that in the trades the lower bid almost always wins, but who wants a solar system that is obsolete the day it gets installed. Overcapacity on the Micro inverters is a feature not a bug. I have worked as a EE for a long time an reliable systems always have head room designed in. Enphase is delivering mature products that’s just work. A DC system is not simpler to install or permit. I have nothing against optimizers, I just can’t for the life of me come up with a scenario where I would rather have then on my system. I appreciate all that you are doing. Thanks for the great content.
Overcapacity? I heard his comments just the opposite. He said the Enphase inverters are undersized for the newer and larger panels. That is the opposite of having headroom designed in.
Enphase is they unbeaten leader!
Great analysis.
Ive had 12 enphase solar pannels installed on my roof with seperate micro inverters and its working brilliantly BUT im trying to get a price for a powerwall but when i asked enphase through the contact us link and they wont give me a price they keep telling me to contact my installer, surely installing an enphase battery energy storage powerwall cant honestly require an enphase tradesman to install the powerwall?....can it !?, or can someone on here tell me how much a powerwall will cost me and tell me jow easy or difficult installjng an enphase powerwall will cost me?.
I think it is a good philosophy to keep complexity within replaceable devices. It is simpler to replace a complete assembly not working.
And to minimise interdependence of devices. You do not want to have to decide which device of an inter- related group has failed.
Best to dumb down and make ultra reliable on site work. Simple AC connections are easy to do, reliable, and easy to fault find.
Enphase micro-inverters seem best to me. But I have no actual experience working with solar.
SE does have a central point of fail but Emphase has as well. What happens when the AC combiner box of enphase fails?? Same results as SE
How about neither? Modern panels with bypass diodes are more than sufficient vs the cost of another point of failure
That's a good point. We see most homeowners like the ability to monitor each individual solar panel even if there is not much performance gain.
Isn’t Enphase efficiency at a disadvantage for solar battery charging as it has to do two AC/DC conversions (into the battery and out again) whereas SE only has to do this once?
*waiting for a reply*
yes, this would be a (very small) disadvantage. however, it's not a normal use case, IMO. when using storage, i am typically using a string inverter or charge controllers. if grid-tied, i would use the enphase every time
It is more efficent when it is working. But when it breaks ans stays broken it is trash.
Doesn’t Solar edge with dc optimizer mean that you can use a DC coupled battery with less AC->DC->AC loss that occurs with AC coupled battery? Also that battery wouldn’t need its own inverters
Yes, the SolarEdge architecture allows direct DC-to-DC solar-to-battery charging. The SolarEdge battery needs toe be connected to a SolarEdge central inverter.
Thx
In my case and my experience its not brainer ENPHASE its the best 😎. I will explain why in my opinion is. Here in Puerto Rico beside the experience with hurricane we have a BIG problem with the ELECTRIC company GRID its a old system and problematic along with the management that operate the company so long story short I had a SolarEdge system with 24 solar panels and the inverter use was 76000 serie inverter the big monster elephant in the room that has to operate with a small transformer on the side do to the batteries that I was using the Powerwall first generation (6.4km) 2 of them and that system was giving me all kind of problems, probably the batterie incompatibility wrong setup or connection you name it but the main issue that I found was that during of grid mode the combine energy consumed from the inverter and transformer to operate and maintain my hose was using a lot of energy from the batteries so with this new system that I have same 24 panel iQ7 and one Tesla Powerwall 2 battery its a big difference that battery it last me all night and morning till sun come up. I will never ever use a Solar Edge product again not event a BOLT or NUT made from solar edge
IQ8HP 480 watt
I have Hoymiles, HMS-2000-4T-NA, 4-in-1 microinverters in stock. Each microinverter can output 475W per solar panel, which is 25% more power than an Enphase IQ8H, and includes a 25-year warranty.
That warranty doesn’t help much as it likely Hoymiles go bankrupt. Also for installing a whole home energy system it’s much easier to rely on Enphase for almost all components.
@@TurreTuntematon Not likely at all.
@@ToddDesiato We will see in 2-3 years..
Hoymiles is a Chinese made vs Enphase being a USD company,I rather deal with America for reliability
@@Wildsam157 FYI: Hoymiles reliability is just as good as Enphae, 99.95%+, and a 25-year warranty. Until recently, Enphase inverters were made in Mexico and some in China. They only recently opened their "first" manufacturing plant in the US. The Chinese quality and pricing are kicking their arse! You are welcome to pay 2X more for their inverters and cut your ROI in half.
which ENPH IQ8 version has panel level module monitoring?
All the Enphase micro-inverters offer panel-level monitoring.
@@SolarSurge Thx, so what's the main difference between IQ8A to IQ8+ ?
Hello, I live in central Pennsylvania. I am working with a solar contractor that utilizes Enphase inverters. He is specifying the iQ8+ inverter for a 38 panel system with REC 405 pure panels. I was looking at the output of the panel compared to the continuous power input for the iQ8+ and it looks to me like the panel put out more than the inverter can handle continuously. I asked if they thought I would be better off with the iQ8a which looks to exceed what the panel can put out. I was told that the iQ8a isn’t as good with low light power as the iQ8+ and that because I live in the north east the iQ8+ would not likely clip or have the panel exceed the inverter. Does this sound correct?
Try IQ8M
@fyrchiken, I'm looking at the same iQ8+ w/42 REC405. did you have them installed? If so, any feedback good/bad? Thx
Enphase is like IPhone and Solar Edge is like android.
There is a larger output micro…IQ8H has 384VA max 380VA continuous.
People tend to forget about IQ8 H for some reason…
Still not enough for Panel 470w and above
Very few residential customers install 470 watt panels. They don’t fit on a roof in a 60 cell format.
He didn’t discuss the fact that enphase is infinitely expandable based on your site
I like it better for homeowners
You seem to be forgetting APsystems
The problem with the microinverters is that you have to convert twice to store in DC batteries whether they are station batteries or EV battlers. The EV will be one your largest consumers of power so shouldn’t you be geared towards that demand?
I don’t think microinverters will have as much draw as we move into more home batteries and V2H / V2G configurations. Too much power lost converting. Besides replacing a string inverter every 10 to 15 years ushers in new functionality and maybe even more efficient dc-to-ac conversion.
I would agree that DC coupled systems offer more efficient battery charging. That’s a distinct advantage for that architecture.
Enphase need to offer better compatibility to up to 550w panels, cutting it down to just 300w is the reason I went elsewhere
that's something i've struggled with for my next install. the IQ8H is rated for 380 continuous VA, btw. i plan to just get 370W panels and deal with it...
Please, when speaking about string inverters stay with the current panel technology, not old, with multiple diodes, split cell, and much improved inverter MPPT that works extremely well. Much research has proven that the past shade advantages of micro inverters and optimizers is in the past. Also, failure rate of solar panels is 5 in 10,000! Yes, .05%. Think about this, Solar Panel warranties are 12-30 years because of the reliability. Thus monitoring each solar panel is unnecessary. Regarding SE and Enphase, get Enphase.
SolarEdge just sent an E-mail allerting users will loose the ability to remotely monitor their systems. They said, T-mobile cancelled service for the network. I can purchase a new modem. What terrible customer service. Six or Seven years into a 25 year warranty. Shop around and find a better company.
I have both systems. A 4kWp solar edge system and a 6kWp enphase system. Both work fine although I prefer the solar edge app over the enphase app. Enphase provides a basic app but does not allow you to drill down on each panel like the solar edge app. Enphase provides a more comprehensive app but at a cost, in my case it would be £250.
Enphase DOES provide information down to the panel/inverter. Look at your array, see the symbol in the lower right corner of each panel, click that for more information.
@@allangoodman82 There is no symbol in the bottom righthand corner of each panel with my app. The only info given is the kWh generation
@@colinwilson9122 use enphase enlighten, your array on that app shows the symbol on your panels
does both system are combined, mean they are for the same house?
@@dema-3000 yes both systems are on the same house
TL;DR Enphase advantages the home owner. SolarEdge advantages the installer. In my area, Im kinda sick of installers pitching and pitching and pitching SolarEdge and downplaying Enphase, ironically saying "microinverters fail more often" (ummmm... I asked you about your experience with Enphase).
Would you rather have an ultra reliable PV array connected to an easily serviced string inverter and not see individual panel failures or. hard to service under array electronics operating in a hostile environment that gives visibility of panel failures? Why compromise the reliability of your array with under array electronics?
Hard to service
? I had an optimizer go bad when my system was five years old and I changed it out myself with a used p320 optimizer off ebay for $30. Took less than 30 min and that was 3 years ago.
i read a lot of solar edge failures
I think the information on DC to AC ratio in this video is overly simplistic. There's a lot more that goes into it. In areas of high heat, like Florida, you can get away with a much higher ratio without significant clipping. Enphase has done an extensive white paper on the subject showing module pairing scenarios in different climates.
It is more efficient to convert 240 VDC to 240 VAC than to convert 12 VDC to 240 VAC.
But it is easier to ship AC over wire for distance than it is to ship DC.
So maybe we should get DC optimizers and string inverters on the roof, then combine the outputs of the different string inverters to send down to your panel.
I don't like the screenless solar edge. Tying up my phone is not a good thing especially for about 25 minutes
Or can you build your own powerwall for a cheaper price than what enphase will charge me?
Off course but itell be a Frankenwall.
A lot of good info, too bad Joe didn't cover the operating temp limitations of Enphase and speak about the warmer climates of the South. 60 deg C and our rooftops in Las Vegas can exceed 170 deg F. MAJOR CLIPPING!!!!!!
Geeze, the SolarEdge website is a convoluted mess with respect to researching their systems.
3 Gen IQ battery shipping now features the IQ8HP, and 4 Gen battery will feature IQ9 with GaN before the end of 2023 in the USA . IQ9 with GaN for PV in early 2024 sign up for beta
Could you explain more here?
How do you sign up for the beta?
😊 Found you Slem.
Enphase is trash in Arizona. Don’t do it
Why?
@@maximus20895 simple put, you know how your phone has those heat warnings? And you know how when you charge your phone it gets really hot? So that’s a micro inverter converting ac to dc.
Enphase is doing that on your roof under every panel.
So when it’s 110-120 out your roof is about 30-40 degrees hotter. Now imagine a cellphone on the roof charging for every panel you have.
It ain’t reliable. And oh by the way any contract you sign the installer won’t service 1 micro they wait for about 5-7
Seems everyone is jumping ship on SolarEdge. Their reliability continues to be a complete disappointment.
Problem:
IQ8 is a no see in Europe - so it's an easy choice
Additionally with panel at/over 470w Enphase inverters aren't powerful enough - I know it'll work but the discrepancy gets too much
IQ8 will be in Europe from Q1 2023.
Neither! Go a simpler string inverter
SolarEdge is junk.
Why do you keep talking about shading on string inverters when there are many videos online just proving that they put lots of shades on those string inverter panels and it has very little effect so that advantage now has become moot, and probably because of the multi cell configurations within the solar panelwhat’s your response to the new stuff? This info is a little outdated now.