[RE-wrenches] Request for Enphase inverter comments

[Geoff Greenfield]

I think we are all taking a hard look at it... and waiting for someone elses' horror stories of new product beta testing (on a customers' roof).  The fact that I have heard no horror stories so far is a positive.

They hit SEIA hard with a big, well staffed booth.  Clearly a well capitalized company.  Brought in some folks from other inverter companies... again good.  Have a sales guy whose given last name is "Sunshine"... gotta love it.  Has anyone reached out to get a company rep on this list?

Here's the scoop:  Another tech dweeb cant understand their price structure... He took the 4 most expensive components and sourced them in quantity and it looks like they cant afford to sell them that cheeply... a loss leader?

My biggest issue was nighttime tarriff loss (see SolarPro article on inverters).  Their next version will have a "sleep" function that addresses this.  Another issue is grounding requirements... make sure and understand this and allow for continuous or irreversible splices down to the Rod.  Finally our (probably) biggest issue - potting the electronics in a hot space!  When I complimented the designer on the cool integrated heatsink/chassis, he frowned and showed me V2.0... a simple box.  It turns out they have been watching actual internal temp readings (part of the well thought out data-monitoring) of field installations, and they really overshot the temp issue and will be dropping the heat dissipators.  So much for my idea of using heat transfer paste and using the aluminum rack as heat sink... just dont need it.

I haven't yet used one but am carefully watching it.  Great thread Bill!


For a brighter energy future, 

Geoff Greenfield 
Chief Executive Officer 
Third Sun Solar & Wind Power Ltd. 
340 West State Street, Unit 25 
Athens, OH 45701 

740.597.3111     Fax 740.597.1548 
www.Third-Sun.com 

Clean Energy - Expertly Installed 






----- "Bill Loesch" <solar1online at charter.net> wrote:

> Hi Gang,
> 
> For the number of ads I've seen for the product, I am surprised that
> there
> has been no discussion of the benefits/disadvantages of this micro
> inverter
> product.
> 
> TIA,
> Bill Loesch
> Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar
> 314 631 1094
> 
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