[RE-wrenches] Out of Warranty Inverter Replacements

[Keith Cronin]

Perhaps as an add on value-relationship building component for your businesses, go introduce your clients, new and existing to The Energy Detective-
http://www.theenergydetective.com/ted-5002-g


At the very least, you can help them, help you, monitor what they have and discern between whether their system is optimized and if not, the remedy.

For folks in the industry, they have pricing below MSRP.

Relatively simple device and you can monitor the inverter(s) and the home load to get a comparative.

They are working on the next gen of their product to be able to get granular on every load in the home, but this will be a boat load of CT's and MTU's, but I believe this will allow us all to identify phantom loads and help close the gap on maintenance and often expensive service calls for folks that are grid connected.

Keith


________________________________
From: Mark Frye <markf at berkeleysolar.com>
To: 'RE-wrenches' <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 7:56 AM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Out of Warranty Inverter Replacements


Out of Warranty Inverter Replacements 
Ray,
 
Here are the nameplate module rating vs nameplate inverter 
rating:
 
- 24 x 175 W = 4,200 W : IG4000 = 4,000 W : 105 
%
- 18 x 175 W = 3,150 W : IG3000 = 2,700 W : 117 
%
- 8 x 175 W = 1,400 W : SB1100 = 1,100 W : 127 % (sub-optimal 
orientation limits peak power levels)
 
I think it is fair to say that amps=heat=component aging. The 
question is to what extent can the installer rely on the representations 
made by manufactures with respect to their ratings and product 
life?
 
For instance, the 24 module system above lands well within the 
Fronius specifications for max DC power and is "Good" based on their online 
configuration tool, and also well in line the the SMA white paper of many years 
ago suggesting a 120% mod/inv ratio as optimal.
 
And yet, the first unit failed in 4 years and the refurb 
failed in 2 year.
 
Mark Frye 
Berkeley Solar Electric Systems 
303 Redbud Way 
Nevada City,  CA 
95959 
(530) 
401-8024 
www.berkeleysolar.com  
 


________________________________
 From: re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org 
[mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Ray 
Walters
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 10:26 AM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Out of Warranty Inverter 
Replacements

Hi Mark;

In cases like that, I let the customer decide. My job 
is to present them with two or three streamlined options and let them 
decide.
It seems it comes down to cost vs continued warranty (and possible 
expandability?). Financial decisions ultimately need to be made by the people 
paying the bill.
From a technical perspective, I don't ever present an option 
that I wouldn't be comfortable installing, and in the end everyone's happy. 
(hopefully)

Just curious; what are the array sizes relative to the 
inverter rating? I always wondered if inverters that were run at or over their 
rating didn't last as long as inverters that were run well below their rating. 
(just my stupid assumption that: more amps = more heat = less 
reliability)

Ray


On 8/19/2011 11:03 AM, Mark Frye wrote: 
Folks, 
>Yesterday I took a trip through my service area and  initated 3 inverter replacement actions: 
>- A 6 year old Sunnyboy 1100W, 5 year warranty  expired, $360 for a refurbished unit w/ 1 year warranty, new replacement not  available
>- A 2 year old Fronius IG4000 refurbished, sent as  warranty replacement for unit failed at 4 years under 5 year warranty, now out  of warranty, est. $ 600 to refurbish with 1 year warranty
>- A 4 year old Fronius IG3000, under 10 year  warranty, warranty replacement and service fee provided by Fronius 
>I have to decide, what is best for my out of  warranty customers: 
>- Buy the refurbished units w/ 1 year  warranty 
>- Buy new replacement units with  10 or 20 year warrranties 
>- Buy entirely  new equipment such as Enphase or SolarEdge 
>What are other folks experiencing as we move well  past the 5 year warranty horizon for many of our earlier customers? 
>Mark Frye 
>Berkeley Solar Electric Systems 
>303 Redbud Way 
>Nevada  City,  CA 95959 
>(530) 401-8024 
>www.berkeleysolar.com  
>
>
>_______________________________________________
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