[RE-wrenches] Enphase / Inverter failures

[Peter Talmage]

Hello Bill,

I'm curious to know what the array STC DC rating to Fronius inverter AC rating you typically had? Thanks.

Peter Talmage

--- On Tue, 5/7/13, William Miller <william at millersolar.com> wrote:

From: William Miller <william at millersolar.com>
Subject: [RE-wrenches] Enphase / Inverter failures
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2013, 5:37 PM

BobO:

I too was hesitant to install micro inverters for the reasons you cite:  why should I have to go on a roof to replace electronics? and, should electronic components even be on a roof?

I am converted.  We have had a few failures, but a manageable percentage.  It does suck to go on the roof and to require two people in most cases, to replace an inverter, but we have managed.  I get $150.00 per inverter.  Not great, but better than nothing.   I add a few dollars to each Enphase install to build up a fund that, added to the manufacturer's reimbursement, covers my costs.  Consider this:  to replace most 5Kw or above inverters requires two people anyway because of the weight of the inverter.  Furthermore, when a 5kw inverter fails you've got to get out there, stat, but when a 215 watt inverter fails, you can put it on your schedule for when you are next in the neighborhood.

I don't enjoy the PLC interference problems, which are rare. When they have occurred, Enphase provided continuous technical support, including factory evaluation of line filters and enhanced system analysis.  Did you know that each Enphase system has a built in spectrum analyzer? Tech support can provide a printout of interfering signals to help in troubleshooting.  Installing a separate AC load center to accept the AC return breakers helps with solving these problems.  I understand that the next release of Enphase inverters will be Wi-fi, eliminating the PLC protocol entirely.  When the communication works, (which it does most of the time) it is a very valuable resource.

Micro inverters have added a degree of flexibility in system design hitherto unavailable:  The Enphase has allowed us to retrofit a few older GTBB installations, for example tieing two SR100 modules to one M190 inverter.  We have also added a few micro inverters to string inverter systems that needed a few more watts but had no room for expansion either in existing strings into existing inverters, or no room on any wall for more string inverters.

I would encourage you to try an Enphase installation.  I have nothing to gain for saying that, I just like the product and I want my fellow wrenches to have all the resources to provide the best design for a given challenge.

We installed Fronius for awhile, but we had a greater than 300% failure rate (not a typo, every inverter failed at least 3 times).  There is not enough reimbursement in the world to compensate for that failure rate.  Most Fronius employees have been great to work with but two of them defamed me to an important client, and that has left me feeling less than supportive about Fronius.

I am curious, what is your failure rate with Fronius inverters?  What climactic environment are you in?  Do you have coastal influences?

Sincerely,

William Miller

At 01:21 PM 5/7/2013, you wrote:
> I'm one of the many installers who still won't touch a micro yet. It's not so much that there were failures early on, it's how companies like Enphase HANDLED them. My understanding is that you basically got a replacement inverter and got stuffed for your time and travel.

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