[RE-wrenches] Solar Edge v. micro inverters

[Dave Click]

As a quick clarification- SolarEdge requires PV WIRE per 690.35. Regular 
USE-2 doesn't work for these systems.

On 2013/6/15 7:25, SwingJunkie wrote:
> Marco,
> We installed our first Enphase system in December 2009, and our last 
> in December 2011, when their high failure rate became a problem. 
> (Currently 10%+ for us).  We were only installing the Enphase units on 
> sites with shading issues, as a means to mitigate conditions.
>      After moving away from Enphase, we selected SolarEdge as the 
> solution of choice for those sites.  The installation labor is 
> comparable to the Enphase solution, separate device under each module. 
> One clear advantage is that there are no custom trunk cables required, 
> just the standard USE-2 cable and connectors.
>    Our field experience has been better than expected production, and 
> 1.4% failure rate.  In December we installed a SolarEdge system just 
> down the street from a site where we had previously installed an SMA 
> string inverter on an unshaded site. The  SolarEdge system has some 
> shading. Both arrays have roughly the same orientation and pitch.  To 
> date the SolarEdge system with shading continues to out produce the 
> unshaded SMA system by 5-8% kWh/kWp.
>
> I agree with your intuition on fewer components making a better 
> solution and "IF" there is a reliable solution that accomplishes this 
> that would be preferred.
>    I just priced out the Mage AC module (SolarBridge technology) side 
> by side with the Mage - SolarEdge combination and the later is less 
> expensive equipment wise but I think that advantage would be erased by 
> labor savings on the install.
>    All that said I'm still a fan of the old fashioned string inverter 
> solution unless the site shading conditions and or array geometry 
> require an alternate solution.
>
> Cheers
> Carl Adams
> SunRock Solar
>
> On Jun 14, 2013, at 9:15 PM, "Marco Mangelsdorf" <marco at pvthawaii.com 
> <mailto:marco at pvthawaii.com>> wrote:
>
> I've been educating myself on the Solar Edge product v. using micro 
> inverters.  If you click on the link below, you can read the pitch 
> that they make for using their product over micros.
>
> Any opinions out there on how convincing their strategy is?  As well 
> as any experience in the field with the product?
>
> Intuitively, it seems to me that if you can accomplish what you need 
> to accomplish (DC power from the PV mod to usable AC power) with fewer 
> parts (as in a micro inverter instead of a DC-DC converter and a 
> separate inverter), then that approach makes more sense.
>
> http://www.solaredge.us/groups/us/technology/microinverters
>
> thanks,
>
> marco
>
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