[RE-wrenches] Solar Edge Optimizer failures

[Daniel Young]

We’ve had a similar experience as Carl has on this. We have 929 kW of SE up and running (mix of commercial and residential, so roughly 2000 actual optimizers) with only a handful of DOA’s or infant mortalities (total of maybe 10-15 so far). Service is reimbursed just like you say (does not truly cover the cost, unless the job is next door). But it has not happened enough, or in any sort of pattern for us to have gotten riled up about it so far.

 

Daniel Young, 

NABCEP Certified PV Installation ProfessionalTM: Cert #031508-90

 

From: RE-wrenches [mailto:re-wrenches-bounces at lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of Carl Adams
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2016 12:17 PM
To: RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Edge Optimizer failures

 

Lena,

 

We've been installing the Solar Edge product for a few years now and are experiencing good reliability.  I think we have had 2 optimizers which were DOA from the factory.  One was completely dead the other had a 25% reduced output.  No problems with warranty replacements.  

 

With Regards

Carl Adams, SunRock Solar

 

On Fri, Jan 8, 2016 at 12:07 PM, Lena Wilensky <lena at nunatakenergy.com> wrote:

We've had a strange set of recurring failures from one Solaredge install.  It's a straightforward 5kw system with 20 x REC 255W modules and P300-5 SE optimizers.  

 

System was commissioned in 11/2014 and ran fine for about 6mo.  At that time one optimizer failed - gave module short circuit voltage on the optimizer output when disconnected from the rest of the array.  Nothing visibly wrong.  Rest of the array worked fine.

 

About 3mo later (this past august), 2 more optimizers failed.  We gave Solaredge an earful, but they were only willing to send replacements for the 2 newly failed units and 2 spare optimizers for future failures.  Same failure apparently with high output voltage from the optimizer when disconnected from the array.  They said they had never heard of this happening multiple times and would do an optimizer autopsy.

 

We just had another one fail 2 weeks ago.  They apparently tested the 2 failed ones from august and found no water intrusion on the optimizer or connectors.  This is all the testing they can do in the US for these potted units.  They recently sent the failed units to Israel to test them, but don't expect results for at least 6mo or more.  Solaredge claims they've never seen anything like this and so far they have refused to send replacements for the rest of the "good" optimizers in the array claiming that the optimizers may not be the issue.  Really?

 

Anyone heard of or seen any "batch" failures of these optimizers?  Or have a good contact at Solaredge?  I'm about ready to swap in an SMA inverter at this point, and stay away from module level anything from now on.  We're going to have to triple our prices to pay for all this warranty work, as Solaredge only gives $25/optimizer and $100/incident to "help" with labor costs.

 

Thanks for any insight....


Lena Wilensky
  <http://static.squarespace.com/static/52f26626e4b049d9fe1f4f70/t/52fd4d40e4b0c0844a0eb2de/1393270590052/?format=1500w> 
www.nunatakenergy.com
970-349-3432
NABCEP Certified PV Installer:
Cert. #R02907-17
  <http://static.squarespace.com/static/52f26626e4b049d9fe1f4f70/53067822e4b0822d0c7053a4/53067827e4b0ec57163c45c5/1392932911551/NABCEP%20PV%20Seal%20Lena.jpg?format=300w> 


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