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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">Hi Wrenches,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">We are adopting the 2014 NEC in just a few weeks and will be installing NEC 690.12 rapid shutdown compliant systems for all permits pulled on or after Jan 1 2017. I thought I’d take a quick poll to see what equipment you are all planning on using to comply with rapid shutdown for your residential systems. Some of you are operating in states where you’ve been rapid shutdown for the last couple of years so you might have valuable insight as well.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">We have historically had the best reliability results with string inverters and have tried to continue to use them. However, multiple forces are drawing us towards microinverter systems (or AC modules) and optimized systems like SolarEdge. For one, our sales reps and designers prefer the design freedom that these types of systems offer. The module level monitoring is also a big plus. Secondly, we are installing a lot of SunPower Equinox AC module systems and the install times are smokin’ fast. Lastly, these systems are rapid shutdown compliant with little or no additional effort. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">I really like SMA inverters but their rapid shutdown solution seems clunky, especially when paired with their new US-40 series inverters which have three trackers. The rapid shutdown box only has two separate tracker capability so we would need to install two rapid shutdown boxes to make use of the three trackers. Other string inverter options like Fronius might be a little easier to design around.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">So, for now we are offering SunPower’s Equinox AC system and SolarEdge for an alternative. I like many aspects of Enphase’s microinverter system but still feel gun-shy because of all the failures we’ve had. Maybe their newer generation products have solved their reliability problems. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">What are you all using?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">Best,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">August</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">Luminalt</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1f497d">San Francisco</span></p></div></body></html>