Peter:
I have no problem separating those statements that can be supported by fact
checking and those that are open to interpretation. A recall should have
some public record, so if a representative says there has been none, I tend
to belive it. I don't know or care what their expectations are, but I am
always concerned about a new manufacturer and a new product.
Here is what I think is the biggest problem with the whole concept: 99.99%
of our warranty repairs are on inverters. I have no desire to peel up a
row of modules to get to a bad inverter. Since I rebuilt my first Rambler,
I have always known the maxim that accessibility is a key component of the
mechanics of any design, and the Enphase violates that maxim.
I want to wait and see what the Enphase product reliability is before I
make a big commitment. In the meantime, there is some pressure to install
these. Our response is to continue to use "bottom-up" installation
techniques adapted to the Enphase so we can get to the inverters when or if
needed.
William Miller
At 10:35 AM 6/19/2009, you wrote:
Mr. Welch et al,
I am personally embarrassed by this thread. First, it is at its best rumor
mongering. Don't get me wrong, a little mongering often is the first step
in teasing out the truth. So, we need to quickly move from mongering to
the facts.
What really bothers me is Marv's participation. Marv works for EnPhase and
therefore is biased. Is he otherwise qualified to be on this list?
Let me parse one of his statements (see below). Remember, we are talking
about a possible "recall". Marv uses his post to prattle on about:
"Demand has far exceeded our expectations. This has led to challenges
with product availability which may have resulted in misinformation in the
field."
The first sentence is a bit of well crafted propaganda. The first problem
EnPhase had is that they discontinued one product, without sufficient
notice to their supply chain. This resulted in unfulfilled orders, sore
distributors, aggravated installers and irate customers. As to
"expectations" we can only guess whether the statement is factual, as we
are not privy to EnPhase's expectations.
The second statement about [demand exceeding expectations leading to]
"challenges with product availability" is also misleading. Lack of [new]
product availability was a consequence to a problematic transition to a
contract manufacturer. So Enphase could not longer deliver the old product
and was not able to deliver the new product either. Under the
circumstances, they couldn't fulfill a single order.
Finally, if Marv is talking about a "recall" being "misinformation in the
field", he may be correct in so stating. But that's about it.
I honestly don't know if we can filter marketing (i.e. propaganda)
statements from manufacturer representatives, Michael Welch's job is tough
enough. So if Marv and others are qualified to post self-serving
statements about their Company's products, maybe all we can do is to
comment on them when we read them.
Is anyone as bothered about this as I am?
- Peter
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