Wrenches, I have had extensive failures on 3 installs that are situated right on the coastal bluff in Northern California. Once you replace more than one inverter at one site on one day, the compensation goes from $150.00 per inverter, to next to nothing for the remaining. Enphase actually sent out their field services tech, and did a complete swap out on these 3 systems (with my assistance). It was a long day. But now, 2 years later, we are seeing more failures. One has had 4 micro failures to date. Once I get away from the coastal edge, with it's corrosive effect, the failure rate goes way down. I have asked Enphase to upgrade these 3 systems to the newer M215 system, and am still waiting for a response. I am to the point where I won't install Enphase within 1/2 mile of the ocean. Michael D. Nelson MD Electric & Solar
On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 8:31 AM, Will White <william.wh...@realgoods.com>wrote: > It’s funny because I’ve had a very different experience from everyone > else. I’ve had lots of Xantrex inverters fail and a few Fronius but not to > the extent that everyone else has. I’ve only replaced a few Enphase > inverters and they were usually dead out of the box.**** > > ** ** > > Thanks,**** > > Will**** > > ** ** > > * > __________________________________________________________________________________________ > * > > Will White**** > > Regional Field Operations Manager – New England**** > > ** ** > > Real Goods Solar**** > > 64 Main St.**** > > Montpelier, VT 05602**** > > Tel: (802) 223-7804**** > > Cell: (802) 234-3167**** > > www.realgoodssolar.com**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > *From:* re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto: > re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] *On Behalf Of *Troy Harvey > *Sent:* Thursday, May 09, 2013 11:06 AM > *To:* RE-wrenches > *Subject:* Re: [RE-wrenches] Enphase / Inverter failures**** > > ** ** > > > > **** > > 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.**** > > ** ** > > I find we have several times the service calls on enphase due to the > customers thinking their system isn't working, when in fact it the flakey > PLC network. And all that monitoring is only really telling me about the > inverters or their networking, since the long term failure rate of the > panels is several orders of magnitude better than even the best inverter on > the market.**** > > ** ** > > I have only seen 2 Xantrex string inverters go out in the last 5 years (no > surprise there) out of all of the string inverters, and all of the brands. > But I've seen failure at everyone of our Enphase installs, and usually > failures every year (1 or 2 dead micros per year per site).**** > > ** ** > > There is no argument that micros improve flexibility. And > the potential for a micro to have a higher MTBF is believable. But first > they need better design, more market experience, and will never reach 25 > year lifespan like they say until they take electrolytic caps out of their > designs.**** > > ** ** > > thanks, > > Troy Harvey > --------------------- > Principal Engineer > Heliocentric > 801-453-9434 > tahar...@heliocentric.org > > **** > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org > > > -- Michael & Jessica Nelson MD Electric & Solar Inc. Office: 707-884-1862 Cell: 707-684-0064
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