NEW Enphase IQ8 Microinverter Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- Understanding the benefit of the new @EnphaseEnergy IQ8 micro inverter is critical for homeowners considering solar or battery backup. Sunlight backup, essential home backup, and full home backup are the options available with the IQ8 microinverters, additional equipment is needed to achieve sunlight backup specifically the IQ System Controller 2 and IQ Load Controller.
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Really appreciate you being transparent on the pricing/cost
This is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. This allows me to be grid tied and then use my outlets in my house to power/charge my portable solar generator. My solar generator can then be used to power my critical loads ie: well pump, deep freeze, start my propane oven and furnace. This is HUGE!
we had a traning session yesterday with enphase team. Looking forward with these iq8 inverters
Where please? I am really interested
@@dan-ignacekafwimbi6551 in Dellas....they are going to launch some very cool products next year
Couldn't see charts on a smartphone. Appreciate the explanation. People need to learn more about how solar works and how they can incorporate it into their homes. Thanks for sharing.
Enphase tech is simply amazing! Thanks for the update!
Even though I already have a system, I enjoy videos and how you go over the specifics. For someone who is just trying to understand more about solar, your videos are very easy to follow!
Thank you for this video. Enphase needs to have pricing on their site like tesla does. The quotes I got from installers were varied pretty wildly and it's hard to know what a decent price is, not factoring in installment
Thanks for the info! Looking forward to more about the iq8.
I sure would appreciate a video on how the new infrastructure bill changes the solar panel and battery rebates and when they go into effect! Thanks!
This is good info. I just bought my Enphase system with IQ 7 plus inverters, so it would be a total waste of money to upgrade my 24 inverters, but also since I have full battery backup with 30k (3 Encharge 10's) combined with the fact that this inverter truly don't give you full daylight backup in an outage without having battery still, tells me it isn't something I would want anyhow. I am in process of adding a Genarac 22k which is plug and play into my IQ controller so if my batteries ever get low and don't get enough sun I can set thru app to put power in the batteries when they do get low to keep my home in power 100%! It would be nice to keep solar pumping in to the batteries if power goes out, but not a big thing if you have a generator with the system.
I'd double-check on that. Last I heard, the Enphase architecture is not compatible with generator output.
The battery sizing restriction goes away when using IQ8 inverters. You can have a 20Kw PV with a single IQ Battery 3 as long as your using the IQ8 inverters.
That was a great video, wasn't it?
A single 3.36 kw Enphase battery will run the essential loads of an average house at night for 4.6 hours. That's it, has nothing to do with having 5 or 10 or 20 kw of PV.
The IQ8s don't produce electricity during the night, and they don't store electricity. An average house uses .5 kw per hour for essential loads. Batteries are generally set up to use 70% of their capacity (to help with their longevity), which gets you 2.35 kw per 3.36 kw Enphase battery per night. 4.6 hours of essential loads per night per 3.36 kw battery.
If you had 20 kw of solar, and a single 3.36 kw battery, the battery cannot run a large essential load panel like the 20kw solar PV can. So if you wanted to utilize all of the solar PV's production during a brownout, you might have to install 2 different essential load panels; one for the PV, and one for the battery, because the 20 kw PV puts out a lot more power than the battery. Sounds weird, doesn't it?
And I think that you might still have to install an Enpower for the battery. I don't know how Enphase is going to coordinate between a small battery and large IQ8 PV system as far as the essential loads. A small battery can only run a small essential loads panel, a 20 kw IQ8 PV system could run a much larger essential load panel. This will be interesting.
And also keep in mind that each small battery has already has 4 IQ8 inverters in it, each 10.5 kw battery has 12 IQ8 inverters inside. How many IQ8s does a system really need, between the batteries and the PV? How many is too much? Or is more better? Dunno.
For me it comes down to money. How can we give the customers the best value for their dollar? Is it a 10 kw IQ7+ PV system with a 10.5 kw battery? Or a 10 kw IQ8 PV system with a 3.36 kw battery? Or just 10 kw IQ8 PV no battery? Or a different combination? What are the peripherals that have to be paid for and installed? What's the sweet spot where the customer can get the best bang for their buck? That's what me and Pacific Sun Tech and other ethical installers will have to figure out. But a lot of installers only want to make the most money, not what's best for their customers, so for you customers out there- watch your wallets.
For the last 15 years, it's always been Enphase for inverters. And now Enphase is pulling even farther ahead. Light years ahead. Enphase PV/battery systems are far better products than Tesla's, and a far better value, no one else is even close.
@@markdavis9148 I was making a statement based on what is possible technically. Each installation and use case needs to be sized appropriately. Enphase system does not have provisions for multiple critical load panels. To shed load you would use the load control terminals in the Smart Switch along with appropriately sized contactors.
I do agree Enphase is years ahead of the competition. It frustrates me when I see people jumping to the Tesla system because "it's cheaper" It's and inferior system and if people understood the limitations of it they may thing twice.
@@markdavis9148 hum i having a tuff time finding a residential rated ish system that is compatible with my 400 amp SP metering maid and semains 400 amp main panel as things like the generic safety systems aka ATS solar system maximum is 200 amps though put using the grid mode ( and my local utility's only allow for one mainstream system on the safety system and agreed with them and feel more comfortable use it that way as 2+ in pairell can back-feed/weird behaviour and yes i have seen that with cars and industrial equipment products i have had to fix professional, and yes the house's loads do get past 250-amps right now and without any upgrades does brown out or trip out the meter/main breaker ) but with let me use a cheap portable generator from harbour freight/lows ect. aka sub-15KW size
Great video. Thanks for the update!
I was under the impression there were no sizing restrictions between battery and array with IQ8. But an array no greater than 5 times an Encharge 3 battery output isn’t really restrictive. Thanks for covering the IQ8 rollout and glad you could be part of the initial installs.
There is no restriction. They stated that in the webinar and it also says it right there on the installers section of the Enphase website. I'm not sure why he stated that in the video.
This will be a game changer globally especially in poor regions such as India, Africa, and China where they can’t afford batteries.
Waited forever for these
Great information. Thanks!
Which Soft Start for the A/C are you using for your Customers?
With an existing Enphase Solar only system, How many Iq8's need to be implemented for Sunlight backup? Do you need to replace all of the IQ7 Plus?
The IQ7 would either need to be replaced or they could be used in a split system where the IQ7 would product power but would not be used for backup.
What's the advantage to the IQ8 series if you were already planning to have battery backup? It seems the only feature differentiator with the IQ8 is the new "sunlight backup" capability. That's great, but these don't seem to bring anything new to the table for people who already have batteries. Maybe I'm missing something.
If your IQ7 system with batteries was designed correctly then you are correct. The only significant difference is the sunlight backup capability. If your IQ7 system was incorrectly designed then you may want the IQ8. An IQ7 system can only be 1.5x the size of the battery: example one IQ battery 10 outputs ~3.8kW so the max solar system paired with it can be ~5.7kW; if you have IQ8 then you can have 5x the battery size, so same scenario with one IQ battery, you can have a ~19kW solar system.
Full utilization of all panels during an outage is the main difference. Outside of an outage, I haven't heard any benefits.
The advantage is economics. A backup system generally has to be isolated. That means you can't sell that power to the grid. In my case the payback drops from about 7 years to 4 years (including backup systems cost) as those panels previously dedicated to backup are now selling power to the grid. Also, your backup batteries can charge must faster from the larger system, so solar backup is generally better too.
@@CalBru my backup battery isn't isolated although it's currently configured not to export (though, of course, excess solar generation does get exported when the battery is charged and production exceeds my usage). What I'm saying is that the only thing the IQ8s enable that wasn't already possible with IQ7s (or other setups) is the "solar backup" option, which is quite limited and fairly expensive to add support for in an IQ8 system above and beyond the cost of a more traditional solar install w/o backup ability.
@@gotamd I can't have a live system hooked to grid, when grid is down. When grid is down, while system is down, and I'd be on battery alone, which would either be much larger, or rechargable from panels. I needed panels to support battery (3 apartments on island with so so nfrastructure).
If your battery alone is enough to sustain (and price of battery isn't a large factor), then you are right.
..do you have an indoor unit with fan for smaller residents for at least 2* 72 cell panels like for use in hot climates low cost houses where theirs highest energy consumption come from air conditioning, refrigeration & induction cooker...there is more poor people than rich ones so find opportunity there...
Question - the costs you have for estimated $54K with the full backup - is that installed out the door - or is that equipment only and have to tag in install labor?
It's the micro inverter equivalent of SMAs SPS system. Except super complex and too early to market. Going to be a fun time servicing these things.
We shall see
Would be interested to see the price difference between the iq8 vs iq7+. Also does the iq8 only support one module? Some discussion going around that one iq8 can hand 2 modules.
@@radian2323 I think that would be the future iq8D.
@@radian2323 That's the IQ8D which is their commercial module for 208v 3 phase, it hasn't been officially released yet.
@@TofuInc appreciate that. Thank you!
How much is it to add a battery back if you have (q8+)if added later.
I understand that I can get the IQ7+ now on my panels and then add the IQ Battery which has the IQ8+ microinvertors and still have the same grid indepence. I don't have to wait or replace all the IQ7+ that are on the panels. Is this correct? I am not in your area yet I love your in depth videos.
Yeah that is correct.
@@dalerolph Thanks for the info - I am in Kansas City MO and Rising Sun Solar is doing my install they confirmed that too. They also have a huge TH-cam presence.
@@dalerolph HUGE relief - I just had my 48 370w panel array installed a month ago. Do I only need ONE IQ battery and can it be tied in with a natural gas generator?
so does the battery set up still allow the panels to work while the grid is down? can you put the iq 10 battery onto an existing solaredge system?
Great info Dale. I consistently get great value from your videos. As a DIY'er I have one question: Does the older combo solution (EnpowerSS/IQCombiner3/IQ7+) provide the same "solar backup"? I thought it was a function of the Smart Switch. I am pretty sure the old combination with Battery provides the other scenarios you outlined (partial/full home backup). I am not sure about the old combo sans the Encharge providing solar Backup however.
Hi Dale , great content. I’m curious if you could teach us about micro inverter in context of single and dual axis solar trackers installations with batteries , where the tracker cost vs efficiencies may require less panels since they potentially facing sunlight directly more often than a static setup . Would that be a great video ?
Hi Dale, I've re-watched this video a couple times and can't find if your quotes are hardware only or are fully installed systems? Would you be able to do an "Update" video to show how things have panned out pricing wise over the year since you released this one?
You can tie in a Generic Natural Gas generator with a critical load controller for about $6k to run a whole home. $53k is pretty far out in space when figuring return on investment
I assume your costs for the four approaches is before any potential tax credits (state/federal)?
Correct
Ok for example if I have a SolarArk inverter I cant use a Micro Inverters solar panel set up with it?
I believe SolArk is a DC coupled system. So you would not be able to use micro inverters with it.
@@dalerolph Thank you for the reply.
@@kellycayson7770 Not true. Sol-Ark can AC couple or DC couple. You can certainly use it with micro-inverters. You wouldn't want to AC couple another grid-forming inverter though.
You mentioned upgrading a system. Is it necessary to replace all IQ7's with IQ'8 or is there a way to take advantage of Sunlight Backup without replacing alll the IQ7's?
If you have the 6th or 7th generation micro inverter and you want backup, just get an IQ battery. Depending on the size of your system it’d be pretty costly to upgrade all the micros.
@@dalerolph Thank you. Would that IQ battery be from the IQ7 system or could you use the new IQ8 battery system?
Can the IQ load controller work together the Span panel? For a new home build.
There seems to be something wrong in the marketing. All I hear is backup, backup. But backing up the grid is a minor problem generally. The real application is saving money, and reducing emissions. Essentially all the older systems tie the solar energy to the grid using inverters that are grid tied. This is done on the customer side of the meter, and the meter allows the customer to save money. The grid handles all of the load fluctuation.
This old system works great until the utility can't handle the resulting 'duck' curve due to excess noon solar, and the surge in demand as the sun goes down, and people come home. Then the battery becomes the next step in the system. The battery allows the possibility of storing the excess solar power during the day, and using battery storage to power the home during the evening surge. The ideal cheap solution for this is a big enough battery to capture the excess solar energy, and a grid tied battery inverter - again letting the grid handle the random power requirements, and letting the meter sort out the billing. Generally the utility will adopt a time-of=use billing to encourage flattening of the duck curve.
So by time shifting the solar energy to discharge in the evening, money is saved, the grid has less of a problem, and the clean solar energy is released when the grid must rely on gas generation, reducing the emissions associated with gas power generation.
What I want to hear is how can Enphase help me with this time-of-use problem. Backup is a nice to have extra.
Just order solar panels with Enphase IQ7 with Enphase’s 10kw battery for my home. Should I change my order?
Do you have partners that would install in Virginia? Your prices are very fair compared to what I'm getting on quotes here in VA
Our prices are based upon our area, so even if we referred you to a partner in Virginia it would be based on your areas rated.
VA/MD is an expensive market.
I can do it right around the same prices in virginia if you’d like.
@@mattbrew11 Maryland?
I have a roof covered in IQ6.
Great vid and very helpful Dale! I am considering incorporating an EV battery into my essential backup system design. Would greatly appreciate your insights and considerations including which EV you would prefer if you think that is possible? Many thanks!!
how many modules can we use if we are using iq8plus with 2 encharge 10????
Are those numbers just for equipment or incude installation?
That includes installation. Where do you live?
Great review, always informative and unbiased. QQ: Can you connect a bank of the Eco Flow Delta Pros into the Enphase IQ System Controller 2? (Will be grid and Solar PV connected also)
Will sunlight backup also work if there is another AC source (like another inverter) on the micro-grid ? I mean will adding 2 panels with IQ8, IQ Combiner and IQ System Controller 2 to the home will mean the other inverter will also contribute in case of blackout ? I have a solaredge and I know it has frequency and voltage limits settings so will stop producing more power if they are exceeded.
No, the sunlight backup only works with the IQ8 micro inverters.
What is the efficiency of this when using battery power? Also, can you please look into doing a video about Solaredge's new Energy Bank and new Solaredge Energy Hub Inverter system? I would love to know how these battery backup systems compare (efficiency, price, etc) since they are the two of the biggest brands
We will be doing a full comparison soon!
Meh solar edge is crap
Can you do a comparison of similar iQ8 based systems but with different backup batteries? i.e Tesla, Generac, etc.
Coming soon!
And with different parked EVs plugged in, with V2H they are the biggest batteries you will own.
I see a enphase opened up can you do some close up pictures or videos to see inside please.
Dale been trying to reach you for a podcast on our channel for a bit now - to discuss Enphase and the state of Solar. If you're down for a chat let us know -Vitaly
can't click or copy your links in description
I am dying to see a comparison of the same solar panel with the different versions of the IQ8s. I have IQ7s and 7+s and 365 LG panels and I really want to know how much more generation I could have with the newer higher watt rated IQ8 Micros. I understand the minimum starting could be higher meaning less morning and evening but would getting more out during peak hours offset that? Do you know of any project like that going on? or want to somehow sell me one of each micro to test out and make my own comparison video!! though i would probably need a new envoy for that wouldn't I?
The Plus is ideal for that wattage panel. You wouldn’t produce more energy with the M or A.
@@dalerolph Do you have a (link) video which explains this, and possibly help the consumer understand which inverter would pair best with a particular panel's output?
I tried the quote link but it does not work.
how does the phase align for off grid ?
Are the iq8's even shipping yet?
We will be receiving a limited amount in December
Is the pricing before or after tax credit?
Before the federal tax credit
Enphase has locked the envoy to their cloud servers. I will never drop another dime on them.
Nice product until it fails. NO customer support.
Enphase has some of the best customer support we’ve experienced; but I’m interested to hear what happen in your situation?
Thanks for the video
Is it possible to just use a micro inverter without any other thing and get AC power? I saw this video th-cam.com/video/TgIK6n5P06Q/w-d-xo.html and would like to know if its possible..
Dude, lose the weird mustache. I am not trying to be mean. You are a good looking young guy. The mustache takes away from you.