Great Job! The install looks nice and tidy as a true professional should. I am a Master Electrician who also has been installing solar for the last twelve years. I have designed my own AC coupled systems using Enphase Microinverters and Magnum inverters connected to a battery bank. Enphase has totally removed the challenge of integrating other companies components to come up with a more robust and simple solution to battery back up. Thank You for going the extra step and showcasing your clients system. I hope to have an install of my own soon to show.
@@That-Guy_ Dude in the winter its more difficult. LIittle sun, need alot of heating for heatpump. Summer you just got alot of sun to put in the battery every day to battle the nights.
@@HermanWillems I'm in Houston so I still get good sun in winter but since my house has a gas furnace, water heater and stove in winter my power usage drops by more then half of my summer usage. Summer usage = 55-70kwh/day Winter usage = 22-30kwh/day
This is also why it’s important to plan for diversity in your appliances. Using my battery back up, my natural gas furnace, stove and water heater will work, along with my refrigerator, but my clothes dryer, AC, microwave and oven won’t. By using a mixture of natural gas and electric, I can diversify to prevent complete outage without having to buy extra battery capacity
I have a client looking at EXACTLY this system today at 2pm ..your video is better than anything enphanse has to offer..thanks you! Although you chose not to back up the AC could the 2 batteries kick the AC on if you wanted them to?
So if it uses internet or cellular tech to communicate, what if grid, internet, cellular are all down. Can you have a grid tied system and still use the battery to power critical loads then?
@@mysolhome So what components would be needed to accomplish this besides a battery? Would the Enphase smart switch also be needed? I am not interested in emergency battery backup, but would like to take advantage of using battery power at peak time. Thanks. Great videos
I’m having Enphase panels and battery installed tomorrow but they told me it could either power the house in a backup OR be used to offset time of use. They said it can’t do both because it was dangerous to have a grid-tied battery live during a grid outage. Now I’m hearing about lots of grid-tied batteries being used for backup power when the grid is out. What lies was I fed? What do I need to tell Solar Optimum to have it work in both scenarios?
That makes no sense. Enphase works in both modes easily. The salesperson is clearly not Enphase trained; I would look elsewhere. What part of the country are you in?
Awesome video! I recently had an enphase solar system installed. I noticed the batteries are mounted outside in the video. My installer wouldn’t mount my backup battery on the outside of my house. I’m wondering if it’s because I live in Michigan and our weather gets too cold?
Quick question did you only run the hot wires for the main panel the backup panel or did both hot and neutral wires have to be relocated from main panel the backup panel
I believe you should run both, even though it seems unnecessary since you already have a neutral connection in the existing panel. We’ve had some inspectors have us do it.
What’s the battery arrangement? I.e. 16s? They are tied to IQ8x-Bat so I assume DC voltage input is similar to IQ7x? Also those micros charge the battery right?
Thanks so much for your video!! Am really think about the same setup but I have a few questions.Is the total amount of storage 20 kw and with time of "day usage" you are still paying the electrical company right? What's the wattage on the whole panel array? Thank you.
Hi Marc, you would need at least (3) Enphase 10 batteries to be able to power a 3 ton ac unit with a soft start. This homeowner simply didn’t see the value of adding an additional battery and wasn’t concerned about having the AC backed up. The temps are fairly mild here in San Diego.
@@mysolhome Thank you very much, that makes sense, and yes, that is right temps are stable there, I am in Chicago area to there is over 100 degree swings throughout the year, LOL... thanks again!
It looks like the batteries are less than 3 feet from the window. My city fire inspector (in California) says that this is a fire hazard and violation of California fire code. My city refuses to let me do it. How did you get it approved?
Tesla had an 80,000 unit backlog currently. They are cheaper than Enphase but you won’t get your powerwall in the next 12 months at this point. Enphase also allows you to use the PV and battery at full capacity while the power wall shuts off the PV for a set amount of time once the battery reaches full capacity- this reduces some of the available power for use
A little confused about the iq8 setup with ensemble in the website , batteries charge on dc, if you house the iq 8 on the roof it turns it ac yet if you install the iq8 in the gateway switch as recommended, do you have to run a separate line to get the shade protection, also does the gateway have a separate inverter to go from dc or is that handled in the gateway box or is that in the batteries and what is the max output from the batteries in kw
Batteries are 3.3kw per battery and have 4 inverters on each battery, so DC power does not travel anywhere. Great thing as DC power causes line loss and is very much less safe.
Not necessarily. This chemistry slowly degrades after that many years, just like the battery in your cell phone, but at a much lower rate. You should end up with at least 80% capacity after 15 years. You may need to purchase an additional smaller battery at that time to supplement. The inverters in the battery have a 25 year warranty.
You could run ac off solar panels during the daytime, as far as batteries, you would have to run off high end A/Cs that have inverters on them, my dad's 2 ton ac draws 3amps crazy!!!
Agree with Scott. This system is pretty much DOA. Big supporter of Enphase but I can't compete against Tesla Powerwall. Even Enphase's own website offered weak selling points to compete against Tesla with the main point being the LiFePO4 chemistry vs NMC. Finally the Enpower (smart switch) is huge, making for an overall clunky install.
Actually I just looked, it’s 7kW. It faces south and puts out about 32kWHs a day here in San Diego this time of year so the batteries are full by around 1pm.
Hi Steven, please reach out to our contact page on the website in the description to request a quote. Enphase just lowered prices a few weeks ago so you might be surprised.
@@uclajd I sell these all the time....Pricing changes constantly because of all the demand shortages and other stuff going on... $13.5-15k for the 10kWh....Quite pricey, but it drops dramatically when you buy bigger kWh sizes
Hi Kevin, if you haven't already, hit up our webpage to request a quote. The pricing varies based on site conditions, and Enphase just dropped their prices last week so it might be less than you expect.
@@mysolhome Why can't you solar guys ever give a straight answer without the "give us your info so we can bug you" nonsense? How about you just tell us what the install in this video cost?
@@TheTubejunky correct, you can pay for a number of years with that amount and have no light when there is a power outage. You can have a fixed bill for the next 20 years unless you pay it out front.
So in the USA electricity is more expensive during the night? Wow that’s different. Here in Italy we have from 08.00-19.00 one tariff which is more expensive because it’s daytime. From 19.00-08.00 it’s nighttime and it’s cheaper. Guess every country has its differences. Like the installation of all the electrical equipment shown here is outside, which is horrific in regards to exterior of the house. Here in Europe, everything is inside to not disturb the architectural design and prestige of the buildings, some might say that it’s outside to make it safer, maybe but most houses in Europe are made with bricks and cement which doesn’t burn like wood. Different standards I suppose, of course if there’s a fault everything cuts off automatically. Nice technology nonetheless
Enphase should have doubled the inverter size in each of the 10kwh batteries. 4000w of inverter isn't big enough to do much with. They want to use their stove and AC system for that kind of money.
why do you do sub panels? why not operate everything? if you don't need it, just don't turn it on. but at least home owner has a choice. you are removing the choice right?
Enphase requires the system be designed to only work with what it can handle. What happens when someone else buys the home and doesn’t have the knowledge of what to turn on or off during an outage?
@@mysolhome thanks for response. Ok, so, if I wanted to have everything available, and be in code, I'd need more solar panels? or more batteries? and then how many? add all the Amp fuses at once? that seems excessive no? sorry if this is s dumb question
Great Job! The install looks nice and tidy as a true professional should. I am a Master Electrician who also has been installing solar for the last twelve years. I have designed my own AC coupled systems using Enphase Microinverters and Magnum inverters connected to a battery bank. Enphase has totally removed the challenge of integrating other companies components to come up with a more robust and simple solution to battery back up. Thank You for going the extra step and showcasing your clients system. I hope to have an install of my own soon to show.
Thanks Darren, not sure how I missed this comment. Good luck with your install; let me know if you have any questions. Dave
I can't wait to see it!
Now that is a clean install!!! Beautiful pipe work. I like how you painted the emt to match the house.
Every house needs something like this
My Tesla solar panels and powerwalls got me through the 44hr Houston blackout
☀️⚡🏡
Some day in the future that might be a 44 day outage.
@@MichaelMiller-ip3lg
If it's in the winter my system can handle it.
Summer not so much.
@@That-Guy_ Dude in the winter its more difficult. LIittle sun, need alot of heating for heatpump. Summer you just got alot of sun to put in the battery every day to battle the nights.
@@HermanWillems
I'm in Houston so I still get good sun in winter but since my house has a gas furnace, water heater and stove in winter my power usage drops by more then half of my summer usage.
Summer usage = 55-70kwh/day
Winter usage = 22-30kwh/day
This install is super clean. I'm sure the homeowner loves it! Thanks for the video!
So excited to start sellling this solution soon!!!! Great install, looks amazing, well done!!!!
SWEET VIDEO! Going to show this to my customers for sure!
Beautiful, state of the art system..
Grid agnostic baby!
Killer install, very impressive. But moreso, great video. You really explained it well and showed what we wanna see
Thanks Tim; much appreciated.
Looks like a clean install. Nice work.
This is also why it’s important to plan for diversity in your appliances. Using my battery back up, my natural gas furnace, stove and water heater will work, along with my refrigerator, but my clothes dryer, AC, microwave and oven won’t. By using a mixture of natural gas and electric, I can diversify to prevent complete outage without having to buy extra battery capacity
The install looks so clean!! Awesome!!
Good video, thanks hanging to get these down under to Melbourne
Very cool. Subscribed. Hope for more videos and maybe som tricks and tips that you have learned so far with Encharge?😊
Thanks for the walk through. Be nice when this stuff be package better so the poor house doesn't have to be so littered with components.
You want to keep it modular trust me ppl that bought Tesla panels are screwed lol
@@Brandon-to9vp in what sense, from the pv or battery side?
I have a client looking at EXACTLY this system today at 2pm ..your video is better than anything enphanse has to offer..thanks you! Although you chose not to back up the AC could the 2 batteries kick the AC on if you wanted them to?
Good Luck!
You might be able to do it with a soft start on the AC. But with this 5 ton system it’s not recommended.
Awesome video and thank you. thank you, thank you, for sharing.
You are very welcome.
Yes, very nice. Indeed, do follwup...
Thanks; will do. Subscribe if you would like to get notified. I should have another one up by the weekend.
So if it uses internet or cellular tech to communicate, what if grid, internet, cellular are all down. Can you have a grid tied system and still use the battery to power critical loads then?
Do you still need essential sub panel for 20kW battery backup? I think it will be enough for whole house backup such as AC unit and Stove.
does battery work only off grid or it can charge daytime cheap with solar and give power in evening when electricity is more expensive?
It can definitely do both.
@@mysolhome So what components would be needed to accomplish this besides a battery? Would the Enphase smart switch also be needed? I am not interested in emergency battery backup, but would like to take advantage of using battery power at peak time. Thanks. Great videos
I’m having Enphase panels and battery installed tomorrow but they told me it could either power the house in a backup OR be used to offset time of use. They said it can’t do both because it was dangerous to have a grid-tied battery live during a grid outage. Now I’m hearing about lots of grid-tied batteries being used for backup power when the grid is out. What lies was I fed? What do I need to tell Solar Optimum to have it work in both scenarios?
That makes no sense. Enphase works in both modes easily. The salesperson is clearly not Enphase trained; I would look elsewhere. What part of the country are you in?
Awesome video! I recently had an enphase solar system installed. I noticed the batteries are mounted outside in the video. My installer wouldn’t mount my backup battery on the outside of my house. I’m wondering if it’s because I live in Michigan and our weather gets too cold?
That’s probably exactly why. LiFePO4 doesn’t like to be charged below freezing.
I’m hearing a lot of conflicting information on installing batteries inside vs outside.
Looks technically sound.
Do you have a video where the homeowner first sees your bill?
Quick question did you only run the hot wires for the main panel the backup panel or did both hot and neutral wires have to be relocated from main panel the backup panel
I believe you should run both, even though it seems unnecessary since you already have a neutral connection in the existing panel. We’ve had some inspectors have us do it.
Streamlined and attractive. How durable is it against salty air and high heat? Also what's the cost of this particular install?
I thought according to code, you need space between the system controller and the main service panel?
What’s the battery arrangement? I.e. 16s? They are tied to IQ8x-Bat so I assume DC voltage input is similar to IQ7x? Also those micros charge the battery right?
The batteries are self contained so I’m not sure what the arrangement is. And yes; the micros charge the batteries.
Nice job, bro!
Thanks so much for your video!! Am really think about the same setup but I have a few questions.Is the total amount of storage 20 kw and with time of "day usage" you are still paying the electrical company right? What's the wattage on the whole panel array? Thank you.
Can you explain why you would not backup the AC, what if power is out for days during the summer? Great Vid!
Hi Marc, you would need at least (3) Enphase 10 batteries to be able to power a 3 ton ac unit with a soft start. This homeowner simply didn’t see the value of adding an additional battery and wasn’t concerned about having the AC backed up. The temps are fairly mild here in San Diego.
@@mysolhome Thank you very much, that makes sense, and yes, that is right temps are stable there, I am in Chicago area to there is over 100 degree swings throughout the year, LOL... thanks again!
Nice!😮
It looks like the batteries are less than 3 feet from the window. My city fire inspector (in California) says that this is a fire hazard and violation of California fire code. My city refuses to let me do it. How did you get it approved?
We didn’t have any issues in San Diego county.
@@mysolhome Lucky You!
How does this compare to a Powerwall?
Doesn't the Powerwall give you the off-grid capabilities?
Here is a helpful chart that compares the two systems.
mayelectricsolar.com/component/k2/57-enphase-storage-system-vs-tesla-powerwall
@@mysolhome I can’t seem to find the article. The link shoots me to the home page.
Tesla had an 80,000 unit backlog currently. They are cheaper than Enphase but you won’t get your powerwall in the next 12 months at this point. Enphase also allows you to use the PV and battery at full capacity while the power wall shuts off the PV for a set amount of time once the battery reaches full capacity- this reduces some of the available power for use
A little confused about the iq8 setup with ensemble in the website , batteries charge on dc, if you house the iq 8 on the roof it turns it ac yet if you install the iq8 in the gateway switch as recommended, do you have to run a separate line to get the shade protection, also does the gateway have a separate inverter to go from dc or is that handled in the gateway box or is that in the batteries and what is the max output from the batteries in kw
Batteries are 3.3kw per battery and have 4 inverters on each battery, so DC power does not travel anywhere. Great thing as DC power causes line loss and is very much less safe.
I’m not sure I understand the question.
how much do you charge to install Enphase Encharge10?
Hi Bonnie, every situation is a little different, but it’s usually around $7-8k after incentives just for the Encharge 10.
So what happens after 10-15yrs, time to buy new batteries?
Not necessarily. This chemistry slowly degrades after that many years, just like the battery in your cell phone, but at a much lower rate. You should end up with at least 80% capacity after 15 years. You may need to purchase an additional smaller battery at that time to supplement. The inverters in the battery have a 25 year warranty.
Can you take & post a clear up-close photo of Backup Load Subpanel circuit labels?
I'll try to do that next time I'm on site.
Functionally, they're perfect, I just wish they had more power. Even with two, you couldn't include your air-conditioning on the backup panel.
Exactly that's super lame that 25 grand worth of enphase hardware can even run the AC or stove.
@@bradspaugh9827 that's not quite fair. It's not 25 grand for the switch and batteries added to a solar install.
You could run ac off solar panels during the daytime, as far as batteries, you would have to run off high end A/Cs that have inverters on them, my dad's 2 ton ac draws 3amps crazy!!!
@@Brandon-to9vp You can simply install a soft-starter on your existing A/C.
I would like this system but they are 30-40 percent more than the Powerwall which has more capacity and more continuous power output
Does the Powerwall work seamlessly with the PV inverters in an off-grid situation?
@@mysolhome yes it uses similar tech it uses a gateway in between services entrances and the main panel, like the empower smart switch,
Agree with Scott. This system is pretty much DOA. Big supporter of Enphase but I can't compete against Tesla Powerwall. Even Enphase's own website offered weak selling points to compete against Tesla with the main point being the LiFePO4 chemistry vs NMC. Finally the Enpower (smart switch) is huge, making for an overall clunky install.
But you can't buy a Powerwall any longer without getting Tesla solar so they have checked out of the add-on battery market for now.
@@nicksgarage2 well 7 months ago you could when this video 1st came out, yes things are different now.
How big is the array to keep those two batteries going?
About 6kw.
@@mysolhome How does 6kw keep that bigger amount on the battery charged?
Actually I just looked, it’s 7kW. It faces south and puts out about 32kWHs a day here in San Diego this time of year so the batteries are full by around 1pm.
How much? I'm in Oceanside and this looks like the best solution so far
Hi Steven, please reach out to our contact page on the website in the description to request a quote. Enphase just lowered prices a few weeks ago so you might be surprised.
No straight answers. Give us your info so we can bug and hard sell you!
@@uclajd I sell these all the time....Pricing changes constantly because of all the demand shortages and other stuff going on... $13.5-15k for the 10kWh....Quite pricey, but it drops dramatically when you buy bigger kWh sizes
whats the cost of a system like this?
Hi Kevin, if you haven't already, hit up our webpage to request a quote. The pricing varies based on site conditions, and Enphase just dropped their prices last week so it might be less than you expect.
@@mysolhome Why can't you solar guys ever give a straight answer without the "give us your info so we can bug you" nonsense? How about you just tell us what the install in this video cost?
@@uclajd I know that a system with 3 tesla batteries cost around $40K
For that you could pay your electric bill for a number of years.
@@TheTubejunky correct, you can pay for a number of years with that amount and have no light when there is a power outage. You can have a fixed bill for the next 20 years unless you pay it out front.
So in the USA electricity is more expensive during the night? Wow that’s different. Here in Italy we have from 08.00-19.00 one tariff which is more expensive because it’s daytime. From 19.00-08.00 it’s nighttime and it’s cheaper. Guess every country has its differences. Like the installation of all the electrical equipment shown here is outside, which is horrific in regards to exterior of the house. Here in Europe, everything is inside to not disturb the architectural design and prestige of the buildings, some might say that it’s outside to make it safer, maybe but most houses in Europe are made with bricks and cement which doesn’t burn like wood. Different standards I suppose, of course if there’s a fault everything cuts off automatically. Nice technology nonetheless
Enphase should have doubled the inverter size in each of the 10kwh batteries. 4000w of inverter isn't big enough to do much with. They want to use their stove and AC system for that kind of money.
why do you do sub panels? why not operate everything? if you don't need it, just don't turn it on. but at least home owner has a choice. you are removing the choice right?
Enphase requires the system be designed to only work with what it can handle. What happens when someone else buys the home and doesn’t have the knowledge of what to turn on or off during an outage?
@@mysolhome thanks for response. Ok, so, if I wanted to have everything available, and be in code, I'd need more solar panels? or more batteries? and then how many? add all the Amp fuses at once? that seems excessive no? sorry if this is s dumb question
Cost??
Hi Juan, costs and incentives are site dependent. Hit me up for a quote: dave@webuildsandiego.com