Microinverter competitors vs Enphase. Is Magnum a good reliable brand?

rollandelliott
rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
in PV Installers Forum - NEC, Wiring, Installation #1
I see the wind and sun store sells the 500w magnum micro inverters, which seem to be the only serious competitor to Enphase right now? Did a forum search and not one post about Magnum micro inverters. (bunhch of posts on their other gear)   Yes there are some Chinese micro inverters on ebay, but are they UL approved? There is a European? brand called renesola, but very little info on them.

SMA doesn't sell micro inverters anymore!?!?
Enecsys went out of business?
Aurora Power One also got out of making them?!?

And this is all within the last 5 years I believe, because when I left the forums 5 years ago all 3 of these companies didn't even have them for sale yet :( . So what the hell happened????. I thought micro inverters were the "next big thing"
Maybe the Nec 2017 module level shut down code rules will revive their usage. 

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  • littleharbor2
    littleharbor2 Solar Expert Posts: 2,044 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #2
    The way I understand it Renesola has stopped marketing in the USA. Not sure about Europe. They aren't a European company per se. They seemed to be a solid company making Solar panels, Microinverters and string inverters. One thing I like about their microinverters is the lack of the need for a trunk cable. The AC cable is built into the micros and all you need is a home run cable to run from the string to the transition box/disconnect which then runs to the breaker panel.
     I happen to be sitting on about 12 cases of these Renesola micro250 microinverters and home run cables in case anybody is interested.

    2.1 Kw Suntech 175 mono, Classic 200, Trace SW 4024 ( 15 years old  but brand new out of sealed factory box Jan. 2015), Bogart Tri-metric,  460 Ah. 24 volt LiFePo4 battery bank. Plenty of Baja Sea of Cortez sunshine.

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  • billybob9
    billybob9 Registered Users Posts: 141 ✭✭
    #3
    Seems to me if a company would make a 1000W Micro inverter that would go on the rails, this would be a better choice. Four 250W Micro inverters are $600 and a 1000W Micro Inverter would be about $150 as compared to most off grid Inverters. So 4 strings at 1000W would give you a little optimizing for shade issues and if they shut off (like Enphase) no problem with compliance with code.
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  • rollandelliott
    rollandelliott Solar Expert Posts: 834 ✭✭
    #4
    Yes those truck cables are expensive last time I checked . Magnum also does not need a trunk cable. 
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  • razrV
    razrV Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭
    #5
    Does anybody know what normal wait time on the telephone with Enphase is for service?
    Also how quickly do they send out warranty parts?
    Thanks!
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  • icarus
    icarus Solar Expert Posts: 5,436 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    The other thing that is driving micro inverters out is the use of optimizers.  Now that you need rapid DC shutdown systems on gird tied systems, optimizers are nearly SOP and much cheaper than micro inverters.  The other advantage of using optimizers is that they allow the better use of marginal , off angle arrays mixed in with other array arraignments.  

    Tony
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