Not all things are equal and when it comes to solar inverters, SolarEdge has a superior offering; here are some of the reasons they’re market leaders:
- Power uplift from optimisation at the panel level, boosting power if there’s shading and panel mismatch.
- Safety features which protect anyone on the roof during installation, maintenance or in the event of a fire, by reducing the voltage across the array to 1V
- Individual panel monitoring to identify poorly performing panels that bring down the power output of a string of panels,
- Easy monitoring of generation and performance, via a web interface on a smart phone, tablet or computer.
DC optimisation
Solar modules are connected in a string and depending on the number of modules in an installation, two or more strings are connected to the inverter. In a SolarEdge system, each panel is fitted with a DC optimiser which enables the panel to work independently of others in the same string. Where there’s dirt, leaves or shading on a single panel, overall performance of the string is not degraded.
Without the DC optimiser, shading that reduces one panel’s performance by 10% say, can reduce power output by 10% for every panel in that string. This has a huge impact on strings with 20 or more modules. The DC optimisers have a 25 year warranty and if a replacement is required, access and labour costs to exchange a faulty one is covered too.
Solar modules are manufactured to a specific power output (eg 400Wp); however some panels will in reality produce slightly more power than the others (eg 404Wp) – this is known as Positive Power Tolerance. If a system comprising 16 x 400W solar panels is actually 15 x 404W and 1 x 400W, overall production will be 2-3% higher thanks to Solaredge DC optimisation. Over the 25-year lifetime of a system, this contributes a valuable increase in total power output.
Safety
A built-in, module level feature, SafeDC™ automatically reduces DC voltage to touch-safe levels within 5 minutes of inverter shutdown, enabling maintenance & emergency team to access the roof safely. The system also recognizes and terminates electric arcs, that may pose a fire risk.
Individual panel monitoring
A faulty or under-performing solar module is easily identified in the app. Click the Layout icon in the app to check. Replacing the fault ensures maximum performance of the system. If a solar panel needs replacing, you can choose any panel you like, as mix and match is supported. The other benefit of mismatching panels in the same string is it accommodates to optimise available space.
Easy monitoring
System performance and energy consumption can be viewed in real-time, shown as power flow illustrations, comparative graphs, and easy-to-read charts – all through a web interface, on any device. This enables energy consumption to be monitored so that consumption can be shifted to times when solar energy is available or when grid rates are lowest.
We’ve been installing their products since 2015 and can vouch for the reliability of their products and a support team second to none. All inverters come with a 12 year warranty with the option to extend the warranty to 20 or 25 years as required.