Optimizers... what are they good for?

[charlesj]

Other M series models (e.g. M250) should also work.

With fewer number per breaker, 16 panels max.

 

[charlesj]

I know this was not installed by you to bother with, but as a M215 system owner, I've been worried what happens when one fails under the 25-year warranty (which I think 100% of them are still within 25 years), given they were discontinued years ago and Enphase has no remaining inventory. I thought the reassuring thing I discovered within the past year, is that Enphase now manufactures a modified IQ7 replacement for warranties, that are compatible with the the older 4-wire systems, so basically swap-compatible as well as compatible with the PLC comms on the older Envoy monitoring systems? So that owner should have been able to get two of these modified IQ7's from Enphase, right? ( Again, not something you were obligated to bother with, since you weren't the installer, but the owner could have?)

I've read these modified IQ7's are so backward compatible, Enphase will not sell them to expand an older system, only as a like-for-like warranty replacement. So the only way to expand an existing M215 system would be to find used M215's on the secondhand market.

I received an IQ7 M215 replacement inverter this past October 2nd one as one M215 failed in 2020. That was an IQ7 M215 as well. Free of charge. My labor not covered.
If you are talking about expanding an existing string with less than 17 inverters on a 20A breaker, you could use an IQ7 maybe as long as you don't exceed 16A, 3840W generation.

 

[wwu123]

If you are talking about expanding an existing string with less than 17 inverters on a 20A breaker, you could use an IQ7 maybe as long as you don't exceed 16A, 3840W generation.

If you mean an IQ7 M215, you can only get those secondhand just like used M215/M250's. If you really meant an IQ7, no go, because IQ7/IQ8 use the new two-wire trunk cabling, not the older four-wire cabling (the additional two wires being the neutral and ground). And even if the IQ7 were connectable with four-wire cabling (which it isn't per Enphase), it would not be able to be monitored by the old Envoy, as it's sending the PLC on the wrong two wires than what older Envoy is looking for (you'd have to spring for the newer Envoy, which is looking for certain PLC on four-wire cables, and separate PLC on separate two-wire cables for a mixed environment).

 

[charlesj]

If you mean an IQ7 M215, you can only get those secondhand just like used M215/M250's. If you really meant an IQ7, no go, because IQ7/IQ8 use the new two-wire trunk cabling, not the older four-wire cabling (the additional two wires being the neutral and ground). And even if the IQ7 were connectable with four-wire cabling (which it isn't per Enphase), it would not be able to be monitored by the old Envoy, as it's sending the PLC on the wrong two wires than what older Envoy is looking for (you'd have to spring for the newer Envoy, which is looking for certain PLC on four-wire cables, and separate PLC on separate two-wire cables for a mixed environment).

I did get a free upgrade of Envoy S Gateway when they replaced the 1st IQ7-M215 or soon after the 2nd was installed

Thanks for the clarification on the IQ 7 plain. At least they will have replacements for some time to come, hopefully.
Big job the remove all panels, store them, replace inverters and wires on roof, and so on. Maybe that will happen after my expiration date.

 

[wwu123]

I did get a free upgrade of Envoy S Gateway when they replaced the 1st IQ7-M215 or soon after the 2nd was installed

Thanks for the clarification on the IQ 7 plain. At least they will have replacements for some time to come, hopefully.
Big job the remove all panels, store them, replace inverters and wires on roof, and so on. Maybe that will happen after my expiration date.

Well that's pretty nice of them! Do you know if it was an:
Envoy S Standard - plugs into wall outlet, uses PLC comms OR
Envoy S Metered - hardwired, uses production CT's, optional consumption CT?

From the install manual, seems like Envoy S Standard behaves like the old Envoy, and still looks only on L1 hot and N for PLC. Maybe the IQ7 M215's use L1 hot and L2 hot for PLC like other IQ7/IQ8, so the Envoy S Metered is needed once a M215 is replaced under warranty....

 

[charlesj]

Well that's pretty nice of them! Do you know if it was an:
Envoy S Standard - plugs into wall outlet, uses PLC comms OR
Envoy S Metered - hardwired, uses production CT's, optional consumption CT?

From the install manual, seems like Envoy S Standard behaves like the old Envoy, and still looks only on L1 hot and N for PLC. Maybe the IQ7 M215's use L1 hot and L2 hot for PLC like other IQ7/IQ8, so the Envoy S Metered is needed once a M215 is replaced under warranty....

It has to be the standard as I didn't have hard wire from solar CT, just data through power cord. Sending it through a powerline setup to wi-fi router. Supposedly updates to IQ&-M215 can happen but not to the older M215s. It is a small black box with 4 lights.

 

[wwu123]

It has to be the standard as I didn't have hard wire from solar CT, just data through power cord. Sending it through a powerline setup to wi-fi router. Supposedly updates to IQ&-M215 can happen but not to the older M215s. It is a small black box with 4 lights.

This week I was literally just considering buying a used original Envoy as a backup, since there are a bunch used for $100 or Craigslist or eBay, vs paying retail $600+ for a new Envoy S.

But I think I'll wait now, if I have a M215 failure in the next 10 years like you, and they are giving out free new Envoy S Standard along with the replacement IQ7 M215 for some interoperability reason, that would be great...