For anyone who is deciding to go with solar edge inverter, don't. I have owned the system almost a year now, and I have the inverter failed on me. It was a hardware failure, with code 18xBC. No way around it other than replacement. Tesla took cared of the failure 8 months ago, albeit took them almost 1.5 months of getting the replacement and re installation. I thought it was a flute so I let it slide, but today it happens again. So frustrating to have this keep happening.
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Stay away from SolarEdge inverter
- Thread starter lettcco
- Start date
reddy
Active Member
I have a Solar Edge SE7600H-US. They have two styles, one has a small blue LCD screen with white text, and another with no screen that is controlled by a phone app.
I had the original version with the LCD screen. It failed in the middle of the day with a Error Code 18xB7 'HW error'. It was 2 yrs 4 months in service. I have 2 inverters and the other one is doing fine.
These units have a 12 year warranty. This was a non-Tesla installed unit, and the installer had me call Solar Edge tech support. They were on the phone within 10 minutes and were extremely helpful. They diagnosed the problem quickly and shipped out a replacement which I had in about 5 days. My installer is 350 miles away, so I had a local electrician swap out the inverter, at a cost of 2 hours labor.
The replacement unit is the newer version with no LCD screen that is programmed using your phone. After I did the initial startup, SolarEdge tech support attached to the replacement via the Zigbee link and updated the firmware and then applied all the settings from the previous inverter. They also replaced the dead inverter with the new inverter on my SolarEdge account, so my Solar Edge app seamlessly included the new unit.
I was actually very impressed with how easy the process was, and how easy it was to get the app updated.
I had the original version with the LCD screen. It failed in the middle of the day with a Error Code 18xB7 'HW error'. It was 2 yrs 4 months in service. I have 2 inverters and the other one is doing fine.
These units have a 12 year warranty. This was a non-Tesla installed unit, and the installer had me call Solar Edge tech support. They were on the phone within 10 minutes and were extremely helpful. They diagnosed the problem quickly and shipped out a replacement which I had in about 5 days. My installer is 350 miles away, so I had a local electrician swap out the inverter, at a cost of 2 hours labor.
The replacement unit is the newer version with no LCD screen that is programmed using your phone. After I did the initial startup, SolarEdge tech support attached to the replacement via the Zigbee link and updated the firmware and then applied all the settings from the previous inverter. They also replaced the dead inverter with the new inverter on my SolarEdge account, so my Solar Edge app seamlessly included the new unit.
I was actually very impressed with how easy the process was, and how easy it was to get the app updated.
pdx_m3s
Active Member
I actually have 2 solar edge inverter in the system; 1 on the outside of the transfer switch, 1 (the one failing) on the inside of the transfer switch with the powerwall. That one is a SE7600H-US, rated 7600W AC max continous output power. There are 22 panasonic 330W panel attached to it, giving max output ~ 7260W. Is it undersized? On paper it seems ok, but I suppose the margin may be a bit too tight. On the other hand the other solar edge inverter is a SE3000H-US with 10 330W panels attached to it, so it actually exceeded the max W rating on paper, but that one hasn't give me any problem yet since installation.
The SolarEdge inverters can actually be powered by panels that are about 50% over the inverters output rating. If you look at the spec sheet below the SE7600H can handle a DC input up to 11800W and the SE3000H can handle a DC input up to 4650W.
That table seems off:
Max DC voltage: 480V (this is the parameter that can break an inverter. The unit controls the current and thus the power, but too much voltage is bad)
Max DC current: 20A
So, it should be 9600 W max DC input.
reddy
Active Member
My failed SE7600H was attached to 30 x 300w Peimar panels. I can tell you that a peak of 7600w , when it happens , is only for a few minutes on a dozen or so days per year. My failure happened in February, while generating about 5000w.
I ran the numbers. Since these are rated up to 9600w input, and since input more than 7600 is brief and infrequent, I have less energy loss by using a slightly small inverter than having a higher power loss with an oversized 10000w inverter all day.
I ran the numbers. Since these are rated up to 9600w input, and since input more than 7600 is brief and infrequent, I have less energy loss by using a slightly small inverter than having a higher power loss with an oversized 10000w inverter all day.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
The inverter is 'smart' enough to limit its output to its AC rating. Current generation solar edge inverters are rated to be oversized by 155% but even that is only based on 'fault' conditions. The optimizers regulate voltage to the inverter so the inverter will never see >400vdc unless it's saturated in which case it increases the input voltage to ~450v. Under normal operating conditions you could connect a 10kW inverter to 10MW of panels and the inverter would be fine... it would just be 'clipped' or 'saturated' at 10kW for 98% of the day; If there's ever a short circuit however the inverter will probably disappear in a puff of smoke.
An imperfect analogy would be like comparing an inverter to a dam. The height of the reservoir is voltage and the area represents the power rating of the panels. You can't break a dam by increasing the volume of the reservoir any more than you could break an inverter with too many panels unless you add to many in series.... just like if the water rises too high and overtops a dam.
Here's the DC input voltage for a Solar Edge inverter. If everything is working correctly this will not change regardless of the number of panels connected. You can see the voltage increase when the inverter is saturated and output is 'clipped'.
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Yah, exactly my point. You can over voltage an inverter, but you can't over power it.
Input voltage to the inverter will shift if using raw panels as the maximum power point moves around.
JPP
Active Member
4 SolarEdge SE3800A inverters on a 16kW SolarCity system (Power Purchase Agreement) since 2013. Only 1 failure in 2017. Replaced by Tesla. They are on the hook for all service for 20 years (guaranteed under the terms of the agreement).
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
Silicon Desert
Well-Known Member
Too bad for your issues. I have them on 3 houses and will always stick with SolarEdge. All 3 homes working well for several years. A great inverter in my view. I used to work on designs of one of their competitors. Know this stuff well. The inverters are just as good as any other manufacturer. I wouldn't slam a company based on an experience until you fully know the cause of the failures.
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Unfortunately I don’t have the answer to your question, but starting a new thread is definitely the right thing, even for a simple question. First of all your question has absolutely nothing to do with what this thread is about, so it will just add noise to the discussion for people who do want to discuss this topic. Additionally not everyone will be reading this thread, so it’s quite possible that someone who does know the answer to your question will never see it because they weren’t interested in this topic. And last, if someone else has this question in the future they probably wouldn’t be able to find the answer because it would be buried in a completely unrelated thread.
nwdiver
Well-Known Member
JPP
Active Member
I am under an unusual early offering from SolarCity--Power Purchase Plan. Sort of like a lease but a 20 year agreement whereby they agree to provide me with a certain amount of (solar) power at about $0.17/kW with annual small 'cost of living' increases. I pay monthly. If they under perform (solar output does not meet annual promised goal) they have to pay me $$$$ to cover my PG&E costs, but if they (solar) over produce I pay them for the extra. So in a way they 'rent' my roof as a power plant, install and monitor the hardware, do all of the repairs, etc. The system is amortized/depreciated. I do have a buyout option. Basically I have a hassle-free 20 year solar system, and they make a bunch of money off of me. Would I have made out better $$ wise by buying the system outright--yes, but for me a lot of $$ to tie up. Would a 'standard' lease have been better--maybe. but I am happy to not have to worry about it.
