Enphase Microinverters

Enphase Enlighten Web Monitoring

Introducing Enphase Microinverters

Fafco Solar is the first in Southwest Florida to be a dealer for Enphase microinverter systems. We are excited about this revolutionary solar energy product.

The Enphase Energy Microinverter System improves energy harvest increases reliability, and dramatically simplifies design, installation, and management of solar power systems. The Enphase System includes the microinverter, the Envoy Communications Gateway, and the web-based Enlighten monitoring and analysis website.

How it works

Until now, a grid-tied solar energy system required a central inverter mounted on your wall. In a microinverter based system, there is one inverter per solar panel. Inverters are mounted discretely beneath each panel, eliminating the need for wall mounted inverters. The installation is fast, neat, and simple. The performance gains are exceptional. And best of all, the price is comparable with traditional central inverter systems!

Enphase microinverters can increase energy harvest by 5-15% by maximizing the energy output of each panel. Microinverters are even more beneficial in situations where partial shading is a factor. In a traditional central inverter system, if one panel is shaded, even by something like an overhead power line, the entire string of solar panels suffers from reduced performance. In a microinverter system, each panel produces energy independently from the other panels, maximizing each panel’s potential. The result is significantly better performance from your solar energy investment.

Reliability

In a central inverter system, the inverter is a single point of failure. If the inverter requires servicing, the entire system is shut down. In a microinverter based system, there is no single point of failure. While Enphase microinverters are tested to have a mean time before failure of 119 years, if one panel or inverter should fail, only the output of one solar panel is affected. It can be switched out quickly without shutting down the entire system. Enphase microinverters are warranted for 15 years (most central inverters are 5 or 10 years), have a rapid-replacement program, and you will be compensated for the lost power generation by the manufacturer. This is all part of the Enphase Entrust program.

Monitoring

One of the best parts of the Enphase system is the robust monitoring capability. The system can be monitored from any Internet connection using the Enphase Enlighten web monitoring system. You can view real-time and time-lapse performance information down to the single solar panel level. Never before has this level of system performance monitoring been available. We can even monitor your system from our office to help maximize performance of your system. Click here to see a real working system installed by Fafco Solar.