Enphase Inverter

Enphase is probably best known for its microinverters – it’s the world leader in this regard – but it also manufactures solar batteries. Enphase was founded in California in 2006 and produced its first microinverter system in 2008.

Enphase Energy is a US-headquartered manufacturer specialising in the development of microinverters for the solar market. Enphase microinverters are miniaturised inverters that work on a per-panel level. It’s a very different approach to a single string inverter working with multiple solar panels, as is more commonly the case with solar power system installations.

Given their panel-level operation, Enphase microinverters offer a number of advantages over string inverters, including redundancy, more flexible system design, monitoring of individual panels and mitigating the overall impact on a system of solar panel shading. However, be prepared to pay a bit more for a microinverter-based system.

The company’s seventh generation microinverter, the Enphase IQ 7 series, is suited to residential applications and commercial systems. The IQ 7 range is around half the weight of the previous iteration and according to Enphase, produces 23% more power. The next generation, the IQ8 is being eagerly anticipated as this will be a “grid-independent” devices. This means solar power systems using it can continue to supply electricity to a household in the event of a blackout.

With around 30 million units all told shipped as at early 2021, Enphase Energy is widely considered as the global leader in microinverter technology. The company has cultivated a solid international profile thanks to offices located in different areas of the world, including France, Italy, the United Kingdom and China.

IQ 7+

IQ7A Renders

Here in Australia, Enphase serves local customers and provides technical and commercial assistance via its office located in Melbourne or, for our visitors from New Zealand, in Christchurch.

Enphase also produces solar batteries, communication gateways, monitoring systems, installer toolkits and accessories, as well as other energy-related services. If you have Enphase microinverters installed at your premises, please feel free to share your experience with us and other Australians by leaving a review. Enphase microinverter reviews from Australian customers who have had the devices installed for at least 12 months can be viewed below.

Enphase Microinverter Warranty Notes

Enphase offers a 10-year warranty on its microinverters, covering defects in workmanship and materials.

Enphase AC Battery

Enphase’s first contribution to the home energy storage arena was the Enphase AC Battery, which has been around since 2016.

It’s an AC coupled all-in-one modular system using lithium iron phosphate chemistry cells from A123 Systems. It isn’t off-grid capable and as far as home energy storage goes, the AC Battery is tiny both in terms of size, power and capacity – it has a usable capacity of just 1.2kWh and a power output of only 260W. However, as a modular system, extra units can be installed to beef up capacity and power.

The AC Battery has warranty of 10 years or 7,300 fully discharged cycles, whichever comes first. The capacity retention warranty is based on time in service or throughput and average battery internal temperature.

Enphase Encharge

Also on the horizon for Australia is the Enphase Encharge 10 system, a new all-in-one AC-coupled storage system comprised of three base Encharge 3 storage units (3.36kWh each) with a total usable energy capacity of 10.08kWh. It features twelve embedded grid-forming microinverters with 3.84kW power rating, enabling backup and off-grid operation. Like the AC Battery, Encharge 3 will have a 10-year warranty. Unlike the AC Battery, Encharge will be able to be installed outdoors.

The Enphase Envoy-S Metered™ communications gateway delivers solar production and energy consumption data to Enphase Enlighten™ monitoring and analysis software for comprehensive, remote maintenance and management of the Enphase System. With production metering and consumption monitoring on up to three phases, Envoy-S is the platform for total energy management and integrates with the Enphase AC Battery™.

Smart
• Enables web-based monitoring and control
• Bidirectional communications for remote upgrades
• Power export limiting and phase imbalance management*
• AS/NZS 4777.2:2105 DRM (Demand Response Mode) ready*

Simple
• Easy system configuration using the Enphase Installer Toolkit™ mobile app
• Flexible networking with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or mobile
• DIN rail mount

Reliable
• Designed for installation indoors or in an outdoor enclosure
• Five-year warranty

Enphase Technical Sheets & Brochures