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I got 22 255W QCell panels. I spent a tad more for the black panels, which my contractor told me was a waste of money, and in hindsight I totally agree.
I'm using the Enphase microinverters, model Model: M215-60-2LL-S22-IG. He's confident that after the initial burn-in period we won't have a problem the inverters or panels.
The warranty is not as strong as a big company. If he goes out of business, it's a bit of a hassle to get the warranty and installation. However, there are zero moving parts either of the electronics, so I'm not too concerned.
Enphase offers a 25 year guarantee against defects, so worst case I'm out of installation costs. I'll probably be adding another floor in 10 years, so I'll have to reinstall everything anyway. If something goes wrong in year 8, I'll just just be out a panel for a year or two. I can live with the 4.5% drop in production. It's not like a serial inverter where the whole system can go down. (They also split the 22 panels into 2 breakers, so it's slightly easier to figure out which group of panels is not working).
But if this is a major concern, it's better to stick with a large company. It will increase the chances that there will be someone to pick up the phone if something goes wrong.
For me, talking to someone technically competent was more important. I wanted someone who could design a system to fit my situation, not sell my the generic solution they had.
I'm using the Enphase microinverters, model Model: M215-60-2LL-S22-IG. He's confident that after the initial burn-in period we won't have a problem the inverters or panels.
The warranty is not as strong as a big company. If he goes out of business, it's a bit of a hassle to get the warranty and installation. However, there are zero moving parts either of the electronics, so I'm not too concerned.
Enphase offers a 25 year guarantee against defects, so worst case I'm out of installation costs. I'll probably be adding another floor in 10 years, so I'll have to reinstall everything anyway. If something goes wrong in year 8, I'll just just be out a panel for a year or two. I can live with the 4.5% drop in production. It's not like a serial inverter where the whole system can go down. (They also split the 22 panels into 2 breakers, so it's slightly easier to figure out which group of panels is not working).
But if this is a major concern, it's better to stick with a large company. It will increase the chances that there will be someone to pick up the phone if something goes wrong.
For me, talking to someone technically competent was more important. I wanted someone who could design a system to fit my situation, not sell my the generic solution they had.
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