What is going on with string inverters being out of production?

[oregon_phil]

Here is a nice explanation of the challenges going on in the semiconductor industry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJrOuBkYCMQ

Thanks for posting this. The video gives a nice overview of the chip shortage. I have worked my entire career in high tech design and manufacturing. Even though factories for mature semiconductor products are being built, I am worried that today's work force is not properly positioned to staff such a factory. Mature factories are all about stability, extremely high yields, resolving problems quickly and effectively and having a skilled technician/production support staff. This is not glamorous work and for most people this would be very boring work indeed. Only true nerds get excited about getting to root cause of a problem.

[Ampster]

..........This is not glamorous work and for most people this would be very boring work indeed. Only true nerds get excited about getting to root cause of a problem.

Hopefully TMC can find such people to work in Phoenix. Some of them could come from Silicon Valley where home prices have not made it able for entry level nerds to find a home to purchase.

[nerdralph]

From what I hear from my vendors, virtually all the string inverter companies are dead in the water over not being able to get needed microchips. SMA is now saying 3rd qtr 2023! Fronius same.
Inventories are already cleaned out everywhere. And you know my attitude toward Enphase and SolarEdge. Is this really happening to the solar industry? Record sales going on because of the tax credit being renewed, but can't build them. Anybody go to SPI and hear different or a viable solution? There are some Chinese brands, but ....

I just checked BayWa here in the GWN, and their inventory is pretty slim. 1 Fronius Primo 5.0 and 4 Primo 8.2 inverters in stock. 1 SMA SB7.7-1SP-US-41.
While US distributors like Digikey are showing no STM32F103 MCUs in stock, LCSC has lots. https://www.lcsc.com/product-detail/...8T6_C8734.html
Glad I'm buying mostly Ginlong Solis... my supplier still has a few pallets of them. I think the Powerstore has stock in the US too.

[bcroe]

I am glad I bought a backup pair of Fronius IG PLUS V7.5 inverters for
my nearly decade old pair. Some are on Evil Bay, perhaps because they
do not have internet connection (just the way I like them). Bruce Roe