Anyone have a SolarEdge StorEdge battery interface installed?

[soby]

Soby, it took LG a while to send the box for the return. Installer then had to schedule the electrician to remove the old battery, and have it returned. LG only then shipped a new battery, and then only was the installer able to schedule the electrician to install it. Whole process took a few months from what I remember.
Not sure why your SMART credits for battery are dependent on discharging it. SMART/Eversource did not require this for me.

Coincidentally, I just got a call from my installer that the replacement battery will be delivered by FedEx on Monday. The battery was removed by my installer on 2/1. I'm not sure when it finally arrived at LG but a 5-week turnaround time isn't unreasonable.

I had assumed that you got your battery with SRECs in 2018 and not SMART in 2019. The only rule anyone ever told me about the battery is that it can only be charged via solar to be eligible for the 30% ITC. I did my own research on SMART and stumbled on this: https://www.mass.gov/doc/energy-stor...923.1493903549

Page 2 has "Operational Requirements" and they state that "The Energy Storage System must discharge at least 52 complete cycle equivalents per year and must remain functional and operational in order for the Solar Tariff Generation Unit to continue to be eligible for the energy storage adder."

[willow1]

Soby, it took LG a while to send the box for the return. Installer then had to schedule the electrician to remove the old battery, and have it returned. LG only then shipped a new battery, and then only was the installer able to schedule the electrician to install it. Whole process took a few months from what I remember.
Not sure why your SMART credits for battery are dependent on discharging it. SMART/Eversource did not require this for me.

[soby]

I have a StorEdge 7600 inverter with LG 10 Chem Resu battery installed in July 2018. The original battery was a dud, and it took nearly 6
months for LG to own up that it was their problem and not the inverter or electrical installation. Eventually they shipped a replacement and it has been operating fine (backup only) since January 2019.

Willow,
I have a similar SE7600 w/ RESU10H setup as you in the works in Massachusetts. My battery never powered up and I am awaiting the arrival of a replacement from LG Chem. How long did it take to get a replacement once they issued the RMA? Did you send your defective one back first?

I am getting some SMART payments for having the battery so I can't use it for backup-only. I have to discharge at least 484kWh (9.3kWh usable capacity X 52) over the course of a year to be eligible for the credit (and it's a big credit). I'm hoping my installer works with me to program the battery to only charge from clipped DC power at the inverter.

[JSchnee21]

Well, given that the Tesla Powerwall 2 is by far the most prevalent and widely installed PV Storage solution in the USA I wouldn't consider it vaporware. But, by all means if you want a hybrid inverter solution from Outback or others, go for it.. But the OP's question was specifically about the feasibility of upgrading his current SE inverter to a StorEdge model. To which, I said, "Why bother." The StorEdge does not support hybrid generator operation, either.

[scottyrice]

Why bother with the StoreEdge? Just get a Tesla 2 AC-coupled.

I'm more interested in DC-coupled systems with generator integration than AC-coupled vaporware.

[JSchnee21]

Why bother with the StoreEdge? Just get a Tesla 2 AC-coupled.

[scottyrice]

Any news on the new solaredge products that are supposed to be coming out this quarter?

[Ampster]

I can add that the another limitation is that the operating modes are limited by Tesla and there is no way to have it charge from the grid unless it is installed without solar. That limitation is apparently to insure that the users can take the Investment Tax Credit. That is another tradeoff. It might work for those who don't need to customize it to fit their circumstances. It does have a good Time Based control mode that some have reported works well. It also wasn't designed for off grid mode.

[ButchDeal]

Right, and those inverters tend to be quite expensive, but allow you to use much cheaper batteries like deep-cycle AGM. A trade-off.

The powerwall 2 has a cheap small inverter and is integral to the battery (not as flexible).
It also does not have all the disconnect and management required for backup and for AC coupling etc, so other added equipment needs to be added, increasing the cost of install.
Since it is integral to the battery it will have to be replaced with the battery at end of life ... all trade offs.

[RShackleford]

You can AC couple with most micro inverters just like any other grid tie inverter system.

Makes sense.

You are not limited to powerwall 2 though, you can AC couple to most bimodal inverters.

Right, and those inverters tend to be quite expensive, but allow you to use much cheaper batteries like deep-cycle AGM. A trade-off.

[ButchDeal]

Including micro-inverters ?

You can AC couple with most micro inverters just like any other grid tie inverter system.
You are not limited to powerwall 2 though, you can AC couple to most bimodal inverters.

[RShackleford]

Tesla quickly redesigned the Powerwall to be AC coupled (Powerwall 2). That version has sold over 50,000 units and works with almost any grid tie inverter manufactured in the last few years.

Including micro-inverters ?

[willow1]

I have a StorEdge 7600 inverter with LG 10 Chem Resu battery installed in July 2018. The original battery was a dud, and it took nearly 6
months for LG to own up that it was their problem and not the inverter or electrical installation. Eventually they shipped a replacement and it has been operating fine (backup only) since January 2019.

[Ampster]

Yes, I saw that in an earlier post. I wasn't aware of that until I read this thread. Good to know. Do you know anyone who has done that or installed batteries? I know several new installs with batteries that have been well received. One, actually replaced Enphase microinverters, the other was a new install. I am not sure either of them used the SGIP rebates.

[ButchDeal]

The OPs question was, "Has anyone here gone from a plain old SE7600A system to a StorEdge with battery?"
So far I have not seen an example on this forum. There is now the promise of an upgrade in the US to convert a grid tie SolarEdge inverter to have the capability of a StorEdge inverter. That upgrade is available elsewhere but not yet in the US.

SolarEdge has from the beginning had an upgrade program. This thread started in 2017 BTW.
Originally the upgrade was a trade in and that is still an option.