Feedback on Proposals in Orange County, CA

[MikeInRialto]

Wait, let me get this right.... So Inverters have been around for a very long time and yet they are almost guaranteed to need replacing after 12 years, but microinverters are guaranteed 25 years? So I'm guessing that in 25 years you might have a couple of inverters go out but you'll have to replace an inverter at least once within that time?

Way i see it, is that both have their advantages/disadvantages and choice between the two is application & maybe preference.

[thejq]

Wait, let me get this right.... So Inverters have been around for a very long time and yet they are almost guaranteed to need replacing after 12 years, but microinverters are guaranteed 25 years? So I'm guessing that in 25 years you might have a couple of inverters go out but you'll have to replace an inverter at least once within that time?

Way i see it, is that both have their advantages/disadvantages and choice between the two is application & maybe preference.

I don't think it's guaranteed (I hope not). There might be higher rate of failure after some time. Also just because inverters build 15 years tend to fail now, doesn't means inverters build today will likely fail in 15 years. I'd think with the booming of consumer solar industry hence the competition and improvements in material/component science, they should last longer and longer.

Once someone has made up his/her mind, it would be very hard for others to change that. But as long as the decision was made with informed research and the pros and cons are well understood, that decision is a sound one, regardless right or wrong in the long term.

[sensij]

I don't think it's guaranteed (I hope not). There might be higher rate of failure after some time. Also just because inverters build 15 years tend to fail now, doesn't means inverters build today will likely fail in 15 years. I'd think with the booming of consumer solar industry hence the competition and improvements in material/component science, they should last longer and longer.

Or, the inexorable pressure of price competition means that long lasting components and methods get replaced with cheaper ones, to get the sale today and worry about warranty service at some point in the future.

[wildfins]

You'd definitely want to get a few more quotes. I recently contacted a few solar companies for a 9.5kW DC system for my home (also in SoCal) and received quotes between (SunEdison 325 @ $2.95/W), (LG 315 @ $3.15/W) and (SunPower 327 @ $4.xx/W) by reputable and established local companies - all prices are before any tax incentives / rebates. For smaller system size, price per watt would be likely higher than listed above but should remain below $3.50/W. Also, large companies such as SolarCity, Sunrun, Sungevity, PD... would charge premiums as compared to the local ones. I'd strongly recommend that you spend a bit more time reading other members helpful feedback on this forum that would save you thousands of dollars...

[solar pete]

Isn't an optimizer up on the roof (of which there is one for each panel) just as susceptible to failure as a microinverter? It's subject to the same environmental conditions, and is just as much a PITA to replace, right?

Is there a good way to find an installer in SoCal that uses the SolarEdge system? all three contractors I have contacted so far use Enphase microinverters.

Howdy socal580, your wish is my command, click on this link, to solar reviews, and scroll down the page a bit and you will see a list of solar installers who install SolarEdge, by the way that goes for any brands peeps, you can use www.solarreviews.com to find out who installs them, cheers.

[socal580]

Thanks Pete. Not sure how my thread got hijacked and turned into a lengthy battle over inverters.

wildfins--where in SoCal do you live? What type of roof do you have? Thanks!