Hello from Missouri City, Texas (SW Houston)

[GoingElectric]

I read the claim of an advantage to optimizing the power of each
individual panel. Sure, if you have real issues with shadows. But
in good sun, I propose that any advantage is almost completely in
their imagination. The maximum power point area of a panel is
somewhat broad. Bruce Roe

Optimizers also offer ability of monitoring each panels performance and be aware of production issues, although the downside need to match with inverter.
Of course with Micro it is also easier to expand.

The advantages of one over other are small, it mainly depends on the location from what I lean so far.


Quotes I have so far are les than $20K (except 1), with ROI about 8 years.

[GoingElectric]

So, after MONTHS of WORK, its going to happen!!
Had distractions that slowed me down, but the story so far.

June 23 has a Rheem 50 Gal Hybrid "Heat Pump Water Heater" installed (O-M-G, that was an PAIN, but with a VERY happy finish!).
Not even a week later A NEW ROOF!
June 29 and 30 was new roof put down, lots of work. Remove the WH exhaust vent as no longer needed, and moved the furnace and kitchen vent for solar space!

I was already talking with several, narrowing down my selection of 7 companies, but the last bit took time.
System is 20 panels with Enphase, split on 2 roofs, and $2.20 /watt


It was May of 2022 that I started this journey, talked to at least 16 companies.

[GoingElectric]

It has been a year since I received my PTO.
My 8.1 kW system has generated 10.5 MWh, generating a daily average of 28.767 kWh/day.
Last 10 months my electric bill is $0, and my credit is $221 in the black!
I used Texas Power Guide last year to help choose my provider, and amazingly their calculation was -$227 credit! A meer $6 difference!

To be sure, since getting solar my monthly kWh usage is exceeding my pre-solar 521kWh/mo usage since I replaced my GAS Water Heater to a Heat Pump WH and barely using the gas range (wife loves her fancy electric cooker).
Oh, and I am not including the roughly $100/yr I save not using gas!

It was a $18,200 investment, $12,800 after 30% off, will easily be less than 10 years to ROI.
I still have not purchased a EV to replace my 20 year old car, but doing that will certainly pay off the solar faster.

Next is Batteries!
Last year I did not see batteries as worth it. After Hurricane Beryl hit and had no power for 3.5 days its value was painfully obvious, HOWEVER I read that Enphase will have some new stuff early 2025 so I will hold off till I see what's news (and hope the battery prices drop a little more).

My main nitpick is Enphase app gives only basic data. You need to spend $250 more for all the features. WAT??

To others interested: It worked great for me, your mileage will vary.

[Keiichi25]

Well, what kind of data were you hoping to get? I think most of the systems are going to give you just basic information unless you spent more for like optimization and microinverter setup to see how each panel is going to do what for you.

Also with the battery system, check what the output it can do as well as capacity. You will find you might have to 'get more' to cover some of the 'needs' you may want.

As an example, Enphase's current battery system, I believe the 5P, does 5 kW capacity and 5 kW output. So you will need to get like 2 or more depending on how much power you consume at night (As you probably want your solar excess to be stored on the battery for night use as well as backup.) But as you probably know, storms will also hinder solar production so you might want to actually consider a system that will allow alternative power provision, like the Franklin Whole House Battery System, which does allow for a generator hookup to help charge the battery for the low provision days.

[GoingElectric]

Well, what kind of data were you hoping to get? I think most of the systems are going to give you just basic information unless you spent more for like optimization and microinverter setup to see how each panel is going to do what for you.

Per array value
Toggle graph for each array
Tag days of note (like perfect days)
Fixed scale (not adjust to values)
Alert if panel is underproducing by 30% compared to others, or out

Also with the battery system, check what the output it can do as well as capacity. You will find you might have to 'get more' to cover some of the 'needs' you may want.

As an example, Enphase's current battery system, I believe the 5P, does 5 kW capacity and 5 kW output. So you will need to get like 2 or more depending on how much power you consume at night (As you probably want your solar excess to be stored on the battery for night use as well as backup.) But as you probably know, storms will also hinder solar production so you might want to actually consider a system that will allow alternative power provision, like the Franklin Whole House Battery System, which does allow for a generator hookup to help charge the battery for the low provision days.

I am waiting till next year, hoping for a larger one like a "10P".
Enphase also does Gen hookup for extra, Controller 3G. Again waiting for what 2025 brings.

A side note: there are often clear skies after a storm. Beryl was clear skies 12 hours after it passed, about 2pm.
Still, Battery (+ solar) is more perforable than gas generators (neighbors worried if they had enough gas, nearest working pump was 20 miles away.)

[Keiichi25]

Yea, I get it. I have a Tesla Powerwall 3 which has string inverters and not the microinverters. The premium I was thinking of was the microinverters and the collection point and I suppose it depends on how they do it.

I don't know much about enphase myself, just what little I saw on youtube looking around after I got set up and the videos never show how they do their stuff or I didn't look at the right ones.

I know with the Telsa one, not a lot of data to show beyond what goes through their stuff and even then, nothing as detailed like the panels.

A system that was suppose to be installed for me was using a Goodwe Inverter to an Electriq Powerpod 2 (They went out of business right in the middle of the install for me, but it was suppose to be handled by the County and was going to be a PPA thing)

Went with another group (Photon Brothers) and paid for the system I have. Went with the Powerwall 3 since it had the builtin inverter and there would be an option to add capacity to it if need be.

Well, hope the 10P will allow for also higher output if you have any big load systems you want it to power, I think that was one of the videos mentioning the next gen should be considering it.

[GoingElectric]

Yea, I get it. I have a Tesla Powerwall 3 which has string inverters and not the microinverters. The premium I was thinking of was the microinverters and the collection point and I suppose it depends on how they do it.

I don't know much about enphase myself, just what little I saw on youtube looking around after I got set up and the videos never show how they do their stuff or I didn't look at the right ones.

I know with the Telsa one, not a lot of data to show beyond what goes through their stuff and even then, nothing as detailed like the panels.

A system that was suppose to be installed for me was using a Goodwe Inverter to an Electriq Powerpod 2 (They went out of business right in the middle of the install for me, but it was suppose to be handled by the County and was going to be a PPA thing)

Went with another group (Photon Brothers) and paid for the system I have. Went with the Powerwall 3 since it had the builtin inverter and there would be an option to add capacity to it if need be.

Well, hope the 10P will allow for also higher output if you have any big load systems you want it to power, I think that was one of the videos mentioning the next gen should be considering it.

Micro inverters (like Enphase) are per-panel and get the maximum performance with each panel.
String inverters (eg: Tesla) limit total possible generation, one underperforming panel will reduce total performance. Optimizers do compensate for variations.

My house has shade issue on north side so decided to use micros even though it cost a little more (and I do like the per-panel info that Tesla does not have)

Still, a Tesla PW3 would be as good, because the power lost due to collection inefficiency is compensated by more efficient battery storage. Had VPP been available when I was shopping for system, I might have gone with Tesla (it started just as my system was finished and online). Hindsight 20/20

[solardreamer]

The Electriq situation should be a cautionary tale for anyone buying proprietary home batteries that depend on the Internet servers or can be shutoff/bricked by the vendor. At least home Electriq owners have been left with very expensive paperweight and no recourse. Tesla and Enphase have similar risks.