Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

SunPower 250AC Microinverter recall?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • SunPower 250AC Microinverter recall?

    I hope this hasn't come up before or maybe I am the first... Either way.

    I have a 5kw SunPower system using 250AC panels with the Micro Inverters. Production has been great. Last year they produced 6,075 kw.

    Anyways I started getting messages a few months ago that there was an issue with the production from the SunPower website.

    It looks like there's an issue with the equipment that sends us your energy data! Find out how to fix it.

    That one.

    Looks like they had a bad batch of micro inverters. About 3-4 of mine weren't working. I just got an email today from my installer telling me that they are coming out next week to replace all 20 micro inverters in my system. SunPower is also going to compensate me for any lost production they calculate I may have had.

    I don't know how I feel about this. I think this is a good thing but it also makes me a little nervous about the whole 25 year shelf life of the things considering I had them installed in October of 2014. Hopefully they are good to go from here on out though.

    Attached Files

  • #2
    Yep. I'm the guy who used your recommendation in MA. Having the exact same issue. I've had two dead panels since October, but can't get SunPower to ship replacements. They've been dragging their feet for months.

    How long have you had the issue?

    Did they come out and successfully replace all your microinverters or are you still waiting?

    Comment


    • #3
      Ya this is quite the conundrum. They were supposed to come out last week, and then today. Last week it just mysteriously changed to this week, I figured because of the snow. But then this week I got an email saying they had failed to ship the microinverters. I just called SunPower and its like talking to robots. The woman wouldn't give me an answer. I was asking her why they hadn't shipped the MIs yet which is what second generation said so she called second generation and asked them to set an appointment with me. I could not fathom what was going on. Def some sketchy stuff going on behind the scenes here but I think it will get figured out.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Tommygun45 View Post
        Ya this is quite the conundrum. They were supposed to come out last week, and then today. Last week it just mysteriously changed to this week, I figured because of the snow. But then this week I got an email saying they had failed to ship the microinverters. I just called SunPower and its like talking to robots. The woman wouldn't give me an answer. I was asking her why they hadn't shipped the MIs yet which is what second generation said so she called second generation and asked them to set an appointment with me. I could not fathom what was going on. Def some sketchy stuff going on behind the scenes here but I think it will get figured out.
        FWIW, my experience with Sunpower with respect to communication is poor. I mostly agree with your robot analogy. Good product. Dopes at the other end for 1st line communication.

        Comment


        • #5
          I've been in contact with two of their representatives through email for a couple of months -- receiving the run-around as to when the replacement inverters will actually ship. They ultimately go silent for days at a time, then apologize when finally responding, all the while with yet another future date as to when the inverters will be replaced. These dates come and go and the cycle repeats.

          Considering their recent layoffs and financial trouble, it's highly likely that SunPower is willfully avoiding their warranty responsibilities to avoid the additional expense.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Alchete View Post
            I've been in contact with two of their representatives through email for a couple of months -- receiving the run-around as to when the replacement inverters will actually ship. They ultimately go silent for days at a time, then apologize when finally responding, all the while with yet another future date as to when the inverters will be replaced. These dates come and go and the cycle repeats.

            Considering their recent layoffs and financial trouble, it's highly likely that SunPower is willfully avoiding their warranty responsibilities to avoid the additional expense.
            Maybe, but the pattern you describe sound familiar for the B.S. I went through trying to straighten out some monitoring irregularities about 2 years ago. I finally gave up talking to English AASL twits when I did get through and got what I needed via other means.

            And I was a stock holder at the time.

            Comment


            • #7
              This is what recalls are for. They realized they had a bad batch, and they are replacing them? That would make me feel good about it. Just because they had one batch fail, doesn't mean the next ones will. Even if they do, they have showed that they honor their warranty, and will fix it.
              So whats the problem here?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by emartin00 View Post
                This is what recalls are for. They realized they had a bad batch, and they are replacing them? That would make me feel good about it. Just because they had one batch fail, doesn't mean the next ones will. Even if they do, they have showed that they honor their warranty, and will fix it.
                So whats the problem here?
                The problem is that the customers, of at least our local installer, have been told multiple times that they are coming out to replace them, only to then be told that SunPower failed to actually send them the Micro's they needed to do the install.

                SunPower seems to have no idea what our installer is talking about but knows there are "RMA's" as they put it, for the process.


                I got this email yesterday (Thursday 1/19/17)

                [Hi Tom,


                I apologize for all of these emails. Hopefully you got my one saying we wouldn't be able to do the swap today. However we will be able to do the swap this coming Monday (1/23) as long as the weather permits. Would this date work for you?


                Thanks,
                ------------]


                If I had to actually reschedule things in order for this to happen I would have driven down to their offices and caused a scene. That may or may not have happened in the past with Comcast. But since I don't have to be there I don't really care. If this were the dead of summer and production was critical that would be another thing. But as it is I can be patient, up to a certain point.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I can confirm that they are at my house today, January 25th repairing all of the microinverters. Literally replacing all of them.

                  They also said they will analyze the data and figure out how much energy that was not produced, and compensate me .24cents/kw. Or something like that. We'll see!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Congrats Tom. My install is next week. Hopefully this all works! )

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I know this thread is a bit old, I wonder if your new inverters are still running strong? I am going thru the same issues with Sunpower microinverters failing after a year of service. Mine are Type C and others have reported getting Type D to address these issues. Since your replacements were done over a year ago, I am curious if you know which models you got during the replacement and if they are still working properly.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        UPDATE from me.

                        After many delays, I had all my two or three failing inverters replaced.

                        Then a few more failed.

                        Then after even more delays, I had them ALL swapped out (for SunPower's "newer" microinverters).

                        Now, I have 6-8 dead inverters. SunPower has admitted (to my installer) that the newer inverters were just the old inverters. Gee great. So, I'm technically worse off than before.

                        I'm now on some kind of waiting list for SunPower themselves to replace every microinverter with the "real" newer version. No installation date has been given. Just waiting. Close to 30% of my array is inoperable.

                        SunPower has provided some recompense for the downtime in the past, and promises to do so again, but the calculation is all hidden and I have no idea if it includes the SREC money that I'm also losing.

                        In short -- a total disaster. No wonder SunPower sold off their microinverter business. It's a disaster.

                        Any other happy customers?

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          This issue is being discussed in this thread https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum...-with-sunpower
                          Few people had their inverters recently replaced with Type D, supposedly the latest model. Time will tell if these are any better.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Said it before and I will say it again......micro inverters suck, we have had to replace hundreds of the **** things, we are now at the stage when people ask us to quote a system with mico's we say "we no longer offer micro inverters as we found their failure rate was unacceptable"...so to all the newbs forget mico inverters they suck

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by solar pete View Post
                              Said it before and I will say it again......micro inverters suck, we have had to replace hundreds of the **** things, we are now at the stage when people ask us to quote a system with mico's we say "we no longer offer micro inverters as we found their failure rate was unacceptable"...so to all the newbs forget mico inverters they suck
                              Pete. Would you say that micro's may work better in a ground mount array that allows more air flow for cooling than a standard roof top installation?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X