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4 SolarEdge inverters have died in less than 2 yrs?

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  • 4 SolarEdge inverters have died in less than 2 yrs?

    My new home was completed in the Spring of 2020. I installed 60 Panasonic 330v panels with optimizers and 2 SolarEdge (SE) HD-Wave inverters: SE10000, SE7600 with integrated EV charger. The 10kW inverter was connected to 2 strings with 17 solar panels on each (17*.33=5.61w/string). The 7.6 kW inverter had 2 strings with 13 panels each (13*.33=4.29kW/string). Over the 1st year and a half, the 10 kW inverter died 3 times and each was eventually replaced by SE but only after about 2 months from when the initial problem began. After my 3rd 10 kW inverter died, I decided to add 2 LG Chem RESU Prime 16h batteries and a SE backup interface. I plan to sell the latest new 10 kW replacement inverter on Craig's list or eBay because I can not connect it to a battery. I bought two 7.6 kW energy hub inverters to replace my two HD-Wave inverters. I am moving my used 7.6 kW HD-Wave inverter to my other home so I can expand my solar system there. This September the new 7.6 kW inverter that replaced the 10 kW inverter also died. A level 2 SE support person has looked at all of the data from the cases as has my regional SE field representative and neither can identify a root cause for the failures. The 7.6 kW energy hub inverter that died was oversized (5.61+5.61)/7.6=147%. My installer is a licensed electrician who has taken the SE training courses. Unfortunately, when he called SE for support, someone told him that a 7.6 kW inverter can not produce more than 7.6 kW. I tried to explain to him that it can not produce more than 7.6 kWac but it can send excess DC wattage to my battery. He is convinced that SE is wrong and that the inverters can not be oversized without risk of burning out the inverter. His proof is the 4 dead inverters connected to those two strings with 17 panels each. I need more solar power and plan to add 6 more 365w panels but he thinks that I already have too many panels for my two inverters to handle.
    My SE field representative is a great guy and very knowledgeable. He is coming to my house to try to find the root cause. He thinks that it may be on the AC side but we will see what he finds. He said that the energy hub inverters can be oversized by 200% and they will automatically derate themselves if they get too hot. The inverters are in my garage where inside temps often reach 90F. He said that the 2 times that we got arc fault errors were probably mistakes (false positives) made by the inverter because its sensitivity is too low.
    Any comments or ideas?
    Thanks

  • #2
    I cannot understand how a standard inverter can send excess DC "Wattage" to a battery. Excess power is going to generate excess heat and it is the heat that can greatly shorten the life of IC components.

    The other consideration is power surges from the grid. At my house surges from the grid have been an ongoing problem and I put in a whole house surge suppressor when the inverter was installed. Inside my house all important electronic devices are protected by industrial grade Oneac power line conditioners.

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    • #3
      4 dead inverters tells me bad install, or something with the utility power unique to your area.

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