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greetings. my ABB inverter, installed in 2015 by sungevity, has failed with the well-known 031h failure mode, which reputedly is a common failure resulting from crappy soldering under the relays. which makes me consider if now is a good time to upgrade to add storage! (i'm in belmont ca). real world problem is, there's no good place near the inverter to place a battery with 3 foot window clearance. so that forces a 30 foot run across to the front of the house. The first quote received was for an integrated inverter and battery, $20k installed, and with some risk areas including that maybe the bldg dept will require the PVs to be replaced at inspection time (!). so i'm wondering if i can instead replace this pvi-3.8 with an inverter that will handle the two strings of PV currently installed but also (now or later) support an external battery in the front of the house, without having to rewire everything currently installed next to the breaker box (feed from the roof, isolation switches, inverter, multiple meters, etc.). as a side comment, if you know of anyone in northern california good at fixing inverters, point me at 'em. (yes, i know the more recent sad history of ABB inverters after ABB...) thanks...
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That PVI-3.8 is a grid-tied string inverter, so a battery-ready replacement is possible only if its DC input range and current limits suit both existing strings, and the chosen battery is approved for that inverter. Before comparing quotes, gather the panel count and module model per string, roof azimuth, and the array's cold-weather open-circuit voltage; these can be checked against the replacement's MPPT window and maximum input. Ask whether the design is DC-coupled or AC-coupled, what stays in service during an outage, and whether the existing AC isolator, disconnects, meter wiring and service panel need changes. A 30-foot battery run may be feasible, but cable size, conduit, disconnect location and fire setback rules matter. Get the permit scope confirmed with the local building department before signing, especially if PV replacement was mentioned. If repair is viable, compare warranty and parts availability with replacement cost; the fault label alone does not prove the relay joint is the cause.
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