PV string sizing: Cutting it too close?

[HX_Guy]

Yes, the PVI series inverters would also work. I could do two PVI-6000 with 1 string of 12 per MPPT.
Pricing for the SMA and PVI inverters are about $2200 each while the Fronius I'm seeing for around $3400, so about a $1000 (plus additional for install?) difference.

[Ian S]

Yes, the PVI series inverters would also work. I could do two PVI-6000 with 1 string of 12 per MPPT.
Pricing for the SMA and PVI inverters are about $2200 each while the Fronius I'm seeing for around $3400, so about a $1000 (plus additional for install?) difference.

Some of the SMA inverters also offer a feature of power when the grid is down and sun is still shining.

[HX_Guy]

Do either the SMA or ABB (PowerOne) inverters come with monitoring built in? With the Fronius, I have to pay an extra $800 for the monitoring kit...if either of those already came with it, that would obviously offset the cost by a bit.

[+3 Golfer]

Do either the SMA or ABB (PowerOne) inverters come with monitoring built in? With the Fronius, I have to pay an extra $800 for the monitoring kit...if either of those already came with it, that would obviously offset the cost by a bit.

My PVI-5000 did but one must hardwire to a PC. The Aurora Communicator software is free. You can pay extra for wireless. So I assume the ABB models are the same. My older SMA inverter had optional monitoring via Sunny WebBox at additional cost.

As standard, my PCI inverter has connections to hard wire a Cat5 cable, plug a Cat 5 with RJ45 connector in, or plug a USB cable in. A USB cable is very limited in distance and the Cat5 will need an adapter on the PC end from RS232 to USB to plug into a PC. I bought a $5 adapter on ebay, cut the connector off one end of Cat5 cable I had laying around, wired the 2 wires needed into the adapter, and plugged the other end into the inverter. The monitoring software is free. But my inverter is in the garage and only about 25 feet from my PC in the den which in on the other side of the back garage wall. So wiring was easy. Before I hardwired to my PC, I simply put an old laptop (2003 vintage, XP OS) in the garage and connected it to the inverter via a USB cable (about a 15 foot limit before data loss). You can then get the stored data via wifi or email but won't have the real time graphic displays from the monitoring software to look at (but the novelty wears off quickly). I do use the logged data in spreadsheets. So my extra cost of monitoring was $5 with the PVI.