SMA String VS Solar Edge with Power Optimizers

[lkstaack]

Does solaredge provide a worthwhile difference with partial shading over using a SMA inverter? I'm between two companies right now and one uses solaredge and the other will not due to solaredge not being in the business as long as SMA. Pricing is similar.

I was faced with a simular choice. SMA is among the most reliable inverters anywhere.

SE provides the potential for increased output at the risk of multiple points of failure. It also provides the capability of mixing PV panels if you can't find an identical replacement.

I chose SE for the reasons above. I am able to get maximum output during periods of early morning shade, get full output from each panel, and I can monitor each panel. I'll have to wait and see how reliable it is.

[M.solar]

I was faced with a simular choice. SMA is among the most reliable inverters anywhere.

SE provides the potential for increased output at the risk of multiple points of failure. It also provides the capability of mixing PV panels if you can't find an identical replacement.

I chose SE for the reasons above. I am able to get maximum output during periods of early morning shade, get full output from each panel, and I can monitor each panel. I'll have to wait and see how reliable it is.

Thanks, I'm leaning towards SE for the same reasons.

[nova]

If the SMA inverter is mounted more than ten feet from the edge of the array you will need to factor in the significant cost of a DC combiner panel that includes Rapid Shutdown technology. .

Can you elaborate on that?

[sensij]

Can you elaborate on that?

2014 NEC requirement. Fortunately, CA is still 2011 NEC, but it is coming...

[glitchsys]

I know I'm late to the party but I'm putting this here for future googlers researching SMA vs Solar Edge. Here's something I LOVE about the TL-US series from SMA. They offer the Secure Power Supply (SPS) option. Essentially it's an outlet wired directly to the panel and the TL-US can provide 1500W of power to that single outlet even during a grid outage. I always hated the idea of losing power if I had solar and the local power company had a power outage. You would then need an off-grid system, something that had batteries and added a higher level of complexity and maintenance to your setup. However just using this SMA TL-US inverter, you can have 1500W of power during a power outage. Enough to charge your cell phone/laptop/UPS's or maybe run a small window A.C unit or provide power to your fridge.

If you (the original poster) had the option of two 5000TL-US units, you'd get two 1500W outlets. With the SE unit you wouldn't have this option and if your utility company has a power outage during the day, you'd be down and out.

However I do like the advanced per-panel monitoring capabilities of the SE, I think you'd need those power optimizers though. I like that you can mix and match panels and I like the 12yr warranty on the SolarEdge (25yr warranty on their Power Optimizers, which enhance the overall system) vs the 10yr warranty on the SMA. Wow, tough choice. I assume you've already made it though considering the age of this thread.

I do know SMA is very very popular and has many good reviews across many websites.

[ButchDeal]

This has been discussed to death here. Your comments are a bit misleading on both accounts. The solarEdge comes by default with 12 year warranty for example ( it is upgradable to 20 or 25 years for small fee). The SPS only provides power when manually switched into SPS mode ( disabling other functions), and only if sufficient solar power available. SolarEdge can be upgraded to bimodal as well...

[huge]

I had a similar decision to make. I'm happy I went with solaredge and a backup generator so I can power everything that I need whenever I need it, but I would probably have gone with SMA if I didn't have shade.

Edit: Actually, I miscalculated. In the summer, I would get 8 hours of at least 2kw production, so it might not be a bad feature to have in the summer.

[lanb]

Just thought I would resurrect this thread since it has been about 2 years for folks who installed the SE optimizers.

How has the reliability been so far ? If you were to do a system today would you go with SE or SMA ? Would you do anything different with hindsight ?

P.S - To make the comparison fair - I am assuming a non-shade installation for both systems

Thanks for all the info sharing.

[sensij]

I used Solaredge for my first system, turned on in April 2015. I was tempted to save a couple bucks and go with SMA for the installation on my new house, but the rapid shutdown stuff is a headache so I'm going with Solaredge on this one too.

[ButchDeal]

P.S - To make the comparison fair - I am assuming a non-shade installation for both systems

Not sue why that would be fair. We so rarely ever have completely unshaded roofs. It does make it an easier comparison albeit slanted way from one of SolarEdges strengths.

[ericf1]

Just thought I would resurrect this thread since it has been about 2 years for folks who installed the SE optimizers.

How has the reliability been so far ? If you were to do a system today would you go with SE or SMA ? Would you do anything different with hindsight ?

P.S - To make the comparison fair - I am assuming a non-shade installation for both systems

Thanks for all the info sharing.

My SE system was installed in Feb 2015 and has had no failures. Since selecting SE I have not kept up on any changes, but unless things have changed significantly, I would choose SE again.

[solarix]

The SMA system is going to be a lot more reliable than the SolarEdge system. There may be two SMA inverters, but the SolarEdge has 34 boxes that will fail and 32 of them will be located in an environment that is hostile to electronics and hard to service. They put a 25 years warranty on them to try and convince you that they are reliable, full well knowing that they are going to be supplying free ones to you through the years and the installer is going to get screwed having to replace them all one at a time as they fail. Do you really want your solar company to be coming out and dealing with your solar failures time after time? You have a choice between having lots of failures (which you will find out about conveniently through the module level monitoring) or a system that is flat reliable (such that SMA is willing to let you buy the extended warranty just before the initial 10 year warranty runs out).
Also, only the SolarEdge optimizers are warranted for 25 years - the SolarEdge inverters are only 12 years.
Full disclosure: I sell both brands, but I only use SolarEdge when I have unavoidable shady conditions - and we don't have rapid shutdown rules here (yet).

[SWFLA]

SMA now has Power+ optimizers. Glad I have no shade...

[lanb]

SWFLA - Thanks for bringing that up, I heard about it as well but has anyone actually installed one yet ? Are they proprietary like SE ?

http://www.sma-america.com/newsroom/current-news/news-details/news/16064-sma-redefines-residential-solar-with-new-power-solution.html

Solarix - Looks like optimizers are here to stay and even SMA is getting into the game. Do you think they would be more reliable than SE ?
To be honest I am more concerned about SE as a company than the technology itself. I wish they weren't proprietary.

[sensij]

SMA has partnered with Tigo, but it looks more like a marketing thing without any actual technical integration. All communication is proprietary to the Tigo system, managed by the Tigo controller. There isn't an open source type system out there to do this, yet.

[solarix]

I just do not like the whole serviceability issue with a distributed architecture. What no one seems to think about is that sooner or later, someone will have to go out to replace these optimizers one by one as they croak. Why marry a super reliable solar panel with a chunk of electronics that is less so - in a hard to service location? I was the first guy in Arizona to go whole hog into the SolarEdge mindset and learned first hand (the early versions had a horrible failure rate) that I do not want to be the guy responsible for servicing all these optimizers.