SMA Sunny Boy 5.0 and 6.0 vs Solaredge for shaded areas

[jflorey2]

Which one will be easier to add a couple of panels to it? For example, add a couple of different panels in the back yard just for a little boost down the line

I've done that several times with string SMA inverters. Not too hard provided you know the limits of the inverter. I went from a 7 panel system to a 12 panel system on one, and from 10 to 22 on another.

[jflorey2]

Definitely possible. In general you will want an inverter that allows more than one string; you should keep each orientation on its own string. For example, the SMA SB 6.0 has three MPPT trackers, thus allowing three strings of different orientations and voltages.

[huge]

3 of the strings are already taken, so I would have to piggy back off of one of the strings if I do it with SMA I think. But it will be a fourth orientation kind of because it doesn't match the other ones perfectly

[jflorey2]

There are instructions on how to add a fourth string to an SMA 5.0 or 6.0 in the manual. It's not entirely intuitive but it (apparently) works.