SolarEdge optimizer hell!

[vdirico]

This is my system (located in Massachusetts):

8.51 kWp system installed March 2016

SolarEdge SE7600 Inverter

26 - LG Neon2 315W panels
26 - SolarEdge P320 power optimizers


I recently paid $337 labor to replace 2 optimizers (on 7/13/2018; no issues up until then). Yesterday I reported a different optimizer appears to be out (panel 1.2.11 has been reporting 0 production for at least a week). I see the SolarEdge warranty says they won't cover labor cost BUT my research says they have covered it in about half the cases I found/read.

- I'm getting a really bad feeling on the reliability of the optimizers, are they likely to continue causing me pain?
- If you had an optimizer replaced (under warranty), were you able to get SolarEdge to cover labor?
- I'm guessing my wimp vendor (SunBug Solar) would need to push SolarEdge BUT they gladly take my money. If you've had an optimizer problem and success getting SolarEdge to pay your labor, would you please share some info, maybe even a contact name?

thanks

Vinny

[ButchDeal]

Your vendor should be handling this 100%. WE have had very few optimizer failures and of the ones we have had over half were due to installer negligence. A good handful were due to one installer that had an employee that carried the optimizers by the cables, often loosening the MC4 connectors in doing so.

3 optimizer failures on one site is an outlier.

[J.P.M.]

This is my system (located in Massachusetts):

8.51 kWp system installed March 2016

SolarEdge SE7600 Inverter

26 - LG Neon2 315W panels
26 - SolarEdge P320 power optimizers


I recently paid $337 labor to replace 2 optimizers (on 7/13/2018; no issues up until then). Yesterday I reported a different optimizer appears to be out (panel 1.2.11 has been reporting 0 production for at least a week). I see the SolarEdge warranty says they won't cover labor cost BUT my research says they have covered it in about half the cases I found/read.

- I'm getting a really bad feeling on the reliability of the optimizers, are they likely to continue causing me pain?
- If you had an optimizer replaced (under warranty), were you able to get SolarEdge to cover labor?
- I'm guessing my wimp vendor (SunBug Solar) would need to push SolarEdge BUT they gladly take my money. If you've had an optimizer problem and success getting SolarEdge to pay your labor, would you please share some info, maybe even a contact name?

thanks

Vinny

More pieces to the machinery, more to go wrong.

KISS.

[vdirico]

More pieces to the machinery, more to go wrong.

KISS.

[J.P.M.]

Opinions vary. As usual, take what you want of my stuff. Scrap the rest.

Sorry you got screwed by a poor choice of vendors.

[silversaver]

ground level service always better than roof level service. Yes, you do have more failure points compare with a string inverter but you are getting much more advance solar system to monitor the output......

[J.P.M.]

ground level service always better than roof level service. Yes, you do have more failure points compare with a string inverter but you are getting much more advance solar system to monitor the output......

So is it better to have fewer failure points to start with or be able to identify which of that greater number of potential failure points have actually succumbed ?

BTW, welcome back. How's your array doing ?

[jflorey2]

ground level service always better than roof level service. Yes, you do have more failure points compare with a string inverter but you are getting much more advance solar system to monitor the output......

Personally, I'd prefer a reliable system that has very basic reporting than an unreliable system with a very cool color graphical user interface.

But to each their own. I have an ancient Sunpower system (with big transformer based inverters) that's been working great for 11 years now.

[azdave]

So is it better to have fewer failure points to start with or be able to identify which of that greater number of potential failure points have actually succumbed ?

KISS always works for me. So glad I have such a simple system. All I need to monitor output is the utility company's website and taking a glance at my inverter when I walk past it each day to see that both strings have equal readings. Anything else would be a waste resources in my case.

[solarix]

I was the first installer in Arizona to use SolarEdge and that lasted about 18 months until the failures started to happen. These were the 1st generation units and I'm sure the new stuff is much better, but we have had a horrendous failure rate with SolarEdge. My policy now is I don't put any unnecessary electronics on our super hot Arizona roofs. I think using anything panel mounted is a bum deal for installers because sooner or later, they will fail (more or less one by one) requiring a lot of truck rolls to deal with them. And I've never been paid anything by SolarEdge to compensate me for the labor of handling their reliability problems. I don't think there is a snowball's chance in Arizona that roof mounted electronics is going to last anywhere near the 25 years they warranty them for. A 25 year warranty on electronics is just a marketing gimmick.
By the way, my 9-1/2 year old Xantrex GT inverter just croaked last week. Schneider now own/supports them and had us send it in as they no longer have any reconditioned units to swap with. But they claim it failed due to a power surge so are not going to repair it. Thanks Schneider - see if I ever buy your stuff.... At least my SolarEdge running right next to the Xantrex didn't fail. I'll say it again - the important criteria when choosing an inverter is reliability, reliability, reliability.... In my book that is SMA.

[J.P.M.]

KISS always works for me. So glad I have such a simple system. All I need to monitor output is the utility company's website and taking a glance at my inverter when I walk past it each day to see that both strings have equal readings. Anything else would be a waste resources in my case.

Yea. I'm in the same situation as you and I watch my system like a hawk. But be careful. I tried that KISS logic a few posts back and the OP seemed to like it about as much as a preacher takes to a fart on an oak pew during the sermon.

[vdirico]

Yea. I'm in the same situation as you and I watch my system like a hawk. But be careful. I tried that KISS logic a few posts back and the OP seemed to like it about as much as a preacher takes to a fart on an oak pew during the sermon.

The OP joined and asked for some help with his current situation, ... your offering was as valuable as a fart in an oak pew. Thanks for nothing x 2!

[vdirico]

I was the first installer in Arizona to use SolarEdge and that lasted about 18 months until the failures started to happen. These were the 1st generation units and I'm sure the new stuff is much better, but we have had a horrendous failure rate with SolarEdge. My policy now is I don't put any unnecessary electronics on our super hot Arizona roofs. I think using anything panel mounted is a bum deal for installers because sooner or later, they will fail (more or less one by one) requiring a lot of truck rolls to deal with them. And I've never been paid anything by SolarEdge to compensate me for the labor of handling their reliability problems. I don't think there is a snowball's chance in Arizona that roof mounted electronics is going to last anywhere near the 25 years they warranty them for. A 25 year warranty on electronics is just a marketing gimmick.

Thanks for your response. I have the vendor coming to replace the third optimizer. They have agreed to help a bit with the labor. So what do I do on failure #4?

- Can I have the optimizers removed? Will I just lose panel by panel reporting? Or?

- is it possible to leave a defective optimizer up there or does it prevent the panel from producing? Or could it vary?

thanks again

Vinny

[J.P.M.]

The OP joined and asked for some help with his current situation, ... your offering was as valuable as a fart in an oak pew. Thanks for nothing x 2!

You are most welcome at least twice. Another mea culpa: Sorry I couldn't make my original post plain enough for you to read between the lines. .

[vdirico]

You are most welcome at least twice. Another mea culpa: Sorry I couldn't make my original post plain enough for you to read between the lines. .

You are doing an excellent job showing folks what the second S in KISS stands for.

Is there a block feature here?