solar edge vs string inverters performance

[poheZ]

HI

We have installed about 12 solar edge systems and not one of these systems have outperformed our sma string inverter setups.

Although there are variables which will influence the results we have 2 installs relatively close to each other, same tilt and orientation 16x yingli 250 pandas. The string inverter just about about outperforms the solar edge install.

It makes me wonder what all the Powerone installs are producing we installed and whether they are performing better.

Has anyone got any comparable data to share between the two different types of installations, has anyone noticed similiar results?

 

[Eco Deal]

Solar edge is design to be install in situtions where a single string inverter can not go , but we install soalr edge as standard because

1. more warranty
2. online monitoring
3. indivdual panel performance
4. future proof your system (panel replacements mix and match panels if one goes faulty you are not tied down to buying same as thats existing on the string)
5. Fire safety features
6 online monitirong - how can you prove your have a underperforming panel if you can not monitor each panel indivdually ???
perfomance warranty are out the window without doing this ! if you need a new panel you will have to prove its faulty first.

other inverter only monitor the system as a whole.

 

[poheZ]

Yes, that is on their list but so is 'up to 25% more energy'

 

[Gavin A]

Yes, that is on their list but so is 'up to 25% more energy'

that claim really ought to have 'compared to a really badly designed system in a heavily shaded situation using a very basic string inverter'

 

[poheZ]

The Israelis answer to no-one

 

[Worcester]

We've got a test set up which we move around with two heavily shaded arrays, both 4kWp the other morning both had two x 250W panels in the sun, rest varying from dappled to deep shade. String Inverter was pumping out 316W, Solar Edge 160W, from the SE claims I would have expected nearer 400W so was quite suprised.... I'm going to monitor them every few minutes back to back for the next month... SMA TL, with 3 strings..

 

[Eco Deal]

Strange as All Our solar edge are doing great

 

[Gavin A]

so are all our TL inverters...

 

[Eco Deal]

Still Prefer Solar edge over SMA or Power one anyday.

:77:
Personal View before we get into a bog solar edge V TL inveters debate.

 

[Gavin A]

fair enough, but does it justify the extra costs... IMO not on a purely economic basis, possibly if someone wants to pay extra for the remote web monitoring function etc.

anyway, I'm not knocking them as such, I'm sure they work well, and definitely have situations where they do make sense, I've just never bought the idea they'll give sufficient improvements in unshaded 4kW single array situations to be justified.

btw, with a thread title like this I can't see it being anything other than a SE vs TL debate.

 

[Worcester]

btw, with a thread title like this I can't see it being anything other than a SE vs TL debate.

Well the title of the thread is a giveaway!

It is, as with all technologies, it has it's place. We put the 4kW Solar edge system together as it comprises 4 different panel makes and ratings, - we couldn't have done it any other way - one of the groups of panels were out of scope of the enecsys inverters and the tigo technical guys through a wobbler at the idea!

We are going to move it to an unshaded are at the end of the month, so we'll see what september brings - hopefully not more of this:

Summer 2012 was the wettest in 100 years - Met Office

"Summer 2012 was also one of the dullest summers on record with just 413 hours of sunshine. This makes it the dullest summer since 1987 when the UK saw only 402 hours of sunshine."

(an 'Average' Summer has 510 hours of sunshine)

"Looking at the individual countries of the UK, it was the second wettest summer on record in England, third wettest in Wales, eighth in Northern Ireland, and the sixth wettest in Scotland. For sunshine it was the fourth dullest summer in England, the fifth dullest in Wales, ninth in Scotland and the 15th in Northern Ireland."

Met Office confirms wettest June in over a century - Met Office

They even went as far as to publish this:

What is a typical British summer? - Met Office

 

[FB.]

On the plus side, the weather was cooler, which will have boosted the panel performance a bit compared to warm cloudy days.
The sun-cloud-sun-cloud every few minutes also seemed to give the panels time to cool and then allow them a short burst at full power when the sun came out, before the panels heated up again and the output dropped back to about 80% of maximum.

Also had some good outputs in mid-February, when daytime temperatures remained several degrees below freezing and nighttime temperatures plunged to about minus 15'C for consecutive days.

Only a small consolation, but every little helps.