FWIW, the Enphase generator integration rollout has been less than ideal as well. Their list of approved generators is highly restrictive and has obsolete units listed with no clear process for getting current models approved. How are we supposed to sell these systems without clear and confident answers for prospective clients? "That generator might work" doesn't instill confidence. I can't sell that.
I understand there might be some technical reasons that the AC coupling is difficult to implement, but when I hear that, I don't hear "difficult." I hear "potentially problematic." It seems to me like a better approach would be to skip the AC coupling of the IQ microinverters, batteries, and generator and isolate the generator from the PV system. Just provide 200A of pass-through from the generator to the loads and use the generator to charge the batteries (if configured to do so, to the extent that capacity is available after powering loads). This would be similar to a traditional multimode inverter setup. The only benefit I see to AC coupling the generator is reducing fuel burn, but that would likely be very minimal and ambiguous as far as a selling point. The downside of course is the need to add another 200A transfer switch to the Smart Controller. And the Tesla Powerwall method of generator integration isn't exactly elegant. Anyway, I didn't mean to hijack the thread, but the point is that the generator integration strategies for these new-school battery systems seem to be flawed. Jason Szumlanski On Fri, Jun 3, 2022 at 9:24 AM Scot Arey via RE-wrenches < re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote: > Wrenches, > > > > This more of a public service announcement. Many of us have installed > Energy Hub inverters with Backup Interface Units (BIU). Based on SolarEdge > marketing materiel, we have told customers that generator integration was > on the way. > > > > Well, 4th quarter 2021 came and went and still no path forward. I had > asked one of the SolarEdge Directors of Sales if SolarEdge could release a > formal new release or updated tech note that installers could pass to > customers who want to know, “when can I integrate the generator like you > told me we could?” > > > > SolarEdge won’t make any such announcement and the best I could get form > the Director was to perhaps “get it removed from all marketing material.” > > “Generator – we don’t have an update. This is significantly harder than > it might seem. The last thing we can do is have generators or inverters > failing. It is not hard to get the generator to turn on/off. It is > everything else that a homeowner is going to expect the systems to do > together. The ask has been sent up the chain of command to get it removed > from all marketing materials.” > > > > But that still leaves installers holding the bag, as it was us at kitchen > tables saying, “yes – this capability is coming.” Without SolarEdge > providing a formal release, it has in essence shifted its ‘loss of > goodwill’ to us. > > I’m pretty fired up about it as it is one of many decisions where > SolarEdge shifts costs back to the installers, to their benefit (consider > the long queue for tech support and their response, “ok you have to be > onsite for us to do something before we RMA it.” Which would be fine if we > were not forced to wait hour-plus for tech support. > > > > Would enjoy hearing what you are telling customers. > > > > Scot Arey > > Solar CenTex > _______________________________________________ > >
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