“Since the company’s inception, we invested in custom application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips for our microinverters, and today we see the payoff with a software-defined microinverter smart enough to form a microgrid, unlocking value for homeowners.” – Badri Kothandaraman, president and CEO of Enphase.
Enphase Energy's iq8 Microinverter
Enphase is the pioneer of the IQ 8 Microinverter that unlocks the future of energy today. This tiny device is a “plug and play device that transforms photons, quantum particles of light, as in direct currents (DC) are generated by a single solar module to alternating current (AC)”¹. Attached to the back of the solar panel, converting between the roof and the panel, “allowing you to generate, store, control, and monitor your own supply of clean energy”².
Microinverter vs. Conventional String INverters
Microinverters contrast with conventional string and central solar inverters, in which a single inverter is connected to multiple solar panels. The output from several microinverters can be combined and often fed to the electrical grid. This is very different to the traditional string inverter systems, where if one panel goes down, the whole system can go down with it.²
*Images courtesy of Enphase Energy®
With an Enphase Energy System, every solar panel is equipped with its own microinverter, so if one panel slips into the shade or experiences a rare glitch, the other panels keep generating power. For the first time ever the Enphase IQ 8 Microinverter has Sunlight Backup, the ability to store sunlight as backup battery storage of any size to be installed, even with large solar arrays. Sunlight Backup keeps your lights, fans and phones can stay powered even during a daytime grid outage, with or without a battery.
Sunlight Backup
Also known as, Sunlight Jump Start, means your system starts when the sun starts to shine, including during an outage. In the past solar backup battery systems, only last as long as the energy they previously stored and can’t restart until the power is back on. The Sunlight Jump Start, “solves this problem for the first time as the solar microinverter can energize the home from sunlight and jump start the system, even after the battery is depleted. In the energy industry, “black start” refers to the ability to energize or jump start an AC electrical grid during black out conditions.“²
Benefits of the iq 8 microinverter
Enphase Energy states, “the IQ8 enables backup power when the sun is up, even without a battery, and eliminates
battery sizing restrictions to make Enphase battery ownership possible for millions more homeowners.” ²
The Microinverter has 4 USER OPTIONS-
- Solar Only, for standard grid tied system
- Sunlight Backup, with no battery
- Home Essentials Backup, with a battery
- Full Energy Independence, with whole-home battery back-up (sized per home)
Six Reasons to go with the Iq8
- Seamless Switching On or Off the Grid - an intelligent chip in the microinverter can be controlled with a Smart App
- Sunlight Backup - an Industry First, power essential appliances during daytime outages, even with a home battery
- More Power to your Home - no limitations during an outage with the IQ8, you produce as much solar energy as you make
- "Future Proof" your Investment - the Enphase Energy Systems are flexible and scalable to your needs
- More Power per Square Foot - the IQ8 packs more power into less space than other rooftop solar systems
- Industry- Leading Warranty - 25 year Limited Warranty
