10 years or 20?

[HighDesertOffgrid]

Just my 2 Cents but I think most of the newer HF Inverters that are of high quality might give people 12 Years of service, but that won't be trouble free service as I just don't see these Inverter Fans running for 12 years.
The lower end HF Inverters are probably going to struggle to make it to 8 Years. I suspect that DIY replacing Electrolytic capacitors and Fans is going to be a big thing in 5-6 years time.

I would add FETs to that list. Anything designed to move large amounts of power from A to B will struggle to attain a long life unless components are well over spec'd or under utilized.

 

[fatjay]

I hate the Start Menu on Win 8 and above.
It's like an Advertising billboard rather than a control menu.

No ads or any junk in win8 start, it's a very clean, big buttons clearly labeled so you can find anything you want.

 

[robby]

No ads or any junk in win8 start, it's a very clean, big buttons clearly labeled so you can find anything you want.

It's been a long time since I have seen it. Most of us stayed away from it due to all the complaints about it.

Is this not what it looks like?

Opps Edit, copied wrong link the first time

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Another thing to consider. I’m currently staying at a place with an older Schneider inverter. He can’t add on/parallel because of its age (unless he can find used somewhere). Less of a hit if you buy a much cheaper system and decide to upgrade/enlarge in the future.

I chock this up to poor planning. One of my big concerns is that the system can be expanded later, because we don't have some fairly common electrical appliances in this house, not the least of which is a dishwasher (which is ironic because I despise washing dishes). I also figure we might want to trade out our TWO gas water heaters for heat-pump units eventually. The stovetop will probably one day get upgraded to electric. Even the gas dryer will likely be changed out for electric at some point. It's California, where we seem to think that everyone can afford expensive electricity.

My solution might just be to go with components instead of an AIO. Otherwise I'll need to buy a much larger AIO up front, and that doe not sound like a good plan for now.

That's the thing, in inverter is just that, an inverter. It doesn't need software updates or any bloat, it's a power supply. And you can be sure if it was mainstream, software and updates would be required or things would be unstable and they'd randomly remove features you use in the next version that you didn't want to begin with.

Yes! An inverter is hardware that does not need software to operate at all, despite the best efforts of companies to slap as much of it as possible into them. And don't get me started on hardware that requires the Internet to function properly. Oof!

I find a nice stable decent thing, and I stick with it.

You're killing me! I've been in IT for 30 years. For love of all that is good, keep software and operating systems up to date!! Unless you LIKE having your data, files and identity destroyed or stolen and offered up to whoever wants to scam you next (or just the whole world). Windows 7 and 8 are security nightmares and have no business being on any functional computer, unless you are an airline and have a long-term support contract with Microshaft. Swiss Cheese.

My other PC's are mostly Win 10 Machines running an GUI overlay Prg that makes them look like Win7.
I have been messing with Win11 and I really do not like it at all. It's like giving Bill Gates the Keys to your house and then having to ask him if you can use the Bathroom.

This is why I switched to Apple 3 years ago, after being a M$ user all my life prior. All my old Intel hardware is now running some flavor of Linux.

 

[Zwy]

Well that's because chevy. My ford truck is from 2004 and has 250k miles on it and still runs like a top.

I have a 1937 Chevy pickup, still runs great.

I guess I have you beat.

 

[Zwy]

You seem to be very forward thinking and modern, I however am still using Windows 7 Pro.
Greg

I type this on my office laptop which still runs 7 Pro.

 

[Zwy]

I wrote this post some time ago. I look back to when I built my first system and how things have changed the last 3 to 4 years. The tech is advancing and even though you purchased equipment that would last 30 years, it might be outdated in 5 years. It might not be a good investment or purchase.

At some point we will see systems that are highly integrated with automation of loads and other features that improve efficiency of systems. There might be a huge breakthrough in battery tech but will run on 600V.

We don't know what will occur in the next 5 years concerning this industry, much less 20 years.

 

[registered-bum]

Totally agree -with the directions of the thread. My '95 K2500 w 350cu TBI and stick has been very solid. For motorcycle addiction I ride the mutt of a dualsport Gen-1 KLR650 and what it lacks it slick technology it makes up for in easy DIY maintenance and stupid reliability.

I like tech just fine (BSEE, MS Cyber) but I detest poorly designed products that are fragile and impossible to support or maintain.

Had an olde engineering nerd that referred to slick new products as the
"anti-matter powered cadillac - fooking great, until you run out of anti-matter."

 

[OffGridForGood]

"anti-matter powered cadillac - fooking great, until you run out of anti-matter."

I love that !
And since I can't make gasoline at home for the Ram or the Mazda, we have a Kona EV - just in case there is no "antimatter"/gasoline for sale next week...

 

[OffGridForGood]

Anyway back to the original topic - about 10-20 year service life.
I got started into solar in 2010, very small system was expensive and didn't do much more than lights and small devices. That all changed pretty rapidly about 2020 with the AIO's and Lithium Cells.

I started following Will's channel and bought one MPP 6048 and one server rack to start. Then upgrades in 2021, 2022, 2023. All using the MPP 6048's - since it was easier to expand capacity with parallel inverters of the same make, rather than change make and model.
Everything runs great and all that - I have worked my units hard and pushed them to capacity often. They just work, and take it.
But the parallel limit is three for the 6048 so that was that.
And they have pretty high standby consumption (x3), so now I am in the process of changing to twin SRNE 12 k units.
The MPP 's will get new homes in my camp and in my new Greenhouse, with one spare for the shelf.
No loss of utility, back up is on hand.

I feel the industry is still in it's early stages, a ton of changes in just 4-5 years. Seems like the pace of change is increasing.
No idea where it will end up going, but I am certain we are in for a lot of technical changes over the 10-20 year time frame under consideration.

Consider a 1927 Model T Ford,
and compare with a 1937 BMW 328 Roadster,
and compare again to a 1947 Cadillac Series 62
The changes over those 20 years is amazing, and I feel we will be seeing something similar with solar equipment over the same time-line.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

Now now. I grew up in a GM household. My dad worked for a GM diesel outfit and Chevy/GM was the only brand he would own. Frankly I am brand agnostic as I have seen good and bad from all companies.

Besides: Ford was a acronym for Fix Or Repair Daily.

I can see we have our work cut out with you!

For cars: First On Race Day

For Trucks: Ford Offroad Racing Division

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I am using the same design gear I specced in 2012 on my first solar system. Morningstar SCC's and Magnum Inverters. No need for either of them to touch bases with some Chinese app or cloud (data theft system) and no annoying updates that causes the system to go down

 

[Philip53]

I too, don't really get all the "buy cheap & replace soon" mentality. Just what all does the average person need for his inverter/controllers? My old XW does its job & tells me via displays on the components, or the SCP screen, what I want to know. And, it will send that info to my computer via the router that came with the system 12 years ago. I simply want it to work without issues for as long as possible. I have enough other things to fix, and don't want to worry about the PV system going down. Don't want or need it to continually send me updates or send something up to a cloud storage system. But, if that is what some folks need, well, jump in.

 

[robby]

My philosophy on *any* electronic device from China is to only run it at 50-60% of it's "rated " capacity.

I put "rated" in quotes, because, in my experience, Chinese equipment rarely has a design margin above ratings, and often doesn't even meet the "rated" specs.

Typically this is very true for their low to middle end stuff from China.
Hold Warp 6 for too long and you're in danger of the Nacelles flying off.

The absolute best Solid State products you can buy for handling high power are the ones that do not use a Fan or only run a Fan when the device reaches the extreme operating limits.
Most companies don't build stuff like this anymore because big Heatsinks are very Expensive, Heavy and Bulky.
It is much cheaper to just slap on a bunch of muffin fans on. Cheaper to make and cheaper to package and ship.
Just like it is much cheaper to use a touch screen on a car or other Device rather than have physical buttons and Knobs.
God I love Knobs

 

[Hedges]

I like Win XP to talk with my inverters. Not on the web, because compatible browsers can't handle most websites.
I use SMA WebBox as RS-485 interface and logger. Not on the web; has unchangeable master password vulnerability.

I run SMA Sunny Island and Sunny Boy inverters. One SI still has original 2007 firmware. No need to change that unless I go to lithium and BMS; I've downloaded the latest Sunny Island firmware (dated 2020) on the one inverter with that newfangled battery chemistry.

My first Sunny Boys are 20 years old now. I decommissioned after 17 years to get frequency-watts feature of newer ones for use with Sunny Island.
Out of 5 inverters I did have 2 fail; one replaced under warranty, one simply removed. Calculated MTBF of 32 years.

My 1995 GMC k2500 pickup has 142k miles. Diesel, Allison, etc. so a long-life model, not a disposable cheapie.

For OP, if you want a long life offgrid system, new old stock Sunny Island 6048US and Sunny Boy 5000US series would do well. Maybe newer model transformerless Sunny Boy are fine too.
For lithium batteries with closed-loop communications, there are supported models from BYD, reportedly PowerPro works, and for DIY the protocol is Pylon. REC supposed to be very good but expensive. Some of us are using a particular model from JK.

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

God I love Knobs

sounds like self love is back in vogue

 

[wpns]

I can see we have our work cut out with you!

For cars: First On Race Day

For Trucks: Ford Offroad Racing Division

I thought it was found on road dead

 

[Daddy Tanuki]

I thought it was found on road dead

I have heard people say F****d Over Rebuilt Dodge but I have never had an issue with any of my transmissions so I know it has nothing to do with chrysler/dodge/plymouth

 

[SeaGal]

My philosophy on *any* electronic device from China is to only run it at 50-60% of it's "rated " capacity.

Now... why I am picturing your solar panels with a blanket covering 50% of each one

 

[wpns]

Now... why I am picturing your solar panels with a blanket covering 50% of each one

Just whitewash them, then they are aesthetically more pleasing, and sun angle is less important. 8*)

 

[Recovering EE]

I too, don't really get all the "buy cheap & replace soon" mentality. Just what all does the average person need for his inverter/controllers? My old XW does its job & tells me via displays on the components, or the SCP screen, what I want to know. And, it will send that info to my computer via the router that came with the system 12 years ago. I simply want it to work without issues for as long as possible. I have enough other things to fix, and don't want to worry about the PV system going down. Don't want or need it to continually send me updates or send something up to a cloud storage system. But, if that is what some folks need, well, jump in.

For some, it's a hobby. For others, it may be strictly for its utility. For some, it may be both.

For me, it's both. I like to tinker.

 

[Recovering EE]

Now... why I am picturing your solar panels with a blanket covering 50% of each one

I just leave half of the MC4s disconnected.

 

[Danke]

I just leave half of the MC4s disconnected.

That’s what I do.

 

[fatjay]

It's been a long time since I have seen it. Most of us stayed away from it due to all the complaints about it.

Is this not what it looks like?

Opps Edit, copied wrong link the first time

That's 8.1. 8 had the full screen start.

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

That’s what I do.

Just the black ones, though. The red ones are required.