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NEP BDM-600X Microinverters - Any good?

ncsolarelectric

Engineering Support CEO
Joined
May 24, 2022
Messages
756
Location
Statesville NC
Has anyone tried the NEP BDM-600X Microinverters on a residential grid-tied installation? We're getting ready to carry them in stock and I may install a few on my own shed/workshop. Just wondering what the public opinion is, or if Will has tested them yet. Maybe I'll add that install as a video on my YT channel. I estimated I can do a complete 6kW system kit for under $8k delivered, with the best ROI for where I'm at. Amazing!
 
I watched a video created by NEP and it was blurry and became painful to view.

The big question for me is: do they control your system? Do you have to register with them? Do you have to have a key generated by them? I'll have to ask: is there software open source? Just as Enphase "owns" your system, I'm reluctant to go with a company that may disappear and leave me with components I cannot activate or upgrade their firmware.

Edit (7/17/22): The video was posted Dec 6, 2017, so 4-1/2 years old.
 
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I watched a video created by NEP and it was blurry and became painful to view.

The big question for me is: do they control your system? Do you have to register with them? Do you have to have a key generated by them? I'll have to ask: is there software open source? Just as Enphase "owns" your system, I'm reluctant to go with a company that may disappear and leave me with components I cannot activate or upgrade their firmware.
I am currently looking at the BDM-600 as well and from the way it look the gateway is optional but not necessary. Similar to Enphase PreIQ8 they work out of the box without the need for "provision?", you just don't get the data.
Please correct me if I am wrong that IQ8 need to be activate by the company to work.
 
 
NEP is the acronym for Northern Electric Power Technology Inc. which has a web site at: https://northernep.com

The NEP BDM-600 and BDM-600X microinverters are at https://northernep.com/products/microinverters/bdm-600

CED Greentech (the AUBURN, MA office is listed at the contact point) is an authorized USA distributor.

Diagram of "PARTS OF A TYPICAL 240 VOLTS SINGLE PHASE INSTALLATION USING BDM-600" is at
https://northernep.com/downloads/PARTS-OF-A-TYPICAL-2-PHASE.pdf The diagram shows the microinverters connecting, in series, directly to the electrical panel. No middle combiner/controller. It looks so simple that I'm a bit flummoxed and wonder what the drawbacks are.

The microinverters are UL listed. Moreover, the case study below suggests that Southern California Edison accepted the NEP product as being compatible with their grid.

There is a case study for the period: Oct 2020 to Sept 2021. The location was Irvine, California. The grid provider was Southern California Edison. The microinverters ran continuously for 1 year with the exception of a several hour downtime due to a power outage by Southern California Edison. The actual annual output exceed the estimated output calculated by PVWatts (https://pvwatts.nrel.gov/); the actual output exceeded the estimated by 3.4%.

Okay, this company and their product has my attention. Why is it not more prevalent and known?
 
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