Solark Microinverters

[fafrd]

Coming in 2023: https://www.sol-ark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/M1000-M2000_Brochure_V5.pdf

These are rebadged versions of the Deye SUN1000G3-US-220: https://www.deyeinverter.com/produc...hase-4-mppt-microinverter-rapid-shutdown.html

and SUN2000G3-US-220: https://www.deyeinverter.com/product/microinverter-1/sun13002000g3eu230.html

 

[Solar Guppy]

It maybe a good product only time in a decade will tell, there is no shortage of China based knock-offs.

The documentation, training and support of Enphase is something SolArk will never have. This is the differentiator of China vs US products and yes it has a cost but at significantly less risk.

With the new sanctions, it will be interesting to see what happens when China no longer has the access to the IP/silicon needed to actual build products like these in the future.

 

[fafrd]

It maybe a good product only time in a decade will tell, there is no shortage of China based knock-offs.

The documentation, training and support of Enphase is something SolArk will never have. This is the differentiator of China vs US products and yes it has a cost but at significantly less risk.

With the new sanctions, it will be interesting to see what happens when China no longer has the access to the IP/silicon needed to actual build products like these in the future.

The US Microinverter market is changing next year.

AP Systems has just introduced the very competitive DS3, Huayu Microinverters are now available through Amazon, and Solark will be introducing these rebadged Deye Microinverters next year.

Every time I’ve been enticed to consider Enphase, I’ve turned away due to their excessive cost.

Solark has established themselves as the leading Hybrid Inverter brand in the US based on Deye’s excellent technology and if they are able to sell these inverters significantly below the cost of competing products from Enphase and support them as well as they support their Hybrid Inverters, Enphase will start to feel the heat…

Solark/Deye represents much more serious competition to Enphase than AP Systems or NEP ever has…

 

[Solar Guppy]

For people whom do this for a living aka design and build systems, material cost is the least of their concerns, having a company with a proven record and training backing them, especially warranty support is primary.

Why do you think Schneider, Outback, SMA and many others are still doing well?, they have done just that.

Sure DYI are price sensitive, but what good is that China firm has moved on and just ignores the install base, this happens every day, and I know this from the inside, the turn over is crazy on the firms that are extensions of China companies, its a clash of cultures and market expectations aka end-users.

The money behind Tesla and Enphase for the US market is more than everyone else combined, just look for example on the training Enphase has, that is what the new installer wannabee's have to have, its not like you just start an LLC and your competing with the companies that have decades of experience and last for more than a year.

RE is a growing market, room for lots of new folks to learn what they don't know about the industry.

 

[fafrd]

So just for sh*ts and giggles, I’m going to look at the competitive landscape for my 12x335W Microinverter based array.

These panels have now degraded to ~310W equivalent (7 years old) and I’m planning to ‘form’ 6 ~620W panels by pairing up two 310/335W panels using MC4 Y connectors.

With this new offering from Solark, I can get by with a single M-2000 and a single M-1000. I generally get no more than 90% of rating on my roof, so 3.35kW of peak input, corresponding to 3182W of output @ 95% efficiency. This pair of Microinverters would clip at 3000W (93.4% with maximum power of as much as 3300 (104%) for a ‘steeet price’ of $1011.

With the new DS3 from AP Systems, I’d need 3 of them for a total of $600 plus 3x$29 = $81 for cabling and $252 for a gateway, so $933 all-in (8% cheaper).

And that solution would be limited to only 3x880W = 2640W of sustained output, meaning it would clip 17% during the peak part of the day.

Advantage Solark.

Now if we look at the Huayu offering: https://www.amazon.com/HUAYU-Invert...e-Microinverter/dp/B09MQGJ4Q9?ref_=ast_sto_dp

$350 for 800W isn’t the least bit competitive ($1400 for 2400W without adding anything for gateway or cables).

So Huayu is not going anywhere fast at that pricepoint (especially since they are a newcomer and unproven in the US market).

But Solark appears to have priced pretty competitively against AP Systems and should find traction with this offering (assuming the 2kW model can deliver a sustained 2kW on warm Texas roofs and does not overheat).

 

[fafrd]

For people whom do this for a living aka design and build systems, material cost is the least of their concerns, having a company with a proven record and training backing them, especially warranty support is primary.

Why do you think Schneider, Outback, SMA and many others are still doing well?, they have done just that.

Sure DYI are price sensitive, but what good is that China firm has moved on and just ignores the install base, this happens every day, and I know this from the inside, the turn over is crazy on the firms that are extensions of China companies, its a clash of cultures and market expectations aka end-users.

The money behind Tesla and Enphase for the US market is more than everyone else combined, just look for example on the training Enphase has, that is what the new installer wannabee's have to have, its not like you just start an LLC and your competing with the companies that have decades of experience and last for more than a year.

RE is a growing market, room for lots of new folks to learn what they don't know about the industry.

Understand what you are saying, and for sure examples about.

Solark appears to have cracked that nut. The vendors I know are selling more Solark-based hybrid solutions than Schneider-based.

Tesla / Sunrun is a whole different ballgame. Outside of the Tesla/Sunrun ‘cost is no object crowd’, Enphase has the leading AC-coupled ESS solution I’m seeing while Solark has the leading DC-coupled ESS solution.

Even Outback/Skybox is getting more uptake than Schneider.

I absolutely understand what you are saying. Almost jumped in a Magnum PAE for exactly those reasons (and now glad I didn’t).

But Microinverters are more similar to solar panels than they are to string inverters - if the installers believe there is a solid company that can back the warranty up and replacement vendors that offer a solid fallback/replacement in a pinch, material cost starts factoring into the equation.

Again, Solark appears to have cracked this nut (at least once before).

 

[Ampster]

Every time I’ve been enticed to consider Enphase, I’ve turned away due to their excessive cost.

Solark has established themselves as the leading Hybrid Inverter brand in the US.

I can't believe those two statements are in the same post. It is my opinion that SolArk has excessive cost and I have seen no information to suggest that it has become the leader over Outback, Schneider, SMA and others in the overall market. SolArk may have a niche amongst DIYers but amongst professional installers I see a different trend,
As far as Enphase is concerned I have had over thirty in use on three different buildings and only had one that needed to be replaced, and that was a simple task with support.

 

[fafrd]

So just for sh*ts and giggles, I’m going to look at the competitive landscape for my 12x335W Microinverter based array.

These panels have now degraded to ~310W equivalent (7 years old) and I’m planning to ‘form’ 6 ~620W panels by pairing up two 310/335W panels using MC4 Y connectors.

With this new offering from Solark, I can get by with a single M-2000 and a single M-1000. I generally get no more than 90% of rating on my roof, so 3.35kW of peak input, corresponding to 3182W of output @ 95% efficiency. This pair of Microinverters would clip at 3000W (93.4% with maximum power of as much as 3300 (104%) for a ‘steeet price’ of $1011.

With the new DS3 from AP Systems, I’d need 3 of them for a total of $600 plus 3x$29 = $81 for cabling and $252 for a gateway, so $933 all-in (8% cheaper).

And that solution would be limited to only 3x880W = 2640W of sustained output, meaning it would clip 17% during the peak part of the day.

Advantage Solark.

Now if we look at the Huayu offering: https://www.amazon.com/HUAYU-Invert...e-Microinverter/dp/B09MQGJ4Q9?ref_=ast_sto_dp

$350 for 800W isn’t the least bit competitive ($1400 for 2400W without adding anything for gateway or cables).

So Huayu is not going anywhere fast at that pricepoint (especially since they are a newcomer and unproven in the US market).

But Solark appears to have priced pretty competitively against AP Systems and should find traction with this offering (assuming the 2kW model can deliver a sustained 2kW on warm Texas roofs and does not overheat).

Just for completeness, I thought I’d also include BDMs new offerings.

The BDM800 costs $200 but only delivers a sustained power of 768W: https://northernep.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/BDM-800.pdf

It includes cabling but does require a gateway like AP Systems, so overall, very similar cost to AP Systems for 4% more clipping (not terribly appealing).

The BDM1000 is not available in the US but is selling for only 15% more ($230): https://cdn.enfsolar.com/z/pp/u6lu2be8yn6/BDM-1000-datasheet-9.15.pdf

With a sustained power level of 959W, these inverters would clip my panels at 2877W, 4% below the output level of Solark’s new overnight at an all-in cost similar to that is only about 8% lower.

So again, I believe Solark’s Microinverters are well-positioned.

 

[fafrd]

I can't believe those two statements are in the same post. It is my opinion that SolArk has excessive cost and I have seen no information to suggest that it has become the leader over Outback, Schneider, SMA and others in the overall market. SolArk may have a niche amongst DIYers but amongst professional installers I see a different trend,
As far as Enphase is concerned I have had over thirty in use on three different buildings and only had one that needed to be replaced, and that was a simple task with support.

On Enphase quality, no argument.

Nor on Solark’s Hybrid Inverters being steeply marked up versus what Deye charges (and priced against Outback’s Skybox).

But I know of several installers installing Solark-based systems (as well as Skybox-based systems) and none installing Schneider-based systems.

I’m pretty certain Solark has established a stronger position in the California ESS market than you seem to give them credit for…

 

[fafrd]

My use-case is unconventional, so keep that in mind, but for those like me that are interested to upgrade Microinverters while doubling-up older panel size input, I’ve discovered a major flaw / drawback with the Deye / Solark offering.

These inverters have a maximum input current of only 12.5A per channel, so pretty much a no-go for 2P input using older-generation panels

My 2016-vintage 335W panels have an Impp of 8.85A or 17.7A for a 2P string.

That current level is a dead end on these new Solark inverters but the new AP Systens DS3 has a maximum current per channel of 20A per channel, so no problem.

A single dual-input DS3 can hand 4 335W panels of input in a 1S1P string per input and will deliver up to 880W of output for $200 each (my panels never put out more than 267W at the peak part of the day, so 17.5% clipping).

I’d need 3 for my 12-panel array plus cabling and gateway for a total of 3 x ($200 + 27) + $265 = $946.

With these Solark 4-input inverters, I’d need 3 at $614 each for a total of $1842.

195% the cost for 17.5% more output during the 1-2 hour peak part of the day? Not as competitive as I thought (again, for my specific use-case of upgrading older AC-coupled panels).