Installing solar panels at your home is one of the best investments you can make. Solar energy protects you from rising utility rates while reducing your carbon footprint.
However, not all solar systems are created equal. Solar energy experts recommend the Enphase IQ System as one of today's most advanced and reliable solar solutions to high electricity rates and unstable grids.
Over 750,000 homeowners have chosen Enphase, making it the world's #1 solar microinverter company. Let's look at what makes Enphase IQ Solar so innovative and smart.
Why Choose Enphase IQ for Your Home?
Enphase leads the industry in safety, precision, and intelligence. The company innovated the micro-grid forming solar panel inverter, which converts DC power into usable AC power at the panel level.
They also manufactured the first battery featuring Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which offers a longer cycle life and safer operation due to its excellent thermal stability. In other words, the batteries can be charged and discharged many more times without losing their capacity, plus they have zero chance of starting fires.
Enphase batteries also feature Enphase Power Start technology, which allows them to power up large appliances, such as air conditioners and well pumps. This is important because some appliances require a lot of power at start up, and other batteries may not be able to provide enough power.
Enphase IQ components also support over-the-air software upgrades, which means that you can get new features and improvements without having to physically replace your solar equipment. This is a convenient and cost-effective way to keep your entire system up to date.
When installed as a complete system, Enphase IQ allows you to fully customize your system to meet your unique goals!
Here are 5 key advantages of the Enphase IQ System:
1. Panel-Level Energy Conversion and Monitoring
Each solar panel in an Enphase system connects to its own IQ Microinverter. This converts the DC power produced by the solar panel directly to AC power, which can then be used by your home or fed back to the grid. The IQ Microinverters also monitor the performance of each solar panel individually, so you can see how much energy each panel is producing and identify any problems early on. You can view this information in the Enphase Smart Monitoring App.
2. No Single Point of Failure
For every one panel, there is one microinverter. This differs from a centralized string inverter system in that, if the string inverter fails, your whole array quits generating solar energy due to a single point of failure. But, with microinverters, if one panel underperforms, the rest keep generating energy as usual.
Enphase microinverter failure rate is less than 0.05%. This equates to just 1 of every 2,000 requiring replacement each year. And if a problem does occur, they are covered by a 25-year warranty.
3. Rapid Shutdown Safety
Enphase IQ Microinverters exceed enhanced rapid safety shutdown requirements from NEC 2014 and 2017. This means that Enphase can stop solar electricity flow between your system and the grid within fractions of a second, to protect utility workers who are responding to grid outages. This is up to 10 times faster than string inverter systems. Reacting to grid disturbances in milliseconds rather than seconds makes Enphase Systems safer and more responsive than any conventional solar install.
4. Off-Grid Capability
Enphase Solar Batteries communicate with the National Weather Service, and automatically power on when a grid-failure is detected. This differs from most solar setups, which are required by law to shut down when the power goes out.
Enphase IQ Controller 2 is the system component that allows your home to become its own mini-grid, generating solar electricity, in the event of a power outage (AKA islanding). It serves as an automatic transfer switch, ensuring that when the grid goes down your system transfers seamlessly from grid mode to off-grid mode so fast that you don’t even notice the power went out (your lights don’t flicker, and you don’t have to reset your clocks).
Additionally, you will have the autonomy to switch between on-grid and off-grid mode, even while the grid is up, to simulate an outage prior to an adverse event.
5. Scalable Backup Options
Enphase offers three different battery sizes: the IQ Battery 3/3T, 10/10T and their newest battery, the IQ Battery 5P. Multiple size options allow for full customization. You may start small and grow bigger over time… or go big right from the jump!
With the right components like the IQ Battery, IQ System Controller 2, and IQ Load Controller, Enphase IQ allows your solar system to operate off-grid or on-grid, with or without a battery.
Keep critical loads running during utility outages for peace of mind. Over 375,000 Enphase systems have now been installed with backup capabilities.
Four Ways to Configure Your Enphase IQ System
One size does not fit all when it comes to solar. The modular Enphase IQ System meet your energy needs with 4 flexible configurations:
1. Solar Only
The Solar Only configuration is a traditional grid-tied system, without any battery backup. When the sun is shining, your home appliances will run off solar power, and any excess solar power is exported to the utility grid to be stored for nighttime use via net-metering. During an outage, however, your system shuts down for safety.
Solar Only is the most affordable option if your goal is to save the most money, and if you live in an area that supports net metering. You can dramatically reduce your electric bill and monitor solar production through the Enphase App.
Keep in mind, it will not keep your home powered during an outage. If having backup power is important to you, then you will want to choose one of the next 3 configurations below.
2. Sunlight Backup
The Sunlight Backup configuration is unique to Enphase. This set-up provides backup power when the sun is shining and can keep essential appliances running during a grid outage without the need to install a battery.
The system provides backup for up to four 240 V or eight 120 V circuits, while the grid is down, and requires installing two IQ Load Controllers. However, if the power goes out at night, there won't be any backup until the sun shines again the next morning.
This is because Sunlight Backup is entirely dependent upon irradiance- the amount of sunlight hitting your panels. You will notice more fluctuations to your power supply with Sunlight Backup than you will with a battery. For example, when a cloud passes overhead, your lights may momentarily dim due to power demand exceeding supply.
Because of this, you will want to avoid powering heavy loads such as AC units, space heaters, and electric vehicle chargers with this set-up. Instead, Enphase recommends powering loads such as a refrigerator, lights, a fan, your internet, and a miscellaneous 120-volt outlet to connect things like your phone charger or laptop.
Sunlight Backup Requires:
- Solar Panels
- Enphase IQ8 Microinverters
- Enphase IQ Combiner 4/4C
- IQ System Controller 2
- 2x IQ Load Controllers
- Essential loads panel
- Enphase App
This configuration costs $5,000 - $6,000 to install. *
3. Home Essentials Backup
The Home Essentials configuration adds an Enphase IQ Battery for more reliable backup—solar charges the battery, which stores energy for you to use at night, as well as during power outages.
The IQ Load Controller lets you choose which circuits to power in an outage based on battery capacity. This solution provides backup for more devices than just Sunlight Backup. It is an excellent set-up for homes with critical appliances that need to be powered during an outage (ex: medical devices).
Home Essentials Backup requires:
- Solar panels
- Enphase IQ8 Microinverters
- Enphase IQ Combiner 4/4C
- IQ System Controller 2
- 1x IQ Load Controller
- 1x IQ Battery
- Enphase App
This costs $7,000 - $10,000 to install, depending on battery size. *
4. Full Energy Independence
Full Energy Independence includes enough solar panels and batteries to power your entire household. This system keeps the lights on no matter the weather or grid stability. It provides maximum energy resilience.
This configuration is the most expensive up front, but it provides the ultimate in backup power, self-reliance, and peace-of-mind. When the utility grid fails, your home will shine. Your lights will not flicker while your Enphase system seamlessly transitions to become your own independent grid.
Complete Energy Independence requires:
- Solar panels
- Enphase IQ8 Microinverters
- Enphase IQ Combiner 4/4C
- IQ System Controller 2
- 1x IQ Load Controller
- 2-4x IQ Batteries
- Enphase App
This costs $18,000-$20,000 installed for two batteries*
(* Cost estimates do not include solar modules )
Each configuration scales in capabilities and cost. Your Enphase installer will assess your energy profile and recommend the right system design.
Go Solar with Solar Home Review
At Solar Home Review, we make the transition to solar energy simple. Our network of reputable, local installers provide custom Enphase IQ System quotes tailored to your unique home energy needs.
Our goal is to get you the best system at the best price. We help you explore solar equipment options from all of the best brands in the U.S residential solar market. There's no cost or obligation to gather quotes and get your questions answered.
We'd love to help you go solar the smart way. Reach out today to get started with a free consultation!
In summary, the best system configuration for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. If you are looking for the most affordable option, the Solar Only configuration is a good choice. If you want to have some backup power during a power outage, the Sunlight Backup or Home Essentials Backup configurations are great options. If you want to be completely self-sufficient during a power outage, the Full Energy Independence configuration is the most valuable choice.