Lost microinverters due to power surge. How common is that?

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  • casan
    Junior Member
    • Jan 2017
    • 19
    #1

    Lost microinverters due to power surge. How common is that?

    Our grid-tied system was installed on March 2017. 23 panels with S280 Enphase micro-inverters. It was OK until a windstorm caused some power outages in the area (not the first time we have lost power, we're in a semi-rural area) and afterwards we noticed some micro-inverters were no working. Long history short it was determined that there was a power surge that fried the micro-inverters and we are now waiting for the homeowners insurance to approve the claim to replace the micro-inverters.

    I haven't been able to find another case similar to ours, but I can't believe we are the only ones. Has anyone had something like this happen?
    Tags: None
    • peakbagger
      Solar Fanatic
      • Jun 2010
      • 1565
      #2
      Do you have quality surge suppressor at your panel or preferably on the circuit where the microinverters are hooked to?. I lost a string inverter once on a windy day. The top of the pole snapped off and somehow shorted the distribution voltage with the household voltage nearby. Mmy neighbor had major damage. I had a cheap surge suppressor. I lost the inverter and one other device but my other inverter rode through it. I now have Midnight Solar SPDs on my main panel and one the incoming lines from the arrays. They claim their clamp voltage is lot lower than competitors.

        Comment

        • oregon_phil
          Solar Fanatic
          • Jan 2019
          • 497
          #3
          There is some history on the forum if you search Enphase Microinverter Mass Failure.
          peakbagger
          , was your cheap surge suppressor a breaker type surge suppressor?
          Last edited by oregon_phil; 04-13-2021, 07:03 PM. Reason: still don't know BBCode

            Comment

            • Ampster
              Solar Fanatic
              • Jun 2017
              • 3650
              #4
              Originally posted by casan
              .......
              I haven't been able to find another case similar to ours, but I can't believe we are the only ones. Has anyone had something like this happen?
              I have always had a whole house surge suppressor so that has not happened to my micros. It did happen to a friend of mine so you are not alone.

              9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

                Comment

                • bcroe
                  Solar Fanatic
                  • Jan 2012
                  • 5203
                  #5
                  We had some heavy lightning near here, no direct hit on the property. But it
                  did knock out some of my antenna mounted preamps, similar things could
                  happen to any electronics. My string inverters were OK. Bruce Roe

                    Comment

                    • casan
                      Junior Member
                      • Jan 2017
                      • 19
                      #6
                      I honestly don't know how the installers connected the solar system to my electrical system and if there was some surge suppressor. I guess there wasn't any. We asked them to add one on the replacements.

                        Comment

                        • solarix
                          Super Moderator
                          • Apr 2015
                          • 1415
                          #7
                          Despite Enphase whitepapers that "prove" high reliability for their microinverters, the real world is not so friendly to electronics. The standard warranty on virtually all consumer electronics is just one year as opposed to the 25 years that Enphase offers. To put electronics in a hard to service location and expecting 25 year reliability is asking for trouble IMHO....
                          BSEE, R11, NABCEP, Chevy BoltEV, >3000kW installed

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                            • khanh dam
                              Solar Fanatic
                              • Aug 2019
                              • 391
                              #8
                              why put a negative mark on your home owners insurance! get enphase to replace the micro invertes underwarranty. bonus there is no deductable.

                                Comment

                                • Ampster
                                  Solar Fanatic
                                  • Jun 2017
                                  • 3650
                                  #9
                                  Originally posted by khanh dam
                                  ....... get enphase to replace the micro invertes underwarranty. bonus there is no deductable.
                                  Good idea except the warranty does not cover damage by surge since that is considered an Act of God.

                                  9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

                                    Comment

                                    • SunEagle
                                      Super Moderator
                                      • Oct 2012
                                      • 15126
                                      #10
                                      Originally posted by Ampster
                                      Good idea except the warranty does not cover damage by surge since that is considered an Act of God.
                                      I would think that an act of God was due to a lightning surge but not a power surge caused by the POCO's grid. The grid data should be available to look at.

                                      I only mention this because I worked on an issue in Nevada for a High School in Carson City. Their 2 500kw solar inverters kept going off line due to the grid power dips and phase angle changing.
                                      Last edited by SunEagle; 04-25-2021, 10:04 AM.

                                        Comment

                                        • khanh dam
                                          Solar Fanatic
                                          • Aug 2019
                                          • 391
                                          #11
                                          I'm not a lawyer or warranty law expert, so I'm not going to self deny myself a warratny claim based on what I guess happened. Just open up a claim and see what enphase says.

                                            Comment

                                            • Ampster
                                              Solar Fanatic
                                              • Jun 2017
                                              • 3650
                                              #12
                                              Originally posted by SunEagle
                                              .......The grid data should be available to look at.
                                              .....
                                              That would be useful information to have when filing a claim with either Enphase or insurance.
                                              9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

                                                Comment

                                                • casan
                                                  Junior Member
                                                  • Jan 2017
                                                  • 19
                                                  #13
                                                  The surge was caused by a wind storm that made us (and the whole region) lose power several times in a 24 hrs period. We went to Enphase originally, but they checked and denied the claim. So homeowners insurance it is. Not very happy with our installers though.

                                                    Comment

                                                    • khanh dam
                                                      Solar Fanatic
                                                      • Aug 2019
                                                      • 391
                                                      #14
                                                      Originally posted by casan
                                                      The surge was caused by a wind storm that made us (and the whole region) lose power several times in a 24 hrs period. We went to Enphase originally, but they checked and denied the claim. So homeowners insurance it is. Not very happy with our installers though.
                                                      so enphase doesnt' stand behind their product. Why the hell does the grid going on/off line several times make their warranty invalid?
                                                      why the heck is it the installers problem?
                                                      nothing makes sense to me!

                                                        Comment

                                                        • heimdm
                                                          Solar Fanatic
                                                          • Oct 2019
                                                          • 180
                                                          #15
                                                          Last summer I had a lightening strike come through my aluminum fence, it got close enough to the downspout across the flashing and into the electric via the radon fan.

                                                          Did you have a whole home surge protector at the panel level? In our case, they paid for the homeowners deductible. Depending how big the surge is, in some cases you aren't going to stop it. In our case it traveled down the neutral wire and sheered all the insulation off of it. If you look at most of the whole home surge protectors they still allow quite a bit of voltage through. In many cases 600v+ is let through.

                                                          If I am following, Enphase denied the claim because there was bad weather in the vicinity? What is Enphase's recommendation for surge protection?

                                                            Comment

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