SolarEdge is unveiling at Solar Power International its expanded StorEdge solution that now offers immediate energy backup of the entire house.
SolarEdge’s expanded StorEdge solution with a backup interface provides backup power to the entire house, eliminating the need to pre-select backed-up loads. This solution offers easier and faster installation with integration of the meter and auto transformer into the backup interface, and eliminates the need for an additional back-up panel. Higher power and higher capacity backup systems are also supported with multiple batteries connected.
“This expanded solution ensures that homeowners are better prepared, safer, and no longer have to be left without power during blackout events,” stated Lior Handelsman, VP of marketing and product strategy, and founder of SolarEdge. “By further enhancing our StorEdge solution with backup for all house loads, we are providing customers with more flexibility and control over the energy they produce, store, and consume. This advancement is another demonstration of how SolarEdge is leading the industry in expanding the PV inverter’s role within the energy ecosystem, from a simple DC/AC converter to a holistic energy management system.”
StorEdge support for backup of the entire house is expected to be available by the end of 2018.
Solar Power International attendees are invited to visit the SolarEdge booth (2614) to meet with local and global members of our management and sales teams, learn more about SolarEdge’s newest product offerings, and participate in daily trainings.
News item from SolarEdge
The SolarEdge StorEdge platform can be used without energy storage, it can be installed like a standard grid-tie inverter assuming the local utility has a favorable net metering policy. This is advantageous for someone who wants to future-proof their system for energy storage.
Energy storage is used for two main applications: emergency backup power, and storing energy to consume or sell later (such as in areas with time-of-use rates, high demand charges, or where there is no net metering.)
So far the storage solutions from Enphase have only addressed one of these and they don’t have any backup power capability. Enphase’s solution for backup power is to use a gas generator, but that sort of negates your argument that the system is easier to service, because gas generators require regular maintenance. The best inverter and storage solution really depends on the application and what the customer hopes to achieve. I sell and regularly recommend both these brands.
My main question about the new StorEdge whole-home solution is how they plan on handling backup for an entire home with a relatively small inverter. The StorEdge inverter only outputs 5,000 watts but most households in the US have a 200 amp service which can demand much more than 5kW of power. In the past this was handled by separating certain circuits into a critical sub-panel, but it complicates the installation. I’m curious how they plan to handle a scenario where the customer’s appliances are demanding more than 5,000w, which can happen very easily in a typical household. I guess the customer is supposed to mange their power usage during an outage but it sounds like a challenge unless they are really familiar with the system’s capabilities and typical power draw from the appliances. Hopefully they will allow stacking multiple inverters in parallel for increased output to handle higher power requirements.
It still requires storage to work. Enphase’s IQ8 microgrid with Ensemble will be “battery-less” microgrid solution. With Enphase, you can add storage when the price comes down, but in the meantime, for many people, an IQ8 upgrade will be able to cheaply upgrade their existing solar PV system and convert it to microgrid-capable quite easily. Only Enphase has the technology to precisely control the solar PV output with the dynamic load requirements of the home without a storage “middleman”. This is revolutionary. For many, being able to have microgrid capability, at least throughout the day, is a start. A cheap propane generator at night is still ok. With Enphase, you can add storage in a decentralized or distributed fashion without the same old centralized power topology that the single point-of-failure string inverter companies offer. String solutions are service oriented. Enphase solutions are service-less oriented.
@TJ Roberts, are you from Enphase. Been trying to get in touch with them but they don’t respond to emails. Please assist if you are
No, sorry Linda, I am not. You can catch me on Seeking Alpha at TJ Roberts. I’ve been writing articles promoting them for years; I love their tech, have it on my home, and the distributed power topology is the crux, because it offers the most optimal safety, reliability and longevity. Their “battery-less” microgrid will change solar MLPE big time.