Enphase Energy, the popular micro inverter manufacturer recently released the next generation M215 micro inverter. There were several key improvements that make this new release a major breakthrough for the solar energy market.

1. Higher Output:

The new micro inverter has a higher AC watt output that is more in line with the current 250 watt solar modules.

2. Greater efficiency:

The inverters have now achieved 96% efficiency which in turn means greater overall production.

3. 25 year warranty:

Here’s the game- changer. Most string inverters come with a standard 10-15 year warranty which means you will have to replace your inverter at some point while owning your solar system. Since the modules will remain productive for at least 25 years, a string inverter would need to be replaced once, possibly twice, over the useful life of the system. Now, the Enphase M215 micro inverters carry the same 25 year warranty as the solar modules.

4. Free life time monitoring:

The Enphase monitoring platform is what really separates their product from other inverter manufacturers. That monitoring used to come at a cost; $2 per inverter per year. Now that extra cost has been removed.

So, how much do micro inverters cost compared to a string inverter?

Let’s take a look at a 3kW system comprised of 12 Solarworld 250W solar modules.

String Inverter: PV Powered 3000W inverter                  Cost before mark-up: $1860

Micro Inverter: 12 Enphase M215 plus Envoy                  Cost before mark-up: $2561

There is definitely a premium for installing the Enphase micro inverters but considering the warranty alone it makes sense to go with the micro inverter option.