Finn's Enphase Inverters Review & Verdict
Finn Peacock has been a Chartered Electrical Engineer since 1998, and is ex-CSIRO
The fact that I've got 34 Enphase IQ7 microinverters on my roof should tell you what I think of their quality.
Most people don't *need* microinverters, but if you want microinverters, there's nothing wrong with that, and - in my opinion - Enphase are the only game in town worth considering.
I like their reliability and flexibility. I'm not a fan of Enphase's self-centred attitude that makes it so difficult for others to interface with their microinverters. That means you are stuck with Enphase's crappy app for monitoring and tough-cheese if you want to automatically curtail your solar output to avoid negative feed-in rates - unless you are game to homebrew your own control system that triggers some relays...
My opinion: great hardware, not so great software, crap corporate attitude. But the hardware is so good I still bought them for the family home.
Enphase Inverters: Pros & Cons
- Invisible and safe
- Easy to wire with flexible deployment
- Scalable and efficient
- High quality with good warranty and support
- Expensive
- Closed shop, difficult to service and limited panel compatibility
- A roof is a hot environment for electronics
- Powerline comms prone to interference
- Poor app
About Enphase
Enphase Customer Service: 03 8669 1679
Enphase Energy is a US-headquartered manufacturer specialising in the development of microinverters for the solar market. Enphase microinverters are miniaturised inverters that work on a per-panel level. It's a very different approach to a single string inverter working with multiple solar panels, as is more commonly the case with solar power system installations.
Given their panel-level operation, Enphase microinverters offer a number of advantages over string inverters; including redundancy, more flexible system design, monitoring of individual panels and enhanced safety. However, be prepared to pay quite a bit more for a microinverter-based system.
The company's eight generation microinverter, the Enphase IQ 8 series, is suited to residential applications and commercial systems.
With around 63 million units all told shipped as at mid-2023, Enphase Energy is widely considered as the global leader in microinverter technology. The company has cultivated a solid international profile thanks to offices located across the world, including France, Italy, the United Kingdom and China.
Here in Australia, Enphase serves local customers and provides technical and commercial assistance via its office located in Melbourne or, for our visitors from New Zealand, in Christchurch.
Enphase also produces solar batteries, communication gateways, monitoring systems, installer toolkits and accessories, as well as other energy-related services. The company also working on a bidirectional EV charger, but despite announcing this back in 2023, it's not yet available.
While the company is based in California, Enphase manufactures its products via partners in various locations, including Mexico, India and China. In late 2022, Enphase announced plans to also open multiple manufacturing facilities in the USA by the second half of 2023.
Enphase IQ8 and battery-less backup
Enphase did advertise what they called "sunlight backup" as a limited solar-only blackout protection feature, however it was never released in Australia and has been withdrawn in the US.
The SQ Verdict On Enphase
Enphase is currently listed on my recommended inverter brands chart, meaning it's a brand I'd be happy to install on my own home (and I have).
In the 2024 SolarQuotes Installers' Choice Awards, Enphase kept its second spot from 2022 and 2023 for the best inverters, as voted by installers in our network. The company also scored third place in a new category; best after-sales support.
If you have Enphase microinverters installed at your premises, please feel free to share your experience with us and other Australians by leaving a review. Enphase microinverter reviews from Australian customers who have had the devices installed can be viewed below.
Enphase Microinverter Warranty Notes
Enphase offers a 10-year warranty on its IQ7 and a 25-year warranty on its IQ8 microinverters (as of October 2024), covering defects in workmanship and materials. IQ8's installed prior to October 2024 have a 15-year warranty.
If you have an issue with any of your Enphase microinverters, your first step should be to contact the original installer for a remedy. Despite any claims otherwise, if they are still in business they are the ones liable for the repair/replacement of a faulty microinverter, assuming it is still within its warranty period.
If your original installer has gone out of business or is no longer contactable, warranty claims must then be lodged by you through Enphase.
Here's how that works:
Enphase advise that customers should visit their website and use the prominent “Find an installer” button (located in the top-right) to locate an installer in their area. The chosen installer will make a site visit to diagnose the problem, and then work with the company to arrange a replacement. Enphase provide up to $100 towards labor reimbursement costs.
Enphase has 4 solar inverters in our database
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Enphase Reviews (2301)
Show Most Relevant reviews from All time
- 5 star 1927
- 4 star 333
- 3 star 22
- 2 star 7
- 1 star 12
View Timeline
17 September 2024
Panel Brand
System Cost
More than $20,000
System Size
10kW
Installed By
25 June 2024
Panel Brand
System Cost
More than $20,000
System Size
6.6kW
Installed By
02 May 2024
Panel Brand
System Cost
$12,500 to $15,000
System Size
9kW
Installed By
08 May 2023
Enphase as a whole, from a end user’s view, I think is a well engineered product.
- I also saw a You Tube ‘Fully Charged’ episode on the Enphase system. Which may have influenced me.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$12,500 to $15,000
System Size
10kW
Installed By
16 January 2023
While I could have gone with a string inverter and paid less, I didn't like that I would have needed a separate monitoring device, and possibly pay for using the app (eg Fronius)
Panel Brand
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
13kW
Installed By
20 July 2022
Panel Brand
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
6.6kW
Installed By
31 May 2022
One year on and we are delighted with the performance of the system It has worked flawlessly. The app gives all the info you need and it is possible to monitor individual panels for performance and output.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$10,000 to $12,500
System Size
9kW
Installed By
14 March 2022
Panel Brand
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
15kW
Installed By
08 March 2022
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $8,000
System Size
4kW
Installed By
30 December 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$2,000 to $4,000
System Size
3.3kW
Installed By
24 December 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $8,000
System Size
6kW
Installed By
02 December 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
10kW
Installed By
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01 November 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $8,000
System Size
4kW
Installed By
02 October 2021
After paying Enphase to access their 'manager' software for a month I was able to confirm phase by phase assignment over my east, north and west facing sub adrrays was even and extends my producing day as expected. Solargain were not interested in helping me confirm these details.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $8,000
System Size
6kW
Installed By
11 August 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
13kW
Installed By
27 June 2021
Its working a treat!!
I can see exactly which panels are performing and I'm secure in the knowledge that if one panel in a bank is off line due to shadows, mechanical or electrical failure, bird droppings etc etc the rest of the system will soldier on but we've had absolutely no issues yet..just smaller power bills!!
Panel Brand
System Cost
$10,000 to $12,500
System Size
6.6kW
Installed By
26 June 2021
Data reported in the enphase monitoring app and portal regarding Imported and Exported kWh agrees with data extracted from my smart meter to within +-0.1 kWh - which is important as it means the system is working perfectly.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
13kW
Installed By
27 March 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$10,000 to $12,500
System Size
9kW
Installed By
20 March 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
8kW
Installed By
24 February 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $8,000
System Size
6kW
Installed By
24 February 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$8,000 to $10,000
System Size
5kW
Installed By
15 February 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$2,000 to $4,000
System Size
1.5kW
Installed By
28 January 2021
Today is raining and cloudy but the panels have still managed to produce over 13kWh of power, well in excess of what we have used. This has surprised us as we hadn't expected such efficiency on a non-sunny day. The Enphase IQ7 + Micro Inverters system is ideal for our situation ,which includes panels facing north and east, because it allows each panel to produce it's own power independently of the others.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$8,000 to $10,000
System Size
8kW
Installed By
25 January 2021
Panel Brand
System Cost
$8,000 to $10,000
System Size
6kW
Installed By
26 November 2020
Panel Brand
System Cost
$12,500 to $15,000
System Size
10kW
Installed By
20 July 2020
The enphase microinverters ensure that the output from each panel is maximised. A record of each individual panel performance is available together with overall system performance in 15 min. intervals.
Although my system is only 3 months old, these microinverters have not had any issue whatsoever. I am pretty confident that the IQ7+ series are well established and will last the duration of the installation.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$10,000 to $12,500
System Size
6kW
Installed By
24 October 2019
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $8,000
System Size
5kW
Installed By
15 October 2019
Panel Brand
System Cost
$3,000 to $6,000
System Size
5kW
Installed By
25 September 2019
I do like the online near-real-time graphs and monthly energy reports Enphase provide.
I can view them on my smart phone or on a laptop, computer.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$10,000 to $15,000
System Size
More than 6kW
Installed By
16 August 2019
Panel Brand
System Cost
$10,000 to $12,500
System Size
5kW
Installed By
06 February 2019
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $10,000
System Size
4kW
Installed By
10 April 2018
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $10,000
System Size
4kW
Installed By
28 March 2018
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $10,000
System Size
4kW
Installed By
30 September 2017
Again it was thanks to advice from Rainbow power that led to our decision to go with the Enphase system.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$3,000 to $6,000
System Size
3kW
Installed By
11 September 2017
Panel Brand
System Cost
$3,000 to $6,000
System Size
3kW
Installed By
11 July 2017
No matter enphase retains data and displays system records output etc. Very handy
Panel Brand
System Cost
$3,000 to $6,000
System Size
4kW
Installed By
08 May 2017
Panel Brand
System Cost
$6,000 to $10,000
System Size
5kW
Installed By
14 May 2025
System Cost
$8,000 to $10,000
System Size
8kW
Installed By
05 May 2025
System Cost
More than $20,000
System Size
20kW
Installed By
09 April 2025
System Cost
$6,000 to $8,000
System Size
5kW
Installed By
06 April 2025
The only “downside” is that it makes one aware of how much performance is lost in the solar panels when there are clouds or shade.
The flip-side of that is the “upside”, where we now shift our energy usage to the brighter moments, when we can.
Panel Brand
System Cost
$12,500 to $15,000
System Size
10kW
Installed By
25 March 2025
An incentive was offered by EnergySA for this review. Learn more here.
Despite encountering a few problems installation was completed quickly and efficiently
Watching the production of energy via the app is adding to the joy.
System Cost
$10,000 to $12,500
System Size
10kW
Installed By
11 February 2025
System Cost
$8,000 to $10,000
System Size
8kW
Installed By
10 February 2025
System Cost
$10,000 to $12,500
System Size
10kW
Installed By
29 January 2025
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
10kW
Installed By
29 January 2025
System Cost
$15,000 to $20,000
System Size
13kW
Installed By
16 January 2025
Panel Brand
System Cost
More than $20,000
System Size
13kW
Installed By
14 January 2025
Panel Brand
System Cost
More than $20,000
System Size
10kW
Installed By
09 December 2024
Panel Brand
System Cost
More than $20,000
System Size
13kW
Installed By
08 December 2024
System Cost
$0 to $2,000
System Size
6.6kW
Installed By
The IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters are designed to deliver maximum power output, and they certainly live up to this promise. Each microinverter operates independently, which means that shading or debris on one panel doesn't affect the performance of the others. This feature has significantly boosted the overall efficiency of my solar system, ensuring I get the most out of every ray of sunlight.
Installing the Enphase IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters was a breeze. The microinverters seamlessly integrated with my existing solar panels, and the installation process was quick and straightforward. The system's modular design means that expanding my solar array in the future will be hassle-free. The plug-and-play setup saved time and effort, making it an ideal choice for both new installations and upgrades.
One of the standout features of the IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters is the advanced monitoring system provided through the Enphase Enlighten app. This user-friendly app allows me to monitor the performance of each panel in real-time, providing detailed insights into energy production and consumption. The ability to track performance at the individual panel level has given me unparalleled control over my solar energy system.
Built to last, the Enphase IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions and have proven to be incredibly reliable. With a robust design and rigorous quality testing, these microinverters offer peace of mind and a long lifespan. Since their installation, I haven't experienced any issues, and the system continues to perform flawlessly.
The IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters have significantly enhanced my energy independence. The system's ability to generate and manage power efficiently means that I rely less on the grid, reducing my electricity bills and carbon footprint. Additionally, the microinverters are compatible with battery storage solutions, paving the way for even greater energy autonomy in the future.
Enphase has provided exceptional customer support throughout my experience with their IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters. Their knowledgeable and responsive team has been available to answer any questions and provide assistance whenever needed. This level of support has made my transition to a more advanced solar system smooth and stress-free.
I wholeheartedly recommend the Enphase IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters to anyone looking to optimize their solar energy system. Their superior efficiency, ease of installation, advanced monitoring capabilities, and unmatched reliability make them a top choice in the market. Investing in these microinverters has been a game-changer for my solar energy setup, and I am confident they will deliver the same outstanding performance for others.
Thank you, Enphase, for developing such an innovative and reliable product that has taken my solar energy experience to the next level!