Enphase - Inverter Reviews

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backup" as a limited solar-only blackout protection feature, however it was never released in Australia and has been withdrawn in the US.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.