With Enphase, you have one microinverter per panel. Amongst many other things, the microinverter acts as an optimiser, ensuring that if one panel in the array is in shade or is damaged, then only that panel is affected. In a standard string inverter system, all panels would be affected, unless optimisers are used. However, optimisers are not as effective and are less reliable than microinverters.

With an Enphase system, you have many microinverters in one installation, rather than a single string inverter for multiple panels. This means that the microinverters require much less voltage to activate than the larger string inverter. This means that an Enphase system will be generating more energy in low light situations such as dawn and dusk. This is known as ‘Burst Technology’.

With a standard string inverter system, the string of panels are connected to one another in a ‘string’ and connect into the string inverter which turns the DC power into AC power so it can be used. All of the panels in that string generate DC power that can quickly add up to as much as 1000V DC.

Firstly, this creates a future risk of DC arc faults, which can cause fires.

Secondly, such high levels of DC voltage are potentially fatal for anyone working on the installation.

With Enphase, as you have one microinverter per panel, the inversion from DC to AC occurs at each panel. This means that the highest voltage would be 240V AC, removing these two risks.

Due to fire breakouts at commercial solar installations, some insurers are beginning to specify which solar systems they will and will not accept.

Your Enphase products come with industry-beating warranty periods, covering both performance and product.

These warranty periods combined with the 30 year performance and product warranties now available on the solar panels themselves give you total peace of mind.

• 15 years on batteries

• 25 years microinverters

Whilst the warranty period is very important, what is often ignored is the failure rates of the products. I.e. how likely is it that this product will fail during its warranty period?

There is an ever-growing range of different products on the market, some of which are marketed well with good warranty periods but are actually poor quality and are likely to fail within that period.

For example, a cheaper string inverter system with optimisers may come with a 10 year warranty, but it may be more than likely that those parts fail in that period, possibly even more than once.

The manufacturer will replace them free of charge under the warranty (if they are still in business!) However, you then have the disruption in production as well as the cost for the labour to replace it, especially if getting up to the roof to replace the optimisers involves re-erecting scaffolding!

The challenge for consumers is that the vast majority of manufacturers do not publish their failure rates.

Enphase are one of the only manufacturers to actually test AND publish their failure rates.

The failure rate on Enphase microinverters is around 0.05%, or 1 in 2000, which is extremely low.

For the cost, aggravation and loss of energy production, homeowners and installers alike always want to avoid going back onto the roof. This is why we think it is so important to consider failure rates.

With your Enphase installation, you can monitor your production and consumption down to the finest detail with the Enlighten app. You can program your batteries to charge during off-peak periods and program when to export to the grid.

You can also see which panels are performing best and also whether any are not performing how they should be.

As there is one microinverter per panel, if there is an issue with a panel, you can immediately identify which one it is.

With a string inverter system you cannot do this, as if one panel goes down, they all go down. And then you have to work out which one is the issue by process of elimination.

With the Enphase system, one microinverter goes with one panel, meaning each panel essentially operates as a standalone producer, rather than as part of a string of panels.

Firstly, this makes it easier to design highly productive systems. This is becuase you don’t need to worry about all the panels on one roof face receiving the same amount of sunlight as you do with a string system. With Enphase, as each one is a standalone producer, the panels can be dotted around all different roof pitches with different levels of light, without affecting energy production.

Secondly, this means that with Enphase, as energy demands may increase, you always have the option of easily adding more panels and batteries to an existing installation.

A warranty period is only as good as the company behind it.

All of the Enphase products we install are backed by Enphase.

• Founded in 2006 and has been a pioneer in solar innovation from the beginning. Enphase is a publicly listed company (NASDAQ).

• Over 2 million solar installations.

• Over 22 million hours of annual testing.

• 50%+ market share in US, Germany, France & Netherlands.

• Dedicated 24/7 customer phone line with average answer time under 1 minute.