Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Appreciate it, thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

That's my goal to share my mistakes and successes. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Appreciate you taking the time to share that. I agree with everything you said. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Appreciate it! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Much appreciated! Thanks for watching, commenting and being a sub 🤘

You're welcome, and thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Appreciate the insight. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Why not make electric at night 🌉🌙✨😌🤔😏🌉 shutters rail chrome paint l.e.d.s lights ✨😎🎶.

I agree. Low tech is always better IMO. I would use IQ7 in a New York minute. 2023 even

I agree completely that the IQ7+ are probably giving you as much power as you can get. From the shadows in the video, it seems like maybe your array faces more west than south? Seems to me that it won't matter which micro you have if you're limited by the azimuth of your array. I went through the exact thing you did. I read the rating on the micros after I received them and thought I needed to replace them with IQ7As, because I was installing 350W modules. This was in 2021 before the IQ8s were much of a thing. I talked to the distributor and he said it wouldn't make any difference, so I kept the 36 that I'd already bought, but when I ordered the additional 12 micros I needed, I got some IQ7As as a test. One of my south-facing arrays has 7+ micros on one row, and the 7As on the other (upper or lower, I can't remember.) I've never seen any noticeable difference in the outputs between the rows. Ground mounting can have its benefits though, for you it would allow aligning them due south, and putting a higher angle on them for better overall output. Easier to clean in winter, too. Also, if you're planning to slightly exceed the specs on the number of mods on a 20A circuit, better to have a slightly lower output micro! Enphase sells Q cables for both portrait and landscape orientations. Oh, and with wire sizes, the problem you're fighting with microinverters is actually voltage *rise* not drop, but the idea is the same, bigger wire=less resistance=fewer losses. If the wiring is too small or too long, under high PV output conditions it could be possible to exceed the overvoltage limit and have some micros shutting down. It all depends on what those specs are in the grid profile that is programmed into your micros. I used #12 wire, too, because I already had a crap-ton of it on hand. So far, no problems. 12 mods/circuit, no runs over about 70' from any micro to the combiner box.

@@JustinsProject I agree, if you can get 70% of the rated maximum per panel, you're doing just fine. This is where I say solar salesman are full of BS. I'm completely off-grid in Cabo and I need as many panels as I can fit on the property. I cannot tilt for optimum power due to hurricanes so I am trying to maximize as much space as possible on a flat concrete roof. Now that I have 4x48v 280AH battery banks (home built), I have way more night time capacity than my panels can supply.

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching and commenting! 👍

Much appreciated! I am glad you found it helpful and hope to have you back in other videos. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

Awesome! Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

True, hands-on experience will always trump textbook theories. It doesn't always work out perfectly. What is important is that we learn from our mistakes and focus on becoming better at what we do. With every job, no matter how many years of experience we have in the field. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

(Alex)? Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

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Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍

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Much appreciated 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Much appreciated and your welcome 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

That would be nice for easy access. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I am glad it helped. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

I am glad to help. Once I finish my shop, I hope to refocus on some new solar content. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I'm exploring battery backup solutions right now. I have some promising ideas. Hope to share sometime soon. Good luck with your build. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Appreciate the feedback. Unfortunately, I can't add just one or two IQ8's on a IQ7 system. They are not compatible and would need a whole new combiner box also. So to test this I would 27 IQ8's and the Combiner Box 4. IQ7+'s will do the job for sure, just if I had it to do over from my data, I think the IQ8A would have peaked my production. Not sure by how much or if it would be worth the extra $$$. Now, I could go get me a couple IQ7A's and test my theory on that. Which might be something I'll explore in the future. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

@@JustinsProject: IQ7 and IQ8 are most certainly compatible. But when paired on the same system you will not be able to use all the technical features of the 8's...like sunlight backup. The 8's will revert to same programming as the 7's but will make their rated power.

@@mikepowell3335 I am getting clipping with the IQ7+'s. 2+ hours on a clear day.

@@ABC-wz2db Can you elaborate on how you would pair the IQ8s with the IQ7s using the same branch circuit? Everyone I have talked with including Enphase tech support has stated that I can not pair IQ8s with IQ7s on the same circuit because they are not compatible. If I am missing something I would love to know because it would be beneficial to everyone.

@@JustinsProject Sorry, it looks like an additional Gateway would be required to get accurate monitoring and they would need to be on different feeders; possibly with a power line filter separating the two circuits. Looks like they(iq7/iq8) have different power line communications. But, if you don’t care about monitoring…they will work together all day long. I think someday soon I’ll test this on my system.

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I wanted a ground mount tilt racking system. Didn't workout for me that way. I can do a whole video on that topic probably. 😁 I am producing a good amount of power that I should repay my system very quickly though. That was my main objective. ROI. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Happy to help. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

@@JustinsProject -- I'm just starting to research solar now.

Great choice! Congrats on the system. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

I hope to get to play around with optimizers and battery backup solutions in the future. Maybe for a shed not connected to the grid. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting!

Vrise is important but there are several easy ways to help with it if is an issue. One tip to explore is adding a field connector in the middle of your branch while creating your home run. Be sure to check the Enphase installer certification classes. They are free and very helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting! 👍

Thanks for watching and commenting!

Appreciate the feedback. I will hopefully get to run some field tests in the future. Once I get that system off the roof and in the ground, I will test it out. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I have nearly the same set up (370W panels, IQ7+ inverters) and I only notice it level out around noon in late June. That's it. It's never been a problem. I'm expanding my array and will probably use 7+ or 8+ for those as well. If he had gone with a ground-based array and was able to orient the panels optimally, then you might see it a bit more, but it's really going to be only a very incremental difference, a definitely not a game changer in the roof-top vs. ground-based array.

I'm very interested in wind turbines as a supplement also. Still need to reseach that path a little more. I always wanted to build a Vertical turbine. I just need to source everything to fabricate the actual turbine.

Winter clouds have been brutal. On those days, we get nowhere near clipping. On sunny days, even in the winter, my panels are producing enough to clip for up to 3 3.5 hours. I'll have a better understanding on this later in the year. This will be my first full year of production. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

@@JustinsProject Wonder if you rolled out just one of your IQ7+'s with a IQ7A to see just what your loosing in the clipping?

@@randynethery Good idea, I have been thinking about doing that to see what is being lost on a sunny day.

I would be very curious to see those results. I would expect to see maybe 4 hours pegged at 240 watts on one of the days that the others clip for 3.5 hours. @@JustinsProject

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Congrats on your solar installation. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

But Enphase even admits that their Sunlight Backup system can only provide to your house 30% of the power provided by all of your micro inverters. If Justin's panels have a total (nominal) wattage of 10.0 kW, and his micro inverters can only output a total (max) continuous wattage of 7.8 kW, then the Sunlight Backup can only provide 7.8 kW * 30% ≈ 2.3 kW to his house, and the extra components to do so cost about $5000. Obviously, 2.3 kW is better than nothing, and you can run the WiFi and refrigerator and lights and maybe even a microwave oven, but it isn't the 7.8 kW coming off the roof.

@@jpdemont Good points. Another factor to toss into that scenario is that the grid power usually drops during the nighttime hours. If the system is not paired with batteries then there is no change. What it really comes down to is the overall needs of the system owner.

STC rating of 370. PTC rating of 344. Although I am experiencing some clipping, I do not think it will be an issue for the next 3 months 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Awesome. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

That's awesome! Are you going to put it back on a roof or mount it in the ground? Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

@@JustinsProject I don't know what I am going to do with all of it. I hadn't planned on going solar but I knew that if I didn't get up there and get it off the house, dad would have someone up there ripping it off the house and throwing it in a dump truck. So, now I have a good start on a solar system. I have an enclosed trailer that I can store all of it in until I figure something out.

You are thinking about using a string inverter. You may want to consider the Bluetti EP900 for being grid connected or the Ep800 for offgrid. I did an install video on the Bluetti EP800 version. I can send you a link if you would like. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Good point on adding more panels on a fixed mount vs. building an adjustable tilt. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I have the IQ8plus. My panels are rated at 420 but I get 900 to 988

Your 420w panel is producing 900w?

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Appreciate the feedback. Thanks for watching, commenting, and subscribing. 👍🏻

If it were that easy I would had from the beginning 😁 Local restrictions put a hurt on my initial plans of a tilt ground mount. I might attempt a smaller inground array in the future. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

What size solar panels are you pairing with the IQ8+'s? Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

With IQ8+ using 370w panels how many times you clipped in max month? Or no clipping at all?

I was planning a ground mount but due to local red tape I choose to put it on the roof. I wish I could have just put it in the ground like I wanted. I would have had an adjustable mount, it is what it is. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Just curious, on your 325's do you ever produce 290-295w? What direction (azimuth degree) and tilt is your array pointing? Thank you for watching and commenting! 👍

@@JustinsProject If I remember correctly 14 are at around 22-26 degrees since the roof has 2 levels, 4 are on the back porch roof tilted to about 45% so there are 18 total, on a good day they produce 35-38 Kw a day. They produce around 250 watts each, then you have some loss due to cables and such, but for a 5Kw system it does pretty good. I got a smaller system just to charge the batteries, Lithium LiPo batteries and use them as a backup just in case the power goes out. the house roof is due South got lucky on that one.

Can not add IQ8 to an IQ7 system. They are not compatible. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I'm sorry to hear that. Some believe that is a great pairing. I still question that since the microinverters are maxed for a couple of hours a day on every sunny day. I can't wrap my head around how maxing out an electrical component day in and day out for years is good for the microinverters. Most electrical components would fail if maxed for hours at a time, every day, year after year. As an electrical engineer, would you agree on that?

It's expensive, plus there are no guarantees. Its left up to 3 members of the board and my neighbors. SMH. If something happens in the future that gives me that opportunity I will probably do something like you suggested though. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

It's cheaper and more effective to upsize your system and leave it on the shop roof. I installed my panels in landscape orientation with roof penetrations at the top of each column (four panels). So, two circuits (strings) of eleven panels (max with IQ8A's), three branches to each string. All the wiring under the roof is solid core 12AWG MC cable, to the J-box under-roof, then 10 ga to the Combiner4 box. I'm seeing zero voltage drop in about 50 feet of wire from the last panel to the combiner box.

@@JustinsProject forgiveness-not permission. or bribery.

If you're getting the IQ8's I would recommend the smart switch. The 30% credit would help with the overall out of pocket. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

@@JustinsProject 30% rebate? I must have missed that in the video(?)

@@SSMLivingPictures Sorry I put rebate, tax credit is the right word there.

@@JustinsProject Ah 10-4.

Congrats on building your solar system! Yes, there is a setback on the edges and ridge of a structure. My biggest mistake was not going forward with my ground mounted system. I will pursue that in the coming months. Then, I will test the clipping and oversll production with 7A's vs. my current 7+'s side by side on the same array. This is something I really want to test and share with everyone. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

That is true. If I add anything additional, it will be in the ground now. I just go through the special permit process. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for the tip! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I'm not sure that's entirely correct- the 'voltage drop' is the result of current in the cable and the resistance of the cable (ohm's law), which ultimately is power lost through heat in the cable. A thicker cable = less resistance and lower power losses. Adding more panels means more current in the cable, which means a higher 'voltage drop' and more power lost as heat; it's still the same ratio/proportion of power generated vs power lost, but still power lost!

Awesome and Congrats on a killer setup!! Are you using the Enphase batteries or did you opt for another backup solution? Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

@@JustinsProject Someone deleted my last reply. The US needs to go to a Hydrogen economy. So I will go with (World-first home hydrogen battery stores 3x the energy of a Powerwall 2) as my next upgrade.

Appreciate it 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I am in the process of figuring all this out. I have 31x 400w Bifacial panels that I will be installing at ground level sometime this year. Maybe I can figure out if a larger microinverter is better or if it's just a waste. I will be sure to share that with everyone as I start that project also. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Thanks for sharing 👍🏻

That is interesting. Phoenix is a sunny place 😁 - I'm paired with S-Energy 370w panels in Central KY. Fairly sunny nothing like Phoenix though. My azimuth positioning is almost perfect for a stationary system. I am experiencing clipping on full sun days. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Probably the temperature is too hot in Phoenix. As the ambient temperature goes up, the output of the panels decreases.

@@serraios1989 yep. In some places, the temp coefficient on the panels is the most important thing.

Its totally possible to have clipping and still have rounded graphs. At least on my system its there but not flat. If I take the number of panels and multiply by 295 I get 7,375. The system never gets above 7.4k. Even in May which is the biggest production month here in Florida. I did see the clipping on similar systems with REC panels (they handle the heat better than LG). Anyhow as Enphase emailed me, clipping is a non issue.

@@shroud1390 I have 395w panels with iq7+ in three arrays facing east, south, west and there is some clipping from the south facing micros, however the graph is always a round curve. Probably the iq7a on the south panels would have yielded more. We are in the UK

Exactly! You just highlighted some of the reasons I didn't add a battery back up. The ROI just is not there yet. With the new F150 and its intelligence backup power these systems will act as a battery bank. This is going to be the industry standard with new EV models coming to market. Eventually we all will be driving EV's. For now, a generator will work to power the essentials in time of need. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Where did you get 2000? SOK and EG4 LiFeP04 batteries have 7000 cycle life

I added a 200Ah 24V LiFePO4 battery backup system to my solar system for $3500 (DIY). It will power critical loads for about 10 hrs and allow for solar generation during the day when the public utility grid is down.

how do you use a backup generator to store solar power?

Those cycles are full 0-100%? I would expect BMS to only keep batteries charged 20% up to 80% to maintain much higher longevity. I have 11 years old EV with the original Li-Ion battery never charged over 80% and it is still way above 80% of the rated capacity and much more than 2000 “cycles”.

I agree, trying to keep up with technology is a losing game but it's fun to dream. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍

Enphase makes a great product. Their customer service and technical support are fantastic. I've seen many stocks in my time underperform competitors even though their product was superior. I can only recommend Enphase from my experience. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Due to the power line right of way that was not an option on the rear of the building. Can't build under it. No restrictions on my land but feel like there are restrictions everywhere I turn. 😁

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Muc appreciate it 🙏 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Much much appreciated! Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I went with S-Energy panels. Mistake. I can't even contact their customer service. I could imagine if I needed to file a warranty claim. They are performing well, but if I ever have an issue, I am probably up the creek without a paddle. 😁

I am building something cool this year. Can't wait to share it with everyone. I might replace my Enphase system with something new. 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

😁 Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I just installed 15kWh of Bluetti batteries. I made an install video on that and will have more videos coming soon. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I have a couple of videos on Hoymiles microinverters. They are very impressive from a statistical point of view. I can't wait to get to test them out in a real-life scenario. That may happen sometime soon. 🤫🤐

Thanks for sharing. I am considering Hoymiles for my next system.

Yeah I should have did the IQ7A but we saved so much on IQ7+ that is ok even if it clips on sunny days. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

So you're running Q-cell 400 G10's with IQ7A M.I.'s ... How are they running? Do you ever reach saturation? Do they clip? I'm about to put on REC 405 panels with IQ8M M.I.'s. I've considered the 8A but haven't pulled the trigger.

Turned on the system 9/20/22 So far no clipping or saturation but we'll see what happens in July.

Good idea. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻

Congrats on your solar system. I am happy with my system also. My goal is to test those theories of clipping and what microinverter should be used where. By having real life studies side by side in real time. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Most certainly will be sharing the graphs in the near future. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

The flat top clipping around noon is only a Solaredge feature. Enphase does not display that. Enphase only shows the production in form of a bell curve. So its production curve is misleading.

@@SamSam-bv3vn My Enphase graph definitely shows this flat top curve on very sunny days.

@@SamSam-bv3vn u need the ct monitors installed then that come with every enphase system

Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I agree 💯 percent. If or when I get the chance to move this system from the roof to the ground, I definitely will. I wish I would had followed my initial plans and did it from the beginning. Lessoned learned. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

I didn't think it was clickbait. That wasn't my intention. Thanks for the feedback.

With 55000 installs I will certainly accept that feedback 💯. If you don't mind, I'm just trying to learning something. Why add the 10-15% before reducing that 4%? If my memory serves me correctly my PTC was rated at 344w. If I add 10-15% and reduce 4% it puts me right back at 370ish. The guarantee is less than 1% loss in output annually over 25yrs. 80% by year 25. If my math is right that would have me crossing 300w (ptc) at year 13-14. At that point my 7+'s would be still capping near 100% production on a great day. I am just trying to see if this was the absolute most optimal setup. Don't get me wrong, I am extremely happy with what I built. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

@@JustinsProject there are two ratings STC is a perfect scenario generation on a perfect day and an NOTC which is quite a bit lower and more like what a panel should make on the average day. Adding some to notc for a good scenario but then calculating for 1 year panel drop. After that a tier one panel drops about .4% annually. At the end of the day the goal is to make good reliable power for the life of the product to be sure the customer gets what they asked for and mitigate service issues down the line. An “optimal” system is one that that reduces or eliminates your power bill according to what was anticipated and installed in a manner that is safe and efficient.

Not really, incase you can get them for about the same cost of a quality string inverter. I got really good deals on mine. I have absolutely no shading concerns on my array either. I do love the monitoring capabilities down to the panel level though. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻

Completely agree. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Appreciate all the good feedback. Thanks for watching and commenting 👍🏻