Enphase review

Enphase - Inverter Reviews

4.8

Based on 2240 ratings

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.

Reviewers report paying:
$3,700 - $26,104

For a

solar system with a
Enphase inverter

Depending on hardware choice and installation difficulty

Enphase has 4 solar inverters in our database

Filter by:

Price 
Inverter Size 
Phase type 
Model number
Approx Price
Inverter Size
Max Efficiency (%)
# of MPPT's
Phase Type
IQ7A-72-2-INT
$195
349W
96.5 %
N/A
N/A
+ More details
IQ8AC-72-M-INT
$210
360W
97.3 %
N/A
N/A
+ More details
IQ8HC-72-M-INT
$230
380W
97.4 %
N/A
N/A
+ More details
IQ7X-96-2-INT
$205
315W
96.5 %
N/A
N/A
+ More details

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Enphase Reviews (2240)

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The Enphase IQ8AC-72-M-INT microinverters have truly revolutionized my solar energy system, and I couldn't be more satisfied with their performance. As someone who values efficiency, reliability, and cutting-edge technology, these microinverters have exceeded my expectations in every way.

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!

Panel Brand

Jinko Solar

System Cost

More than $20,000

System Size

10kW

Installed By

Wildman Solar
The system uses microinverters. Need to be careful of the microinverter's cutoff power and ensure that microinverters are matched with the panels to give maximum output. I have learnt a hard and expensive lesson.

Panel Brand

REC

System Cost

More than $20,000

System Size

6.6kW

Installed By

Ulladulla Solar
It’s working very well, very happy with them.

Panel Brand

Jinko Solar

System Cost

$12,500 to $15,000

System Size

9kW

Installed By

Paramount Energy Co Pty Ltd
The Enphase system seems to be a very well designed Inverter. The accompanying App is also a excellent product.
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

SunPower

System Cost

$12,500 to $15,000

System Size

10kW

Installed By

Hello Sun Newcastle
Love being able to monitor each panel's performance and see what I am generating, exporting and importing from the grid. App is easy to use, and as my brother also has Enphase, we can share our data and see how our systems are performing.

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

Trina

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

13kW

Installed By

Sungen Northern NSW
Monitoring available through the included Enphase app has been pretty good, including per panel output. Can see how some of the west panels are getting impacted by shade from north side trees in winter so will give the trees a bit of a trim soon.

Panel Brand

REC

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

6.6kW

Installed By

RACV Solar Melbourne
The Enphase system with micro-inverters 9.375kW, 25 panels X375w, Envoy S meter, and Surge Diverter, Enphase 3 Phase step up kit, Clenergy racking. Basically the same, but bigger, than the system we installed in Melbourne, which worked perfectly.

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

SunPower

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

9kW

Installed By

SAE Group Brisbane East
The Enphase app is easy to navigate and read, and provides all the important information.

Panel Brand

SunPower

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

15kW

Installed By

AG Solar Pty Ltd
Early days and system not yet fully connected to grid. Early testing shows system working as expected, but no better than adjacent and much cheaper Hyundai/ solarEdge system with panel optimisers. Monitoring at panel level is impressive.

Panel Brand

Hyundai Solar

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

4kW

Installed By

GoSolar Newcastle
2021 install has Enphase IQ7A , my older enphase S230s from 2017 have been perfect , expect these new IQ7 to be the same . The old and new panels all report individual panel outputs , very nice .

Panel Brand

Jinko Solar

System Cost

$2,000 to $4,000

System Size

3.3kW

Installed By

Jet Solar PV and Battery

Panel Brand

Hyundai Solar

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

6kW

Installed By

Sydney Air and Solar Sydney
28 x Enphase IQ7A microinverters, working just fine so far. Enlighten software & app is informative and easy to use on computer or app.

Panel Brand

LG

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

10kW

Installed By

G Store Melb
Very pleased with the Enphase microinverters. The ability to monitor individually allowed me to pick up some performance issues. Installer was able to return and make amendments to installation to ensure performance remained at the peak.

Panel Brand

Qcells

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

4kW

Installed By

BTR Electrical
Power generation commences quite early in the day (at low levels) and extends quite late despite some shadows.
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

Trina

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

6kW

Installed By

Solargain Perth
Still loving the panel level monitoring. After going Enphase this time around, if I were to add an additional system in the future, it would be Enphase based again. After a month of paid Enlighten Manager subscription, appears they have now given me the additional functionality of Enlighten Manager for free now.

Panel Brand

REC

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

13kW

Installed By

Yuma Energy QLD
Love the idea of individual inverters instead of the single Fronius.
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

LG

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

6.6kW

Installed By

1KOMMA5Sydney Z2 (Solaray Energy)
I am blown away by the Sunpower Maxeon Maxeon 5 AC 415W panels and Enphase IQ7A microinverters, which are now generating 5 times the output of the previous system at 10am and will likely peak at 6-7x later today. They even start generating in the very early morning and have excellent output in shaded or overcast/rainy conditions.
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

SunPower

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

13kW

Installed By

AG Solar Pty Ltd
I was particularly happy that the inverter was small enough to fit into my existing power board box so everything was neat and together.

Panel Brand

Qcells

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

9kW

Installed By

Penrith Solar Centre NSW
We went with micro inverters and are very happy with the choice. Per-panel performance tracking, better performance under partial shade conditions, and easier future expandability outweigh higher initial cost.

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

8kW

Installed By

Solaworx
I went with an inverter, Enphase, that had very good technology, functioned well in our situation, enabled monitoring and also didn't require a huge box at the front door. It's early days yet but everything is working to expectations.

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

6kW

Installed By

Sydney Solar and Batteries
The Enphase envoy monitoring system has been very useful, reporting on each panels' daily kWh production and alerting if any are not functioning properly.

Panel Brand

Tindo Solar

System Cost

$8,000 to $10,000

System Size

5kW

Installed By

Steve Torpy Electrical and Security and Coastal Solar Solutions

Panel Brand

REC

System Cost

$2,000 to $4,000

System Size

1.5kW

Installed By

Roland Lawrence Electrical
The Enphase Enlighten App which monitors power out / input / export is a simple and effective tool. I always said I wouldn't be one of those people who checked when the solar panels were producing power and wait to put on the dishwasher BUT I am one of those people thanks to the App. The App allows me to see how much power each panel is producing which is really useful given that we have panels on an east facing roof as well as on the north facing roof.

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

Jinko Solar

System Cost

$8,000 to $10,000

System Size

8kW

Installed By

All Green Environmental Solutions

Panel Brand

LG

System Cost

$8,000 to $10,000

System Size

6kW

Installed By

Urban Renewables Melbourne
Model we got was IQ7+ which had a maximum capacity of 290 Watts + or - 3%. At 32 microinveters this produces 9.28 KW, and we always hit 9.2 KW peak power during good days. So we are very happy with its performance so far.

Panel Brand

Jinko Solar

System Cost

$12,500 to $15,000

System Size

10kW

Installed By

All Green Environmental Solutions
How good is the app!
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

LG

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

6kW

Installed By

G Store Melb
I love the higher production I'm getting from the microinverters and I love the detailed monitoring of both our production and consumption. My only surprise was that the monitoring system was not set up to record how much electricity our off-peak hot water system uses and when. When I raised this with both Space Solar and Enphase I was told that nobody had ever asked for it so they weren't sure it would work. I'm stunned that it isn't just standard practice to monitor ALL of the electricity consumption. We're still in negotiations to see if we can set it up and test it. But my advice is, if you choose an Enphase system, insist that it be set up to monitor ALL of your usage and get that in writing before you pay your deposit.

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

5kW

Installed By

Space Solar Western Sydney
I went with Enphase micro inverters and love them, with the Enphase monitoring system not only can i see exactly how energy the entire system produced on any given day, i can also see exactly how much energy each panel produced

Panel Brand

Suntech

System Cost

$3,000 to $6,000

System Size

5kW

Installed By

All Green Environmental Solutions
I went with Enphase micro inverters. Although they are not sized to match the PV panel wattage (they are lower wattage), and after reading a white paper off the Enphase web site regarding smaller inverters I decided to run with the micro inverters recommended by the installer anyway. So far so good. Although only seven months since the 9.3kW system went live, it is performing extremely well.
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

Phono

System Cost

$10,000 to $15,000

System Size

More than 6kW

Installed By

Hush Energy
great system,

Panel Brand

LG

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

5kW

Installed By

G Store Melb
Seperate inverters are mounted below each solar panel.

Panel Brand

LG

System Cost

$6,000 to $10,000

System Size

4kW

Installed By

Space Solar South Coast

Panel Brand

LG

System Cost

$6,000 to $10,000

System Size

4kW

Installed By

All Green Environmental Solutions

Panel Brand

Jinko Solar

System Cost

$6,000 to $10,000

System Size

4kW

Installed By

Green Sky Solar North East Melbourne
I can only say having multiple inverters, one per panel, was absolutely the right choice for our household. We live on a mountain range in a rainforest and have unavoidable shading on some of the panels early morning and evening, but with this system it allows maximum generation at all times as a drop on the shaded panels doesn't effect the other inverters. It has also allowed us to accurately track the output of each panel on-line and made it possible to remove some trees shading in winter when the sun was at a longer angle'
Again it was thanks to advice from Rainbow power that led to our decision to go with the Enphase system.

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$3,000 to $6,000

System Size

3kW

Installed By

Rainbow Power Company

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$3,000 to $6,000

System Size

3kW

Installed By

1KOMMA5Sydney Z2 (Solaray Energy)
All working well. Only drama is wifi connection drops out and I have to reboot from time to time. Modem drama I think.
No matter enphase retains data and displays system records output etc. Very handy

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$3,000 to $6,000

System Size

4kW

Installed By

EcoSmart Energy Group
We have 4 Enphase batteries (total 6 kWh). We went for Enphase batteries and micro-inverters because we liked: i) AC wiring; ii) the modular approach to batteries (you only buy the storage you need); iii) their software (My Enlighten) for managing the flows between panels, batteries and grid.

Panel Brand

Solarworld

System Cost

$6,000 to $10,000

System Size

5kW

Installed By

DNX Energy
The parallel system with emphase EQ8 inverters is awesome

System Cost

$8,000 to $10,000

System Size

6kW

Installed By

Regen Power
I went with microinverters as some panels are occasionally in shade, and the southern panels won't produce much at all in winter. I didn't want them dragging down the overall performance, so far, they certainly don't.

Reliability? Too early to tell.

Note: Price shown includes separate installation of solar hot water booster switch, so that my solar is only boosted from excess solar. Solar system alone was around $8500

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$8,000 to $10,000

System Size

10kW

Installed By

Frazer Electrical Group Pty Ltd

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

10kW

Installed By

Clean Earth Solar

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

10kW

Installed By

Five Islands Electrical Pty Ltd

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

8kW

Installed By

All Green Environmental Solutions

Panel Brand

SunPower

System Cost

$15,000 to $20,000

System Size

13kW

Installed By

Green Solar Energy NSW

System Cost

$10,000 to $12,500

System Size

20kW

Installed By

Dynamic Solar

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

6.6kW

Installed By

Braintric Electrical and Automation Engineering NSW

Panel Brand

Trina

System Cost

$6,000 to $8,000

System Size

6kW

Installed By

Essential Solar

An incentive was offered by AG Solar Pty Ltd for this review. Learn more here.

Microinverters have allowed our installation to maximise the multi-roof, multi-angle construction of our house, and to easily add more panels as a second phase installation. It also allows us to monitor individual panel outputs which has helped to alleviate shading

Panel Brand

SunPower

System Cost

More than $20,000

System Size

15kW

Installed By

AG Solar Pty Ltd

System Cost

$8,000 to $10,000

System Size

13kW

Installed By

DQ Electrical Services Pty Ltd

System Cost

More than $20,000

System Size

5kW

Installed By

Going Solar Pty Ltd

An incentive was offered by AG Solar Pty Ltd for this review. Learn more here.

Enphase IQ 7A inverter

Panel Brand

SunPower

System Cost

More than $20,000

System Size

10kW

Installed By

AG Solar Pty Ltd
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