Enphase Energy Launches New Home Energy Systems In Australia With IQ Battery 5P & IQ8 Microinverters

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Enphase Energy recently announced the launch of its Enphase Energy System, featuring the new IQ Battery 5P and IQ8 Microinverters. The IQ Battery 5P is modular, with a 5 kWh capacity. The IQ8 Microinverters provide a peak output power of 384 W, offering homeowners reliable electricity whenever needed.

Enphase’s previous gen batteries (IQ Battery 3/10 and IQ Battery 3T/10T) have been available in Canada, Mexico and several European countries. But AU was the first to get this battery (IQ Battery 5P). Even before the US.

The new IQ Batteries, which have double the continuous power and triple the peak power of the previous model, are being piloted with a select group of installers in Australia in preparation for an upcoming launch, according to Enphase CEO Badri Kothandaraman.

There is no word yet on costs, but according to Kothandaram, Enphase has been able to reduce prices compared to the previous model because of improvements made to the new generation battery.

Enphase

“As an executive team, we are hyper-focused on batteries as much as on our microinverters – our learning curve on batteries has been tremendous,” Kothandaraman said. “As we speak… our second generation batteries are getting better and better every day in both their installation and performance. Our third generation battery … that’ll be even better. With …double the continuous power and triple the peak power and with enhanced modularity as well as serviceability, that helps us in dropping costs compared to the prior generation, and of course it’s LFP, so it’s the safest battery.”

The 5kWh IQ Battery is a “plug-and-play” AC-coupled system that is simple to install and simple to scale up. The batteries use Lithium Iron Phosphate instead of traditional lithium-ion batteries. Utilizing the LFP material gives the batteries more longevity. And the batteries are safer from risks like lithium buildup, fire risk, and degradation. They will have better storage capacity over time since they have less of a tendency to degrade.

Each battery unit has four inbuilt Enphase bi-directional IQ8 microinverters, which can convert energy from DC to AC and back again to provide backup power during grid outages. The new system with the IQ Battery 5P enables configurations ranging from 5 to 20 kWh capacity. Each 5 kWh battery delivers 3.84 kW continuous power and 7.68 kW peak power for 3 seconds, allowing homeowners to start heavy loads during an outage and has a round-trip efficiency of 96%.

The system supports over-the-air software upgrades and can be set up to perform a full backup, self-consumption, or both. Additionally, the Storm GuardTM feature keeps track of data from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and charges the battery on its own to assist homeowners in preparing for potential grid outages brought on by severe weather.

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The IQ Battery 5P will be backed by an industry-leading 15-year limited warranty up to 6,000 cycles, making it the longest standard residential warranty in the Australian market.

The battery must hold at least 70% of its original charge after those 10 or 15 years, with “cycle” defined as once every 24 hours, during which power is drawn from the solar array. The 10-year warranty is basically standard for the industry, except for the additional 5-year extension. Tesla’s power wall has a 10-year warranty on its battery, which also must be able to hold 70% charge when those 10 years expire.

Here are some of the statements from the participating solar installers in Australia:

“Every now and then game-changing technology comes along, steals the show, and raises the bar for good –the new Enphase IQ8 Microinverters and IQ Battery 5P are just that,” said Jake Warner, director at Penrith Solar Centre. “With the most powerful solar technology platform arriving in Australia, it has never been more obvious that not installing Enphase is living in the past.”

“Bringing both the IQ Battery and IQ8 Microinverters to Australia with the longest respective product warranties in the market is a testament to the innovation and quality of Enphase technology,” said Robby Mack, director at Energy SA. “IQ8 Microinverters pair perfectly with the latest generation of high-powered PV modules, unlocking more solar generation while using less roof space, and the IQ Battery 5P provides the ultimate energy usage agility and grid outage protection.”

“In the wake of the cost-of-living increases, consumers are increasingly investing in home electrification powered by solar and batteries to reduce their energy costs,” said Matt Russell, general manager at G-Store. “The launch of the Enphase IQ Battery 5P and IQ8 Microinverters in Australia enables G-Store to deliver a fully integrated, modular, and state-of-the-art home energy management platform to our customers – all controlled through a smart mobile app.”

In order to enhance energy output, the IQ8 Microinverters are built to support the newest, higher powered solar modules. They control a constant DC current of 14 amperes. The two new microinverters, the IQ8ACTM and IQ8HCTM, can couple with a wide range of solar modules up to 505 W DC and have peak output powers of 366 W and 384 W, respectively. For the purpose of facilitating solar exports to the grid, IQ8 Microinverters adhere to Australia’s Common Smart Inverter Profile (CSIP) criteria.

There are no size limitations when combining an IQ Battery 5P with IQ8 Microinverters for homeowners who desire battery backup. After a prolonged grid outage that drains the battery, IQ8 Microinverters’ Sunlight Jump Start feature allows them to restart a home energy system using only sunlight. All IQ8 Microinverters come with a 15-year limited warranty in the Australian market.

“The launch of the IQ Battery 5P and IQ8 Microinverters in Australia ushers in a new era for our products with power, performance, and flexibility at its core,” said Badri Kothandaraman, president and CEO of Enphase Energy. “Homeowners across the country will now be able to build a reliable and safe system that is designed to meet their specific home energy needs, without sacrificing power and capability. We’re working with our growing installer network across Australia to deploy tomorrow’s home energy, today.”

Distributors and installers in Australia can pre-order the IQ battery 5P and IQ8 Microinverters now, with production shipments expected to begin in July 2023.

Source: GlobeNewswire


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