Enphase field MTBF: M190: ~36 Years M215: ~316 Years M250: >357 Years

[RegGuheert]

On July 25, we saw ambient temperatures here over 101F. On July 26 one of the inverters in our system did not start. No light or anything. That brings the total number of M190 failures in this system to FIVE in 5.5 years.

Exactly one month later on August 26, one of the original M190 inverters stopped working at about 4:00PM when the outdoor temperature had risen to about 94F.

I called Monday and Enphase agreed to RMA the unit. The representative was very efficient: 3 minutes total conversation time (after 15 minutes on hold). No complaints here. I swapped the broken unit with one of my spares this morning, so production is back to normal.

BTW, I now have a new way to estimate Enphase microinverter MTBF. I received RMAs 32 days apart and the RMA numbers are different by a bit over 2900. If I assume each RMA represents a single microinverter failure, then that comes to a failure approximately every 15 minutes. If I assume 10,000,000 units currently operating in the field, that comes to an MTBF of 150,000,000 minutes, which is about 285 years. That agrees fairly well with my own calculations which indicate that the MTBF of the M190s is significantly lower than that number while the MTBF of the M215s and later is significantly higher. I will assume that the vast majority of the current RMAs are M190s with a few non-IG M215s.

FWIW, I still do not have a single report of any failure of an -IG microinverter from Enphase (M215IG, M250, M190IG or M19072IG).

 

[pclifton]

Please add another M190 failure to my system total. This inverter dropped offline completely for three days back on July 5th, then revived itself somewhat, clipping power to about 139 watts until it was finally replaced on Sept 3, 2016. If I am counting correctly that brings me up to six failures out of twenty-four M190s, all top of pole mounted with lots of air cooling underneath.

Like RegGuheert said the phone call was uneventful. I was in the queue for about 20 minutes, then I provided the site id, and my user id, the inverter serial number and the date the failure began. The decision to RMA it was made during the phone call. The whole phone call was professional.

Getting the inverter took some time -- about 3 weeks. I had to start a new case to find out what happened to the replacement unit. When it finally arrived, the replacement unit was a M190IG with the adapter cable. I replaced the failed inverter with my last old style M190 spare. Now all of my spares are M190IG units.

This has been a long, hot summer. Here in the Piedmont of NC this summer has logged over 50 days above 90 degrees. I am surprised more units have not failed.

I received an email newsletter from Enphase today. Interesting that one of the stories in the Enphase newsletter mentioned their cash burn rate toward the end of the PV-Tech.org article, link: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/enphase...pricing-strategy-on-microinverters-takes-hold I am curious what others make of this? A lot of the financial sites are upset over the last loan that was done, that is also mentioned. I personally don't know what to think -- it sounds like they are gaining some market share, but...

Ken Clifton

 

[RegGuheert]

Please add another M190 failure to my system total. This inverter dropped offline completely for three days back on July 5th, then revived itself somewhat, clipping power to about 139 watts until it was finally replaced on Sept 3, 2016. If I am counting correctly that brings me up to six failures out of twenty-four M190s, all top of pole mounted with lots of air cooling underneath.

I only had four recorded previously. Here are the last two entries I had in the "Notes" column for your system:

9/11/2015: Owner reports a FOURTH M190 has failed. 12/14/2015: Owner reports no further failures.

I've put in FIVE for now, but will certainly change it to SIX if you think that is correct.

If the actual number of failures is FIVE, your M190 MTBF is 25 years; if SIX, it is 21 years.

Getting the inverter took some time -- about 3 weeks. I had to start a new case to find out what happened to the replacement unit.

I'm still waiting on my last one, but it has only been a week or so.

When it finally arrived, the replacement unit was a M190IG with the adapter cable. I replaced the failed inverter with my last old style M190 spare. Now all of my spares are M190IG units.

I didn't remember that you also had spares in hand. Did you purchase those when you built your system? BTW, any chance you got the new 72-cell version that I received last month? It has the part number M190-72-2LL-S22-IG instead of M190-60-2LL-S22-IG for the previous one I received.

This has been a long, hot summer. Here in the Piedmont of NC this summer has logged over 50 days above 90 degrees. I am surprised more units have not failed.

Same here: many more 90-plus degree day than normal. We've run the air conditioner for months when we normal would run it for a couple of weeks. In fact, I turned it on again today. It was over 90F today and it should be about 95F again on Saturday. I'm having a tough time saving up energy for the wintertime. With a strong La Nina coming to follow this strong El Nino, I expect the hot summer may be followed by a cold winter. Time will tell.

I received an email newsletter from Enphase today. Interesting that one of the stories in the Enphase newsletter mentioned their cash burn rate toward the end of the PV-Tech.org article, link: http://www.pv-tech.org/news/enphase...pricing-strategy-on-microinverters-takes-hold I am curious what others make of this? A lot of the financial sites are upset over the last loan that was done, that is also mentioned. I personally don't know what to think -- it sounds like they are gaining some market share, but...

Good article. Thanks! Personally, I don't think they had much choice regarding that last loan. Note the following sentence from the article:

...he conceded that when including Enphase’s Wells Fargo line of credit he estimated the company’s liquidity situation stood at over US$37 million, which could be sufficient for 3 to 4 quarters of operations.

If you take away $25 million, then you are left with only $12 million and the likelyhood of imminent bankruptcy.

They need to find profitability right away or they will be on the block soon.

 

[pclifton]

I've put in FIVE for now, but will certainly change it to SIX if you think that is correct.

Please leave the failures at five -- I just looked at the arrays in Enlighten, checking serial numbers against my original configuration. You are correct with five.

Did you purchase those when you built your system?

No, I purchased two spares in 2012, their serial numbers start with 121046 and 121049.

BTW, any chance you got the new 72-cell version that I received last month? It has the part number M190-72-2LL-S22-IG instead of M190-60-2LL-S22-IG for the previous one I received.

Yes, I did receive the 72 cell version, same part number as your last, as the latest warranty replacement.

I believe you are correct about the last loan. Basically the financial sites say it is the kind of loan that you only get when there is no other option.

Thanks for updating the MTBF!

Ken Clifton

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Getting the inverter took some time -- about 3 weeks. I had to start a new case to find out what happened to the replacement unit.

I'm still waiting on my last one, but it has only been a week or so.

If it makes you guys feel any better, I had a M215 fail back in July. I'm still waiting for a replacement.

 

[DaveEV]

Reg, another newly installed system for you to monitor that I have access to:

13 S280 inverters combined with LG310N1C-G4 (310W) panels.
https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/FuKU1024769

 

[RegGuheert]

If it makes you guys feel any better, I had a M215 fail back in July. I'm still waiting for a replacement.

Wow! You still haven't gotten the replacement for that one? I would think Enphase would be flush with M215s, but perhaps since they are now producing the S230s and S280s, they have depleted their stock.

And, no, that certainly doesn't make me feel any better! I suppose this is not a "misery loves company" kinda thing.

 

[RegGuheert]

Reg, another newly installed system for you to monitor that I have access to:

13 S280 inverters combined with LG310N1C-G4 (310W) panels.
https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/FuKU1024769

Cool, thanks! Are carpet scraps a popular addition on Mountain View roofs these days?

I added a new section to track the S280s.

The MTBF for all S280s that we are tracking is currently above 2 months!

BTW, can you please let me know the status of the other systems you are tracking (by row number)? TIA!

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Wow! You still haven't gotten the replacement for that one? I would think Enphase would be flush with M215s, but perhaps since they are now producing the S230s and S280s, they have depleted their stock.

Yeah, I have no visibility into my case. I am starting to worry that the company may not be around a year from now. With this kind of failure rate, my system may not last long enough to break even.

And, no, that certainly doesn't make me feel any better! I suppose this is not a "misery loves company" kinda thing.

Yeah, I don't really understand that expression either. I guess I should stop using it! It never makes me feel better to know that someone else is suffering.

 

[RegGuheert]

Reg, another newly installed system for you to monitor that I have access to:

13 S280 inverters combined with LG310N1C-G4 (310W) panels.
https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/pv/public_systems/FuKU1024769

It looks like the Envoy in you friend's system lost contact with the inverters from about 2PM until 8PM on Tuesday, September 6, and from about 2PM until 5PM on Wednesday. Any chance they were charging a LEAF during that time?

 

[DaveEV]

Are carpet scraps a popular addition on Mountain View roofs these days?

Yeah, used to protect the roof which was just replaced and seemed a bit sensitive to being walked on.

BTW, can you please let me know the status of the other systems you are tracking (by row number)? TIA!

Will dig those down.

It looks like the Envoy in you friend's system lost contact with the inverters... Any chance they were charging a LEAF during that time?

No, the Envoy was just unplugged for other work at the time.

 

[RegGuheert]

Here's a listing on eBay for 22 used M190s from Ontario, Canada. It looks like the owner may have gotten frustrated with the failures. Four of them are the new M190IGs, meaning AT LEAST four of the 22 inverters have failed. But I think I'll pass on purchasing used M190s for $130 each. I've never paid that much even for a NEW M250!

 

[RegGuheert]

Just checking in to report that the MTBF of my M215IGs and M250s combined is now demonstrated to be above 41 years (with no failures so far) which is higher than the MTBF of about 39 years I see with the original M190s (which have had six failures so far).

I had two M190s fail in 2016, which is frankly fewer than I expected due to the experience of others and the high temperatures we had here. But certainly part of the reason for the low number of failures is that I pulled 25 of the original M190s out of service this spring and put them up as spares. Two of those spares have been pressed back into service due to the failures and I now have two shiny new M190IG spares in their place. Here are the M190 failures by year for our system:

2012: ONE failure
2013: ZERO failures
2014: TWO failures
2015: ONE failure
2016: TWO failures

It's been a few months since I have received reports from everyone. Can you please chime in and let me know how many failures you have seen, even if zero?

 

[pclifton]

It's been a few months since I have received reports from everyone. Can you please chime in and let me know how many failures you have seen, even if zero?

Five failures total for my system. The last failure in September of 2016 was posted in this thread.
Ken Clifton

 

[philip]

It's been a few months since I have received reports from everyone. Can you please chime in and let me know how many failures you have seen, even if zero?

No failures for me.

 

[DaveEV]

No known failures.

 

[RegGuheert]

It's been a few months since I have received reports from everyone. Can you please chime in and let me know how many failures you have seen, even if zero?

Five failures total for my system. The last failure in September of 2016 was posted in this thread.
Ken Clifton

Like in my system, the demonstrated MTBF of your seven M215s (at over 29 years) has now surpassed the MTBF of your 24 M190s (at just under 29 years).

No failures for me.

Thanks! Your 20 M250s now have a demonstrated MTBF over 26 years.

No known failures.

Your nearly-seven-year-old system's MTBF is over 118 years now. Of the M190 systems in this forum that I am tracking, you have the second-highest MTBF, second only to Tony Williams' system. Tony's system's MTBF may be over 180 years now, but I haven't received any updates from him in over a year.

Your coworker's M215 system in Escondido has just past the 100-year mark for demonstrated MTBF. (BTW, do you know whether this system includes the original M215s or M215IGs? I would eventually like to break these two types out separately since their failure rates appear to be completely different. TIA!)

And the new S280 system now has a demonstrated MTBF over 1.5 years! (No more "REF!" in the S280 MTBF column!)

If QueenBee is still seeing no failures, his M215-based system now has a demonstrated MTBF above 272 years. Most of QueenBee's M215s are the early models which apparently have similar electronics to what was used in the M190s. That is the only type of M215 for which I have recorded a failure. Only the last 15 units on his roof are the newer M215IG variants. Any updates, QueenBee?

 

[QueenBee]

All 73 are still going strong. I'll probably tell you before I tell Enphase if I get a failure

 

[RegGuheert]

All 73 are still going strong. I'll probably tell you before I tell Enphase if I get a failure

Thanks, QueenBee! Your MTBF is now demonstrated to be higher than 274 years. And that is with your original 21 units now over 5 years old. That's well past the age when M190s started showing signs of problems.

How about your friends' systems in rows 147, 159 and 160? Any updates on those inverters? Finally, are the inverters in row 147 M215s or M215IGs? They were installed right about the time when Enphase was changing to the new type.

 

[QueenBee]

All 73 are still going strong. I'll probably tell you before I tell Enphase if I get a failure

Thanks, QueenBee! Your MTBF is now demonstrated to be higher than 274 years. And that is with your original 21 units now over 5 years old. That's well past the age when M190s started showing signs of problems.

How about your friends' systems in rows 147, 159 and 160? Any updates on those inverters? Finally, are the inverters in row 147 M215s or M215IGs? They were installed right about the time when Enphase was changing to the new type.

No failures from either. Row 147 is the original non integrated ground design.