Optimizers and micro inverters are said to improve your solar output in terms of shading. In this video, we take a closer look at them…
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Introduction
This article discusses the impact of shading on solar panels and whether optimisers and microinverters are worth considering to mitigate this issue.
The Impact of Shading
Shading is a common issue for solar panels as it reduces the output of the entire system. Even a small amount of shade can significantly affect the performance of solar panels.
Optimisers and Microinverters
Optimisers and microinverters are two technologies that can help mitigate the impact of shading on solar panels. Optimisers are attached to individual solar panels and maximize their output, while microinverters convert the DC electricity from each panel into AC electricity. Both technologies allow panels to perform independently, minimizing the impact of shade on the whole system.
Advantages of Optimisers
- Optimisers maximize the output of each individual panel, even when others are affected by shade.
- Optimisers allow for panel-level monitoring, providing detailed information on individual panel performance.
- Optimisers ensure safety by isolating DC voltages when needed.
Advantages of Microinverters
- Microinverters convert DC electricity from each panel into AC electricity independently, reducing the impact of shading on the whole system.
- Microinverters provide panel-level monitoring, similar to optimisers.
- Microinverters are generally easier to install and maintain compared to optimisers.
Conclusion
Both optimisers and microinverters are effective solutions for mitigating the impact of shading on solar panels. Optimisers offer higher panel-level output, while microinverters provide ease of installation and maintenance. The choice between the two depends on individual preferences and specific shading conditions.
FAQs
1. Are optimisers necessary if my panels don’t experience shading?
While optimisers are not essential for shade-free panels, they can still enhance the overall system performance by maximizing the output of each panel individually.
2. Can I use both optimisers and microinverters together?
It is not recommended to use both optimisers and microinverters together as they serve similar functions and may not be compatible.
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: Are Optimisers and Micro inverters Worth It?){kind=link}
so a fence hung array facing south thats north of a bungalow and would have transitional shading would be best with optimiser's and why only 3 diodes and not 5/6 ?.
Very useful. I have a taller building shading part of the array in the mid summer afternoons, and have noted the drop in power is roughly proportional with the area covered by shading (less a bit for angle of sun etc). So optimisers would not help as the shading is sharp and not diffuse.
Very interesting and useful! Wish I had seen this before I had my system installed a coupe of years ago. I think the point about simplicity is very important. I just had one of the solaredge optimisers go and whilst solaredge sent a replacement for free it cost £150 + VAT to replace. (my installer has ceased trading – probably to wipe the slate clean – and it was just outside the 2 year insurance backed warranty) That's a big hit on the payback of a single panel, which is even worse when you consider the marginal benefit provided by the optimiser. solaredge optimisers do not seem to be that reliable? My panels are on a single pitch of a bungalow to easy access. Seems anyone with a high roof and difficult access should seriously consider if optimisers are worth it
I was surprised that the optimiser can rescue nothing from a panel where the partial shading has tripped all the bypass diodes. Maybe we need to consider exactly how the shading will fall and select panels to minimise that issue? Do different panels have different diode orientation?
I am thinking of installing solar panels but each one going down to the control panel which is an extra metre or two each, reason is ease of maintenance being accessible at anytime, from the control panel they could be connected in series or parallel and easy to monitor each panel, I have worked out the voltage drop, just need to increase the cable size to reduce the drop
Is possible to have optimisers only on one bank/string of solar that’s on a garage roof that’s slightly shaded at certain times of day (tree’s). Then have the remaining panels (on the house roof) without them as they don’t get shaded?
Fantastic video Gary thank you. Please can you clarify what panel based optimisation actually does to PREVENT a bypass diode from "kicking in"? And if so, does string MPP tracking do this also? I might have missed this, but this wasn't clear to me. In fact it seems to me the main benefit of panel based optimisation is allowing each string to conduct maximum current by diverting partial current around partially shaded panels, thereby improving performance of non-shaded panels. It wasn't clear to me in the examples how optimisation would impact shaded panels. For example is it correct that an optimiser cannot fix the case of heavy shading as diodes have already "kicked in" and there is no current for the optimiser to track. And is it correct that panel based optimisation has no advantage over string based mpp tracking with respect to the individual panel performance (in the case of reduced current due to partial shading, but insufficient current to cause the diode to operate).
Great information Gary, very clearly explained, thank you
I must re-do my 'unshading' video at some point with something better than a scrap box webcam from another century: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9pcHZsnL7c you can hear the steps in power as parts of panels become unshaded. The built-in shading defences seem to work so well that the return on investment of additional equipment would be tiny. I wonder if there are lots of installations using panels with less of this kind of shade protection built in?
Hi gary, fitted 4 TIgo optimizers to my string on 4 panels that get shading around 2-4 o'clock. Have noticed no improvement with using them, so will be selling them on ebay.
Actually, both shown marketing materials were wrong. The bypass pipe analogy is totally wrong, as panels already have bypass diodes. It is a bit difficult to explain in a few sentences, but with bypass diodes and a working MPPT string inverter one shaded panel CAN NOT affect the output of other panels. The issue is that if a given panel becomes shaded (and sometimes shaded even by a small amount) it completely loses power as the current starts flowing via the bypass diode. An optimizer can salvage some of this lost power and add it back to the string (its a bit involved to explain why). Another benefit that an optimizer may give is to make life easier for a MPPT string inverter if it does not search for the best current-coltage setting for a given string, as shaded panels make this optimization landscape somewhat jagged.
To summarise, this is what happens when marketers with no knowledge of engineering try to present complicated concepts to customers with also little engineering knowledge.
Great sharing of pertinent information coherently presented.
(intro/outro too loud).
Well the shading is more like blackouts. What about the real shadings, like a shadow over the panel. I believe that will be different right?
Well explained, thanks from all of us and great initiatives
solar panels already have a bypass diode – tests was done by someone who did it with optimizers and without optimizers and he concluded there was no real significance between having them or not having them, where he shaded off a panel and got identical results
He did also conclude if the solar system is really small though, then optimizers did have a benefit – but larger string line setup it did not make any difference
Great video, thanks!
Not sure the "soft shadow" scenarios are well described. Bypass diodes are only kicking in with hard shadows
I did a 2 panel test in series hooked up to a Bouge RV MPPT. Both panels getting full sun I covered one with a blanket. It took the watts to near zero for about 20 seconds but then the mppt adapted and gave about half of the 2 panel wattage. I think the whole panel has a bypass diode too that keeps one shaded from taking out the whole array.
Two panels in Parallel reacted to one fully shaded panel a lot faster almost immediately halving without going to zero for 20+ seconds. This convinced me that parallel is best for small RV 12v systems. You never know when you will turn and have shade across a panel. Losing 20-30 seconds of power everytime would add up. I also saw an increase in heat for the mppt controller with the series due to higher voltage having to be downstepped to 14.4v. However Series is a must for higher voltage battery systems (24v or higher) or you can use higher wattage panels as an option.
Hi Gary, great video. We have 16 panels across our main roof and attached garage. 4 on the garage with 12 on the main roof. They have been divided into two strings, one of 9 one of 7 with the latter being the 4 on the garage plus 3 more from the bottom row of the main roof. 7 optimisers have been incorporated through I’m not completely clear how, though I do know each of the garage panels has one.
We get some vertical shading (i.e. bottom up) from the ridge line of neighbouring houses.
I’d be interested to know what you think the best way to string and use optimisers would be in this case.
The 2nd string comes on line a bit later in the morning once the sun rises above the roof line of the nearest house.
great video gary explained it a lot better than other ones.
i do have a question to you or the viewers. so ive got a rooftop array already, runs fine. but im getting another 4 panels mounted onto side wall. that wall catches a lot of morning sun. can i get away with optimisers on just those 4 panels. they will be tied into the roof string and will effectively be "shaded" after lunch
thanks in advance for any replies👍👍
One minor detail about the optimizers: they cost you about 2% of your panel output in order to do their job.
What about houses without trees or anything that can cause shadow in the area, would optimisers still make sense?
Your leaf analogy is fun but leaves don’t fall one at a time and generally don’t flow away and snow doesn’t either 9here in Canada or other northern climates. Your lack of detail on micro inverters was not as derailed as it should be,
The monitoring of every cell by emphase lets you know the total output of every cell.
The warranty is great and they monitor as well.
The price is great when you take into account the string inverters need replacement after only 1/2 their lifetime 10 years
Snow and dirt are a killer for performance
Isn’t it better to be able to monitor on you own screen the output on your investment ?
Very informative video. Thank you
But Several things
1. Are you saying its safe to have hundreds of volts on the roof?
I would claim its not
2. What happens if the whole panel fails or the diodes? What happens then?
3. When the guy holds the obstruction over the panel you gloss over the fact that further down the line we have a system wide drop in power from one panel being slightly shaded. This seems significant. Thoughts?
Excellent and so very scientific. Many thanks Gary!
Great video make a video off cheap inverters vs the top inverters ????
So actually; when using optimisers, one should remove the bypass-diodes, in order to be able to use the remaining power and generate more overall power!.
Best and easyest to understand video about this topic.
I've just subscribed.
Thank you for your work 👍
if you have a shadow from chimney it wont drop down the power of the panel to zero so the diode still wont kick in so the example you brought isnt accurate.
so optimizers still needed.
The video was well explained. I have a better understanding now. Still I have some concerns. (Time frame 16.01, what if the panels which are shaded is only having optimisers, will it give the same result, how mppt works in this case.) Does the optimiser in a panel will help that specific panel to improve the power output.
Hi Gary, very informative video thanks. I'm just in the process of designing a system at home and wondering if I needed optimisers. I'm still not 100% sure, can you clarify what your diagram shows at 16:45. If I have 2 panels out of a string of 6 that are not producing any current, without optimisers are the other panels still able to push current through the shaded panels? I thought if all the panel was shaded it would block the current.
not sure when this video was produced, but it does not take into acount half cut solar panels. additionally the components thatare likely to go wrong are the string, mircr inverters and the optimisers. with string inverters they are normally in a loft or garage and therefore quite easy to get access to. With micro inverters and voltage optimisers they are normally mounted under the solar panels on a roof and thertefore the cost of scaffolding needs to be taken into account. regards Apollo Solar Energy ltd
Thank you for this video. Do you think on a house with quite a lot of shading from multiple trees (the whole moring and from 5pm) would be worth using optimizers? They will be south facing. And how much is marginally better as you said? Below 5% total extra or more like 20% for a shady situation like i have?
The new panels have simple bypass diodes, and so solar edge is not needed.
Not needed for this old failure in old panels.
Did I miss that a string inverter introduce a single point of failure? Where as micro inverters do not.
Excellent. Do all makes of panels have bypass diodes?
This is a must watch video. Thanks a lot.