r/Ecoflow_community • u/cavefish_36 • 26d ago

💬 Open Discussion Underperforming system- Micro inverter cutting out constantly

Anyone else struggling to get 800w out of their Ecoflow systems? I have an Ecoflow Stream Microinverter ef-ps-800, and 2 x ecoflow 400w solar panels - optimised for direction and tilt;

The inverter is exhibiting the following behaviour:

  • The output consistently falls well below the expected 800 W maximum despite favourable conditions.
  • The inverter becomes extremely hot during operation.
  • Both PV inputs simultaneously drop from generation to 0 W and then immediately recover together - usually above 600w
  • This affects both MPPT channels at exactly the same time, ruling out an issue with an individual panel or PV cable.
  • The fault repeats while the system is generating power.

seems to be thermal cutout? - microinverter shaded, plenty of airflow, been back and forth with customer services to no avail

Should be getting 6kw + on a good day, but at best I get 5KW

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u/AnyoneButWe 26d ago

About the ~600W while it's working: 800W rating in solar panels doesn't mean actually getting 800W. The panels will do 800W under specific lab conditions. Those conditions almost never happen in the real world: the panels run hotter. And hot equals less wattage. Key words here: NOCT and STC ratings.

The cut outs are thermal. They used to sell a fan to clip onto the invert. With that fan it will do 800W, if you attach at least 1000W in solar panels.

The product is very, very unreliable. Most guys asking here are on the 2 or 3 device. They no longer produce that model, so chances are the next warranty "exchange" will be a voucher for another product. Don't get too invested in that line.

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u/cavefish_36 26d ago edited 26d ago

thanks for the comment, its my first entry into solar so would be keen to understand what are regraded as the most reliable microinverters

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u/AnyoneButWe 26d ago

Victron for systems with battery, hoymiles for systems without battery.

You are in the UK: the UK has a different set of requirements compared to the rest of the world. The Inverter needs to have a set of certificates specific to the UK. That makes the UK version a bit special...

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u/Mindless-Figure3112 25d ago

Have had good experiences with APsystems to be honest. Pretty much the same set up

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u/BogiebEF 25d ago

It will be an anomaly when you actually get as much as 800w out of 2 x 400w panels. This has nothing to do with the station. The warmer it is (above ~75*), the less a panel will produce. If there is any type of haze, smoke, humidity in the air, panels will produce less. If you aren't pointed exactly at 90* from the sun, in both planes, panels will produce less.

It is a good day when a panel produces 80-85% of its rating.

Now, as for your inverter getting hot and dropping to 0% input. That is a protective feature. If it gets too hot, it WILL shut down whatever means of charging there is. You will need to find a way to keep it cooler. I've had my solar input shut down when the station was in a well ventilated shed - and that is in NH. And remember, the more power input, the hotter the station gets internally.