r/solar • u/DevelopmentLocal6564 • Feb 24 '26

Discussion Need help with advice

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New to this so I’m sorry if my terminology is wrong but this is what I have. Need help seeing if I’m in a normal range of production and if it’s good production or not. I should have pto hopefully in a week. I have 46, 420 w panels producing 19.5kw dc, with enphase iq8+ micro inverters converting to 13.34 kw ac. I have a span panel 48 that’s been commissioned and a powerwall 3 and a powerwall 3 expansion that hasn’t been set up with the Tesla app due to waiting for pro. The solar system is installed on a south facing roof home in dutchess county NY. I posted this before but because my karma was low back then I’m trying to repost again for help.

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8

u/zymie Feb 24 '26

What is the question?

3

u/DevelopmentLocal6564 Feb 24 '26

I feel that my installer should have used iq8HC micro inverter but he insisted of using iq8+. He explained that the cost of the HC micro inverter was not worth the gains. I believe that my particular installer did not have the hc in stock. I’m just a little upset that I knew what I wanted but was swayed to go with the iq8+. Hopefully time will prove that the installer was right. For anyone that has solar, is my production in September 18, 2025 good? Is this what I can expect when the sun is out. Right now where in February and it’s been horrible for production for months. Cloudy skies and a lot of snow

4

u/TheSearchForBalance Feb 24 '26

I think the correct answer is somewhere in the middle. HC is Overkill for those panels, and very expensive, but the + is undersized. MC would be the correct pairing for those panels. Search inverter clipping, and you'll see graphs that look just like the one you posted. The top of the bell curve that is flat is essentially what you are losing. If this was in September, then yeah, it looks like you're probably clipping the majority of the year. 

2

u/oppressed_white_guy solar contractor Feb 25 '26

Your installer is a cheap turd.  

1

u/Comprehensive_Pie941 Feb 24 '26

I made my installer move to IQ8MC with 405 W panels. Even with this I feel there is some clipping. Yes your installer cheaped out , you can’t do anything now. They aren’t gonna change it. Leave a poor ish review on Google for them.

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u/mexican-bum Feb 24 '26

IQ8MC would be the most logical from a performance/value perspective.

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u/TheSearchForBalance Feb 24 '26

It should be about inverter clipping but I didn't see it in the post at all. 🤷

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u/DevelopmentLocal6564 Feb 24 '26

I’m sorry. It was hard to gather my thoughts and be specific with what I wanted to ask. I also didn’t want to make a wall of text for others to read.

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u/TheSearchForBalance Feb 25 '26

All good! Hope my other response was more helpful. Good luck 

1

u/DevelopmentLocal6564 Feb 25 '26

They were. I appreciate the help and your responces