Solar Inverters · The brain of the system
The component that decides what your panels actually deliver.
Panels make DC power; your home runs on AC. The inverter does that conversion — and its architecture determines how your system handles shade, how you monitor it, and how it ages over 25 years. We install all three leading architectures and match the right one to your roof, not the other way around.
Three architectures, one right fit
Per-panel microinverters (Enphase), DC-optimized string (SolarEdge), or an inverter integrated into the battery (Tesla Powerwall 3). Each wins on different roofs.
Per-panel visibility
Enphase and SolarEdge both report panel-by-panel production, so a sagging module shows up in your monitoring data — not as a surprise on your bill.
Warranties, stated honestly
25 years on Enphase microinverters; 25 years on SolarEdge optimizers with 12 on the inverter (extendable to 25); 10 years on Powerwall 3. We'll tell you what each actually covers.
Matched to your roof, not a default
Shading, roof planes, battery plans, and panel count all change the answer. We model your actual roof in Aurora before recommending an architecture.
The cloud test
Why the inverter matters more than people think
Two systems with identical panels can produce meaningfully different energy over a year — and the inverter architecture is usually why. Watch the same cloud cross the same roof under both architectures.
Per-panel electronics: the cloud dims only the modules it shades — every other panel keeps producing at full brightness.
The hardware, in detail
Three inverter architectures we install and stand behind
Microinverters, DC-optimized, and battery-integrated — these are the exact units we quote, with specs verified from manufacturer datasheets.
Inverter · Module-level
Enphase IQ8 Microinverters
A microinverter on every panel — more energy, no single point of failure.
- Architecture
- One microinverter per panel
- Peak output (per unit)
- 245–384 VA (by model)
- CEC efficiency
- up to 97.5%
- Grid-forming
- Yes — Sunlight Backup ready
- Rooftop DC voltage
- None (safer, rapid-shutdown compliant)
- Enclosure
- NEMA 6, outdoor-rated
- Module-level MPPT: shade or soiling on one panel doesn't drag down the rest of the array.
- No single point of failure — if one microinverter ever needs service, the rest keep producing.
- Sunlight Backup can run priority loads from solar during a daytime outage, even without a battery.
- No high-voltage DC on the roof — inherently safer and rapid-shutdown compliant.
- Future-ready: add an Enphase IQ Battery later without replacing inverters.
25-year limited warranty — industry-leading for inverters.
Inverter · DC-optimized
SolarEdge Home Hub Inverter
Module-level optimizers recover energy lost to shade — ideal for complex roofs.
- Inverter efficiency
- 99% CEC weighted (HD-Wave)
- Optimizers
- S-series, 99.5% efficiency
- Module-level MPPT
- Yes — per-panel optimization
- Safety
- SafeDC module-level shutdown
- Backup
- Optional DC-coupled home battery
- Monitoring
- Revenue-grade, per-panel
- Each panel is optimized independently — the best choice for partial shade and multi-plane roofs.
- SafeDC drops module voltage to ~1 V when the system is off for firefighter and installer safety.
- Record 99% weighted efficiency with up to 200% DC oversizing for more production.
- Expandable: add a SolarEdge Home Battery and EV charger to the same inverter.
12-year inverter warranty (extendable to 25) · 25-year optimizer warranty.
Inverter · Integrated with storage
Tesla Powerwall 3 — Integrated Inverter
The solar inverter is built into the battery — one unit converts your solar, stores it, and backs up your home.
- Architecture
- Solar inverter integrated into the battery
- Continuous power
- 11.5 kW AC
- Maximum solar input
- 20 kW DC (STC)
- MPPTs
- 6 (13 A Imp / 15 A Isc per MPPT)
- PV MPPT voltage range
- 60–480 V DC
- Solar-to-home efficiency
- 97.5% (CEC weighted)
- Usable storage
- 13.5 kWh
- Load start capability
- 185 LRA
- One box on the wall: solar inverter, 13.5 kWh battery, and backup logic in a single unit.
- Six MPPTs accept up to 20 kW of solar — plenty of headroom for multi-plane roofs and future expansion.
- 11.5 kW of continuous AC power runs most homes and starts heavy motor loads (185 LRA).
- 97.5% CEC-weighted solar-to-home efficiency — storage built in from day one, not bolted on later.
10-year warranty (as part of the Powerwall 3 unit).
How we choose for your roof
We model your actual roof, shading, and usage in Aurora before recommending anything. Complex or partially shaded roofs usually favor per-panel electronics (Enphase or SolarEdge); homes designed around storage often pencil best with Powerwall 3's integrated inverter, which removes a separate box and a separate failure point. We'll show you the production estimate behind the recommendation.
- Shading and roof-plane analysis in Aurora
- Battery plans factored in from the start
- A written production estimate, not a guess
Weighing Powerwall 3 against an Enphase battery? Read our Enphase IQ Battery 10C vs Powerwall 3 comparison — verified specs, honest trade-offs.
Service areas
Where we install
Solar Inverters across Southern and Central California — with in-house crews working from local offices. A few of the cities we serve:
Good questions
Solar Inverters FAQ
Enphase puts a small microinverter under every panel, so each converts DC to AC independently. SolarEdge pairs a per-panel DC optimizer with one central inverter. Powerwall 3 builds the solar inverter into the battery itself, so solar conversion, storage, and backup live in one unit. All three are excellent — they just win on different roofs and goals.
More questions? Browse all 74 FAQs →
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