Bengaluru – Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENPH), a global energy management technology company and the world’s leading supplier of microinverter-based solar-plus-storage systems, has more than doubled its growth in Kerala in 2021 through microinverter-powered solar rooftop installations. In partnership with solar installers, the company has powered multi-megawatt solar rooftop installations in Kerala, spanning villas, apartments, small-scale industries, and commercial complexes. Mather Green Hills apartment, Skyline Spectra apartments, Tanzeel Park, Vilvex Cables Private Ltd., Elroi by Sunny Diamonds, and Puthettu Developers Private Limited are among the many installations.
The Enphase® IQ Microinverter is well suited to Kerala’s unique climatic conditions and architecture of its buildings. Kerala receives copious amounts of sunshine throughout the year. The Enphase® IQ Microinverter has the resilience to withstand hot temperatures and heavy rainfall, unlike many other inverters that may not tolerate extreme climatic conditions. In addition, a solar PV system using Enphase microinverters would minimize the chances of fire and shock as its architecture is designed to prevent high-voltage DC on a building’s roof. The Enphase IQ Microinverters provide high quality, reliability, and performance and come with a manufacturer’s warranty of 10 years that can be extended up to 25 years.
Given Kerala’s climatic conditions, many buildings have sloping roofs, causing solar panels within a solar rooftop to have different orientations and pitches. Microinverters are effective for such roof designs because each solar panel has its individual microinverter, ensuring that each panel’s performance (based on its orientation and tilt) does not influence other panels in the solar rooftop – this is not possible in most string inverter systems.
Commenting on Enphase’s growth in Kerala, Sunil Thamaran, VP and MD of Enphase Solar Energy Private Limited said, “Our goal is to provide Kerala customers with the most advanced solar products and world-class customer support. Kerala is a leader in education and healthcare in India. And now, the Kerala government and KSEB are taking the right steps towards sustainability by promoting clean and renewable solar energy. Enphase complements these initiatives by offering customers end-to-end solar rooftop services and one of the safest, most reliable, and most efficient solar inverters. We’ve seen a great response from both solar installers and customers in Kerala. We will continue our efforts to enhance the quality of solar installations and provide seamless services to customers.”
The Enphase Installer Network (EIN), launched in 2021 in India, plays a crucial role in accelerating the state’s adoption of microinverter-powered solar rooftops. The EIN currently has over 60 installers across India that deliver exceptional homeowner experience using Enphase products such as the Enphase® IQ Microinverter. The EIN connects homeowners and business owners with trusted installer partners who offer end-to-end solar rooftop services, from educating and guiding customers in choosing the best system for their needs to installing and commissioning solar rooftops.
Enphase is a global leader that powers 1.9 million homes worldwide with its microinverter-powered solar solutions. With a significant market share in the USA across residential and small commercial segments, the company sees great potential for its solutions in India. For instance, Enphase has set up one of its manufacturing units in Chennai, India, in partnership with high precision manufacturer Salcomp. The Enphase Salcomp manufacturing unit has the capacity to produce over 6 million units annually. These microinverters are exported globally from India, mainly to North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.
Commenting on the advantages of choosing Enphase microinverter-powered solar rooftops, Nikhil Joy Theckedath, Co-founder & COO of SOLX Green Energy LLP, said, “We strive to provide the best solar rooftop solutions to our customers. And Enphase, with its end-to-end service and IQ Microinverters, helps us do that. Microinverters convert 97% (CEC efficiency) of the DC input power from the panel to AC power for your appliances. In-built burst technology produces maximum energy in low-light conditions such as dawn, dusk, or when clouds and shadow pass over the solar panels. So, with a microinverter-powered solar rooftop system, you can convert almost all the sunshine falling on your panels into electricity. And we see the results every day. For instance, at Mather apartment in Kochi, the microinverter-powered solar rooftop has reduced electricity bills by 99% per month.”
Commenting on how microinverters are among the safest for solar rooftops in Kerala, Arun A M, Partner & CMO of VRC Renewable Energies, said, “We recommend Enphase IQ Microinverters because they are the safest among solar inverters. Unlike string inverters, Enphase microinverters ensure that DC never exceeds 60 volts, overriding the risk of high-voltage power on your roof. Built-in rapid shutdown ensures that in the case of a fire on your rooftop, you can turn off your solar rooftop within minutes with the flip of a switch before venturing onto your roof. Also, double-insulated enclosures increase safety and minimize shocks.”
Commenting on how microinverters are easy to install and suitable for sloping roof types in Kerala, Anil Crescent Roche, CEO of Auriel Solar, and Greentech Pvt. Ltd., said, “Unlike many solar inverters, microinverters are very easy to install, and we can add more solar panels to an existing solar rooftop without hassle when required. Since every solar panel has its microinverter and needs minimal wiring, we can install it on sloping and flat roofs without changing a building’s structure.”
