Scripps Ranch Solar Power: Phillips Residence

The Philips lost their home in the wildfires that ran through Scripps Ranch. Using the San Diego Regional Energy Office solar power rebates, the Philips rebuilt with solar incorporated into the design. Originally we specified an inverter which we will simple call "Brand F". At the time, the inverter was supposedly the most efficient on the market. In fact, the CEC listed it as the most efficient and the manufacturer solicited Sullivan Solar Power heavily to offer their product. With multiple parties stating the inverter was truly superior, we specified the inverter into this project and three others. After monitoring the site for three months we quickly discovered inverter line "F" was an inferior inverter. It did not turn on at all when it was cloudy and when it was on its efficiency was deplorable. We had a system approximately three miles away that used an SMA inverter with the exact same modules. We found the other system was outperforming the Philips system by at least 20%. After monitoring the system further, we removed the "Brand F" inverters and replaced them with a Sharp Sun Vista, supposedly a less efficient inverter. Since doing so, the system production has increased substantially and it turns on and off at the same time as the SMA system down the street. Again, what good is a system if no one is able to substantiate what it is producing? Currently, about 50% of our competitors specify the "Brand F" inverter in their projects.