Tesla has launched a white paper on its new string photo voltaic inverter and claims it’s extra inexpensive than competing inverter options from Enphase and SolarEdge.
In 2021, Tesla launched its personal photo voltaic inverter for the primary time.
Up to now few years, the corporate has begun to combine it into its personal photo voltaic installations, and it additionally offers it to different photo voltaic installers by means of its licensed installer program.
Electrek has now obtained a white paper about its photo voltaic inverter that Tesla has shared round.
Tesla defined within the abstract of the white paper:
Tesla’s mission is to speed up the world’s transition to sustainable vitality. To speed up the adoption of photo voltaic and storage within the residential vitality sector, we concentrate on offering merchandise particularly designed for the system proprietor and the installer. To develop the Tesla Photo voltaic Inverter, we used our deep trade expertise to design an inverter that provides one of the best worth for system house owners, whereas being simple to put in, keep, and repair.
Tesla’s primary declare on paper is that its string inverter answer is cheaper to purchase and thru the Levelized Price of Power (LCOE).
Within the paper, Tesla claims that its answer leads to a decrease manufacturing of about 1 or 2%:
We assessed real-world efficiency knowledge at these websites to find out the consequences of inverter sort on system output. We in contrast precise system efficiency knowledge at websites with totally different inverter varieties however comparable SES, making certain that solely comparable roofs have been in contrast. For properties which are good for photo voltaic (SES 6-10), websites that use optimizers see features in vitality manufacturing of 1-2% in comparison with properties that use Tesla Photo voltaic Inverters. When evaluating the price of Tesla Photo voltaic Inverters to MLPEs, it begs the query whether or not the manufacturing features are definitely worth the elevated price of MLPEs.
The main photo voltaic inverter firm that makes use of optimizers is SolarEdge, which Tesla talked about within the white paper and may be seen evaluating its answer on this case.
Electrek SolarEdge has been contacted for a touch upon the comparability, and we’ll replace if we get a response.
Within the paper, Tesla claims that the trade-off for decrease output is value it as a result of its evaluation resulted in a 6% decrease Levelized Price of Power (LCOE):
To reply this query, an LCOE evaluation was carried out to match two 8 kW photo voltaic systems4. Within the base-case state of affairs, our evaluation discovered that the Tesla system has a 6% decrease LCOE for the commonest SES5. We additionally discovered that, for 93% of the websites within the pattern, Tesla had a decrease LCOE. The distinction in LCOE is solely pushed by the upper price of the inverter tools. As well as, the hole between LCOEs for SES 8 roofs widens to roughly 15% after factoring in potential failures of optimizers throughout service life6. These findings affirm that all through the lifetime of the system, the Tesla Photo voltaic Inverter will present vitality at one of the best worth for many clients.
Tesla additionally claims that its string photo voltaic inverter will end in advantages for installers by way of ease of set up and web site design course of.
Right here is the total white paper:
Acquisition of Electrek
The white paper reads extra like a gross sales brochure than a scientific paper, however that does not imply the information is not correct.
I additionally discovered it fascinating that the white paper additionally focuses on the “Tesla ecosystem”:
For the shopper, the Tesla Photo voltaic Inverter completes their Tesla ecosystem. System house owners use one app to observe and handle their complete dwelling vitality system. As an alternative of sorting by means of a number of apps to ensure all units are working correctly, the Tesla app exhibits all Tesla merchandise, together with photo voltaic, Tesla automobiles, and charging. The app’s intuitive expertise permits the shopper to view and handle dwelling vitality use with these units, with the system optimizing for financial savings and effectivity. As new options are developed, they may robotically be accessible within the Tesla app, making certain that clients can unlock the total potential of their dwelling vitality system.
We now have seen a change in Tesla’s photo voltaic enterprise just lately the place the corporate seems to be focusing extra on offering an ecosystem supported primarily by the Powerwall, and now, the photo voltaic inverter.
I feel in the long term which may be Tesla’s primary technique to realize scale within the new Tesla Electrical enterprise.
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