Enphase microinverters — one inverter per panel
By Fotovol Team·Updated 26 April 2026
Short answer
Enphase Energy, US, founded in 2006. Specialised exclusively on microinverters (one small inverter per panel, instead of a central one). Advantage: if one panel has a problem, the rest of the production is unaffected. Drawback: 30–50% higher cost and longer install. Available in Romania through specialist distributors; recommended for roofs with complex shading or irregular shapes.
When to pick it
Enphase solves problems other inverters can't:
- Roofs with unpredictable shading — trees, neighbouring chimneys, antennas. Each panel produces independently; one panel's loss doesn't sink the string.
- Roofs with 2+ orientations — east, west, south, north, each with different tilt. Microinverters allow any configuration.
- Small 3–5 kWp system on complicated roofs — at this scale, the extra microinverter cost is acceptable as a percentage of total.
- Safety (DC turn-off) — no DC on the roof (everything is AC from the panel itself), safer for firefighters / fire.
Watch-outs
- Enphase on wide, uniform roofs — on unshaded roofs, the cost premium over a string inverter isn't justified.
- Large commercial systems 30+ kWp — AC wiring overhead and microinverter logistics become prohibitive. Use a string inverter.
- Distributors who can't push firmware — Enphase IQ7/IQ8 needs frequent updates. Demand access to the Enphase Installer Toolkit.