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Ipsun Solar

Solar Installer in Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland

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Why can’t my solar inverter produce more? Why does it stop producing at the best time of the day and of the year? What is inverter clipping?

Solar Inverters could be clipping and stop producing more power when the sun is out in the summer. This phenomenon is called clipping. This is because the goal is to have maximum power generation for the entire year, not for 1 specific moment.

At Ipsun Solar we receive regularly calls from our customers asking us why the power generation of a solar system is not optimal. Our customer usually says something like “I see on the graph that at the best time of the year and the best time of the day, our inverter stops producing power.” or it sounds like this “You gave me solar panels of 380W, but the micro inverter can only generate 290W. Why did you use this inverter? Did you make me pay more for solar panels and I don’t get my optimal savings?”

Micro Inverter Datasheet

Here is a screenshot of the Enphase Datasheet: (keep in mind that these Enphase micro-inverters keep changing and improve over time)

Micro Inverter Datasheet

The issue at hand is that it’s economically more advantageous to optimize a solar energy system for the maximum energy generation over an entire year, than to try to squeeze the most energy out of the system at a very specific time. Of course most people expect to produce the most energy on a sunny day in the summer. Sadly, that’s when clipping occurs, and that’s when our phone starts ringing.

Ideally the best inverter matches the panel power output, but our world is not ideal and everybody wants to pay the least amount of money for the best investment. The solar industry’s cost is a combination of labor, hardware, overhead and profit. For this situation the hardware cost increases when the inverter power output is larger. It will also require larger wires which also cost more and larger breakers increasing the cost some more.

There is an equilibrium, a balance between the cost of the system (labor and hardware cost) and the power production of the system over an entire year.

Enphase has a white paper called “Why Is My PV Module Rating Larger Than My Inverter Rating?” and the graph below describes that “The increased energy yield is always larger than the loss due to clipping, even at very high DC:AC ratios. Note that the inverter clipping shown is simulated first-year clipping. PV module power output degrades over time, so clipping losses will degrade proportionally.” Link to paper

dc ac ratio graph

Energy Gains and Losses from Clipping

Below is a table with the energy gains and losses of clipping. Ipsun currently uses 380W panels with IQ7+ micros. We install in the Washington DC area which is roughly the same latitude as Denver. This means we have roughly 0.9% losses due to clipping equaling 5.9kWh, but have an energy yield of 29% resulting in an annual energy production of 597kWh.

Energy Gains and Losses from Clipping

Ipsun made an internal presentation about clipping a while ago. Here is a link to our internal technical presentation.

Screenshot of the internal Ipsun presentation on inverter clipping:

internal Ipsun presentation on inverter clipping

Conclusion:

Clipping and power loss occurs in your solar energy system to reduce the cost of your system and the optimization of annual power production. In a manner of speaking, these small reductions are an indicator that your system was right-sized for year-round operation.

Feel free to reach out to us if this is not clear. Happy to talk about this and to making this post better over time.

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1201 Connecticut Ave NW
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Washington, DC 20036
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3171 Spring St Suite C
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
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Google Rating
4.9
Ipsun Solar
Ipsun Solar
4.9
Mary Weddle
20:07 28 Nov 22
Ipsun Solar installed our solar panels, and it was the right decision for many reasons. It was easy to work with the company - from sales to installation and beyond. We have had the panels for some time now, and yet the Ipsun team continues to monitor them to ensure each is working properly. We receive regular reports of the energy generated, and our electric bills have gone down dramatically! The team members are professional, responsive, and caring. We highly recommend Ipsun for their help in making a good decision about a solid investment with a great return and for their ongoing support.
Allan Needell
21:10 23 Nov 22
Ipson Solar worked with me and a roofing company to coordinate removal of an older obsolete system, roof preparation, and installation of a new system. All went well and on schedule and I am completely satisfied with the result.
Mark H
20:31 14 Dec 22
Ipsun was great to work with setting up my Solar array. Most importantly, they've been great about upkeep an maintenance in the years since I've had it installed. They came out to fix some of the wiring when a critter ate through it and repaired the critter guard too.I just wish I had a bigger roof so I could get more kW.
Mark Elion
16:10 20 Oct 22
I used Ipsun Solar for my system and batteries. It has been a very difficult process with many delays and mistakes. I would recommend choosing another installer. You are stuck with the installer for the life of the system. Make sure you pick a good one.I signed with them in January 2022 and was sold on the idea of an operational system in 4 months. They said because they were in a co-op they could do things quicker and in a more labor friendly way (B corp). It’s been 10+ months and my system has not operated at 100% (didn’t operate at all for 3.5 months after delayed July installation).There have been many delays and mistakes directly attributable to Ipsun. It seems like the company does not communicate with itself (or it’s customers).They will promise amazing costumer service, but they under deliver. They will promise they have access to batteries and there will be no delays, but then there are equipment and labor delays.They will install your system and forget that it doesn’t work leaving you sitting for months asking for a fix. But, one thing they will do is attempt to collect payment for a system that doesn’t work (over and over and over). They will send workers out to do nothing, or to repeat completed tasks (over and over) because they have not been told a previous worker did it.You’d think a manager would have reached out to me by now. Nope.
Kem Clawson
18:04 01 Nov 22
After thinking about adding solar to our home, I finally got serious about it last spring. I contacted 5 firms and had a wide range of experience- not all good. IPSUN emerged as my solid choice. Knowledgeable sales rep, flexible, and not high pressure. I was further pleased by their engineering staff and the final solution. And then a very smooth installation day. Plus, this company is a strong advocate for solar energy and climate action. We are so pleased we selected IPSUN.
Ed Masuoka
17:46 28 Nov 22
Ipsun Solar did an excellent job in every aspect of getting our 48 kilowatt solar panel system from the initial planning through permitting and installation. Their support was great and the system is performing flawlessly.
Travis Kallman
19:36 21 Dec 20
I just wanted to leave a quick review and say that Ipsun has been great to work with. From the very beginning, they were communicative and walked me through every step. Although COVID made everything a bit slower and more difficult, I basically got to sit back and let them take care of everything, which they did. When the time came for the install, the team was very quick, professional, and did a clean job, which looks great. I would not hesitate to recommend Ipsun and I am looking forward to cranking out the kilowatts.
Dawson Wu
03:41 10 Jun 23
Great and professional services, including consultation and installation! Our solar panels launched about a month ago. The Ipsun app provides sufficient information for me to check power production. I truly recommend to go solar with Ipsun Solar!
Marynelle Losin
17:11 02 Apr 23
Ipsun solar was an outstanding company to work with. Every person from start to finish was enthusiastic, expert, easy to contact, very helpful, and truly professional. We would recommend this company eagerly and without hesitation!
David Best
14:27 14 Dec 22
Ipsun Solar is the best Solar provider in Virginia. I have had my system in rfor a little over a year and could not be happier with the results it provides. My average bill is about $7.50 a month during most of the year. The Enphase equipment is excellent and their program provides the ability to follow on-going collection from the panels. I recommend IPSUN to anyone who wants Solar on their home.
Bobby Singh
21:22 10 May 23
Mr. James at ipsun solar was more than fantastic to work with. Friendly, fast, easy processes made working with him and this company an absolute pleasure. 10/10 would recommend him to anyone who is interested in anything solar.
Phil Roth
23:13 20 Jun 23
I work for the manufacturer of a component that Ipsun utilizes in some of their installations. Ipsun has taken full advantage of all of our training materials, courses, design support, tech support and sales support. Ipsun consistently produces flawless installations of our product because their team took the time to learn all of our best practices.Installers get a lot of love from their clients but, speaking as a representative of a company that Ipsun is a client of, they deserve credit for their due diligence from start to finish.I work with solar installers in every part of the country and this team really stands out!
Amy MacNeille
16:44 23 Jun 23
Working with Ipsun Solar on a large residential project in Maryland was amazing. Every step, from planning to completion, was organized and communicated clearly. There were no surprise invoices and they handled all utility permitting for us. Their app shows all real-time functionality of solar panels and they provided all docs needed for the tax incentives come tax time. Install itself was a breeze - just a few days for a very large home. 5 stars!
Alan Worden
20:27 23 Jun 23
Ipsun was FANTASTIC. I have undertaken dozens of construction projects. Ipsun was absolutely top of the list. Every person was great, friendly, smart, and totally professional. They are a great firm. Don't hesitate to use them!
Brian Miller
16:42 20 Jun 23
Of all the companies I talked to about my solar installation, Ipsun was head and shoulders above the rest in terms of clarity, openness, and thoroughness. The install went smoothly and we love being solar-powered!
Peg Butner
19:58 31 Jul 23
Everyone, from the very beginning of discussing the project to the final installation, was wonderful to work with. The people who explained the assessment of our house for solar were very knowledgeable and answered any and all questions. The installers were courteous, also answered our questions, and were very professional in their work. I just can't say enough good things about Ipsun Solar. We were thrilled when we were able to "flip the switch" and use the sun for our power.
Jim Strang
23:50 07 Sep 23
We had a great experience with Ipsun Solar. The goal was to generate all of our power from the solar panels and have whole home backup when the grid went down. I was very particular where the equipment went, batteries, solar panels, and control equipment. They were able install all of the components where they were not visible from the street. The team at Ipsun Solar were very patient answering all of our questions and concerns. The crew worked together and got the installation up and running over a four-day window. Ipsun delivered what they promised! The system has now been operating for eight months. No power bills and whole home backup. We’ve lost our power several times in the past six months and it’s a seamless switchover. They listen to the customer. They have the experience and knowledge to deliver a system that meets the needs of the homeowner. Many Thanks to the Ipsun Solar team.
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