Reliability, Availability and the Microinverter Myth

Microinverters have recently entered the market with much fanfare.  Part of the attraction has been based on what seem to be very appealing reliability claims.  However these claims are often unsubstantiated or applied incorrectly.  this presentation will offer an introduction to reliability theory in the context of inverters and move on to overall plant availability.  MTBF and MTTR will be reviewed and explained in the context of a solar inverter.  These tools will then be applied to compare results for both string and microinverters.  The results will be surprising.  Lab test data will also demonstrate potential fire and safety risks.  The results of these tests will expose current myths in the inverter industry.