Tesla launched a solar inverter. Here’s all we know

With little fanfare this week, Tesla launched its own solar inverter, getting a step closer to having a fully in-house PV system. Available now, the Tesla Solar Inverter is a stackable string inverter with two models – 3.8 kW and 7.6 kW – featuring either two or four maximum power point trackers (MPPTs). The listed efficiency on the website is only 97.5%, but it doesn’t note if that’s max or CEC. The site says it has integrated (string-level) rapid shutdown, arc fault and ground fault protection and comes with a 12.5 year warranty.

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Most importantly, it was designed to integrate with the Tesla Powerwall and the Tesla monitoring app. EnergySage also says it will feature over the air updates. “In the same way that Tesla provides software updates to its electric vehicles over wifi or that apps on your phone periodically update via wifi, the company plans to similarly provide over the air updates to its inverters, updating the software of the inverter with any future updates on the fly. In order to achieve this, the battery has both a wifi/ethernet connection as well as 4G LTE connectivity.”

Other features

• Built on Powerwall 2 technology for exceptional efficiency and reliability
• Wi-Fi, Ethernet and cellular connectivity with over-the-air updates
• Designed to integrate with Tesla Powerwall and Tesla app
• Rated to operate from -22°F to 113°F
• Size: 26″ x 16″ x 6″
• Weight: 52 lbs

Why do this? Presumably to bring the entire solar + storage + EV ecosystem under its own roof. This could allow for more possibilities when tying together / tinkering with a complete home energy package. Maybe they could find hardware cost reductions as a result? However, the existing solar inverter market has already done a good job driving down costs while really honing in on their technology and removing bugs over the years. From that perspective, the move to launch a fresh product in this space might be a risk, considering all of the proven tech already out there.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: https://solarbuildermag.com/news/tesla-launched-a-solar-inverter-heres-all-we-know/]