Enphase Energy has launched its new, seventh generation Enphase IQ microinverters in the UK and backed them to find a place in the country’s growing social housing and new build markets.
Enphase claims that its IQ7 microinverters, designed to be used in conjunction with Enphase’s Home Energy Solution with IQ, provide 11% more power and are nearly a third (31%) lighter than the Enphase M215 microinverters they are set to replace.
They also claim to offer an upgrade on the IQ6 version, producing 4% more power while being 19% lighter and 16% smaller in design.
In addition, the 250W AC IQ7 and 295W Enphase IQ7+ Micro will be joined by a new variant – a high-power 320W AC model – to cater for the growing use of 96-cell modules in the UK market.
And Peter van Berkel, general manager for Enphase Energy EMEA, said the new versions would be especially relevant for the UK given where the country’s solar market is experiencing growth.
“IQ 7 offers unique advantages, making it extremely suitable for the UK’s social housing and new build segments. We look forward to offering our customers this next-generation product with the increasing quality, features and functionality they have come to expect from an Enphase product,” he said.
Residential solar deployment under the feed-in tariff may have struggled to gather momentum in the past year, but the social housing and new build sectors have appeared to be of particular interest for installers, distributors and manufacturers alike.
Late last month Rexel announced a partnership with Solarcentury to stock its BIPV Sunstation product, noting specific interest in its application for new build projects, while Viridian Solar has racked up exclusive supply agreements with house builders Bloor and Persimmon in recent months.
Anecdotal evidence has suggested that the new build sector alone could account for as much as 10% of total residential solar deployment in the UK as it stands.