Lennar Homes has started offering solar energy packages on several of its newer Houston area communities, including their new Texas Reserve Collection in Woodcreek Reserve. After attending a demonstration of the Lennar product line in Woodcreek, I came away more excited about solar energy prospects here in the Houston area. The reason? Solar micro inverters.
Lennar is using a rather basic 3.5 kWh system with Westhinghouse panels. The system output on these packages won't eliminate owner's electric bills, but they'll certainly help mitigate costs. What's really intriguing is that the packages Lennar is using incorporate the new Enphase micro inverters. The micro inverters replace the traditional inverter on a string solar PV setup. With micro inverters on each panel, you get individual readouts on the output of each panel and optimized output in the system. The cost of the micro inverters are higher than a single traditional string inverter, but they have a longer warranty and they simplify the installation process. Solar panel prices continue to drop, and I expect the price of micro inverters will do the same as more manufacturers enter the market.
In speaking with the Lennar rep yesterday regarding their 3.5 kWh solar package, he pegged the cost of the system at just over $20,000. That's apparenlty the upgrade cost for Lennar home buyers on these new solar packages. I doubt Lennar is paying anywhere near that for the packages they are installing based on a search of Enphase grid-tie systems.
I found a larger, 4.23 kWh Enphase grid-tie package for only $13,750. I would expect Lennar has some bulk buying power on their Westinghouse systems bringing the real cost closer to $10,000 before installation. Costco is also offering starter packages with Enphase inverters which suggests these new micro inverter packages are getting more mainstream. With an available 30% federal tax credit on a solar installations, the price/payback prospects for solar are getting better by the day.
The good news for Lennar home buyers is that their new Enphase grid-tie solar systems are using some rather cool technology and they are easily upgradable. The true value of the systems is highly debatable, however, considering the rapid decline of panel prices and the recent introduction of micro inverters. New micro inverters offer exciting opportunities for homeowners to manage their electric consumption, and they should precipitate a large increase in solar installations. Here's a brief tutorial on how the Enphase grid-tie micro inverters work.

