Enphase Energy Inc.’s Enphase IQ8 Microinverter system has been certified by UL, a global safety science company, to UL 1741, 3rd edition including the Supplement SB. This certification complies with the new North American safety standards and grid interconnection standards. It connects solar inverters, energy storage system and distributed energy resources (DER), to the grid in accordance with IEEE 1547-2018.
This new UL standard is used by testing agencies to demonstrate a product’s compliance with the IEEE standards. Enphase actively participated in the development of IEEE standards and was a member on the committees that developed them. The new standards require advanced interconnection functions, which will allow the grid more renewable DERs. One significant new capability, known as “interoperability,” standardizes the way in which utilities can communicate with and control DERs like solar and battery systems. Interoperability is a critical mechanism that allows DERs to be up-dated efficiently and economically to better accommodate ever-changing grid conditions.
“Enphase is pleased that our industry-leading IQ8 Microinverter system is the first product in North America to receive this critical certification from UL,” says Raghu Belur, co-founder and chief product officer at Enphase Energy. “Our close partnership with UL has allowed us to quickly reach compliance with all applicable North America safety standards. We chose UL to be our global certification partner. Our close working relationship has been invaluable in this endeavor. We look forward to further collaboration with UL to expand our innovative product offerings and help transform the grid.”
Enphase’s IQ8 Microinverters, paired with the IQ Combiner 4/4C and IQ Gateway, create a complete residential DER system certified by UL. These standards will soon be required by many states in the United States.
“We are at the start of a new era in which distributed energy resources, such as solar PV and battery systems, will become a foundational element of the way we think about electricity for our homes, buildings, and tools for utility use,” states Jeff Smidt, senior vice president of industrial testing, inspection and certification at UL. “With the Enphase IQ8 Microinverter as the first ever distributed energy resources product certified by UL to UL 1741, 3rd edition with the SB Supplement, Enphase has taken a significant step in helping advance the safety and security of reliable, clean, and smart energy available in the home or on the grid.”