Enphase Ensemble Defined

There are a number of different ways that solar can be added to your home and Enphase Ensemble is able to suit whichever way you choose. Enphase Ensemble has the capability to be several types of energy systems. These Ensemble systems can be defined as Traditional Solar, Ensemble Solar, Ensemble Energy, Ensemble Self-Reliance and Ensemble Off-Grid. One system, different possibilities.

Traditional Solar

Solar energy for home use has given many millions of people around the world a way to start taking control of their home energy. 'Going solar' has also given many homeowners a respite from high utility bills. A vast majority of solar homeowners, however, believe that freedom from utility bills also means energy independence. But traditional home solar systems stop producing energy when the utility grid suffers an outage; even if the system has batteries.

This 'grid-tied' solar model provides lower electricity bills and clean energy to households and businesses everywhere. With the eighth-generation Enphase Home Energy System with IQ™, prospective solar homeowners have the option to join the solar movement in the traditional fashion.

Ensemble Solar

Ensemble Solar gives you the power of a connection to electric utility lines, while Enphase Ensemble works with the Enpower Switch and the Enphase Microinverter System with IQ to provide the power while the sun shines. This keeps the home microgrid amped up if a storm or some other issue interrupts the public power grid.

Ensemble Solar is grid agnostic. Ensemble Solar keeps working when the sun is shining even if the utility power goes out.

Ensemble Solar: Assurance of the public grid with the confidence of a personal microgrid.

Ensemble Off-Grid

Ensemble Off-Grid fundamentally enables every single person on earth to experience electricity without a power grid. The many hundreds of millions of people who live in underserved regions, without access to the grid, can use Ensemble Off-Grid to harness the power of the sun. The lack of access to electricity now no longer has to stifle economic and social development, since people can now capitalise on the power of solar with Ensemble Off-Grid.

Ensemble Energy

Ensemble Energy takes Ensemble Solar a step further, adding batteries to keep the power on during an outage, even when the sun isn't shining. This keeps the home microgrid amped up 24x7. With Ensemble Energy the stage lights are always on.

Ensemble Energy Adding Encharge Batteries to an Enphase Solar system allows homeowners to power their houses at night during a power outage. Ensemble Energy means enjoying the assurance of a connection to the existing grid infrastructure, while also protecting the power in the home with its own microgrid if a storm or some other issue interrupts the public power grid. Ensemble Energy: Assurance of the public grid with the confidence of a personal microgrid that keeps the power on when the sun is not shining.

Ensemble Self-Reliance

Ensemble Self-Reliance is power for life lived far beyond the reach of power lines and cell towers. Ensemble Self-Reliance is the easiest way to go truly off-grid with solar and storage, without expensive converters, complicated wiring, or specialty appliances.

Ensemble Self-Reliance. The dream homestead far beyond the reach of power lines and cell towers requires true off-grid energy with Enphase Ensemble; clean, reliable solar power provides the energy during daylight hours, and Encharge Batteries will keep the lights on at night too. With the Enphase Home Energy System with IQ™, there is no need to spend extra money on speciality electronics or expensive custom wiring schemes. Specialty DC-power home appliances are also a thing of the past since off-grid energy with Ensemble Self-Reliance produces the same AC-power used in traditional grid-connected homes. Off-grid energy with Ensemble is like the acoustic jam session that keeps going after the sun goes down.

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Below are the Enphase products that combine in harmony to create Enphase Ensemble.

Enpower Switch

The Enpower Switch is the Energy Management system and it allows you to switch seamlessly from a mains power connection to a microgrid environment if the power goes out. This system keeps the power on when the grid goes out but the sun is shining. With the Enpower Switch, you have the ability to assign priority to different circuits so you can manage what to keep on when the grid is down. As long as you’re harvesting the sun’s rays, your system will allocate energy to match your priorities, even when the grid can’t. The sun is shining, and you stay in tune.

Enlighten™

You can easily keep track of your energy system's performance using the cloud-based monitoring platform, Enlighten. Using Enlighten you can easily configure your system and change priorities, whenever you need. There are information display options to suit everyone, ranging from basic whole system facts to detailed per panel monitoring data. You can keep an eye on your energy system, any time, anywhere.

Encharge™ Battery

The Encharge Battery is the future of energy storage. This energy storage solution provides backup power for after the sun sets and the grid is still down. Paired with the Enpower Switch, this gives you the full off-grid experience. If the power grid goes down, your home keeps running through the blackout.

IQ 8 Microinverter™

The IQ 8 microinverter is the latest in microinverter technology - it is smaller, lighter and can process more power than ever before, and can get you started on your path to energy independence. You can start by installing the IQ 8 microinverter for your traditional solar, but with Enphase, you have the option to go off-grid with the same IQ 8 microinverter when you are ready.

Enphase Ensemble Q & A

1. What is Ensemble™?

Ensemble is an Energy Management Technology that manages a multitude of energy resources - including solar, storage, load, grid, or a generator. Whether your system contains all these resources, or just some of them, Ensemble seamlessly manages the energy environment.

2. Is Ensemble™ one single product?

No, Ensemble is a technology. The IQ microinverters, the Encharge battery, the Enpower, the IQ Combiner (with integrated IQ Envoy), and the Enlighten cloud make up Ensemble.

3. How is Ensemble Grid-Agnostic?

When connected to the grid, the PV system works as a typical grid-tied solar and storage system. In the event of a grid outage, Enpower senses the outage, and seamlessly isolates the Enphase Ensemble system away from the grid connection. The Encharge battery becomes your source of electricity and enables PV microinverters to continue to operate and provide electricity. All this happens autonomously, in the blink of an eye.

When the grid comes back, Enpower senses the grid and reconnects the ensemble system back to grid. The IQ microinverters then transition back to the typical grid-tied mode. Solar energy harvesting remains uninterrupted and your home appliances are supplied electricity from the Ensemble system during the grid outage. This unique capability is what makes Ensemble the first truly grid-agnostic technology.

4. What is the difference between Ensemble™1.0 and Ensemble™2.0?

We plan to introduce Ensemble in a phased manner.

Ensemble 1.0 focuses on providing backup and grid agnostic capability using Encharge, Enphase’s modular energy storage product and Enpower, the Microgrid Interconnection Device (MID). Encharge will come in two sizes - Encharge-3 (3.36 kWh) and Encharge-10 (10.08 kWh). Enpower allows your home to be isolated from the grid in the event of a failure, enabling the grid-agnostic function. The Ensemble 1.0 solution is compatible with IQ 6 and IQ 7 PV systems, both for existing and new installs.

Ensemble 2.0 will bring to market our grid agnostic IQ 8 family of microinverter and the next generation of Enpower. The new variant of Enpower will have the software and hardware capability of managing consumption in a fine-grained manner. Our goal is to continue providing additional value to our partners and customers in every new Ensemble release.

5. With Ensemble™, will I get electricity even if there is a power outage?

When you power goes out Enpower switch will isolate your system into an independent micro-grid. At this point, the Encharge battery becomes your source of electricity. If the outage is during the day the Enpower switch enables PV microinverters to continue to operate, provide electricity and charge the battery.

6. Are Ensemble™ products compatible with older Enphase microinverters?

The Ensemble solution is compatible with IQ 6 and IQ 7 microinverters, both for existing and new installs. You can add Enpower and Encharge to your existing system and your home will become grid-agnostic.

Ensemble does not provide backwards compatibility with M- or S-Series microinverter systems. The microinverters will have to be changed to the IQ series to be compatible with Ensemble.

If you are the owner of an M- or S- series Enphase microinverter system, please stay tuned and we will soon release invites to our Upgrade Program for Early Adopters.

7. When can I buy an Enphase Ensemble™ system?

We will start selling Ensemble 1.0 products in the United States around Christmas of 2019, and Australia in 2020. Next release will be the Ensemble 2.0 solution across the globe. Be kept in the loop and sign up below for updates on pricing, pre-orders and release dates.

8. Is IQ 7 available in my region?

Yes, IQ 7 is available globally.

9. What is Encharge?

Encharge is Enphase’s new modular AC-coupled battery storage with backup capability. Encharge will come in two sizes - Encharge-3 (a base unit size of 3.36 kWh capacity and 1.28 kVA rated continuous output power) and Encharge-10 (10.08 kWh and 3.84 kVA rated continuous output power). Both variants also have an additional 50% surge power for short duration. Encharge has LFP battery cells, i.e., Lithium Iron Phosphate, which is the safest available in the market.

10. Can Encharge power all my home appliances?

Since Encharge is modular and expandable battery storage product, you can install as many Encharge batteries as required to power the appliances that you want to. Ensemble system enables you to back-up your home entirely or partially, providing the maximum flexibility to the customers.

11. What is Enpower?

Enpower is the Microgrid Interconnection Device (MID) that allows your home to be isolated from the grid in the event of a grid failure, enabling the grid-agnostic function.

12. What is the Combiner?

The IQ Combiner provides the ability to electrically combine the solar AC branch circuits of microinverters. It also houses the communications hub of the Ensemble system – the IQ Envoy. A cellular modem is also present within to ensure continuous internet connectivity.

13. Does Ensemble allow Genset/Generator integration?

Yes, Ensemble includes hardware and software features that provide genset integration. The generator integration capability is planned to be released in a phased manner.

14. Is Ensemble Compatible with non-Enphase Micros/String Inverters?

No.

15. Will Ensemble work with non-Enphase battery solutions?

Ensemble solution is designed optimized to work best with Enphase products. We recommend using Enphase products for the best customer experience.

16. Can Ensemble be installed for 3Phase applications?

No.

17. Can Ensemble adjust delivery down different phases according to demand on those phases?

Yes.

18. What will the price of the Ensemble system be?

Details on pricing will be revealed closer to product release dates. Be kept in the loop and sign up today for updates on pricing, pre-orders and release dates.