New York homeowner discovers 24 misassigned solar inverters, leading to upgrade offer and $2,500 settlement

“Make sure the MOU includes deadlines, dates, and exact specifications.”

A New York homeowner says none of the microinverters on their 24 solar panels matched the equipment listed in the project paperwork, a discrepancy they discovered by examining production data.

Even after the installer offered $2,500 and upgraded hardware, the homeowner remained concerned about when the repairs would actually happen.

What happened

In Westchester County, a 9.84-kilowatt solar array was installed with equipment that did not match the approved documents. In a Reddit post on r/enphase, the homeowner said older IQ7+ microinverters were used even though the contract and engineering drawings called for Enphase’s IQ8 series.

The installer later admitted the mistake in writing after the homeowner spotted it while reviewing production figures. The homeowner said the installed units limit the system to 6.96 kilowatts of continuous output, or 290 watts per panel.

The company’s response included a $2,500 check and a plan to replace the units with Enphase IQ8HC microinverters. That swap would increase total continuous output to 9.12 kilowatts, or 380 watts per panel.

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More details

Replacing the equipment would not automatically release the $2,500 payment under the draft memorandum of understanding. The company planned to hold the check until the utility granted permission to operate, which the homeowner feared could take months after the work was done.

The draft agreement also said the company would complete the work and permitting “in an efficient time frame upon receiving both township and interconnection approval,” but it did not set firm deadlines for permitting or installation.

Although the homeowner said the system was producing far less than expected, the post did not include a measured total energy loss or a dollar estimate for the impact. The figures discussed were equipment-capacity numbers, not a verified annual loss.

The homeowner also considered whether to pursue a chargeback while still protecting the proposed repair deal. Because the purchase was made with American Express, they wanted to know if disputing the charge could create leverage without jeopardizing the fix.

What advice did people give?

“Definitely get deadlines, dates, and specifications in the MOU. Maybe talk to a lawyer and the local prosecutor/attorney general,” one commenter advised. Others cautioned that pushing too hard could make the situation harder to resolve with an installer that was already willing to correct the error.

The homeowner said new permits would be required for the higher-output IQ8HC units, even though the contract referred generally to the IQ8 series rather than that exact model. Another commenter suggested checking whether the wiring could handle the replacement units and whether the number of microinverters on each electrical branch was appropriate.

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In the end, the original poster said they would accept the offer while pushing for a clearer timetable. “Thanks. I’m taking the offer and working with them for the fix. I just need to find out what the start dates and what the next expectations are.”

Related reading

Other homeowners have uncovered problems with their solar systems while checking performance or arranging repairs. Those accounts have involved inverter replacements, siding damage, and unexpectedly low output.

• A homeowner says an inverter swap left 15 holes and a crack in year-old siding.

• After their solar company folded, a homeowner received a free replacement inverter but faced installation complications.

• A new homeowner inherited a solar system but learned that monitoring access might not transfer with ownership.

• A solar owner received a $5 energy credit, then discovered half their system was offline.

• An 82-kWh reading led a homeowner to suspect their solar system had been failing for years.