Enphase Energy, well-known for its microinverter-based solar and battery systems, has introduced an off-grid solution aimed at US residential consumers.  

The system combines solar, battery, and a standby diesel generator (DG) into a single platform that operates independently of the utility grid. Among the product’s key features, Enphase emphasizes continuous and self-sufficient power by combining multiple technologies within its off-grid configuration. 

 It includes the company’s IQ8 Series Microinverter, IQ Battery 5P, and IQ System Controller 3G.  

The IQ8 microinverter utilizes the company’s Sunlight JumpStart technology, which allows the system to automatically restart by harvesting solar energy when the batteries are fully discharged and the generator is out of fuel. It features grid-forming technology that creates and regulates an AC voltage and frequency, enabling a microgrid or battery system to operate without relying on the main utility grid. However, the press release did not provide additional technical details of the microinverter. 

The off-grid system’s IQ Battery 5P stores or discharges up to 5 kWh of energy and delivers up to 3.84 kVA of household power (AC). The storage capacity and power output can be scaled up to a maximum of 40 kWh and 15.4 kVA, respectively, by connecting 8 of these units in parallel. Unlike an off-grid system with a smaller battery, its capacity scalability supports heavy residential loads such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units and water pumps, according to the company.  

The IQ System Controller 3G, also part of this solution, controls and monitors the whole off-grid system. This ‘central hub’, integrating a split-phase AC transformer (120/240 V) and a Generator Interconnect Device (GID), supports PV capacity of up to 15.4 kW, battery storage capacity of up to 40 kWh, and a 15.4 kVA standby DG generator. This translates into an off-grid system with a maximum capacity of 46 kVA. It ensures efficient use of available energy, either from PV generation, the state of charge (SoC) of the battery, or availability of DG, in real-time. For remote monitoring, the company offers the Enphase app, which is supported by a cloud-based platform through IQ Combiner 5C HDK.  

This off-grid system is now commercially available in the US, with international expansion planned through 2026.