# Best inverter choice with shading issues | Enphase, Tigo, SolarEdge, SMA shadefix **URL:** https://forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/t/best-inverter-choice-with-shading-issues-enphase-tigo-solaredge-sma-shadefix/1347 **Category:** Solar Questions and Comments **Created:** [July 2, 2020, 8:27am UTC](https://forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/t/best-inverter-choice-with-shading-issues-enphase-tigo-solaredge-sma-shadefix/1347 "2020-07-02T08:27:50Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 5
### Author: ![Marty](https://forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/user_avatar/forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/marty/32/4032_2.png) [@Marty](https://forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/u/Marty) #### Post date: [July 5, 2020, 6:27am UTC](https://forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/t/best-inverter-choice-with-shading-issues-enphase-tigo-solaredge-sma-shadefix/1347/5 "2020-07-05T06:27:21Z")
Hi Robert Thanks for that. Yes, looks like plenty of shading going on on the north roof. If the west roof is clear, that would be make sense to maximise roof space there. The west roof usually yields 10-15% less than the north in perfect conditions, but if you oversize the inverter with panels lower yields don’t really matter so much anyway. As for whether you would need micros or optimisers, that would depend on how many panels you could get on the north roof comfortably out of the way of any shading issues. A Sungrow inverter would allow you to put panels facing two different directions (it has 2 x MPPT inputs, as long as there is enough panels on both roofs to meet min voltage levels). The other option besides Enphase that is very much worth considering is Tigo optimisers. Tigo allows you to have the best of both worlds - it is inverter agnostic, so it can be used with Sungrow, and it can be deployed only on the panels that you have shading concerns making is lower cost. So you might have 8 panels in question on the north roof, you can get Tigo optimisers just for those panels, which should keep the cost much lower than going full Enphase. > [@Tigo Solar Optimizer](https://perform.discoursehosting.net/t/tigo-solar-optimizer/441): > > Hi, I have been quoted 6.6KW Solar panel system to be installed at my place. I currently have 1.5KW installed. The installer recommended adding Solar Optimizer to the new Solar panel system. This is due to shading issue. My next door neighbour is two-story house and some trees around the house. The installer said if I don’t want to pay more for the solar optimizer, they can remove the old Solar Panel system (1.5KW) and install the new solar panel on the current location. I will save more because… However, as you’ll see in this thread, there are a number of installers who think that Enphase micro inverters will give you the best financial return over a long period, so if you have the ability to pay the extra up front cost, you may be better off in the long run due to higher performance. > [@Micro inverters (Enphase ) Vs Power optimisers (SolarEdge, Tigo)](https://perform.discoursehosting.net/t/micro-inverters-enphase-vs-power-optimisers-solaredge-tigo/224): > > I recently received this advice from a supplier I asked for a quote for my situation in a shaded area, regarding Optimisers Vs Micro inverters. reply is as follows: Using an inverter technology like SolarEdge with optimisers behind every panel, or even using a string inverter like a Fronius with TIGO optimisers behind every panel, still have a weakness when compared to Micro inverters. Optimisers work well when some of the panels are shaded, but in order to continue functioning, they always ne… The final thing I’ll mention is that SMA advertises [ShadeFix optimisation](https://www.sma.de/en/shadefix.html) built into their inverters, which I’m hesitant to recommend as this is mainly a software optimisation, and I’m not sure if this is simply a good marketing spin on what most string inverters do anyway, or whether it actually works better than other string inverters. I think what is clear though is that it certainly won’t work as well as panel level optimisation (i.e. Enphase micros, SolarEdge and Tigo optimisers). Hope that helps. Marty --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.cleanenergyreviews.info/t/best-inverter-choice-with-shading-issues-enphase-tigo-solaredge-sma-shadefix/1347)._