Compare like with like. Aligned scores, specifications and local evidence within one scoring class or tier.
Market context
Australia purchasing view
Enphase | IQ8HC-72-M-INT
71/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-08-31
Available in Australia · checked 2026-08-06
Buyer evidence: Ready (100% direct coverage).
Enphase | IQ8AC-72-M-INT
68/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-08-31
Available in Australia · checked 2026-08-02
Buyer evidence: Ready (100% direct coverage).
| Measure | IQ8HC Microinverter | IQ8AC |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | ||
| Design & Flexibility | ||
| Thermal & Physical Resilience | ||
| Features & Integration | ||
| Safety & Compliance | ||
| Guarantee & Backbone | ||
| Energy Ecosystem |
marks the better value on rows where a higher number is better. Temperature coefficient counts as higher when it is closer to zero. Size measures such as rated power carry no marker, because a larger product is a different choice rather than a better one.
| Measure | IQ8HC Microinverter | IQ8AC |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Microinverter | Microinverter |
| Published rated AC power range | 0.384 kW | Not stated |
| Power | 0.384 kW | 0.366 kW |
| Type | Micro | Micro |
| Peak eff | 97.4 % (better value on this row) | 97.3 % |
| MPPTs | 1 | 1 |
| Published maximum AC output range | Not stated | 0.366 kW |
| Evidence | IQ8HC Microinverter | IQ8AC |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Available in Australia | Available in Australia |
| Checked | 2026-08-06 | 2026-08-02 |
| Certifications | AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 + A2, EN IEC 62109-1, EN IEC 62109-2 and RCM for IQ8HC-72-M-INT. | The exact Australian datasheet publishes AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 + A2, EN IEC 62109-1/-2 and RCM compliance. |
| Warranty scope | Australia and New Zealand; the current terms provide 25 years for eligible IQ8HC-72-M-INT units, subject to activation and claim conditions. | Australia and New Zealand; Enphase publishes a 25-year limited warranty for eligible IQ8-series microinverters when the stated IQ Gateway and activation conditions are met. |
| Warranty remedy | Repair, replacement or depreciated refund at Enphase's option. | Repair, replacement or depreciated refund at Enphase's option. |
| Labour and reinstallation | Uninstall and reinstallation labour are excluded from the product warranty. Removal and reinstallation are excluded; a separate installer program is conditional and shorter. | Uninstall and reinstallation labour are excluded from the product warranty. Removal and reinstallation are excluded; a separate installer program is conditional and shorter. |
| Freight | Eligible RMA and replacement freight is covered. | Eligible RMA and replacement freight is covered. |
| Transfer and registration | Transfers at the original site after the ownership form, fee and notice are completed within 30 days. Ownership change must be notified within 30 days; gateway activation conditions apply. | Transfers at the original site after the ownership form, fee and notice are completed within 30 days. Ownership change must be notified within 30 days; gateway activation conditions apply. |
| Grid/network approval evidence | IQ8HC-72-M-INT is the 230 V, 50 Hz Australian SKU and publishes AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 + A2 compliance with IQ Relay. | 230 V IQ8AC-72-M-INT with AS/NZS 4777.2 compliance through the required IQ Relay. |
| Local product pathway | No separate local pathway recorded | No separate local pathway recorded |
| Buyer evidence | Ready (100% direct coverage): Local availability, buyer evidence, and the publication threshold are confirmed. | Ready (100% direct coverage): Local availability, buyer evidence, and the publication threshold are confirmed. |
| Safety notice | No model-specific notice recorded | No model-specific notice recorded |
| Review note | Enphase publishes the exact Australian store SKU, datasheet, certification records and locally scoped warranty documentation. | Enphase publishes the exact Australian IQ8AC specification, warranty and local importer details. |
| Register: parts term | stated: Twenty-five-year workmanship and materials warranty for listed IQ8 microinverters. | stated: Twenty-five-year workmanship and materials warranty for listed IQ8 microinverters. |
| Register: labour and service | excluded: Labour for uninstalling, reinstalling, and removal, installation or troubleshooting of owner electrical systems is excluded. | excluded: Labour for uninstalling, reinstalling, and removal, installation or troubleshooting of owner electrical systems is excluded. |
| Register: transport and freight | stated: The RMA process provides a prepaid return label, and Enphase pays shipment of a covered repaired or replacement product to the original location. | stated: The RMA process provides a prepaid return label, and Enphase pays shipment of a covered repaired or replacement product to the original location. |
| Register: registration | stated: The microinverter must be registered and connected through an Envoy within 45 consecutive days after warranty start and remain continuously connected, subject to stated exceptions. | stated: The microinverter must be registered and connected through an Envoy within 45 consecutive days after warranty start and remain continuously connected, subject to stated exceptions. |
| Register: transferability | conditional: Transfer requires the product to remain at the original location plus a change-of-ownership form, fee and notice within 30 days. | conditional: Transfer requires the product to remain at the original location plus a change-of-ownership form, fee and notice within 30 days. |
| Register: explicit unknowns | 2 retained | 2 retained |
| Latest reviewed Approval Watch event | No exact-identity event in reviewed history | No exact-identity event in reviewed history |
| Sources | Source 1Source 2Source 3 | Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4 |
These checks sit beside the benchmark score. They are site, tariff and contract questions that no product score can settle.
Ask for every model number to appear on the quote and order. The Clean Energy Council product lists are live: STC creation requires listed products at installation, and network requirements may also depend on current approval.
Have the retailer state the supply phase, inverter connection limit, export limit and any export-control cost. The local network connection agreement, not a generic datasheet, determines those settings. See the Australian Government's connection guidance.
Ask which bills or interval data, tariff, feed-in rate, export limit and future loads support the savings and payback claim. Self-consumed electricity and tariff timing usually matter more than a headline feed-in rate. See the system sizing and battery savings guidance.
Confirm the proposed inverter phase, PV input design, battery pairing and export-control configuration against the final connection agreement. A suitable product can still require a different site design or control setting.
Keep the retailer, installer, manufacturer warranty and escalation path in the contract. Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply separately from any manufacturer warranty; where one business supplied both product and installation, it is generally responsible for the remedy. See the ACCC guidance.
A score lead is only meaningful inside this shared class or tier. Weigh it against the specification and evidence rows above before deciding.
Both products are scored in the Microinverter class, on the same rubric weighting. Scores are not comparable across classes or tiers. Full methodology.