Martin Fornage

Co-Founder, Enphase

Search every verified Martin Fornage interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Martin Fornage, co-founder of Enphase Energy, discussed the company's work on microinverters in a series of talks at Stanford University on May 15, 2013. He described microinverters as components of grid-tied photovoltaic systems that convert DC power from individual solar modules and inject current into the grid, noting that they are prohibited from exporting energy when grid voltage is absent. Fornage stated that microinverters can harvest more energy than string inverters by optimizing each module independently, and he highlighted safety advantages, such as the absence of high-voltage DC wiring and the ability to shut down power when AC is disconnected. Fornage detailed Enphase's use of digital predictive control, which he said avoids output current sensing by anticipating hardware behavior to achieve the desired current, and he described the company's investment in custom ASIC development and powerline communication technology. He also commented on industry practices, saying that module vendors' 25-year warranties primarily cover power degradation rather than physical failures like junction box detachment or frame deterioration. Fornage characterized microinverter development as a difficult engineering challenge due to the combination of high efficiency, low cost, reliability, and robustness requirements, and he noted that the company focused on 60-cell silicon modules, which he said represented over 99% of its sales at the time.