GoodWe Inverters: An Independent Review by Solar Choice

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Overview of GoodWe – Company History

Jiangsu GoodWe Power Supply Technology Co Ltd was founded in 2010 in Suzhou, China. In 2012, GoodWe established itself in the Australian market, setting up an office in Melbourne. GoodWe designs and manufactures inverters for the residential, commercial, and energy storage markets. GoodWe manufactures inverter sizes ranging from 0.7kW to 250kW of both single and three-phase types.

GoodWe quickly grew to be an internationally renowned inverter manufacturer, with more than 1200 employees situated in 15 different countries. By the end of 2019, GoodWe had distributed inverters to more than 100 countries totalling a global PV installation of 15GW.

Solar Choice CEO Jeff Sykes gives a hands-on review of GoodWe as a company and their 5kW DNS series inverter.

GoodWe in 2019 was considered the largest storage hybrid inverter supplier, and a top 5 single-phase string inverter supplier worldwide by Global energy research consultancy group Wood Mackenzie. In 2020, EUPD Research awarded GoodWe the Top Brand PV seal in Australia for the second consecutive year. In February 2020, GoodWe became the world’s first non-European inverter manufacturer to obtain the prestigious VDE-AR-N 4110-2018 compliance certificate by TÜV Rheinland Industrie Service. Also in September 2020, GoodWe was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Following a scrutinous selection process, GoodWe has been awarded an exclusive licensing contract for global sales by General Electric (GE).

A Brief Rundown on Solar Inverters

A solar system’s inverter is the point at which the DC electricity produced by solar panels is turned into grid-compatible AC electricity. Typically there are 2 approaches to inverters – either string inverters or micro-inverters

String inverters (such as most of GoodWe’s product range) have traditionally been the standard in the solar industry. They send the power produced by solar panels to a central inverter that changes it from DC electricity to the usable AC electricity that powers homes. Goodwe also specialises in hybrid string inverters which provide the ability to charge a battery as well as use solar power immediately as its created.

Micro-inverters, generally a more expensive solution, provide a small inverter for each solar panel that is installed. This means that each panel operates individually which creates more visibility over performance and can offer some advantages in partly shaded conditions.

GoodWe Inverters – Points of Difference

Range of Hybrid Inverter Options

GoodWe has the largest range of storage inverters on the market including single-phase LV hybrid solutions (ES, EM), single-phase AC coupled retrofit solutions (SBP), single-phase HV hybrid (EH) and three-phase HV hybrids (ET).  This makes GoodWe a good option if you are installing a battery that requires a hybrid inverter or if you plan to keep your options open to installing batteries in the future.

Multiple MPP Trackers

Maximum Power Point Trackers (MPPTs) dictate how many different roof orientations a string inverter can handle. If panels on the same MPPT are tilted differently they will only perform as well as the lower-performing panel which will impact output throughout the day. GoodWe’s inverters are often selected as they offer more MPPTs than their competitors across different inverter sizes. GoodWe’s MS series is the only 3 MPPT single-phase inverter in the Australian market. This means if, for example, you were hoping to install panels on the North, West and East sides of your house, your options would be to use a GoodWe MS or use a more expensive micro-inverter or power optimiser solution.

DC Oversizing 

DC oversizing refers to installing more solar panel capacity than the output potential of the inverter. At face value, this seems like a design like this could be wasting some power, but after factoring in efficiency losses and acknowledging that solar panels will never output their nameplate watt rating, oversizing by 33% can be a cost-effective design and is permitted by the Clean Energy Council’s guidelines. Oversizing beyond 33% can be advantageous if you have a battery installed and can store surplus DC energy.

Goodwe’s Inverter Range

The XS Series is GoodWe’s smallest available inverter about the size of an A4 piece of paper and only weighs 5.2kg. It’s a Single-Phase string inverter with 1 MPPT available in sizes ranging from 0.7-3kW. It offers 33% DC oversizing and up to a max efficiency of 97.6%. GoodWe XS Series Inverter
The EH Series maximises its capacity and wide MPPT voltage range through the 33% DC oversizing capability. The EH Series is GoodWe’s only residentially manufactured Hybrid Inverter range. The EH Series is compatible with high-voltage batteries, being able to be connected to lithium-ion batteries in the 85V to 450V range. GoodWe EH Series Hybrid Inverter
The MS Series is GoodWe’s industry-leading 3 MPPT’s single-phase model available in 5-10kW sizes. It is a small but powerful inverter, weighing up to 22.5kg and offering as much as 100% DC oversizing. GoodWe MS Series Inverter
The MT Series is focused on commercial applications with 3-phase models up to 80kW in capacity. These inverters feature 4 MPPTs and can oversize DC input by as much as 50%. Goodwe MT Series inverter commercial

How Much Does GoodWe Inverter’s Cost?

GoodWe inverters are manufactured in China and have reached a significant scale of production meaning they can offer cost-effective prices.

Indicative pricing

GoodWe Inverter ModelIndicative Price Range
GoodWe XS Series 3KW Inverter$500 to $600
GoodWe DNS Series 5KW Inverter$600 to $800
GoodWe MS Series 10kW Inverter$1,250 to $1,400

Keep in mind that inverter costs generally only run between 10-20% of your total system, so often it is worth investing in a high-quality inverter given this will have a large impact on the efficiency and performance of your Solar Power project.

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GoodWe Inverter Efficiency

An important aspect of getting the most value out of a solar inverter is choosing an appropriately sized inverter to optimise the solar panel system efficiency. To read about the importance of inverter sizing and system efficiency click here.

Residential inverter efficiency standards are generally 95 to 98 per cent, GoodWe inverters meet these standards. The least efficient GoodWe inverter is the NS Series 1kW which still records a 96.5% max efficiency. Asides from this one inverter all GoodWe inverters have at least 97% max efficiency.

Several GoodWe models have over a 98% max efficiency, one of these models is the SDT Series 10kW. This Three-Phase Dual-MPTT string inverter has a 98.3% max efficiency, making it one of the industry’s more efficient inverters.

GoodWe Inverter Warranties

In Australia, all CEC-approved GoodWe inverters come with a standard 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. For the DNS and MS series, Goodwe offers an additional 5 years where they will replace the ‘parts-only’. In years 5 to 10 the customers would receive the replacement parts for free, but would still be required to pay for delivery, all labour costs and any taxes/duties.

In 2019 Goodwe launched an online warranty extension service. Customers can conveniently extend their warranty periods up to 25 years depending on the model of the inverter, simply by entering the serial number via their online portal and following the prompts. This needs to be done within 6 months for inverters above 25kW in capacity and within 2 years if below 25kW in capacity

The Limitations of Goodwe’s Inverters

GoodWe inverters won’t perform as well as micro-inverters or power optimiser solutions in partly shaded conditions. If there are trees above your roofline on the North, East or West side of your house then it would be worth discussing the pros and cons of alternatives with Solar Choice before deciding on technology.

Additionally, the 5 year full warranty offered by GoodWe is rapidly becoming one of the shortest inverter warranties offered in Australia with many of the growing Chinese companies offering a standard 10-year warranty. As we’ve discussed previously, a warranty is only worth something if the company providing it is still around and there is an accessible route to claiming it if your Solar Installer is no longer around – by all available measures GoodWe looks to be a good bet.

A Full Range of GoodWe Inverters Available in Australia 

The majority of GoodWe’s Inverters are approved by the Clean Energy Council for the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which is Australia’s home solar rebate program.

The following GoodWe Inverter Series & sizes are CEC approved:

Goodwe Solar Inverters Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Goodwe have one of the biggest ranges of inverters including hybrid options catering to almost every possible installation type
  • Goodwe’s  MS series features 3 MPPTs which makes them ideal for installations where panels are being installed on 3 different orientations
  • Over 10 years trading history in the Australian market

Cons

  • The 5 years full warranty with an additional 5 years ‘parts only’ is not as beneficial as a full 10 year warranty which is offered by some other solar inverter manufacturers

Comparison of Common Residential GoodWe Inverters

 GoodWe XS Series 3kWGoodWe DNS Series 5kWGoodWe MS Series 10kW
Rated AC Power Output3,000W4,999W10,000W
Maximum Continuous Output Current14.3A21.7A45.5A
Maximum DC Power3,900W6,650W13,500W
Number of MPPTs123
Maximum Inverter Efficiency97.6%97.8%97.7%
Dimensions 295 x 230 x 113 mm354 x 433 x 147 mm511 x 415 x 175 mm
Weight5.8kg13kg22.5kg
Warranty5 Years5 Years5 Years
Operational Temperature Range-25°C to 60°C -25°C to 60°C -25°C to 60°C
Made inChinaChinaChina

So, Should I Buy GoodWe inverters?

In some cases, GoodWe may be the only string inverter option that can be used for houses with multiple roof aspects.

Technically speaking, GoodWe’s inverters are able to offer similar characteristics to some of the premium options in the market.

We consider GoodWe to be one of the Chinese inverter manufacturers with a better reputation with a good history in the Australian residential solar market. Their inverters are price more competitively that the European or micro-inverter options so can offer some savings for customers looking to maximise value under a particular budget.

Example of a GoodWe Commercial Solar Project 

In March 2020 the largest solar power plant in the state of Espirito Santo, Brazil commenced operation. The plant is located on two campuses of the state’s largest university, Universidade Federal do Espirito Santo (UFES).

The power plant will generate approximately 7.7 million kWh of electricity a year. This will reduce the largest campus’s electricity consumption by almost 50% and reduce the university’s total power consumption by 30%. Due to the system’s size, the initial investment will be paid back in less than 5 years.

The inverters used in this power plant system are from the GoodWe MT Series. This commercial inverter is ideal for large-scale roof and power plants. The MT Series comes in 50-80kW sizes, it is a three-phase string inverter with 4 MPPT’s that can achieve a max efficiency of 98.8%.

largest PV power plant project in Brazil’s Espirito Santo

Read more product reviews from Solar Choice

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Reviews from Australians who have installed Goodwe Inverters

Rated 4.66 from 103 reviews
3rd October 2023
Barry
-
9kW system
5.00

It met the solar system objectives

30th September 2023
Peter
-
6kW system
5.00

30th September 2023
Cindy
-
6kW system
5.00

28th September 2023
Alan
VIC - 3222
5kW system
2.00

The original invert 5kw Growatt installed in 2012 failed in 2020 2 years after upgrade from 3kw of panels to 5kw in 2018.

28th September 2023
Jayesh
-
6kW system
5.00

Too early to comment

27th September 2023
Long
-
6kW system
5.00

27th September 2023
Darrel
-
6kW system
5.00

23rd September 2023
George
-
10kW system
5.00

Best inverter

23rd September 2023
Nehad
NSW - 2143
10-15kW system
4.00

Excellent

22nd September 2023
Vivienne
-
10kW system
5.00

19th September 2023
Nehad
NSW - 2143
10-15kW system
5.00

7th September 2023
Darrel
VIC - 3156
6kW system
4.00

5th September 2023
Donna
VIC - 3799
8kW system
5.00

29th August 2023
Edmond
-
10-15kW system
5.00

Simple inverter and does the job. My panels are wired in string configuration so no fancy options here.

29th August 2023
Leo
NSW - 2479
5kW system
5.00

Easy to operate , and ready for future battery

27th August 2023
Aaron
VIC - 3137
5kW system
5.00

26th August 2023
Mark
VIC - 3437
30-50kW system
5.00

All good at this stage. Does make a buzzing noise. Again did search online for the best value and performance and Goodwe was on top 5 list.

23rd August 2023
Gary
VIC - 3977
10kW system
1.00

It has failed after 1 month

22nd August 2023
Mostafa
VIC - 3021
5kW system
4.00

So far good

20th August 2023
Garry
-
6kW system
5.00

15th August 2023
Viv
-
6kW system
4.00

13th August 2023
Piseth
-
5kW system
5.00

8th August 2023
Lifu
-
6kW system
5.00

7th August 2023
Sandy
-
15-20kW system
5.00

6th August 2023
Dax
NSW - 2102
6kW system
5.00

3rd August 2023
L.stewart
-
6kW system
5.00

nil comment

28th July 2023
Alison
-
6kW system
5.00

27th July 2023
Sokpheak
-
5kW system
5.00

14th July 2023
Ernest
-
6kW system
5.00

13th July 2023
Ian
-
5kW system
5.00

30th June 2023
Geoff
-
6kW system
5.00

29th June 2023
Catherine
-
10kW system
5.00

12th June 2023
Mobasher
-
10-15kW system
5.00

Grea system

26th May 2023
Bryan
NSW - 2286
10-15kW system
5.00

25th May 2023
Andrew
VIC - 3152
6kW system
3.00

Seems to work and app works

23rd May 2023
Terry
SA - 5064
10-15kW system
5.00

So far so good, it's working perfectly.

23rd May 2023
Kimberly
VIC - 3076
6kW system
5.00

23rd May 2023
Percy
-
8kW system
5.00

21st May 2023
Travis
-
10kW system
5.00

17th May 2023
Luke
-
9kW system
5.00

Didn't need to install one

16th May 2023
Imran
-
6kW system
5.00

11th May 2023
Ian
-
6kW system
4.00

3rd May 2023
Raymond
VIC - 3956
6kW system
4.00

Competitive price, and high quality.warranty good.popular worldwide brand.

18th April 2023
Ian
SA - 5601
6kW system
5.00

29th March 2023
Robert
-
6kW system
5.00

I like the app.

24th March 2023
Phil
-
6kW system
5.00

23rd March 2023
Jim
NSW - 2250
10-15kW system
5.00

Why I chose the. 10kW Goodwe inverter was for similar reasons to why I chose the Jinko panels. I.e. very popular, widely used, well priced & furthermore, the Jinko - Goodwe combination is also a very popular & widely used panel-inverter combo. The key deciding factor for me choosing the Goodwe inverter was my AC Input is only 240VAC single phase, not 3-phase, & though there are also other popular & very decent brand inverters to choose from such as Fronius, Sungrow, etc., Goodwe offered a single phase, 10kW, 3xMPPT inverter. Most other brands only offered the above in 3-phase or only 2xMPPT in a single phase. This would mean I would need 2 x 5kW, 2xMPPT inverters from Sungrow for example, which also limited the panel distribution & layout that would yield the best results for my multiple single & double-storey roof configuration. The Goodwe was therefore a no brainer for my circumstance.

23rd March 2023
Paul
-
10kW system
5.00

product seems good

15th March 2023
Colin
SA - 5575
10-15kW system
5.00

all seems to be working well and am happy with results.

24th February 2023
Dan
-
4kW system
5.00

Goodwe have a pretty easy app to set up and ease. Have to connect it to your home wi-fi first.

20th February 2023
Kathryn
QLD - 4740
10kW system
5.00

no problems or issues as yet

15th February 2023
Ian
NSW - 2263
6kW system
4.00

appears to be as described

10th February 2023
Michael
TAS - 7325
9kW system
1.00

Yet to be installed

10th February 2023
Ian
SA - 5064
10kW system
5.00

Does the job and has monitoring of energy consumed via the internet.

17th January 2023
Sanjay
VIC - 3105
10kW system
5.00

Good inverter

14th January 2023
April
-
10-15kW system
5.00

12th January 2023
Shannon
-
9kW system
4.00

28th December 2022
Carl
NSW - 2448
6kW system
5.00

Eazy to manage

27th December 2022
Danilo
VIC - 3909
5kW system
5.00

5 star

26th December 2022
Simon
-
15-20kW system
4.00

20kW inverter is VERY noisy (over 60dB measured). Do not install indoors, or where people work.

23rd December 2022
Kevin
SA - 5162
10-15kW system
5.00

Told good mid spec inverter working fine at this stage only early days.

21st December 2022
Sam
-
6kW system
5.00

Great!

16th December 2022
Mitch
NSW - 2210
9kW system
5.00

Great value. Very happy with its performance thus far.

29th November 2022
Kane
SA - 5162
10kW system
5.00

Goodwe online and phone app to monitor usage is really good.

27th November 2022
Athol
-
7kW system
5.00

22nd November 2022
Geoff
-
6kW system
5.00

9th November 2022
Anne
NSW - 2487
10-15kW system
5.00

As above

8th November 2022
Juliet
WA - 6019
5kW system
5.00

Easy, efficient

4th November 2022
Ragav
-
6kW system
5.00

24th October 2022
Mark
-
3kW system
5.00

5th October 2022
Robert
VIC - 3031
6kW system
5.00

27th September 2022
Robert
VIC - 3750
2kW system
4.00

Again only just installed

24th September 2022
Stephanie
-
6kW system
5.00

20th September 2022
Mike
QLD - 4212
10-15kW system
5.00

Model 8500-MS with 8.5kW output and 97.7% efficiency and a 10 year warranty. Has WiFi and remote internet access with great access showing updated figures every 5 minutes.

15th September 2022
Mike
SA - 5214
15-20kW system
5.00

Great - only small quibble is that the SEMS Portal software sometimes fails to provide accurate graphs ( shows zero load for the whole day ) if the remote serve does not get all the scheduled meter readings.

7th September 2022
Kelly
VIC - 3429
10-15kW system
5.00

I have a Goodwe Inverter & an Alpha Inverter. They're working really well. Quite small & compact. Very neat looking. The apps for the 2 inverters are really good!

19th August 2022
Nik
-
5kW system
5.00

8th August 2022
Shu
-
10kW system
5.00

2nd August 2022
Sid
NSW - 2000
10-15kW system
5.00

Good brand.

29th July 2022
Travis
VIC - 3690
6kW system
4.00

Fine

26th July 2022
Kevin
-
8kW system
3.00

Goodwe haven't responded to my request for an explanation of the bizarre graph either.

19th July 2022
John
VIC - 3024
6kW system
5.00

Seems to recording same as monitoring is

17th July 2022
Cat
NSW - 2484
6kW system
5.00

Looks good so far, am awaiting my first bill

6th July 2022
Simon
SA - 5251
10-15kW system
5.00

5th July 2022
Florin
-
5kW system
5.00

28th June 2022
Jennie
NSW - 2259
10kW system
4.00

Software is very easy to use.

28th June 2022
Paul
SA - 5163
6kW system
4.00

Again..lets see how it lasts

22nd June 2022
Brett
VIC - 3165
6kW system
4.00

The inverter seems to be working well. The mobile app lets me track when and how much power is being generated so that I can run my larger appliances during these times.

21st June 2022
Grant
VIC - 3280
6kW system
5.00

I had some trouble getting the monitoring onto my iPhone but now everything is great.

16th June 2022
Debra
SA - 5114
6kW system
5.00

Had good reviews and with head office interstate in case warranty is needed

31st May 2022
Jason
VIC - 3350
6kW system
5.00

Easy to use

31st May 2022
Paul
ACT - 2614
6kW system
5.00

easy to set up and use built in wifi monitoring, switches on with little sun and continues till all light gone. no issues at all

6th May 2022
Paul
-
8kW system
5.00

6th May 2022
Daniel
-
6kW system
5.00

21st March 2022
Peter
-
6kW system
5.00

again, whilst no account has been rendered yet, there's been no problem with the operation of the system to date.

8th February 2022
Aldo
WA - 6064
6kW system
5.00

24th November 2021
James
-
6kW system
1.00

The panels themselves are working well, but there is a communication fault in the Goodwe Inverter which 6 months after I reported it has still not been rectified NW Solar Power. I have had to put WA Consumer Protection on to them to force them to take action to rectify the fault.

26th July 2021
Phil
VIC - 3461
6kW system
5.00

21st July 2021
David
QLD - 4570
10-15kW system
5.00

Excellent

8th July 2021
Peter
-
6kW system
4.00

Good price and warranty

1st July 2021
Alual
-
6kW system
5.00

good

4th June 2021
Peter
WA - 6020
6kW system
5.00

Good so far.

22nd May 2021
-
6kW system
4.00