Solis Solar Inverters: An Independent Review by Solar Choice

Note: Solar Choice is not a solar installer and has no financial or other incentives to promote any product brand over another. 

Overview of Solis – Company History

Ginlong Technologies Co Ltd, trading as Solis, was founded in 2005. The Chinese company is listed on the Shenzen Stock Exchange and headquartered in Ningbo, China. The company focuses on the manufacture and distribution of single-phase and three-phase string inverters.

In Q3 2019 the company announced a record revenue of $52 million for the quarter, which was greater than the combined total of their revenue in 2014, 2015 and 2016. In 2019, Wood Mackenzie estimated Ginlong to be 10th in their global market share ranking with ~5% of the market.

Solis claim to have entered the Australian market in 2005 but have not distributed a large volume of solar inverters until recent years.

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 (including all of Solis’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 the DC electricity to the usable AC electricity that powers homes. Solis also specialise 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.

In 2021, Ginlong Solis reported an annual manufacturing capacity of 20GW.

Solis have expanded across the globe with 29 regional offices listed on their website. They have an Australian website and have a local office in Melbourne Australia. Solis claim to be one of the first inverter companies in Australia entering in 2005. We have not observed a material market share for Solis on offers in the Solar Choice installer network until recent years.

Solis Inverters – Point of Difference

The Solis CEC approved Inverter range differs from other inverter manufacturers by offering different types and configurations in the typical power range. Solis manufactures Single Phase Inverters with one or two MMPTs (Maximum Power Point Tracking), Three Phase Inverters with dual MMPTs, and Hybrid Storage Inverters with 2 MMPTs and a specific battery. All of the CEC approved Solis Inverter range are Transformerless Inverters, which contributes to the high efficiency.

The Solis-3P(5-20)K-4G-AU is a 5-20kW Three Phase Inverter with 2 MPTTs. This inverter is showcasing the developments of inverter technology, function, and appearance. This series supports 24 hour consumption monitoring with a smart meter, Wi-Fi connectivity and monitoring app for smartphones to oversee performance. With efficiency ranging from 98.3% to 98.7%, it is one of the most efficient residential inverters on the market.

Solis Solar Inverter Costs

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

Indicative pricing

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.

Solis Inverter Efficiency

An important aspect of getting the most value out of a solar inverter is to choose 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 percent. Solis inverters meet these standards and have at least 97% max efficiency throughout their full product range.

A number of Solis models have over a 98% max efficiency, one of these models is the Solis-3P(5-20)K-4G-AU. This Three-Phase Dual-MPTT string inverter has a 98.7% max efficiency, making it one of the industry’s more efficient inverters.

Solis Inverter Technologies

There are 92 of Solis Inverters (under the name of Ginlong Technologies Co Ltd) approved by the Clean Energy Council for the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which is Australia’s home solar rebate program. The majority of the listed inverters are available in Australia.

Mini Series

The Solis Single Phase Mini Series string inverters are specifically designed for small residential rooftop solar applications up to a maximum AC output of 3.6kW. These inverters offer real-time performance monitoring through a LCD screen. 

As the name implies they don’t require much space with an impressively compact body with dimensions: 31 (W) x 37.3 (H) x 16cm (D) and a weight of 7.7kg. 

They feature a single maximum power point tracker (MPPT) for optimising energy conversion meaning they will only work if your solar panels are designed to face one direction on your roof. The maximum efficiency of 97.5% is comparable to other cost effective solutions on the market. 

Solis Mini Series inverters are a suitable choice for those seeking efficient and space-efficient solutions for utilising solar energy in residentials.

Single Phase Inverters

Solis offers a range of single-phase inverters, including the S5 and S6 series. 

The S5 series covers a power range from 3kW to 10kW, with a maximum efficiency rating of 98.0% on the larger inverters. The 7kW to 10kW s5 inverters come with 3 MPPTs offering greater flexibility to solar designers to maximum the solar panel coverage of the roof.

The S5 series offers an LCD screen where customers can view the real time performance of the system along with their monitoring portal. 

Compared to most other options on the market the s5 series is quite a bulky solution with height of 58cm and weight of 18.5kg.

The S6 series only covers a power range from 3kW to 6kW. The S6 series is notably smaller and lighter with a height of 37cm and weighing in at 8.3kg. 

The S6 series has a lower maximum efficiency of 97.3% which is lower than many other comparable options on the market. 

Solis also offer a single-phase 5G inverter which seems to sit somewhere in the middle of the s5 series and the s6 series in terms of size and weight. This inverter only comes in a 7kW and 8kW option which doesn’t match the Australian market well where we see 5kW and 10kW inverters being the most popular options.

Three Phase Inverters

Solis’s three-phase inverters provide products for residential, commercial and utility-scale solar projects, ranging from 5kW to a giant 255kW. 

In terms of residential three-phase inverters, the S5 GR3P (5-20) K series offers a range of options starting from 5kW to 20kW. Solis’s residential 3-phase inverter’s maximum efficiency is 98.7% which is much more impressive than their single-phase models. 

Energy Storage Inverters

Solis offers a range of energy storage inverters designed to work with battery storage systems. The big differences among these Solis energy storage inverters typically involve their power capacity, features, and suitability for different applications.

Solis storage inverters provide a power range from 3kW to 10kW with a maximum efficiency of 98.4%. They offer built-in Li-ion battery options for energy storage integration, along with 3 or 4 MPP trackers to accommodate multiple solar panel orientations. 

The inverters are capable of operating through a power outage with built in capability. These inverters are also compatible with a limited list of lithium battery models, so we recommend checking with your installer before purchasing.

Solis‘s warranty offer for Australian customers

In Australia, all CEC approved Solis inverters come with a standard 5-year manufacturer’s warranty. However customers can extend this for free to 10 years by registering their product online.

It is good to see that customers can get a 10 year warranty for free as this is not the expectation in the Australian solar inverter market.

In the event of a Solis replacing an inverter, customers must bare the cost of returning the solar inverter to Solis Australasia, which is presumably to their Melbourne office. Given the bulky nature of these inverters, those customers could be up for a significant postage cost.

If customers experience any warranty-related issue, the original installer who installed the system should be the first line of support for replacing or repairing the product. However, Solis also suggests that customers who can no longer contact their original installer should fill out their Service Request Form on their website to get the support from their Australian office in Cheltenham, Victoria. They are also contactable on 03 8518 5732.

You can read more about Solis warranty conditions here.

Pros and Cons of Solis Inverters

Pros:

• Australian local office in Melbourne
• Affordable solution with a wide range of models

Cons:

• Limited track record in the Australian market compared to established European brands.
• Lack of independent verification of inverter performance, such as tests conducted by PV Evolution Labs.
• Inverters are quite bulky and may not be the most aesthetically-pleasing option

Comparison Solis Solar Inverter Specifications (common models)

Should you use a Solis inverter on your project?

Solis have made some significant headway in recent years, picking up greater share of the Australian market. Looking at the technical specifications and the price point it is easy to see why. In recent years, Solis has grown their top line significantly leading Ginlong Technologies to a more bankable position which provides greater value to their warranty offer. Equally it is good to see they have an established office in Cheltenham, Victoria where they can service warranty claims.

Despite having ‘entered’ the Australian market in 2005, Solis do not have the same track record as some of the European inverter brands who have many data points to prove their low failure rates and expected lifetime. Solis inverters lack any independent proof of their inverter’s performance such as the tests completed annually by PV Evolution Labs (see results here). At this stage we would consider Solis inverters suitable for customers on a tight budget.

Example of a large-scale Solis Inverter Project 

• Site: Monash University, Melbourne, 2020
• System: 1MW PV plant with Solis 50kW inverters

Comparatively Solis’ 50kW inverters are smaller and ligheter than alternatives which reduces transportation costs and increases the ease of installation. The Solis 50kw inverter has 4 MPPT designs meaning 4 separate solar arrays can be connected to each inverter. Each inverter has a maximum operating current rating of 28.5a, meaning it is compatible with high-voltage solar panels commonly used in solar farm installations.

Read more product reviews from Solar Choice