Sungrow Solar Inverters- Independent Review

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Overview of Sungrow – Company History

Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. was founded in China in 1997 by Cao Renxian, a professor at the Hefei University of Technology. Professor Renxian founded Sungrow after learning about the dire state of electrical availability in rural western China.

Sungrow has since grown to be one of the largest solar inverter manufacturers globally. Sungrow has manufactured over 100GW to 60 countries giving them a worldwide market share of 15%. This has contributed to the company’s valuation of $1.5 billion.

Sungrow entered the Australian market in 2012 and has stated that they have captured around 15% of the inverter market. Sungrow specialises in research and development, taking pride in being an innovation leader within the solar industry. This commitment has resulted in more than 1,600 patent applications as of June 2019.

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. There are four types of solar inverters, these being string inverters, hybrid inverters, micro inverters, and power optimisers.

String inverters 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.

Hybrid Inverters have the same characteristics as a string inverter with the additional feature of a charge controller, this is used to manage a battery system. Charge controllers can also be bought as an additional unit, but hybrid inverters provide the option of an all in one device.

What is PV Evolution Labs Top Performer?

PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) with support from DNV GL has been independently testing Solar Panel reliability since 2014, and for the first time in 2019 have tested solar inverters. It is a voluntary test which manufacturers have to pay to be a part of.  The solar panel testing is considered internationally as an excellent indication of solar panel quality. It’s expected that the inverter testing will have the same recognition. To read the full PVEL scorecard click here.

Sungrow 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. Sungrow’s CEC Approved inverter models range in max efficiency from 97.7% to 98.6%, with the majority of the models over 98%. This places Sungrow Inverters towards the top of residential inverter market based on efficiency.

Sungrow Inverter Costs

The majority of Sungrow inverters are manufactured in China, this means that they will generally be cheaper than European manufactured competitors.

Indicative pricing

Sungrow Inverter Model Indicative Price Range
Sungrow SH5.0RT 5kW Hybrid Inverter $3,000 to $3,250
Sungrow SG5K-D-Premium 5kW Inverter $900 to $1,100
Sungrow SG10KTL-MT 10kW Inverter $2,000 to $2,200

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.

Compare quotes from up to 7 installers in your area now.

 

Sungrow Inverters – Point of Difference

The Sungrow CEC approved Inverter range differs from other inverter manufacturers as they offer different types and configurations in the typical power range. Sungrow manufactures both string and hybrid residential inverters, with the following string inverter models coming with Multi-MPPT; SG5KTL-MT, SG10KTL-MT, SG10KTL-M, & SG12KTL-M. All of the CEC approved Sungrow Inverter range are Transformerless Inverters, which contributes to their high efficiency.

Inverter Monitoring

Sungrow provides users the ability to remotely monitor inverter performance, as all inverter models come with WIFI capabilities. Users can monitor performance from their phone through the app iSolarCloud, which is available on both iphone and android.

Sungrow Inverter Warranty

In Australia, the majority of CEC approved Sungrow inverters come with a standard 5 year manufacturer’s warranty. The Sungrow Premium Inverter Range comes with a 10 year manufacturer’s warranty. With the warranty period commencing on the date the inverter is installed, or 6 months after the date of production, whichever occurs first.

The standard 5 year warranty is rapidly becoming one of the shortest inverter warranties offered in Australia with many of the growing Chinese companies like Sungrow starting to offer 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. Sungrow is well established in Australia with an office in North Sydney, NSW.

A Full Range of Sungrow Inverters Available in Australia 

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

These are the following models:

Sungrow SH10RT Sungrow SH8.0RT Sungrow SH5.0RT
Sungrow SH5K-20 Sungrow SH5K-30 Sungrow SG5KTL-MT
Sungrow SG10KTL-MT Sungrow SG10KTL-M   Sungrow SG12KTL-M
Sungrow SG5KTL-D Sungrow SG3K-D Premium Sungrow SG5K-D Premium
Sungrow SG8K-D Premium Sungrow SG2K-S Premium Sungrow SG2K5-S Premium
Sungrow SG3K-S Premium Sungrow SG3KTL-S

Sungrow Inverter Comparison

  Sungrow 5kW (Hybrid)

SH5K-30

Sungrow 2.5kW

SG2K5-S

Sungrow 5kW

SG5KTL-MT

Inverter Type Hybrid String String
Rated AC Power Output 5000W 2500W 5500W
Maximum Continuous Output Current 22.7A 11.3A 8.5A
Maximum DC Voltage 600V 600V 1100V
Maximum Inverter Efficiency 97.7% 98.2% 98.4%
Dimensions with Safety Switch/Connection Unit 457 x 515 x 170 mm 300 x 370 x 125 mm 370 x 485 x 160 mm
Weight 22kg 8.5kg 20kg
Warranty 5 years 10 years 5 years
Operational Temperature Range -25°C to 60°C

 

-25°C to 60°C

 

-25°C to 60°C

 

Made in China China China

Example of a Sungrow Commercial Solar Project 

Sungrow’s 1500V Central Inverter Model SG3125HV-MV were installed at Kristal Solar Park, located in Lommel, Belgium. The 100MW solar park has nine different plots covering 227 Acres and is the largest in the Benelux region. The solar park has been grid-connected since Q4 2019 and is expected to generate 85 GWh annually.

The three-level topology design of the Sungrow SG3125HV-MV contributes to the inverter maximum efficiency of 99% and Europe efficiency of 98.7%, guaranteeing premium yields for the solar park. Due to the 20-foot container design, the Sungrow SG3125HV-MV has low transportation and installation costs.

Benelux's Largest Solar Park with Sungrow 1500V Central Inverter Solutions

Read more product reviews from Solar Choice

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Reviews from Australians who have installed Sungrow Inverters

Rated 4.63 from 62 reviews
14th March 2023
Eddie
QLD - 4170
10-15kW system
4.00

2nd March 2023
Aaron
-
10-15kW system
1.00

1st March 2023
Lan
NSW - 2035
30-50kW system
1.00

21st February 2023
Yiannis
TAS - 7054
6kW system
4.00

The daily amount produced stopped showing correctly and is now showing 0W constantly. Apart from that the inverter is working well.

14th February 2023
Shane
QLD - 4005
8kW system
5.00

SG8.0RS-ADA quiet and small dimension.

31st January 2023
Kevin
QLD - 4179
6kW system
5.00

Looks neat and tidy. Working well.

23rd January 2023
Christopher
NSW - 2478
5kW system
5.00

Installed in 2018 by another company and have operated satisfactorily since

19th January 2023
Trevor
NSW - 2527
10kW system
5.00

Good performing inverter with a informative phone app

10th January 2023
Percy
NSW - 2420
6kW system
4.00

There were some issues with the monitoring system but nothing major. it works great now.

10th January 2023
Susheel
NSW - 2263
6kW system
5.00

Excellent Inverter!

28th December 2022
Ryan
-
8kW system
2.00

Also installed a second Growatt inverter which was unwanted, but overall seems fine, the controls on the inverter are a bit hard to control and not documented for power users, so requires going through many forums online to find how to do things

27th December 2022
David
-
10kW system
5.00

Operating trouble free from the outset.

25th December 2022
Ross
NSW - 2560
9kW system
5.00

23rd December 2022
Manish
QLD - 4110
10kW system
5.00

18th December 2022
Darren
-
10kW system
5.00

Love the app you can see in real time how much power you are using and the state of your batteries . We can use up to 10 KW directly from the panels in full sun. Maintains the system well and has a great warranty

16th December 2022
Anne
-
10kW system
5.00

Seems to be doing the job. Albeit needed a software upgrade before we could use the app to see its functionality.

16th December 2022
Luke
QLD - 4740
10-15kW system
5.00

This inverter is brilliant.. nice slick look and is nice and quiet. I got the monitoring app and communication device. Would definitely recommend this inverter

24th November 2022
Leonie
QLD - 4508
6kW system
5.00

Great tracking of usage

23rd November 2022
David
NSW - 2462
6kW system
5.00

So far so good. Telephone app wrks well.

16th November 2022
Simon
-
6kW system
5.00

16th November 2022
Simon
-
6kW system
5.00

15th November 2022
Les
-
8kW system
5.00

Excellent performance todate

14th November 2022
David
-
10kW system
4.00

Minor annoyance: you lose access to the inverter's wi-fi dongle when the sun goes down, so you can't check live power consumption at night. The inverter failed after 26 months. Sungrow say there was an overvoltage alert after power was restored following an outage but it was about 5 days afterwards it started throwing internal module failure alerts. Raised a warranty claim with Sungrow on 28/10/22 and the replacement inverter arrived on 3/11/22.

2nd November 2022
Russ
WA - 6164
10kW system
5.00

Good quality at an affordable price.

11th October 2022
Leonie
QLD - 4207
10-15kW system
5.00

Look great compact

7th October 2022
Joan
VIC - 3551
6kW system
5.00

29th September 2022
Bob
-
10-15kW system
1.00

The first inverter failed and after 25 days was replaced. The second failed to work as designed. Over time we learnt of the cabling issues, the wiring issues and the very likely possibility of programming issues. We also learnt that the inverter and battery pairing as wired would not provide WOHEPS nor would the pairing of the BYD battery and Inverter do so. In early 2021 Sungrow twice offered (Stag) to replace the Sungrow inverter. Stag did not take up those offers. Later on Sungrow offered (us) to replace the inverter. We declined as they could not confirm that the third inverter would not have the same issues as the first two. In fact an email from Sungrow advises that it would perform in a manner to the previous units. BYD Sydney and then China confirmed that the battery inverter pairing as was, could never in fact provide WOHEPS. • How is it that neither Sungrow or Stag appeared to know of this or when informed of it, failed to act in a positive manner. 10kW Sungrow Hybrid Inverter was replaced twice, fails to pair well with the BYD battery for Whole of House Emergency power supply, the reason the system was initially purchased. Sector specialists and a CEC sourced expert review found that the system as wired would never produce a whole of house EPS. • Further, only one circuit was connected for EPS. • Several specialists advised that the Sungrow / BYD pairing would not / could not provide WOHEPS. • Further, BYD Sydney and then BYD China confirmed that the BYD 11.2 kW battery and the 10kW Sungrow Hybrid Inverter when paired together would not in fact produce WOHEPS. • How is it that neither Sungrow or Stag appeared to know of this or when informed of it, failed to act in a positive manner.

22nd September 2022
Martijn
NSW - 2096
7kW system
4.00

Not much to comment on, we can monitor generation of energy on an app, unfortunately that loses connection to our network occasionally but I believe that has more to do with our network (which at the moment is temperamental) then with the inverter. The app provides lots of info by the way which is (in a nerdy way) quite interesting.

15th September 2022
Nerida
QLD - 4007
6kW system
5.00

.

13th September 2022
Robert
TAS - 7018
6kW system
5.00

Great looking inverter without a fan therefore has very low noise transmission and is barely audible

6th September 2022
Joanne
NSW - 2259
6kW system
5.00

29th August 2022
Ben
-
9kW system
5.00

Had to update firmware a couple of times, but this was done remotely relatively painlessly

9th August 2022
Agustin
QLD - 4350
10-15kW system
5.00

App is great though can be a bit confusing at first. Allows us to track usage and profits made by feeding back to the grid.

3rd August 2022
Tyron
-
6kW system
5.00

2nd August 2022
Leanne
-
6kW system
5.00

21st July 2022
Jennifer
-
6kW system
4.00

5th July 2022
Karen
-
6kW system
5.00

5th July 2022
Kingshuk
VIC - 3750
10kW system
5.00

One of the best in the market

14th June 2022
David
SA - 5068
10kW system
5.00

26th May 2022
Caroline
-
6kW system
5.00

18th May 2022
Stephen
TAS - 7004
3kW system
5.00

Only a week in so hard to say,the read out is not totally intuitive and the apps not bad.

19th April 2022
Paul
QLD - 4157
6kW system
5.00

Hassle free inverter that has an excellent phone app to show all the aspects of the solar system

8th April 2022
Coco
-
10kW system
5.00

7th March 2022
Rob
-
5kW system
4.00

Easy to read the panel has WiFi connection to an App

5th March 2022
Phil
-
6kW system
5.00

Very quiet

2nd March 2022
Damien
QLD - 4215
10kW system
5.00

Good (but not amazing - better export functionality would be beneficial) online portal to track solar output, feed-in, load etc.

23rd February 2022
Stephen
SA - 5125
7kW system
4.00

The unit functions perfectly but the wifi monitoring could be a bit more informative

10th February 2022
Brian
SA - 5290
6kW system
5.00

Had some problems with the iSolarCloud App initially but all seems to be working properly now.

10th February 2022
Stephen
NSW - 2760
8kW system
5.00

all working well at this time

8th February 2022
Andrew
NSW - 2533
6kW system
5.00

I can log on via an app on my phone and see what is happening and look back at previous days. It predicts the weather for the next two days.

8th February 2022
Billy
QLD - 4560
8kW system
5.00

NO COMMENT REALLY. IT JUST SITS THERE.

4th February 2022
Karen
NSW - 2430
10kW system
5.00

27th January 2022
Nathan
QLD - 4122
6kW system
5.00

13th September 2021
Maria
QLD - 4226
10kW system
5.00

No comments

26th July 2021
Max
NSW - 2070
8kW system
5.00

26th July 2021
Garry
TAS - 7020
6kW system
5.00

Works OK, Clear and easy to interpret display.

14th June 2021
Stuart
QLD - 4509
6kW system
5.00

25th May 2021
-
6kW system
5.00

.

25th May 2021
-
6kW system
5.00

.

24th May 2021
-
10-15kW system
5.00

4th May 2021
-
6kW system
5.00

Works well not very old yet

28th March 2021
Max
QLD - 4868
6kW system
5.00

Early days, but so far, so good!