What’s the finest inverter in Australia to make use of in your solar energy system? There are lots of components and choices to contemplate. This text makes an attempt to present our personal opinion on the most effective photo voltaic inverters in Australia.
Please check out our methodology – we’ve tried to be very clear on the conclusion we now have reached. Essential to notice that we’re simply in search of the very best quality inverter on this article ignoring prices – not the most effective worth inverter. On this article we’re taking a look at residential photo voltaic so for ease of comparability we now have assessed every firm’s finest single-phase 5kW inverter mannequin.
Photo voltaic Alternative’s Listing of the Greatest Photo voltaic Inverters in Australia for 2022:
Word: Photo voltaic Alternative is just not an installer and has no incentive to advertise one model over one other. Watch out of installers’ articles on the net suggesting the manufacturers they promote are the most effective!
| Inverter | Picture | Guarantee | Max Effectivity | PV Evolution Labs High Performer? | Key Options/ Feedback |
| SolarEdge SE5000H |  |
12 Years | 99.2% | No | Energy optimisers
Israeli firm |
| Enphase IQ7+ |  |
10 Years | 97.5% | No | Micro-inverters
US firm |
| Huawei SUN2000 -5KTL-L1 |  |
10 Years (extendable to twenty) | 98.4% | Sure* | Hybrid inverter
Good IV curve prognosis |
| Fronius Primo 5.0-1 AUS |  |
10 years (5+5) | 98.1% | Sure* | SnapINverter expertise
Austrian firm |
| SMA SB5.0-1AV-41 |  |
5 years | 97% | Sure* | Shadefix perform
German firm |
| Delta H5A_222 |  |
5 years (extendable to twenty years) | 97.5% | Sure* | Low start-up voltage
Inbuilt DC isolator |
| Sungrow SG5K-D Premium |  |
10 years | 98% | No | LCD show
Inbuilt DC isolator |
*Not the identical mannequin that’s accessible in Australia is marked as a prime performer, however is a sign of a high quality model
Essential notice: This rating displays the opinion of Photo voltaic Alternative solely and we encourage readers to do their very own analysis and are available to their very own conclusions.
Evaluate photo voltaic quotes from as much as 7 native installers now.
Our Methodology: How we decided the most effective photo voltaic inverters in Australia
1. Max Effectivity
The effectivity of the photo voltaic inverter is a necessary issue as a result of all of the DC electrical energy produced by the photo voltaic panels will go by way of the inverter to be transformed into Alternating Present (AC) which may be consumed by residence home equipment.
All inverters are examined by impartial authorities which offer a most effectivity and a eu effectivity score and can show these outcomes on their product datasheet. In our comparability we now have used the utmost effectivity for an apples for apples comparability.
A photo voltaic inverter’s effectivity will differ primarily based on the quantity of energy that’s producing and the quantity of photo voltaic power that’s inputted. The utmost effectivity is measured as the best level within the curve the place the inverter is at its optimum efficiency.
Most photo voltaic inverters most effectivity ranges from 96.5% to 98%, with the upper being extra environment friendly.
2. Guarantee
The guarantee interval can differ relying on model. We suggest that you just select an inverter with a minimal guarantee interval of at the very least 5 years with 10 years being splendid.
There was an growing variety of producers who’re providing prolonged warranties, as much as an extra 20 years which often comes at an extra price.
As we’ve seen many residential photo voltaic installers exit of enterprise throughout the lifetime of the photo voltaic methods they’ve put in, many end-consumers have to get in contact with product producers straight. Because of this we typically suggest you choose a model with an Australian workplace and an Australian telephone quantity you may name.
A protracted guarantee from an organization with no Australian presence is just not price a lot in our opinion.
You may assessment our listing of CEC authorized inverter manufacturers with an Australian workplace.
3. PV Evolution Labs High Performer
PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) has been independently testing photo voltaic panel reliability since 2014. The photo voltaic panel testing is taken into account internationally as a wonderful indication of photo voltaic panel high quality.
In 2019, PVEL launched their inaugural rating of photo voltaic inverters, which seeks to establish the highest performer photo voltaic inverter manufacturers.
Some extent to notice is that the testing course of is voluntary and the product producers should pay to be part of it so they don’t seem to be testing your entire market.
You may assessment our listing of PVEL High Performers, or you may obtain and check out the PVEL 2019 Inverter Scorecard.
4. Key Options
Now we have appeared on the key factors of distinction that every inverter brings to the market to issue into the rating.
Notably the truth that Enphase’s answer is micro-inverters and SolarEdge embody energy optimisers has lifted them to the highest of our rating. This performance permits particular person panel stage optimisation and monitoring which provides vital worth to the top shopper. Learn extra on this right here.
Limitations of our rating
It’s clear from our methodology that we now have not assessed each issue of an inverter, however need to discover a easy technique to establish the very best quality and main photo voltaic inverter choices accessible on the Australian market.
- Prices – at the beginning as we’re contemplating the ‘finest photo voltaic inverters’ for Australian market we now have ignored value for the needs of this rating. The inverters in the direction of the highest of this rating will price greater than the choices in the direction of the underside as per the under indicative information:
| 5kW Inverter Possibility | Indicative Value Vary |
| Enphase | $2,400 to $2,600 |
| SolarEdge | $1,800 to $2,000 |
| Huawei | $1,400 to $1,600 |
| Fronius | $1,700 to $2,000 |
| SMA | $1,700 to $2,000 |
| Delta | $1,000 – $1,300 |
| Sungrow | $800 to $1,000 |
- Different inverter specs – as a way to hold this straightforward we now have chosen a few of the most necessary points of an inverter to match. A extra holistic strategy might result in a barely completely different ordering and end result. For instance if in case you have 3-phase energy or shading impacts in your roof, the listing of potential inverters would look completely different to our rating
- Nation of manufacture – for some folks this may be crucial. Nowadays the overwhelming majority of photo voltaic gear is manufactured in China. Even European manufacturers like SolarEdge, Fronius and SMA have main manufacturing amenities in China. In case you are in search of one thing that’s not manufactured in China you may take a look at the datasheet of the mannequin of inverter you could have been quoted to see the place it was manufactured.
What about manufacturers that aren’t on this rating?
These are what we’d contemplate the highest 7 manufacturers in Australia for photo voltaic inverters. That doesn’t imply that manufacturers not listed on this web page received’t do the job. There are cheaper choices from Chinese language producers that may serve a buyer on a price range effectively, however you’ll have to take the chance that they could not final so long as the choices right here and should not carry out as effectively. You may learn our product opinions on all inverters on the Australian market right here.
Since 2008 our data and complicated software program has allowed over 180,000 Australian households and companies to make a well-informed alternative on their photo voltaic & battery installer.
