Solar inverters are commonly referred to as the brains of a solar system. While panels may be what everyone immediately thinks of when solar is brought up, inverters are what make the magic happen. In order to get a better understanding on inverters in NZ from a beginners point of view, check out the first episode in our new podcast, Solar in NZ. Josh and James are starting things off by running through the different types of inverters, whether those be grid-tied, hybrid or off-grid, and giving you the information to start thinking about what inverter might be the best for you!!
Grid-tied Inverters
As the name implies, grid-tied inverters are connected straight to the grid. This means that they can’t be used in conjunction with solar batteries but work well as more cost-effective options if a battery isn’t what you’re after. In New Zealand, we strongly recommend GoodWe’s range of inverters. GoodWe’s main advantage is having 3 MPPT’s, which allow greater flexibility on how panels can be arranged and distributed on your roof to generate the most power. This means you’ll get the best possible results from your panels compared to an inverter that may demand a more restrictive set-up of panels. GoodWe also feature top of the line monitoring of your solar through their Smart Energy Management System, or SEMS. Alternatively, Fronius also offers a range of very high quality grid-tied inverters, with the main downside being that they are dual MPPT compared to GoodWe’s 3 MPPT’s.
Off-grid Inverters
Off-grid inverters are the exact opposite of grid-tied inverters, working completely stand alone from the power grid. You’ll be relying solely on the solar that you’re generating to power your home. With such a heavy reliance on the inverter working in order to give you power, you need one that is as reliable as possible, which is why we recommend Victron. Their inverters are famously durable and robust, which is particularly great if your system is somewhere that might be hard for maintenance to get to. Victron inverters are also super versatile, allowing you to connect solar batteries, generators, and even other forms of renewable power generation, such as wind turbines and micro- hydro solutions.
Hybrid
Now, hybrid inverters are fast becoming the most popular type of solar inverter available in Aotearoa. They offer the best compatibility with battery systems, allowing power to be sent straight from the panels to the battery in order to reduce ineffeciency in power storage. We’ll explain the intracacies of battery/inverter compatibility in an upcoming blog post which we’ll link here once it’s
done. Of all the hybrid inverters on the NZ market, AlphaESS has so far maintained the top spot, due to their SMILE5 units having a high-capacity battery built into them. This remains one of the best deals in solar, saving you a large amount of money compared to buying an inverter and a battery separately. And unlike other inverter manufacturers such as GoodWe and Fronius that lock hybrid functionality in their inverters behind a $1000 software update, AlphaESS are compatible with batteries right out the gate. Despite that $1000 upcharge, however, GoodWe and Fronius do both offer a key advantage over AlphaESS when it comes to hybrid inverters: they’re compatible with almost any battery on the market. Whereas some inverters are limited to batteries from the same company, like Huawei’s range before they left the New Zealand market, GoodWe and Fronius
Verdict
Since inverters are vital to you getting the best out of your solar system, make sure you’re getting the right one for your home. Our recommendations are GoodWe for grid-tied systems, Victron for off- grid and AlphaESS for hybrid. If you’ve got anymore questions about inverters in NZ, leave a comment on the video or get in touch with us at https://www.sunshinesolar.co.nz/contact
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