Solar Inverter Comparison Table (Non-Hybrid)
Last Updated: 6th Mar 2024 By Finn Peacock, Chartered Electrical Engineer, Fact Checked By Ronald Brakels
Compare solar inverter prices and specifications with our regularly updated inverter comparison table. The table lists various models available in Australia from our recommended brands chart. By comparing inverters side-by-side, this can help you decide which may be best for your home or business. If you’re looking to compare hybrid inverters, click here.
Hit ‘Expand’ for full screen. Scroll within the table to see all the rows and columns. See notes below the table. Any corrections, additions or feedback? Email us. |
Product Name |
Delta Home Series (5kW)
|
Enphase IQ7A
|
FIMER Uno-DM (3.3-5 kW)
|
Fronius GEN24 Primo
|
GEP 5-10kW (Single phase)
|
Goodwe DNS G3 Series
|
MIL-Solar |
SMA Sunny Boy (3.0-6.0kW)
|
SolarEdge HD Wave Genesis (5-6kW)
|
Solis S5 Series (Single phase) 3-6kW
|
Sungrow SGRS Series
|
Sunways STS Series (5-6 kW)
|
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Price (Approx. AUD price RRP inc. GST) | $730 | $195 | $1840 | $2300 | $1,700 | $890 | $2110 | $2057 | $1,300 | $900 | $1700 | $850 |
Nominal AC Power (Inverter size) | 5000 W | 349W | 5000 W | 5000W | 10000 W | 5000 W | 5000 W | 5000 W | 5000 W | 5000 W | 4999 W | 5000W |
Max efficiency (PV to grid) | 97.5% | 96.5 % | 97.4% | 97.2% | 97.5% | 97.8% | 97.0% | 97.00% | 99.2% | 97.6% | 97.8% | 98.1% |
# of MPPT’s | 2 | N/A | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Dimensions | 380 x 318 x 130 mm | 212 mm x 175 mm x 30.2 mm | 553 x 418 x 175 mm | 645 x 431 x 204 mm | 511 × 415 × 175 mm | 354 * 433 * 147 mm | 514 x 512 x 150 mm | 435 mm x 470 mm x 176 mm | 450 x 370 x 174 mm | 310 * 543 * 160 mm | 490 * 340 * 170 mm | 410mm x 360mm x 120mm |
Weight | 12 kg | 1.08 kg | 15 kg | 21.5 kg | 22.5 kg | 13 kg | 24 kg | 16 kg | 11.4 kg | 12 kg | 19 kg | 13 kg |
Single phase or three phase? | Single phase | N/A | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase | Single phase |
IP Rating | IP 65 | IP 67 | IP65 | IP 65 | IP 65 | IP65 | IP 44 | IP65 | IP 65 | IP 65 | IP 65 | IP 65 |
Ambient temperature range | -25°C ~ 60°C | -40ºC to +65ºC | -25 - +60°C | '-40°C - +55°C | -25 ~ +60°C | -25 ~ +60 deg C | -25°C to +50°C | −40 °C to +60 °C | -40ºC to +65ºC | -25 ~ +60°C | -25 ℃ to 60 ℃ | -30ºC to +60ºC |
Standby consumption | <2W | <1W | <0.4 W | < 10 W | <1 W | <1W | <5W | <5W | <5W | <1 W | < 3 W | <1W |
Network connection | Wi-Fi | Power Line Communication (PLC) | Wireless/RS485 | Fronius Solar.web, Modbus TCP SunSpec, Fronius Solar API (JSON) | Wi-Fi / RS485 / LAN | RS485, WiFi, LAN | Wireless | WLAN, Speedwire / Webconnect | RS485, Ethernet, Wi-Fi | RS485, Optional: Wi-Fi, GPRS | WLAN, Ethernet, RS485, DI, DO | Wireless/RS485 |
Warranty | 5 years | 10 years | 10 years | 5 + 5 years | 5 years | 10 years | 5 + 5 years | 5 years | 12 years | 5 years | 10 years | 12 years |
Screen? | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Built in DC isolator? | Yes | N/A | Optional | Yes | TBD | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Cooling (passive/fan) | Passive | Passive | Passive | Fan | Passive | Passive | Passive | Passive | Passive | Passive | Passive | Passive |
Noise (db) | 20 db(a) | TBD | 50 dBA | TBD | TBD | <25 db | 25 dB(A) | 25 dB | <25 dba | TBD | TBD | 25 (db) |
Datasheet Supplied? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Warranty Supplied? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Modern slavery statement or forced labour policies? | N/A - Australian factory | Yes, here. | Yes, here. | Under development as at September 2022 | ||||||||
More information on brand | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here | Here |
We’ll endeavour to update this comparison table as more inverters become available in Australia.
Please note: Prices displayed above are our best estimate of retail pricing inclusive GST, and always check with the manufacturer to confirm warranty and specification information.
The following explains what some of the specifications you may not be familiar with mean, along with some additional notes to bear in mind when you compare inverters.
# of MPPTs
Explaining what an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracker) is can get quite technical – but in short it maximises the performance of a system and generally, 1 MPPT = 1 solar panel direction.
For example, an inverter with 2 MPPTs can handle one solar array facing north, and one facing west. For more detailed information on MPPTs, click here.
Only small inverters (under 3 kW in size) have fewer than 2 MPPTs. Some new inverters coming out, including models from Goodwe and Delta, have 3 or even 4 MPPTs.
However, some inverters can handle more than one array direction per MPPT. For example, Fronius inverters can handle 3 panel directions, so long as 2 solar panel arrays are equal in size.
Optimiser or microinverter based systems can allow a much more flexible array design due to their their unique technologies – these devices perform maximum power point tracking for the module they are attached to.
Single-Phase Or Three-Phase?
To keep it simple – most homes are on a single-phase power supply. You use a single-phase inverter on a single-phase home and a 3 phase inverter on a 3 phase home. I’ve written about this topic in greater detail here.
Most single-phase inverters only go to a maximum size of 8 kW (some Goodwe single-phase inverters go up to 10 kW). 3 phase inverters can go up to 100 kW or more.
Standby Consumption
This is how much power your inverter will use at night, which is usually a very small amount – 1 – 5 watts depending on the brand and model.
Built-in DC isolator?
A DC isolator shuts off the power coming from your solar panels – this is an important safety feature becoming more common in inverters. Having a DC isolator built-in to the inverter itself makes it easier to install and hopefully soon will do away with the requirement of also having a rooftop DC isolator.
Cooling
Inverters are either actively (fan) cooled, or passively cooled through convection. Comparing the types, actively cooled inverters will be noisier when they are in operation due to the fan. This is an important consideration if an inverter is to be installed installed near a living area.
Passively cooled inverters will run hotter than actively cooled ones. I’d expect an actively cooled inverter to live longer (as electronics don’t like heat!)
Modern Slavery/Forced Labour
This row indicates if we found the inverter manufacturer has policies for addressing modern slavery/forced labour risks. TBD indicates this is yet to be determined and “failed to respond” indicates our enquiries did not receive a reply. Where provided, in-depth analysis of an inverter manufacturer’s statement/policy has not been performed.
A Note On Comparing Inverter Warranties
When comparing solar inverters, while efficiency is very important, so is reliability – it’s the component most likely to fail in a solar power system within its first 10 years of operation given the conditions it operates under. This is why an inverter from a solid company offering a 10 year warranty is very attractive.
Related: Pick up some tips for choosing solar inverters.
Disclaimer: Although we endeavour to regularly review the information in this solar inverter comparison table and update it where necessary to maintain accuracy, mistakes may be made and prices and other figures/specifications can be superseded. This being the case, it’s important to check details with inverter manufacturers and solar installers rather than basing a purchase decision solely on information provided in this table.