SunGrow Inverter Review:
Is It Crap, Or Better Than Fronius?
Looking back over the past few years it’s safe to say that Sungrow has seriously grown on me. Not only because we’ve been selling more of them, but actually because of the things I’ve seen Sungrow do, and the service that they provide.
You know, if i’m going to be completely truthful I was one of those people who tried to stay far away from cheap ‘chinese’ solar products that caused more trouble than it’s worth.
Of course, us Australians have always had this stigma about Chinese products and that if they do come from China, they must be ‘crap’.
However, from experience and working with installing these products every day… Well, I’m here to burst your bubble. Believe me, it shocked me as well.
During this Sungrow review you are probably going to realise that they could just be one of the best inverters in the industry and I’ll go into details why later on down the page.
Yes, I know… The obvious question. Which is better, Sungrow or Fronius? I can’t just give you a straight answer on that, instead I’ve written an article on Fronius vs Sungrow vs Growatt here.
So let’s jump straight in to find out everything there is to know about Sungrow solar inverters, and if they are worth buying or just some cheap Chinese crap!
By the way, if you are interested in getting a proposal please speak to my Sungrow design engineers here.
Table Of Contents
Company History
Established in 1997, Sungrow is a Chinese company that mainly focuses on inverter production for the solar industry. They are also known for some wind production and commercial energy storage systems so have a big part to play in the renewable industry.
They moved into the global solar race in 2006 and have been non-stop growing since. In 2018 they opened their first factory outside of China which was based in India instead. They also announced in 2020 that they have a target to “source 100% renewable energy by 2028”.
How Long Have They Been Around?
Sungrow has been around for 25 years and operates in over 150 countries worldwide. I always think this is an important question to ask. Especially for products that offer a long lasting warranty like Sungrow.
The reason being is that it can give you an insight into if they will be around for another 10-15 years. Obviously with the way that the world is moving and climate change, it would seem that renewables are on a continual up.
For me being around for 25 years also is a fantastic sign that the company is doing a great job at what they do.
Do Sungrow Have Offices In Australia?
Yes, Sungrow has actually been around in Australia since 2012 which is why they are easily one of the most popular solar inverters in Australia today. This is always important because of claiming warranties and being able to claim the correct support if you need it. Of course, it’s much better for Australian homeowners to have access to an office inside Australia.
Sungrow actually have one of the best support teams...
Speaking of which, from my experience, Sungrow has (arguably) one of the best support services for inverters in the industry. I’ve both heard and seen a lot of stories about other inverter companies not providing support as good as Sungrow.
Any issues that you have, you can easily speak to their support team in Sydney. They can help you get it replaced, fixed or whatever needs to be to be done.
If you’ve had a good or bad experience with Sungrow’s support, please share with everyone below in the comments.
SunGrow inverters has signed the largest distribution agreement in Australia
Back in May 2022, SunGrow inverters signed a 2GW agreement to supply and ship their inverters over to Australia to be sold. This is a fantastic example of how popular Sungrow inverters are across Australia.
This really indicates they are not going anywhere and what Aussie think of these inverters. It’s safe to say they are very popular and come with some really high performance which is why we seem to love them so much.
Types Of SunGrow Inverters
What I Like About It...
SunGrow is offering a fantastic residential inverter that’s a frightening rival for Fronius.
Coming in sizes of 2kW to 20kW you can really optimise on your output with this inverter. They are offering a high efficiency (which is actually one of the best in the industry) as well as a igh DC/AC ratio.
The iSolarCloud monitoring can help you keep on top of your solar system and ensure there are no issues. It provides fast troubleshooting and real time problem analysis meaning if you have any issues, it will report it straight away.
All in all, I’d say this is one of the best inverters you can buy in the industry for your money. It really gives Fronius a serious threat. In fact, I’m pretty sure they are actually Australia’s second biggest seller… So they are coming in hot.
Also, if you are looking for single phase then your best product will be the SG3K/3K6/4K/4K6/5K/6K-D, but if you are looking for 3 phase then it will be SG5/6KTL-MT/SG8/10KTL-M.
Specifications:
String Inverter Type
Max. Efficiency 98.4%
Max. number of PV strings = 1
Night power consumption < 3 W
Flexible PV string configurations
High anti-corrosion rating at C5
10 year warranty (extendable)
What I Like About It...
They also specialise in commercial solar inverters for large scale projects. SunGrow can offer business owners a fantastic and affordable solution. With sizes ranging from 25kW to 100kW you can get a high efficiency system in place with these inverters.
If your business is looking for something more affordable than SolarEdge or Enphase then this will be the perfect solution. Not only this but the performance is up there as some of the best. Check out the specs on this.
Specifications:
String Inverter Type
Max. Efficiency 99%
Max. number of MPP = 2
Night power consumption < 2 W
High anti-corrosion rating at C5
Active Cooling System
10 year warranty
What I Like About It...
This little beast is a hybrid and capable of storing power as well as converting it. This can give homeowners a cost effective solution instead of paying out full price for a battery. Hybrids are great for storing a small amount of energy.
In this case, Sungrow’s SH5K-30 can store up to 3kW which would be suitable for a black-out or something similar. However, this is not capable of supporting off-grid use and wouldn’t be right for it.
This is a great inverter for those who live in remote areas and may find themselves having frequent blackouts etc. However, it’s only good for emergencies not to go fully off-grid.
Specifications:
Max. Efficiency 97.7%
AC Power Supply
DC Switch Built-in
EPS Box Built-in
10 Year Warranty
You Can Extend Your Warranty To 15 Years For Less Than The Difference Of Buying A Fronius Inverter
This is really impressive. You can get an extra 5 years on your extended warranty for less than what the difference would cost to invest in a Fronius inverter.
I really love this because it highlights just how good value for money Sungrow is. They can give you 15 years of warranty, still less than most of the inverters in the industry. 15 years is probably the best warranty you can get in the industry as well.
Overall, this is one of the biggest mind changers when our customers come to us with a few options of different inverters. When they understand their warranty can be extended for less than other inverters it just makes sense.
Of course, there isn’t much between performance for inverters like Fronius or growatt so it really comes down to warranty and value for money. It seems Sungrow is taking the lead on this one…
Which One Comes With A Screen?
We get asked this question a lot by customers. If you are looking for an inverter with a screen you will need the residential inverter or the hybrid. These both come with LED screens for your ease and can make it easier for you to see and monitor your inverter.
In the past, screens have been seen as a weak point and removed altogether. However, Sungrow has kept the LED screen so that you can monitor and ensure that everything is working ok.
This is definitely a huge benefit compared to other inverters.
What Warranties Do Sungrow Offer?
As of 2022, SunGrow is now offering a whopping 10 year product warranty for their solar inverters. This is fantastic, and is actually the same as Fronius. It kinda makes you question… If they both offer a similar performance and same warranties… Why is Fronius more expensive?
Haha, well we do a deep comparison between Fronius and Sungrow here so feel free to read.
Don’t forget, you can extend your 10 year warranty to 15 years for a small fee. Something else to consider is that this warranty is a full inverter replacement warranty meaning they will replace your inverter and not attempt to fix or repair it (if needed).
What’s The Main Difference Between The Hybrid And String Inverters?
Hybrid can provide emergency backup power if the grid goes out. This is because it stores a small amount of energy using a built-in battery. In this case, it’s 3kW for Sungrow. However, this is a small amount and if you are interested in a solar battery you should look at LG Chem or the Powerwall.
To be honest, hybrids are amazing for handling different situations. I think it would really suit homeowners who may experience black outs often or those who are looking for that extra level of independence.
These days as energy bills are seriously increasing it’s important to consider the best options and best inverters for you. If hybrid is going to work best for your current situation then I would recommend investing in it.
Sometimes, understanding when it’s best can be quite technical so it’s important to remember to speak to a design engineer who can come and check your roof or house and your energy area etc to see what products are going to suit you the best.
Is Sungrow A Big Company?
YES! They are actually the second biggest suppliers of solar inverters in the world…. I think now they are also the biggest supplier in the Americas which includes the USA, Chile, Brazil and so on.
As of December 2020, Sungrow internationally installed a huge 154 GW of inverters which puts them as one of the biggest solar inverter companies in the world…
It also makes them extremely reliable and bankable. You can be confident that if you have any issues with your inverters it will get replaced quickly and effectively. With the way that they are growing, rest assured they will still be around in 20-30 years.
SunGrow Inverter Review
Price 10/10
In terms of price, Sungrow is coming in pretty much unbeatable here. I mean, of course you can find cheaper solar inverters, but they will come with a crap performance.
For the money that you are paying with Sungrow, you are getting a top performance and a very long warranty. I’d argue this is the best valued inverter in the entire industry.
Warranty 10/10
They offer the longest warranty in the industry along with Fronius and a few others. 10 years is a really good warranty for systems and it’s good to see Sungrow still offering an affordable price with their extended warranty.
With their 15 year warranty extension (meaning you get 5 extra years) for a little cost means that again Sungrow are dominating the industry. They are setting themselves apart from the crowd and shaping the industry to be more affordable for better products.
Performance 9/10
Sungrow is loved because of how good their products perform. They’re high quality and provide homeowners with a great solution to their solar system. They tower over pretty much all the other inverters and as mentioned above, show a real threat to Fronius.
To be honest, there is only one inverter that is better than Sungrow. Of course, this does require more investment because the technology is so advanced. We’re talking about SolarEdge, which you can read my full review here.
Efficiency 9/10
This is also evident in their inverter efficiency. On average solar inverters offer 95% and Sungrow is coming in at 98% or more! That goes to show where they are exactly why they are so popular in Australia.
Again, the only other inverter in the industry to beat this is SolarEdge coming in at 99%… For the money you are getting such an amazing deal with Sungrow. This is probably the biggest thing, the value for money is unstoppable.
Conclusion
It does seem that SunGrow have their strengths in string systems. However, it would really be nice to see them branch out into high-end systems with panel optimisers or micro-inverters. Similar to Enphase and SolarEdge all-in-one systems, I think they could do really well.
It’s something we will have to see in the future. All in all, Sungrow is honestly one of the best inverters you can get in Australia and is well worth your money.
The figures say it all, second biggest seller. I would be very comfortable with Sungrow in my home so you should be too. Get yourself some quality Jinko panels and you’ll be good to go!
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Sungrow as a company or as your solar inverter so please share in the comments below 😁.
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Written By:
Luke Cove
Managing Director
Lightning Solar & Electrical
17 thoughts on “SunGrow Inverter Review”
I have a Sungrow inverter but don’t like the monitoring information that comes with it. Do you know if there is a 3rd party App I can use.
When I bought my system I was told it did not have a good App.
Thanks
Hey Gerry,
We recommend that you look at getting a Sungrow smart meter or looking at a 3rd party called Solar Analytics. This should help provide you with the full visibility that you are looking for.
Regards
I bring all my data into Home Assistant, via the modbus – seems to work over the wireless winet-s dongles too!
Hi Dean
Can you direct to me to how you collect the data via Modbus? Just a starting point in Home Assistant would be great.
Cheers
Daniel
I a SG3K-D/SG5K-D
Residential Single Phase Inverter
Premium m getting Trina panels and SUNGROW 1 phase.
I have 3 phase electricity. Is this the right inverter
Hi Christie,
Single phase would be ok, but 3 phase is better because it splits the solar across all 3 phases. If you need any more help, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with one of my solar design engineers who can help you.
Thanks
Ha Luke not sure if you can help
I have a 10.3 solar system with a sun grow 8kwh single phase however it only produces at end of day approx 24kwh the system gets direct /full sun from 8.30am – 4.30pm so I would have thought it would be producing approx 60-64kwh so I’m thinking I must have a dud unless you have any thoughts
I will need two banks of panels, North and west facing yet the residential invertor is single string won’t this affect efficiency?
Hey Paul,
The residential Sungrow inverter has 2 MPPT inputs ( 2 x strings ) meaning this would be perfect for what you need.
Feel free to get in touch so we can help you design a system tailored around your home & goals.
Do the older hybris charge the 58v batteries if the grid goes down?
Hi
I want to install 10Kw solar system. The provider suggests I use Sungrow SG8K-D Premium inverter. Does the invertor is good enough and reaches maximum efficiency?
Hi Ernest,
I’m getting similar system and inverter. Just wondering what your experience has been in last 7-8 months?
David
Hi I have a sungrow smr032 battery stack and a sh5-0rs inverter The battery light flashes every 5 seconds ,I have restarted many times etc the book states my battery needs firmware update this won’t happen due to not connecting to wifi because I’m out of power ,I live off the grid ,how am I meant to update battery. Poor support ,and installer does not seem to care. 2 weeks now no power. Driving me crazy the iSolarCloud doesn’t have Australia as an option.
Hi,imlooking yo put a 13.3 kw trina vertex s system in and want to use 2 by 5kw Sungrow inverters ,can I add all sorts of different battery types tothese inverters and also is it ok to tie them together as there isnt a single phase hybrid available atm ,thankyou very much,regards Gavin
Isolarcloud at best gives you a guess of your solar production. I have 11.880 maximum with 36 Solar Panels.
today it reports 16.07 KW. you will be just as accurate if you guess yourself.
Arkana installed it with a battery and recommended Discover energy (no joke)
Is have recently (Jan ’23) had installed a 16 panel 415w with Sungrow 5kw Inverter which has the blue led light at the top which is always showing ‘0’, but has two small lights one green, and one blue.
The tiny green one flashes always, but the blue sometimes flashes and sometimes stays solid.
My real concern is that I do not hear the inverter running all the time. It seems to switch off and there is no noise at all, but the tiny lights are still working. The blue ‘0’ at the top pulsates when the inverter noise is silent.
Is this what I should expect from the inverter?
We are installing 32 420WP Jinko solar panels attached to two Sungrow SHR5.0RT inverters attached to two Sungrow SBR9,6KW batteries. Too soon to say how it will work. But I am wondering if anyone has experience with using the shade management functionality of the Sungrow hybrid inverters. We have some trees in the garden that cast some shadow on our roof / panels in the afternoon, and we were wondering if someone is in a similar situation and can share his/her experience of how well the Sungrow shade management functionality can minimise the impact of that on the Wp generated by the panels. Did someone already try to see what is the difference between leaving the shade management functionality on and switching it on? Does it make a substantial difference if you switch it on or is it just marketing talk? What settings do you recommend to you for this functionality in the inverter (did you set the period so that he scans the IV curve every hour, every half an hour in order to recalculate the optimum working point during shady periods)?