GivEnergy vs SunSynk : Which Hybrid Solar Inverter?!
Summary
TLDRThe speaker is seeking advice on selecting solar inverters for their 22 solar panels, aiming for a 9.46 kilowatt peak system. They are considering three inverter options: Give Energy, SunSync, and an 8.8 kW hybrid inverter. The SunSync inverter offers a lower startup voltage and higher charge rate for future battery integration, while Give Energy is praised for its user-friendly app. The 8.8 kW hybrid inverter provides significant headroom for expansion and high charge/discharge rates, but at a higher cost. The speaker is concerned about long-term satisfaction and the potential need for future upgrades, seeking input to make an informed decision.
Takeaways
- π The user is considering solar panel installation and has narrowed down to 22 panels with a peak of 9.46 kilowatts.
- π The panels will be on two different strings and orientations to avoid overlapping and will not be on the same East-West split.
- π± Three inverters are being recommended by the installer: Give Energy, SunSync, and an 8.8 kW hybrid inverter.
- π Give Energy is praised for its smoother app experience, which is described as more modern and minimalistic.
- π SunSync is noted for providing more data but with a less polished and modern interface compared to Give Energy.
- π SunSync has a lower startup voltage, allowing it to start earlier in the day and continue later into the evening.
- π The SunSync 5 kilowatt inverter has a lower current per string, which might limit the number of panels on one side of the roof.
- π When considering adding batteries later, SunSync's charge rate is almost twice that of Give Energy, offering 120 amps versus 65 amps.
- π The 8.8 kW hybrid inverter has a higher startup voltage and can handle more solar input and output, with a charge rate of 190 amps.
- π° The price difference between Give Energy and SunSync is negligible, but the 8.8 kW hybrid inverter is more expensive.
- π§ The user is concerned about future-proofing and the longevity of the inverter, considering the potential for over-sizing equipment for better performance and longevity.
Q & A
What is the maximum solar panel capacity the roof can accommodate?
-The roof can accommodate 22 solar panels with a peak capacity of 9.46 kilowatts.
Why are the solar panels being installed on two different strings?
-The solar panels are being installed on two different strings due to their different orientations and to avoid overlapping, resulting from the East-West split of the roof.
What are the three recommended inverters mentioned in the script?
-The script does not specify the exact names of the three inverters, but it discusses their features and capabilities, such as smoother app experience, data availability, and technical capabilities.
What is the difference between the app experiences of Give Energy and SunSync?
-Give Energy is described as having a smoother, more minimal, and modern app experience, while SunSync's app provides more data and is considered technically more capable but possibly less polished.
Why are 5 kilowatt inverters being compared despite the system's 9.46 kilowatt peak?
-The 5 kilowatt inverters are being compared because they are likely more than adequate for the system, considering the panels are on different strings and orientations, which may result in not fully utilizing the peak capacity.
What is the advantage of SunSync's lower startup voltage?
-SunSync's lower startup voltage allows it to come on earlier in the day and possibly keep running later into the evening, which could potentially increase energy generation.
How does the Sunsyn's current per string compare to the limitations it presents?
-The Sunsyn's current per string is lower, which could limit the number of panels that can be installed on one of the roof faces without reaching the limit.
What is the significant difference when considering adding batteries later on?
-The charge rate on the Sunsyn is almost twice that of the Give Energy, with a difference between 65 amps and 120 amps, which is considerable, especially for adding substantial battery capacity.
What is the main advantage of the 8.8 kilowatt hybrid inverter mentioned in the script?
-The 8.8 kilowatt hybrid inverter has a higher startup voltage, can handle more solar input with up to 22 amps per string, and has a significantly higher voltage charge rate of 190 amps, providing more headroom for future expansion.
What concerns does the user have regarding the choice of inverter and future-proofing?
-The user is concerned about choosing an inverter that will meet their needs for potentially 10-15 years, avoid software glitches, and provide enough capacity for future energy demands and potential battery expansion.
Outlines
π Solar Panel System Inverter Selection
The speaker is seeking advice on choosing between two solar inverters for their solar panel system. They have narrowed down their options to 22 panels with a peak of 9.46 kilowatts. The panels will be on two different strings and orientations due to an East-West split on the roof. The three inverters under consideration are recommended by their installer. Give Energy is noted for its smoother, more modern app experience, while SunSync is praised for its comprehensive data. The comparison focuses on 5 kilowatt inverters, with the SunSync having a lower startup voltage for earlier operation. The speaker also discusses the limitations on the number of panels due to the inverter's current per string capacity, and the potential for adding batteries in the future, where SunSync's charge rate is significantly higher than Give Energy's. The backup power capabilities and fully integrated touchscreen of the SunSync inverters are also mentioned. The price difference between the two brands is negligible, but the 8.8 kilowatt inverter is also considered for its higher capacity and charge rate, despite being more expensive and larger in size.
π€ Future-Proofing and Inverter Decisions
In this paragraph, the speaker contemplates the benefits of future-proofing their solar system by potentially oversizing the inverter, drawing parallels to their experience with car and home audio equipment where headroom can lead to better longevity. They discuss the advice found in guides that recommend using the smallest inverter possible to maximize solar array use, even if it means some clipping at peak times. However, these guides often do not consider the charge and discharge rates relevant for battery systems. The speaker expresses concern about the need to swap out inverters due to dissatisfaction with charge and discharge rates, a situation they wish to avoid. They mention the experiences of others who have had to install a second inverter to run in parallel due to software glitches. The speaker is leaning towards a decision that will be correct the first time, considering the long-term use of the system, potential expansion, and increasing energy demands, especially with a growing family.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Solar Panels
π‘Inverters
π‘Peak Wattage
π‘Orientation
π‘App Experience
π‘Startup Voltage
π‘String
π‘Battery Integration
π‘Off-Grid Capability
π‘Backup Power
π‘Headroom
Highlights
The user needs advice on choosing between three inverters for their solar panel system.
The solar panel system has been reduced to 22 panels with a peak of 9.46 kilowatts.
Panels will be on two different strings and orientations without overlapping due to an East-West split.
Give Energy and SunSync are the two main inverter brands being considered.
Give Energy has a smoother app experience, while SunSync offers more data.
SunSync has a lower startup voltage, allowing it to operate earlier and later in the day.
The user is comparing 5 kilowatt inverters, which are more than adequate for their needs.
SunSync's 5 kilowatt inverter has a lower current limit per string, which could be restrictive.
SunSync's charge rate for batteries is almost twice that of Give Energy, at 120 amps compared to 65 amps.
The user is considering the future addition of batteries and the impact on the inverter choice.
SunSync is marketed for off-grid capabilities and can support more current and output power.
SunSync inverters come with a fully integrated touchscreen.
The price difference between Give Energy and SunSync 5 kilowatt inverters is negligible.
The 8.8 kilowatt hybrid inverter is recommended for its higher startup voltage and capacity.
The 8.8 kilowatt inverter offers significant headroom with a 190-amp charge rate.
The user is concerned about the longevity of the inverter and the benefits of oversizing.
Some guides recommend going for the smallest inverter to maximize solar array use, even with some clipping.
The user is aware of people having to swap out Give Energy inverters due to dissatisfaction with charge and discharge rates.
The user wants to avoid software glitches and bugs that have been reported with some inverters.
The user is seeking advice to make the right choice for a long-term solar panel system.
Transcripts
okay this one should be a quick little
one today I just need a little bit of
advice a little bit of help we've
whittled down now to 22 panels that we
can squeeze on the roof and we're
looking at a peak of 9.46
kilow and once we uh add all the panels
up they're on two different orientations
so they're going to be on two different
strings and uh won't be overlapping
because of the kind of uh East West
split these are the three inverters that
keep being recommended and are supported
by our installer now from what I
understand give energy seems to have a
little bit of a smoother app experience
maybe a little bit more minimal and a
little bit more modern whereas the Suns
experience seems to have all the data
and more that you could want but maybe
not quite as polished and as modern
looking but I don't know if this is a
bit of a case of an Apple versus Android
sort of mentality that maybe the sunsync
is technically more capable but the
apple or in this case the uh give energy
is actually the smoother experience and
the overall package so um we're
comparing the 5 kilowatt um inverters
because although we're looking at 9.46
kilowatt Peak with them being on
different strings and different
orientations um it's probably more than
adequate um you can see that the sunsync
has a slightly lower startup voltage so
it will come on earlier in the day and
probably keep running till earlier in
the evening I don't know how much of a
difference that's actually going to make
so if you've got any uh experience in
that area then be sure to let me know um
this is the imper current per string so
you can see that we would be a little
bit limited on the sunsync 5 kilowatt
especially on one of the uh one of the
faces of the roof where we're going to
have quite a few panels that that could
potentially be pushing us right to the
Limit um here you can see the out the
output it's near as anything the same
the big difference comes when we start
looking at adding batteries later on
down the line if we don't get it done at
the same time with the inverter the
charge rate on the Suns syn is almost
twice that of the give energy so
difference between 65 amps and 120 amps
that is
considerable um especially if we want to
be adding some substantial battery
capacity to deal with our heat pump in
the winter but uh anyway then there's
some the backup power like EPs and um
I'm not exactly sure on the off-grid
completely off-grid capability they give
energy the Suns syns seem to be uh quite
regularly marketed in that in that area
as being fully off grid but um it can
certainly support more uh more current
and output more power uh if that was
needed um on the actual unit the Suns
syns have a a fully integrated
touchcreen probably not much of an issue
for me because it seems like everything
can be accessed on my computer through
the portal but also through an app on
your smartphone all have Wi-Fi the price
difference is pretty much nothing
between it give energy and Sun 5 kilow
but really really you can see obviously
I've added here the 8.8 everyone seems
to recommend this um because it has the
same startup voltage as some a lot of
the smaller inverters but uh it can go
up to 22 amps per string so you can take
a lot more uh solar input and
potentially further down the line if we
wanted to expand one of the strings we'd
have the head room there and the
capacity to do so um but it also has
massive um massive jumps up in the
amount of output that it can deal with
and also the voltage charge rate then
comes in at 190 amps now there's not
even that many batteries that could uh
take that kind of charge rate and that
discharge rate so um you'd have to uh
have to strategically get the correct
battery setup if you wanted to really
trying maximize and make the most of
this hybrid this uh 8.8 KW hybrid
inverter it seems to have a lot of
Headroom 36.4 amp as you may be able to
tell there I didn't put the dimensions
did I it is a little bit of a bigger
unit and it is quite substantially more
money so is it worth
it h i don't know there's quite a few
people out there that seem to think this
is the one to go for this is the Big
Daddy of the moment that seems to have
technically all the bells and whistles
that you could want or could need um but
probably more than we would ever
actually use um but is it good for
future proofing and does it also mean I
know in some other areas of electronic
equipment and um especially speaking
from uh an experience with car audio
home audio when you have a lot of head
room and you're not pushing amplifiers
to the absolute maximum they do have
better longevity and so there is quite a
tendency to oversize things and not
really uh Flex the muscles of it I
presume there's going to be a similar
train of thought um looking through some
of the uh kind of guides and you know
the get into grips with things they seem
to recommend commend going for the
smallest inverter you possibly can to
maximize the use of your solar array
even if there's some clipping at the
peaks of the day but not many of those
guides to inverters take into account
the charge and discharge rate when you
start speaking about batteries and
looking at that further down the line so
um I can see there's a lot of people
already who have installed give energy
inverters and then have had to swap them
out because they've been so dissatisfied
by the charge and discharge rate and I
don't want to get trapped in that and
I've kind of in my mind I've already
kind of excluded the give energy a
little bit even though there are still a
lot of people who Rave about it but uh
quite a few people are talking about
having to then have a second inverter
installed try and run them in parallel
apparently there can be some glitches
and some bugs with the software and
that's not working as smoothly as it
possibly can I'd really like to avoid
any of that so I want to get it right
first time and if this is something
that's going to be in for who knows 10
15 years and potentially we will expand
as we go and of course our energy
demands are only ever going to increase
uh going forward especially with growing
kids in the house becoming teenagers and
I'm sure you people out there with
teenagers will be able to tell me all
about that anyway I'm completely
complely waffling on this was meant to
be a really short one so I'm just going
to end it there any advice you've got
for me any regrets you've made I have
looked at loads of other brands of
inverters as well but these are the ones
that are both supported by my installer
and come really highly recommended so I
don't really want to get deviating into
any other brands now but leave your
comments I read them all I try and reply
to every single one and uh I'm learning
a lot from all of you experts that
sharing your wisdom with me so thanks
and I'll see you
again
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