Offthewall
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2022
- Messages
- 50
So which is better??? Well I am doing a side by side to see…
Build quality - both are well built but the Schneider is a little better IMO. I have not torn into a Growatt yet but the first capacitor I can see is a Rubicon (high quality) which is nice to see. All too often I see cheap crap capacitors that cost a few cents less being used and result in a short life.
Performance - both seem to be very close under full sun conditions… where the Schneider clearly wins out is in cloudy/low light conditions. I have observed the Schneider put out 95-100+ watts to the battery on cloudy days while the Growatt just sits there idle ( both hooked to 2.64kw of panels each)
Noise - Schneider is the silent winner here. The Growatt puts out a high frequency noise all the time your solar input has a higher voltage than the battery bank. It also is fan cooled vs the air cooled Schneider.
Cost- Growatt is less than 1/2 the cost of the Schneider. Part of the reason I wanted to test the Growatt was to see if it was a good enough unit to allow keeping a backup or 2 on hand for backups.
So all that said what are my thoughts?? I think the Growatt is a good alternative to Schneider IF cost is a primary concern.
My system will end up using 5 charge controllers when all is said and done… I would love to use all Schneider equipment but the cost adds up quickly! I originally purchased 5 of the Schneider 60/150’s, 2 originally and 3 when I started upgrading my system. I actually purchased them before I purchased my new panels. Unfortunately I could not use them so I ended up selling 4 of them (all were still new in the box so easy to sell). The “problem” now is what to get… my only option from Schneider is the 80/600 at nearly 5x the cost of the Growatt. Would the Growatt work instead of the super expensive 80/600… yes. How well… we shall see.
Build quality - both are well built but the Schneider is a little better IMO. I have not torn into a Growatt yet but the first capacitor I can see is a Rubicon (high quality) which is nice to see. All too often I see cheap crap capacitors that cost a few cents less being used and result in a short life.
Performance - both seem to be very close under full sun conditions… where the Schneider clearly wins out is in cloudy/low light conditions. I have observed the Schneider put out 95-100+ watts to the battery on cloudy days while the Growatt just sits there idle ( both hooked to 2.64kw of panels each)
Noise - Schneider is the silent winner here. The Growatt puts out a high frequency noise all the time your solar input has a higher voltage than the battery bank. It also is fan cooled vs the air cooled Schneider.
Cost- Growatt is less than 1/2 the cost of the Schneider. Part of the reason I wanted to test the Growatt was to see if it was a good enough unit to allow keeping a backup or 2 on hand for backups.
So all that said what are my thoughts?? I think the Growatt is a good alternative to Schneider IF cost is a primary concern.
My system will end up using 5 charge controllers when all is said and done… I would love to use all Schneider equipment but the cost adds up quickly! I originally purchased 5 of the Schneider 60/150’s, 2 originally and 3 when I started upgrading my system. I actually purchased them before I purchased my new panels. Unfortunately I could not use them so I ended up selling 4 of them (all were still new in the box so easy to sell). The “problem” now is what to get… my only option from Schneider is the 80/600 at nearly 5x the cost of the Growatt. Would the Growatt work instead of the super expensive 80/600… yes. How well… we shall see.
