the rapidly changing inverter landscape

[1201]

about a year ago when I joined, it was the Schneider xw pro that was popular for low frequency, and the growatts and voltronics were popular for high frequency off grid.

Now I hear almost no mention of them. That's how quickly the landscape is changing. Today 6000xp is extremely popular and we are not talking about auto transformers any longer.

18kpv has joined the solark 15k conversation for whole home use, and there are at least 4 or 5 brand new grid interactive inverters coming out this year that did not even exist last year.

this industry changes FAST

 

[timselectric]

Yup
Don't blink.

 

[underdog5004]

The latest and greatest is also the most buggy and most prone to failure. I'm pretty happy with my dual xw+ 5548 system which was just commissioned last month.

 

[1201]

The latest and greatest is also the most buggy and most prone to failure. I'm pretty happy with my dual xw+ 5548 system which was just commissioned last month.

from what I understand, the xw software is pretty buggy and theyve had , what, a decade, to fix it?

 

[hwy17]

If people are wanting their inverter do grid mixing management, which most are, then Schneider Conext is looking pretty old and clunky for that.

But it depends on how much you want the XW to do. I just use mine as an inverter now, and I generally only interact with the power button on the front of it. Inverter on, inverter off.

And I used a 10" chop saw on the end of a 150 ft extension cord the other day. Do the 6000XP's and 18kPV's really handle that sort of load now? Maybe, idk.

I am not feeling myself pulled towards the AIO's. I'm curious about the Rosie though. But as long as my XW is working, idk if I'll have a reason to. And given the XW's track record, it could keep going for a decade.

 

[1201]

If people are wanting their inverter do grid mixing management, which most are, then Schneider Conext is looking pretty old and clunky for that.

But it depends on how much you want the XW to do. I just use mine as an inverter now, and I generally only interact with the power button on the front of it. Inverter on, inverter off.

And I used a 10" chop saw on the end of a 150 ft extension cord the other day. Do the 6000XP's and 18kPV's really handle that sort of load now? Maybe, idk.

I am not feeling myself pulled towards the AIO's. I'm curious about the Rosie though. But as long as my XW is working, idk if I'll have a reason to. And given the XW's track record, it could keep going for a decade.

Yeah the xw platform seems to me like they built a fantastic low frequency inverter and then clobbered together pretty bad grid interactivity.

With the solark and eg4 and all the other new ones coming out it's getting left behind and they don't seem interested in fixing it

 

[kscessnadriver]

If you wait for the latest and greatest, you'll never build a system. There's always going to be new innovations. Pick what you want, build it.

 

[hwy17]

they don't seem interested in fixing it

I mean it's arguably not broken in a lot of ways. And the pro is 6 years, or like what 15-20 years old if you go back to the start of the XW and support still exists.

I'll be interested to see how many of the Chinese inverters will still be supported at all that far out. Aren't people sitting on Voltronics now from only 3 years ago that are already basically abandoned unless you can use them for a trade in program?

 

[1201]

I mean it's arguably not broken in a lot of ways. And the pro is 6 years, or like what 15-20 years old if you go back to the start of the XW and support still exists.

I'll be interested to see how many of the Chinese inverters will still be supported at all that far out. Aren't people sitting on Voltronics now from only 3 years ago that are already basically abandoned unless you can use them for a trade in program?

These are fair points but the chatter has died down a lot from a year ago when I joined

For better or worse it seems people have moved on. Xw pro seems to compete only in the off grid ,low frequency space now

 

[Brucey]

These are fair points but the chatter has died down a lot from a year ago when I joined

For better or worse it seems people have moved on. Xw pro seems to compete only in the off grid ,low frequency space now

What's prob happened is those Schneider owners are just continuing to use those as appliances. They just work. So they don't need to be checking the forums for a new inverter that may or may not be a giant pile of crap and abandoned shortly down the track.

 

[NC_hydro]

What's prob happened is those Schneider owners are just continuing to use those as appliances. They just work. So they don't need to be checking the forums for a new inverter that may or may not be a giant pile of crap and abandoned shortly down the track.

100%, the only reason I didn't go with XW Pro is no coms with Trophy Battery.....but I'm sure it would have worked just fine without coms. Alas....the blue it is.

 

[G00SE]

I too had desire for a schneider or even an Outback ecosystem.
Outside of UL listings, Victron makes all of that far simpler for ME and midnite makes it far more communicable in the process
For the on grid people, I no longer see as much value in purchasing retail some of these nostalgic systems. I think in the second hand market there should be a huge demand but I digress.

It’s exciting to see a plethora of robust options. I see the growatts and lvx type units on my local marketplace all the time now for under a grand.

The landscape is changing SO rapidly that I sometimes kick myself for jumping on the inverter that I did.

It sure is refreshing to see products release without insane shipping delays or woeful quality control

 

[Mattb4]

Interesting enough I have been looking at the WZRELB lineup of split phase HF inverters that are out now. You can fairly will pick your DC battery voltage and get a wide range of outputs. For me, that runs a 24vDC system, it has been hard to find inverters that would provide 240vAC split phase at higher wattage outputs such as 5000 and even 7000w. From what I gather WZRELB are taking two HF inverters and stacking them in their build to achieve the split phase voltages. Much lighter weight than the LF style types.

Almost bought one today through Aliexpress since they have a $120 dollar off special. Just have no idea of if it would be reliable.

 

[Brucey]

Interesting enough I have been looking at the WZRELB lineup of split phase HF inverters that are out now. You can fairly will pick your DC battery voltage and get a wide range of outputs. For me, that runs a 24vDC system, it has been hard to find inverters that would provide 240vAC split phase at higher wattage outputs such as 5000 and even 7000w. From what I gather WZRELB are taking two HF inverters and stacking them in their build to achieve the split phase voltages. Much lighter weight than the LF style types.

Almost bought one today through Aliexpress since they have a $120 dollar off special. Just have no idea of if it would be reliable.

IMO one of the side effects of those internally stacked units is they tend to have crap single leg/120V performance as a result. No big transformer to depend on, if that one half of the inverter can't handle the load you are SOL.

 

[MisterSandals]

I see the growatts and lvx type units on my local marketplace all the time now for under a grand.

After a while, people get tired of "saving money".

 

[Vigo]

IMO one of the side effects of those internally stacked units is they tend to have crap single leg/120V performance as a result. No big transformer to depend on, if that one half of the inverter can't handle the load you are SOL.

That's the main reason i went with 2x Growatt 5ks and an autotransformer back when i built my setup. My transformer is a little undersize so i put cooling fans on it and definitely well exceeded 3kw of 120vac load on numerous occasions. All i would need to do up to 10kw of 120vac loads is a bigger transformer, which is cheaper than 2x new inverters.

 

[NC_hydro]

I still don't understand the aversion to weight with inverters, it's heavy, so get someone to help hang it. How often do you take your inverter on and off the wall, especially if it's not a chinesium inverter?

 

[solarsimon]

I still don't understand the aversion to weight with inverters, it's heavy, so get someone to help hang it. How often do you take your inverter on and off the wall, especially if it's not a chinesium inverter?

I always agreed with that until I have to hang a Victron Quattro 15kVA on the wall in a 5ft high shed with no room for a second person. It took me an hour to recover. I guess I specified wrong shed, not wrong inverter though!

 

[Zwy]

about a year ago when I joined, it was the Schneider xw pro that was popular for low frequency, and the growatts and voltronics were popular for high frequency off grid.

Now I hear almost no mention of them. That's how quickly the landscape is changing. Today 6000xp is extremely popular and we are not talking about auto transformers any longer.

18kpv has joined the solark 15k conversation for whole home use, and there are at least 4 or 5 brand new grid interactive inverters coming out this year that did not even exist last year.

this industry changes FAST

In a few months, there might be some big changes in pricing and features. 10Kw split phase inverters coming into the pipeline that can be stacked. SRNE and Midnite come to mind. Some are already here like the NDX sold by Watts247 that may have the bugs worked out.

If EG4 had a 10Kw off grid inverter like the 6000XP that could be stacked, I might consider it.

 

[NC_hydro]

I always agreed with that until I have to hang a Victron Quattro 15kVA on the wall in a 5ft high shed with no room for a second person. It took me an hour to recover. I guess I specified wrong shed, not wrong inverter though!

Seems a crying shame to subject such a lovely beast to such a cramped space for many reasons.

 

[NCislander]

That's the main reason i went with 2x Growatt 5ks and an autotransformer back when i built my setup. My transformer is a little undersize so i put cooling fans on it and definitely well exceeded 3kw of 120vac load on numerous occasions. All i would need to do up to 10kw of 120vac loads is a bigger transformer, which is cheaper than 2x new inverters.

For me, this setup works very well Off-Grid and its scalable.

 

[wheisenburg]

from what I understand, the xw software is pretty buggy and theyve had , what, a decade, to fix it?

I hear you. Part of the issue is not JUST bogginess, it is understanding how all these different setting affect each other. There may well be a way to make the inverters do what I want them to do, but without documentation that clearly explains the various functionality they support and how the different setting will affect that function, it seems like I am blindly "pushing buttons" in a trial and error like fashion trying to come up with something that actually works.

 

[1201]

In a few months, there might be some big changes in pricing and features. 10Kw split phase inverters coming into the pipeline that can be stacked. SRNE and Midnite come to mind. Some are already here like the NDX sold by Watts247 that may have the bugs worked out.

If EG4 had a 10Kw off grid inverter like the 6000XP that could be stacked, I might consider it.

Why not just stack 6000xps?

 

[G00SE]

Why not just stack 6000xps?

Some of us want to stack 2 and not 4 and 2-6k isn’t enough

 

[billvon]

I would point out that the next evolution in inverters will probably be voltage range. More high voltage inverters (300-500 volts) and more inverters that can work over the sodium ion voltage range (2:1.)