What's on the horizon for the next gen of off-grid inverters?

[mattleonard]

I'm working on a cargo-trailer build right now - mostly to power small music festivals and such. I've got panels, 20kWh of SOK server-rack batteries in rolling racks (hoping to add another two units for 30kWh) - but still debating on inverter choices. I'm looking for around ~6,000w/50a of output, either 120v or split-phase 240v. My current debate is between:

• 6000xp - the pros being that it could be more portable/lighter, lower cost, easy AIO form-factor. The drawbacks being only 240v shore charging (without a Chargeverter), and high minimum MPPT voltage. Presumably less reliable than the Victron.
  
  
• Victron Multiplus 48/5000 units - the obvious factors being reliability, the drawbacks being higher cost, weight, more components (MPPT, cerbo, screen etc), less portable. And I'd need two for split-phase.

I'm curious what folks think we'll see in the next ~year for new inverters in this market segment. Will Victron introduce some all-in-one units to the US market (EasySolar, RS etc)? Will EG4/Luxpower have an v2 that might allow 120v charging? Any other crystal ball readers have some predictions (or knowledge)?

Thanks!

 

[hwy17]

In the AIO space, there will always be more, but I would not hold out hope for 120v charging.

Otherwise I think things will be slow, I expect I will still be focused on the XW and Rosie for the next 5 years, with a peripheral awareness of roughly the same set of heavy Victron products.

 

[Brucey]

I'm working on a cargo-trailer build right now - mostly to power small music festivals and such. I've got panels, 20kWh of SOK server-rack batteries in rolling racks (hoping to add another two units for 30kWh) - but still debating on inverter choices. I'm looking for around ~6,000w/50a of output, either 120v or split-phase 240v. My current debate is between:

• 6000xp - the pros being that it could be more portable/lighter, lower cost, easy AIO form-factor. The drawbacks being only 240v shore charging (without a Chargeverter), and high minimum MPPT voltage. Presumably less reliable than the Victron.
  
  
• Victron Multiplus 48/5000 units - the obvious factors being reliability, the drawbacks being higher cost, weight, more components (MPPT, cerbo, screen etc), less portable. And I'd need two for split-phase.

I'm curious what folks think we'll see in the next ~year for new inverters in this market segment. Will Victron introduce some all-in-one units to the US market (EasySolar, RS etc)? Will EG4/Luxpower have an v2 that might allow 120v charging? Any other crystal ball readers have some predictions (or knowledge)?

Thanks!

Could consider a midnite Rosie 7kW as well, built in the US and great surge performance and split phase from a single unit

 

[mattleonard]

Could consider a midnite Rosie 7kW as well, built in the US and great surge performance and split phase from a single unit

Yeah - those look like great units - just very pricey.

 

[Brucey]

Yeah - those look like great units - just very pricey.

Well it's $3300 for a single Rosie, and two Quattro 5ks are around $4500. So if a single Rosie can get the job done there's some savings there.

 

[Brucey]

My apologies I see you were looking at multiple 2 5kVAs. So around $1700*2, $3400 so same price range as a single Rosie. However it may be better to go with two inverters for a degree of redundancy (you'd still need to program the multiplus 2 for single operation versus parallel/split phase)

 

[littleharbor2]

My apologies I see you were looking at multiple 2 5kVAs. So around $1700*2, $3400 so same price range as a single Rosie. However it may be better to go with two inverters for a degree of redundancy (you'd still need to program the multiplus 2 for single operation versus parallel/split phase)

With equipment as robust as Midnite, redundancy is something you may never need. I have a 25 year old Trace SW inverter running my home with a backup SW on the shelf. I also have a back up Midnite Classic on the shelf which I may never need as well. Of course these were all engineered and built by the same guys.