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Hi everyone a quick update I had a nice long chat with one of the engineers at Hubble Energy Cloudlink division. He is going to send me all the required diagrams to parallel the Cloudlink devices between the different battery combinations for my AM-16+/AM-5+parallel tests and also for the AM16+/ AM-2 and AM-5+/AM2 Parallel configurations. On top of that I will be fully integrating the Solis S6 models with the cloudlink via RS485 daisy chain cable to draw data from the inverters in real time or almost real time every second this will data will reflect on the Cloudlink Portal. This will give me more in depth real time data to share with you and info on how each battery balances charges and discharges including all the inverter data. The nice thing about guys that own Hubble's is that if you have the Cloudlink in place you have more realtime remote info and Hubble Energy can do in-depth remote diagnostic on each of your battery packs you simply need to move the cloudlink to the battery you want then to diagnose and batteries in parallel can also be diagnosed to a certain extent as an example they can Identify if a pack has issues or is underperforming which helps a lot if you have a pack that is faulty and need to be repaired under warranty. Especially the older models that have done some cycles already besides that you can see each packs cycles and all of the info has historical time-lines so you can see when there were heavy loads running off the batteries. In my case its was quite nice to see with my micro grid setup how well it worked. In this picture you can see the battery pack of my 8KW Grid Forming inverter not using any power from the batteries basically keeping the pack at 16% while my Grid connected 6KW that sees the 8KW as grid is supporting the loads from the AM-16+ until the sun came up to charge the batteries on the 8KW unit. And here you can see how the AM-16+ on the 6KW inverter was discharging while the wind turbine was injecting energy into the battery and loads the last bit of the graph the wind turbine was just charging the battery without carrying any loads and later the AM-16+ started servicing loads I set the Battery Reserve to 50% so I hope by tomorrow morning the AM-16+ would have charged more with the wind power. Some other nice info you can see is state of health battery, serial number, battery firmware versions, battery temperatures with a historical graph etc. Battery Location the cloudlink has a built in GPS it also supports energy meters for single and 3 phase and some other features that will talk about at a later stage. All useful info to give you a better picture of how your system is performing. Here you can see how much charge and discharge your battery actually got in watt. The first one is PV and the Second one Wind.

Hello Everyone First Impressions are that this is a quality product with very well thought out features to make it easy to install maintain and repair if need be. So I managed to get the very heavy AM16+ unboxed and upright safely had to get extra hands to help Hubble energy recommends 2 people in reality 3 people are needed the battery is very heavy and you do not want to drop something expensive like this. Once it was on its wheels it became very easy to move around and the wheels are of high quality and has leveling retainers that you use to level the battery when its in the place you need it very nifty in my opinion. Here is a photo of the AM16+ still in its wooden box you can see the wheels and adjusters clearly and also note the packaging is decent to keep the battery safe in transport. Here is a picture of the AM16+ Unpacked with all its cables on top of the battery note that there are no hard manuals with the battery everything is available online there are 2 data cables one is BMS the red one and the other is a parallel cable white with 2 x 35MM black and red battery cables. There is also a small L bracket that will allow you to secure the battery to a wall so it cannot fall over or move and a Hubble Energy sticker as part of the accessories. There are silicone cable access glands where the battery cables and comms cables need to go in and the top cover is held in place by magnets with a magnetic click release all of the crucial components are accessible from the top of the battery including the cloudlink with its antenna and the BMS. If the BMS needs to be removed for repair or if the clouldink needs to be removed or replaced the main pack does not require to be opened up. Here is a picture of the top with the cover plate removed where you can see all the ports for the BMS and cloudlink with the built in DC Isolator, reset, power button, binary jumpers, RJ11 terminator, CAN terminator and cloudlink buttons clearly visible and accessible the battery terminals are very robust and there is an earthing point for you to attach your earth cable too. There is a (Allow Charge/Discharge Dry Contacts) Port a MON port and a expansion port will find out from Hubble Energy what these would be used for out of interest sake. Also to note the decent Antenna for the Cloudlink wifi comms. There is a gap in the lid cover for the antenna to protrude. Note the Red BMS cable they provide and the white battery parallel cable also provided. You can run you DC cables through side glands or through the back glands. I assume the provided 35mm Battery cable purpose is solely for parallel configuration. The battery terminals for the AM16+ are M10 not M8. The Battery is currently connected to my Solis S6 6 KW Pro Version with full BMS communication via the cloudlink and it is currently being charged with wind power only. Some nice things about the Cloulink is that I can see in close to real time what is happening to the battery so there I can see the Turbine via the S6 6KW MPPT is pumping in around 793W per hour not bad for a 5 to 6 meter per second wind. The battery was at 39% SOC when I received it now at 52% SOC and charging smoothly. Note this is a micro grid setup so the 6KW is not carrying any load at the moment it is just charging the battery. The Data on the inverter does not give such a nice accurate curve because its broken up in 5 Minute segments and the Cloudlink samples every second almost real time. Before I can get any serious testing done I need to charge both batteries to 100% SOC My main bank ran down to 16% SOC thanks to a very cold and cloudy weekend so that also needs to get to 100% SOC Just a reminder I am 100% Off Grid so no utility power to boost batteries quickly. I have a generator and will use that during the week to boost the batteries if PV and Wind is not sufficient however I want to avoid burning petrol. I also have a lot of cables to make up for the different tests I plan to run etc. I will post some info on the AM5 Later however this is also at 39% SOC and needs to be charged to 100% will get to that later this week.

There is the Extender battery available however it's a US3000 and will work with your older packs... soon you will be able to trade your old packs in for the Pylontech Fidus 16 KWH unit may be worth waiting for Pylontech will soon have their Own thread under brands where this service will be available through our store and local Pylontech service partner.

Hello everyone So I have unboxed the Hubble AM5+ Looks very nice comes with the cloudlink and BMS Cables and a set of parallel battery cables. I will be running it in parallel with my old AM2 batteries so this will be a great test to see how well it works with older model batteries and with different chemistry. The Cloudlink is they key to make everything work together. Have not unboxed the AM16+ reason is the battery is seriously heavy almost 160KG so I have had to arrange extra hands for Friday to safely remove the battery from its wooden crate its too heavy for just two people to handle safely without risking damage to the battery or injury. I am very glad it has wheels because moving it around otherwise would be a challenge. I will share photos later of the AM5+ and how its configured with the AM2 Units still in process of setting everything up making up battery cable etc.

This Special is over Sadly !

Hello we are in communications with Pylontech international and they are in process of setting up a local support hub similar to other manufacturers like Solis Hubble etc.

PowerForum members, we’ve secured an insane price on the full Hinen Compact Back-up System (TDB) package. What You Get in This Combo: Hinen PS3000 3000W Portable Power Station with built-in 2.56kWh LiFePO4 battery One extra 2.5kWh LiFePO4 battery pack (total capacity ≈ 5.06kWh) Hinen SmartBox (automatic transfer switch / combiner box) Key Features: Ultra-fast 14ms EPS switchover your essential circuits stay on seamlessly during outages SmartBox continuously monitors the grid and automatically switches to battery backup Expandable up to 6 extra 2.5kWh batteries (total 17.5kWh) Solar ready fully charge the system with 2×400W panels in ~3.5 hours Pure sine wave output, app monitoring (WiFi/Bluetooth), quiet operation, portable with wheels Perfect For: Home backup (fridges, lights, routers, TVs, security, medical equipment) Camping & outdoor adventures Quick recharge for e-bikes Emergency top-up power for EVs Small offices or load-shedding survival Why this is a no-brainer: Similar configured systems (Power Station + extra battery + SmartBox) are currently selling between R25,000 – R35,000+ Full package with ≈5kWh total capacity at this crazy low price Much simpler & cheaper than a full home ESS installation Safe LiFePO4 chemistry 4000+ cycles, long lifespan Our Special Price: R16,999.99 VAT Included (While stocks last this price won’t last long!) Hinen South Africa3000W Portable Power StationIt's a high-power portable station. It supports outdoor camping, outdoor office, home emergency,entertainment, fish tank, aerial photography and other application scenarios.To order: Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) WhatsApp Wimpie (Sales Manager) → 067 189 7084 Official online store: www.powerforum.co.za Ask Wimpie for Prices on 460 Watt Ja Solar panels that will work perfectly with this unit Nationwide delivery available. Installation support & electrician referrals on request. First come, first served. Get your reliable backup power sorted today! TDB individual product specs (2).pdf Hinen PS3000 datasheet.pdf

Hello All so just an update more than 6 Months later my turbine is still working fine needs to be serviced however will get to it sooner or later Great wind the past couple days this is only pure wind power production the data interval on the inverter makes the production look erratic however its pretty constant even though the wind is quite gusty. Also got the turbine logger working will share some data from that at a later stage. As you can see on this graph the wind power kept the battery almost at the same SOC throughout the night only dipping off a little at 5:45AM had to run some heavy loads last night to get the SOC to go down so ran the aircon in heating mode had the geyser running etc. Wind is still pumping however not enough load and the battery is 100% full so the turbine is currently just dumping power to its dumpload.

Hello What is the model number of the unit you have I can ask the members on the Luxpower support group where you can get the complete boards for repair.

Excellent the figures are looking far more realistic well done.

Hi there,I see you're having communication issues with your Dyness B4850 setup these are very common, especially when mixing batteries of different ages or batches. One strong possibility is a firmware mismatch between the batteries (or between the batteries and your inverter). The B4850 modules have BMS firmware that needs to be compatible across the whole bank. When you add older or used units to newer ones, the versions often don't line up, causing comms faults as soon as the full system tries to talk together. Quick checks first (do these before jumping to firmware) Double-check DIP switch addresses every battery must have a unique ID. Master usually on a specific setting, slaves different. Confirm you're using the correct CAN cable and pinout for your inverter brand. Set the inverter to the proper Dyness (or closest compatible) battery type. Power cycle: Batteries first (master then slaves), wait, then inverter. If those are all good and the fault only appears when the full bank is connected, firmware is the likely culprit. Firmware Update RouteDyness doesn't make the files publicly easy to find, and direct support can be slow. Many users in similar situations have successfully updated by: Contacting their battery supplier/installer for the matching firmware files. Using Dyness-specific monitoring software + a proper CAN/RS232 adapter cable to flash the BMS. In cases where batteries came from different batches, bringing everything to the same firmware version has resolved comms errors. If you can share: Your inverter model + exact error code How many B4850 units and whether they’re all the same age/batch DIP switch photos or settings ...we can narrow it down further.In the meantime, try running just the “problem” batteries as a small separate bank to confirm they work on their own. That helps isolate whether it’s truly a version mismatch.

Hello Everyone Just received the Hubble AM16+ and the AM5+ will unbox them this weekend share pics of what's in the boxes. I can however say both batteries are really Heavy already a good sign the AM5+ is almost 60KG and the AM16+ cardboard box almost 160KG wooden crate packaging included... all came on a pallet. I will need extra hands to move that beast into place the good news is that it has wheels. Exciting stuff will get some feedback from the Hubble engineer on how to make 3 Cloudlinks talk to each other considering the batteries have their own built in units. Also get the new batteries to talk to the old AM2 Units... Then I will start playing around with the batteries and get some meaningful testing done may even be able to share live viewing access to the two cloudlinks with links here on the forum. Will keep you posted this weekend is unboxing and installing.

Disclaimer: This post is purely for educational Informative purposes and represents an honest, transparent comparison between mainstream brands available in the South African market. It is not financial advice, and I am not affiliated with any brand or supplier. All facts are based on manufacturer data, real SA user feedback, and conservative estimates. No hidden facts everything is presented openly. There is also no intention to offend anyone personally or any brand name I am simply showing know facts. If I missed anything please add it in to the tread discussion. The aim is to have an open and honest discussion about the different products. The method I used was using an AI tool to emulate real world conditions to compare apples to apples without any sales and marketing talk involved looking at the real performance, good and bad aspects of each inverter. Reason for this exercise: To show what technically identical systems deliver in real-world performance, total cost, ROI, and long-term value in a hot Northern Cape environment (Pofadder). All systems use: 34 × Longi BC 645W bifacial panels (BloombergNEF Tier 1 – chosen for excellent temperature coefficient and bifacial gain on silver roof). 60 kWh Hubble AM16+ stack (well-known brand with solid reputation and full open compatibility). Same 50 kWh/day AI-optimised household load (aircons, 2 kW geyser, borehole pumps, appliances, etc.). Important note on pricing: All prices are very conservative market estimates based on current retail and typical installer quotes in South Africa. Installation costs reflect real-world complexity (earth-neutral bonding, labour, etc.). I have deliberately kept estimates on the higher side for honesty and transparency. Conversion Efficiency Discussion (Very Important in SA) With 2 strings of 6 panels (~267V nominal Vmp / 14.5 A), we have relatively high string voltage. This is more efficient on the same 6 mm² cable (lower current = lower I²R losses) than low-voltage strings. Most hybrids (Solis, GoodWe, Growatt, Luxpower, Deye/Sunsynk, Sigenergy): Can convert high-voltage PV DC directly to 230 V AC once the battery is full. This is the most efficient path (single conversion). Victron MultiPlus-II: PV always goes through external MPPTs → 48/51.2 V battery → then inverted to 230 V AC (double conversion). This adds ~3–7% extra losses, especially noticeable in high production. Higher string voltage helps all inverters at startup and low light, but Victron’s higher startup threshold (~120 V) means it starts producing later in the morning and stops earlier in the evening compared to Solis (90 V) or GoodWe (~58 V). Comparison Table (Full Technical Breakdown) Rank Inverter / System BNEF Tier Claimed Max / Euro Eff. Emulated Real-World Eff. (Pofadder Heat) PV Startup Voltage MPPT Max Current AFCI (SA) Blending Power Sources AC Coupling Support Generator Integration (Off-Grid Mode) Max Overload & Duration Changeover Time Grid Forming (Real Grid Emulation) Remote User + Tech Support (Free) SA Warranty Terms (2026) Total System Cost 10-Year Net Value 10-Year ROI 20-Year Net Value Key Notes 1 Solis S6 8kW Pro/Plus Tier 1 96.2% / 94.7% ~93–94% 90 V 32 A Yes Excellent Full (Backup + Aux/Gen) Excellent (Grid-side + dedicated Gen port) 200% (16 kW) for 10s <4 ms Very Good (emulates real grid jitter/impedance) Full via SolisCloud Standard 10 years (swap-out/replacement) R555k – R559k R1.180M – R1.274M 211–228% R2.200M – R2.358M Built-in earth-neutral bond, advanced weekly profile app + hidden AI PV management. 2 GoodWe 8kW Hybrid Tier 1 97.6% / 96.2% ~92–93.5% 58 V 20–32 A Yes Very Good Full Good 150–200% ~10s ~10–20 ms Good Full via app 5–10 years (often 10yr promo) R556.5k – R565k R1.048M – R1.152M 185–204% R1.990M – R2.130M Strong low-light startup. 3 Growatt 8kW Hybrid Tier 1/2 97.5% / ~96.5% ~91.5–93% ~60–80 V 18–26 A Yes Good Full Good ~150% ~10s ~10–20 ms Good Full via ShinePhone 5–10 years (varies) R551k – R564k R1.055M – R1.155M 187–206% R1.980M – R2.120M Most common true budget brand in SA. 4 Luxpower 8kW Tier 2 ~97.5% / ~96% ~91–92.5% ~80–100 V 20–25 A Yes Good Full Good ~150% ~10s ~10–20 ms Good Full via app 5–10 years R558k – R567k R1.023M – R1.127M 180–199% R1.940M – R2.080M Solid mid-tier. 5 Deye / Sunsynk 8kW Tier 2 97.6% / 97.0% ~90–92% 125–160 V 22–26 A No Very Good Full Excellent 150–200% ~10s ~10–20 ms Good Full via app 10 years but repair-only after 5yrs (customer pays labour/transport) R561k – R577k R990k – R1.098M 172–191% R1.890M – R2.040M Long repair turnaround common. 6 Sigenergy SigenStor 8kW Tier 2 ~98.2% / ~97% ~93–94% 100 V 16 A Yes Excellent Full Good 150–200% ~10s <10 ms Very Good Full via mySigen app 10 years (inverter + controller) R1.067M – R1.175M R780k – R880k 67–82% R1.850M – R2.000M Heavy AI marketing, claims 0 ms transfer (technically impossible – real <10 ms). Installer Only support. 7 Victron MultiPlus-II 8kW (+MPPTs) Tier 2 ~95–96% / ~94% ~88–91% 120 V High (100 A+) Yes (add-on) Legendary (PowerAssist) Excellent Best in class 200%+ seconds <20 ms Very clean / "perfect" grid (can reject sensitive grid-tied inverters) Best free remote via VRM 5 years standard (extendable to 10 for extra cost) R595k – R631.5k R815k – R923k 129–155% R1.620M – R1.770M Premium but highest cost + heat losses. Lower PV startup voltage = more daily energy harvested. Higher MPPT max current = less clipping risk in extreme high-irradiance/hot conditions. AFCI Protection significantly reduces DC arc-fault fire risk. External Energy Meter / CT Support (Zero-Export & Accurate Monitoring) All mainstream inverters in this comparison support external energy meters / CT clamps for accurate zero-export and whole-house monitoring: Solis S6 Pro/Plus: Excellent support + delayed grid connection function. GoodWe, Growatt, Luxpower, Deye/Sunsynk, Sigenergy: All have good external CT/meter support. Victron: Best-in-class (ET112 / ET340 integration via VRM, extremely flexible). Note: Nearly every modern hybrid supports this feature in SA. Solis and Victron are particularly strong in this area, but there is no major brand in this list that completely lacks external meter support. Conversion Paths & Efficiency Reality Most hybrids (Solis, GoodWe, etc.): High-voltage PV DC (~200–400 V) → directly to 230 V AC (single conversion) once battery is full. More efficient. Victron: PV always charges 48/51.2 V battery first, then inverts to 230 V AC (double conversion). Higher losses but better control and surge handling. Higher string voltage reduces cable losses on the same 6 mm² cable. Lower startup voltage inverters (Solis 90 V, GoodWe ~58 V) start producing earlier and longer than higher-threshold units (Victron ~120 V, Deye/Sunsynk ~125–160 V). Special Manufacturer Claims & Small Print Reality Most brands now have some form of AI energy management. Solis: Advanced weekly profile app + hidden AI PV management via API (not heavily advertised). Sigenergy: Heavily markets AI and claims 0 ms transfer (technically impossible real-world is sub-10 ms with detection + switching). Deye/Sunsynk: 10-year warranty often conditional on using their batteries. After 5 years: mostly repair only (customer pays labour/transport). Turnaround can be weeks to months. Replacements are rare. Sungrow Excluded because its a HV system. Firmware Update Reality: Deye, Sunsynk and Luxpower push firmware updates very frequently (sometimes monthly). Other brands (Solis, GoodWe, Growatt, Victron) release updates less often, mainly to add new features or improve compatibility rather than frequent bug fixes. After-Sales Support & Warranty Reality in South Africa Solis: Operates its own dedicated support centre in South Africa. End-users can contact Solis support directly for technical help and warranty claims. However, they prefer that authorised resellers/installers handle client interactions while Solis assists the installers directly. Deye / Sunsynk / Luxpower: Support is primarily installer-driven. There are large private WhatsApp groups for installers (not open to the public). End-users are generally expected to go through their original installer. GoodWe: No known public or installer WhatsApp groups. Warranties and technical support are typically handled by the distributor or authorised reseller rather than direct end-user contact with GoodWe. Victron: Strong technical community via VRM portal, but official support and advanced troubleshooting are mainly handled through authorised installers. There are private installer groups not open to the public. Sigenergy: Almost exclusively installer-managed. The manufacturer does not engage directly with end-users all after-sales, technical support, and warranty claims must go through the original installer. Warranty Carry-In / Direct Replacement Reality in SA Most warranties in South Africa are carry-in (you or your installer must send the faulty unit back at your cost). However, some manufacturers occasionally send advance replacement units directly to the customer or installer to reduce downtime: Solis: Has done direct replacement (swap-out) to clients on several occasions to minimise downtime. Deye / Sunsynk: Mostly repair-only after 5 years. Direct replacements are rare and usually handled via the installer. Turnaround can be weeks to months. Victron: Typically repair-focused through authorised service centres. Advance replacements are possible but not common. GoodWe, Growatt, Luxpower, Sigenergy: Generally repair or replacement at the manufacturer’s discretion, usually routed through the installer/distributor. Direct-to-customer advance replacements are uncommon. This is a very important real-world factor in South Africa, especially in remote areas like the Northern Cape where installer responsiveness can vary significantly. This comparison uses conservative figures to maintain honesty and transparency. Real-world results will depend on installation quality, maintenance, and actual conditions. Would appreciate feedback from members running these inverters in the Northern Cape or similar hot areas, especially regarding warranty issues after-sales support installer support generator integration overheating derating and AC coupling of sensitive grid-tied inverters!

We have sold a few of these units and I must say they are very good the installers love the ease of installation and how well they communicate with the inverters. I do not believe quality is compromised here Legit supplier decent after sales support and a decent warranty.

Just on another note added to @HennieL statement. Your Solar panel calculation degradation what values are you basing that on? Typically solar panel technology is constantly improving So old panels Polly type was sitting around 17 to 19 % the mono pushed up to 20/21% then Bifacial improved to 22/ 23% then BC tech improved to 24% and upwards still increasing. Degradation also improved significantly currently between 87/89% after 30 years before it was 25 years and before that 20 years. With that said age of the panels and the type of panel will factor in here on your calculator. Already proven that Bifacial has huge advantages over Mono Facial panels they run cooler and are more efficient and can perform between 5 to 25 % better than a monofacial panel watt for watt if the surface below the Bi Facial is white or reflective they also perform far better in low light and bad pv angles with significant advantages also nano tech coatings on the new panels prevent soiling etc now adding BC tech this further reduces heat and makes the panels even more efficient. So in essence when creating a new system we always factor degradation of solar panels in initially this would have been 20% larger to compensate for degradation after 20 years however this model has changed significantly because new models now are over 30 years with degradation as low as 12% over 30 years and I believe this will improve further into the future. The same as battery tech and inverter tech. I hope this adds to your awesome calculator.