I'm almost ready to take the leap and invest in a hybrid solar power solution. I'm just undecided about which inverter to go with.

I'm undecided between the 8kW Sunsynk and the 5kW Alpha-ESS Smile5. What I like about the Smile5 system is that it comes in a very nice combined solution that stacks on top of its batteries and it is IP65 rated so can also be placed outside (our garage space is a bit limited).

The Sunsynk will most likely be paired with a couple of Sunsynk US3000 3.kWh batteries. How would these compare with Alpha's 5.7kWh battery?

Our daily consumption is around 18-20kWh and we have a solar geyser and gas stove. So 5kW input should be fine for the backup circuits but I'm just wondering whether I'll regret not going for the 8kW inverter a couple of years down the line of I'm in a position to add extra panels/batteries.

Both products are fairly similar in price, further fueling my indecision 😅

On 2020/03/08 at 1:15 AM, Soltaro said:

Alpha is actually a Goodwe inverter so its just a sales gimmick. 

Alpha - 6950Watts pv x 2 but only 5KW?

GoodWe is proven, reliable and does have SA support, albeit a bit slow. 

Why NOT take the SMILE,any other good reason? 

On 2020/03/08 at 12:15 AM, Soltaro said:

Alpha is actually a Goodwe inverter so its just a sales gimmick. 

Guess it is could be the same as this one, just a different face lift?

https://en.goodwe.com/energy-storage-inverters/esa-series-282.asp

 

On 2020/02/20 at 12:31 PM, Vleisie said:

I'm almost ready to take the leap and invest in a hybrid solar power solution. I'm just undecided about which inverter to go with.

I'm undecided between the 8kW Sunsynk and the 5kW Alpha-ESS Smile5. What I like about the Smile5 system is that it comes in a very nice combined solution that stacks on top of its batteries and it is IP65 rated so can also be placed outside (our garage space is a bit limited).

The Sunsynk will most likely be paired with a couple of Sunsynk US3000 3.kWh batteries. How would these compare with Alpha's 5.7kWh battery?

Our daily consumption is around 18-20kWh and we have a solar geyser and gas stove. So 5kW input should be fine for the backup circuits but I'm just wondering whether I'll regret not going for the 8kW inverter a couple of years down the line of I'm in a position to add extra panels/batteries.

Both products are fairly similar in price, further fueling my indecision 😅

Hi. Go for the Sunsynk 8kw inverter. You won’t be sorry. You can add up to 10.4kw of panels. Always a good idea to overspec if you can afford it. 

16 minutes ago, Leshen said:

Hi. Go for the Sunsynk 8kw inverter. You won’t be sorry. You can add up to 10.4kw of panels. Always a good idea to overspec if you can afford it. 

Agreed that overspec on panels is a good idea, especially for overcast spells. As long as the panels do not exceed the maximum voltage of the MPPT controller under extreme conditions (maximum sun, minimum temperature) all is good. I have well over 6 kWP feeding my 5.5k Sunsynk. The 8k Sunsynk's MPPT controllers are even stronger. 

Edited December 24, 20204 yr by YellowTapemeasure

I would definitely buy an 8kW over a 5kW if they cost the same - no question about it.  Running a pool pump & washing machine simultaneously during the day means you may have to turn one of them off if you want to boil a kettle...