For almost 30 years, the inutec solarcenter has been supporting its customers in word and deed, independent of manufacturers, with photovoltaic systems and the necessary accessories. Via our online chat tool (to be found at www.inutec-int.com), the customer has a direct line to our technical advice and thus also to the manufacturers.
SMA finally presents solution for small PV systems
At the trade fair, one of the goals was of course to look at the latest developments from the manufacturers and discover innovations.
The manufacturer SMA from Kassel has finally presented a series of single-phase hybrid inverters, the Sunny Boy Smart Energy (SE) series.
The Sunny Boys from SMA are basically 1-phase inverters - thus approved in Germany with up to 4.6 kVA maximum power and very popular. The Sunny Boy Hybrid inverters are suitable for PV systems that are operated with a maximum of 6 kilowatt peak solar module output.
The newly introduced hybrid inverters are therefore now equipped with a storage charging and discharging function. This means you can continue to run independently and create your own grid even if the public grid fails. They switch off the grid connection in a few milliseconds with an internal, double-redundant switch.
Good news: The hybrid "Sunny Boys" are expected to be available from September 2023.
SMA launches its own high-voltage batteries on the market
To match this, SMA is launching its own series of compatible high-voltage batteries. In addition, the devices will continue to be able to be used with the BYD HVM (M stands for medium) and HVS (S stands for small) batteries.
For larger systems, there will be the Sunny Tripower SE (Smart Energy) Hybrid, which, as three-phase inverters, can process up to 11 approx. kilowatts peak solar module output, depending on the roof orientation.
This makes SMA, along with Siemens subsidiary Kaco, the second German company to offer hybrid 1-phase and 3-phase inverters that can produce backup power without restarting and without an external switching unit.
What do the other manufacturers offer?
This technology has been available from the large Chinese manufacturers such as GoodWe, SofarSolar, Solis or Sungrow for about a year.
The devices of many German and European companies, such as Fronius or Kostal, still have to shut down and restart in the event of a public grid failure at the current status. Kostal does not currently offer an emergency or backup power function. The function of being able to create one's own grid is to be available at Kostal from 2024.
The Fronius devices, on the other hand, have a limited emergency power output. For backup power operation, however, they require a rather cost-intensive, external switchover box from the company Enwitec.
Here, the Chinese manufacturers have a clear technological advantage. Above all, they have meanwhile built up such a high production capacity that we can deliver almost all of the above-mentioned devices immediately available from stock - including the compatible storage.
Delivery times for German and European manufacturers are several months.
Available from stock at inutec: GoodWe, Sofar Solar, Solis and Sungrow
All the above mentioned devices are available from stock. For example the hybrid inverter of the Chinese company GoodWe.
GoodWe devices come with everything that guarantees smooth and reliable operation:
- Uninterruptible backup power, without external boxes or switches.
- Compatible with the very popular, low-priced and available Pylontech batteries
- Already included in the package: obligatory 3-phase smart meter, WLAN, largely German-language data sheets and operating instructions.
This means they offer more than the longer-established manufacturer Growatt, which ensures that its devices are only compatible with its own memory; there are no German-language documents there either.
Outlook for the future
It has to be said that Germany/Europe has already fallen behind. Whether the conditions for "catching up" are in place, we can only hope sceptically.
With high production capacities and other competitive advantages, the Chinese are responding to the everyday needs of customers and are moving into the fast lane.
There are rays of hope among solar module manufacturers - some German and also European manufacturers have held their ground and developed.
With us, for 25 years in the programme, "Heckert Solar" and also Q-Cells solar modules. Q-Cells, formerly the largest solar factory, is still active in Brandenburg with 200 engineers and has, for example, invented the half-cell technology that is used everywhere.
What awaits you in the next article
In it, we take a look at the questions we are often asked in the free technical consultation (at www.inutec-int.com). For example:
What are the advantages and disadvantages of low-voltage and high-voltage storage systems?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of 1-phase and 3-phase inverters?
We hope you enjoyed this post? Share it with people around you who might be interested. We'll be reading you again soon.
