Thread: Inverter and solar panels - anyone know much about these brands?

My inverter is a Fronius Primo 8.2. Fronius software updates can be buggy and it can take a very long time for the bugs to be fixed.

Fronius is in the throws of releasing a replacement range of single-phase inverters that can be DC-coupled to a battery bank and can be configured to run stand-alone in grid outages. The older versions can't be upgraded to the new versions.

I insisted on being provided with the management and service passwords so that I can modify load management criteria.

Ask here: Green tech - Whirlpool Forums

JA solar are budget end but well supported and reliable. Fronius are top end - note they are fan cooled so can make a bit of noise, I've got an SMA going in which also top end but is quiet.

JA Solar review
JA Solar | Solar Panels Review

Fronius Review
Fronius | Solar Inverters Review

Check this out, its the best resource.

Solar 101: A Beginner's Guide To Solar Power Systems

This thread looks like the most suitable I could find in a quick search to share information about solar systems, to help people considering going solar.
We yesterday had our solar upgraded from 2.9 to 6.8 kW with a 5 kW inverter to replace the previous 3kW.
Does it work? It's too early to tell. All I can say is by 10am today our yield for today was 8.3 kW and we had earned $1.34 from our 16 c/kW hour feed in tariff.
Details of the installation.
The panels are REC Twin Peak 2 tier 1 panels. Each panel is actually 2 halves so if one half is shaded the other half still works. There are also diodes on the columns so if some columns are shaded the other columns still function. The warranty is 25 years with an accredited REC installer.
REC is from Norway but is now owned by the giant Chinese Blue star company. It manufactures in both Norway and Singapore. In 2017 it made 1.34 gigawatts of panels, which was more than the entire panels installed in Australia that year.
The inverter in by Sungrow and has a 10 year warranty.
Total cost, including 3.9kW of new panels, frames to elevate the new row over the ridge cap for less shading, the 5kW inverter and installation was $3277 to Megawatts Solar, run by Gary Phillips of Maleny'.
We did get other quotes which were dearer. Gary installed the original panels and wiring for the previous owner. The house has cathedral ceilings, which made the wiring more difficult than normal. Gary was able to use some of the original wiring, which saved time and money.
How long will it take to recoup the cost? That's a bit hard to calculate because our usage patterns are variable, but maybe three years.
So, what can other people share about their experiences?

REC | Solar Panels Review

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I've got the REC Twin Peak 380w panels also, my ones were made in Singapore. They all test up to 384.9w per panel and with 12270.8w installed as tested. I have seen the inverter putting out as close as you can get to 10kw max, normally peaking somewhere rought around 9kw and outputting between 70-75kwh per day but up to 83.5kw/h. You can calculate that to your system as a gauge of what to expect. Actually you should be a bit better than that because of your location, but production is better on a cooler clear day. I think these are a pretty good panel, and the actual production compared to tested production is exceptionally good from what I can see. I totally agree with over panelling the inverter. For me I think payback will be about 3.5 years and Origin are estimating my next bill will be a $655 credit despite giving the AC a flogging this summer. Great choice with the panels.

Sounds good.
I'm still figuring out what the displays mean.
We have 2 strings, one each for the original and new panels.
Currently the real time power is 3.9kW, so far today our yield is 15.8 kW and the return is $2.57, so I think that's good.

If we were doing it again, when our old hot water heater died last year, I wouldn't have put in solar hot water.
Instead I'd have just put in a normal hot water heater and spent the money saved on more solar panels.
The hot water heater would be set to heat during the middle of the day, when electricity from the sun is free.
Much smarter.
BTW now up to 21kW and $3.45.

Had 6kw system installed yesterday.

Sunpower invertor, nearly went Fronius but couldn’t justify the extra dollars. Installer said Fronius are top of the pack and Sunpower is right up their.

KuPower300 panels.

I needed a switchboard upgrade

Just waiting on Energex/origin to upgrade the meter so we can switch it on......although had a play today watching the meter spin backwards.