Recommendations for stackable inverters with WIFI

[bryhan67]

Looking for recommendations for stackable inverters. about 5000 to 6000 watts each. 2 maybe 3 units. In the summer I have 5 ac units running on a off grid home. But winter I dont consume much at all. Dont really want a controller built in. Looking for somthing with long warranty.

 

[JCSchwarb]

Looking for recommendations for stackable inverters. about 5000 to 6000 watts each. 2 maybe 3 units. In the summer I have 5 ac units running on a off grid home. But winter I dont consume much at all. Dont really want a controller built in. Looking for somthing with long warranty.

Good luck with long warranty. Most seem to recommend Victron. Definitely stay away from the EG4, MPP, Growatts if you want dependable and long warranty that a company will stand behind.

 

[BentleyJ]

Looking for recommendations for stackable inverters. about 5000 to 6000 watts each. 2 maybe 3 units. In the summer I have 5 ac units running on a off grid home. But winter I dont consume much at all. Dont really want a controller built in. Looking for somthing with long warranty.

With so many Air Conditioning units take a look at Schneider 6848 Pro inverter. Handles high surge loads very well but I would still highly recommend soft starters for all the Condenser units. Also the Schneider has a built in battery charger for use with utility or gen power but no MPPT solar charge controller, those are separate. 5 yr warranty. The Schneider Power Distribution Panel is a nice add on and can support up to 3 inverters. Schneider equipment costs more than the value brands mentioned above but those of us on the forum who have Schneider equipment are generally pleased with their performance and reliability. Some of the added cost is due to the UL1741SA functionality which is not necessary for off grid use but If I was installing a new system today, either on or off grid, to run the whole house it would be Schneider for sure.

 

[400bird]

Plus with Schneider you can monitor all the inverters from one portal on one communication box that will either broadcast a hotspot or join your network. Can be set up for remote data too.

 

[bryhan67]

With so many Air Conditioning units take a look at Schneider 6848 Pro inverter. Handles high surge loads very well but I would still highly recommend soft starters for all the Condenser units. Also the Schneider has a built in battery charger for use with utility or gen power but no MPPT solar charge controller, those are separate. 5 yr warranty. The Schneider Power Distribution Panel is a nice add on and can support up to 3 inverters. Schneider equipment costs more than the value brands mentioned above but those of us on the forum who have Schneider equipment are generally pleased with their performance and reliability. Some of the added cost is due to the UL1741SA functionality which is not necessary for off grid use but If I was installing a new system today, either on or off grid, to run the whole house it would be Schneider for sure.

Yes Schneider is really nice but with options like growwatt and midnite solar I can have spares.

For the Ac I will have all inverter ac. They dont have that big compresor hit. They turn on and slowly ramp up the power. If you keep them on low they will run less power vs 100% on and off like old ACs

 

[bryhan67]

Good luck with long warranty. Most seem to recommend Victron. Definitely stay away from the EG4, MPP, Growatts if you want dependable and long warranty that a company will stand behind.

Growatt 5000 with high voltage input looks nice and can stack them too. 695 each is very cheap. 3 of those and keep one spare on hand I would be set. Strange you scan all the pages and the word "warranty" does not come up. Wonder how good service is? Shipping a unit back to china could get tough.

Midnite solar has a a new DIY but its 1200 and only 1 year warranty. I love other midnite solar items with 5 year warranty. They have great service.

 

[bryhan67]

Plus with Schneider you can monitor all the inverters from one portal on one communication box that will either broadcast a hotspot or join your network. Can be set up for remote data too.

They are for sure better quality but almost $4,000 vs $695 for growatt.

 

[JCSchwarb]

They are for sure better quality but almost $4,000 vs $695 for growatt.

If you go in knowing you will get little to no support and no warranty, then you can make a value decision. But your main requirement over any performance was long warranty.

You will need to think through your installation configuration and how you will handle neutral-ground bonding. You will most likely have to do surgery on these units opening them up and removing the NG bonding screw as they don’t operate properly in parallel with the bond. Each takes about 20 minutes. When these are opened, most warranties are lost. Perhaps you can talk to the vendor about your needs and request a pre-configured inverter or permission to modify. Some vendors don’t recognize this as an issue.

 

[400bird]

Most of the time we hear about off grid builds prioritizing reliability above all else.

With your concern about long warranty, remember that while waiting for warranty replacement/repair, you could be without power.

 

[JCSchwarb]

Most of the time we hear about off grid builds prioritizing reliability above all else.

With your concern about long warranty, remember that while waiting for warranty replacement/repair, you could be without power.

That’s why you may want to buy a spare or two.

 

[BentleyJ]

That’s why you may want to buy a spare or two.

The other problem no one ever talks about is product life cycles. What happens when in a couple of years the model you have is discontinued and the new model is NOT backwards compatible. Not such a big deal when there is only 1 inverter but with a stack of 4 it only takes one failure to render the whole system obsolete. Sure they may send a new inverter to replace the bad one but the other 3 new ones that have to be purchased are on you.
The truth is, the premium models are not necessarily going to have continuing support either so lately I'm questioning my own advice about quality being worth paying for. Not so long ago a Schneider XW+ 6848 could be found on sale for $3,200. Then the Pro model was released and the price went up to $3,500, now its over $4,000 just for one inverter. Add in a PDP, charge controller and wiring/hardware price tag is in the $8,000+ range same as a Sol-Ark 15K.
I've lost count of the number of electronics items on DigiKey that are either out of stock (until 2024!!) or obsolete and N/A. Bottom line: As inflation continues to erode our collective life styles perhaps cheap is the way to go at least for next few years.

 

[bryhan67]

That’s why you may want to buy a spare or two.

Yes thats what I think also. 3 units would handle 15k if I was down on power we could not run as much AC. Thats why I like stackable.

I know my controller and inverter both get hot. Wonder how a all in one like growatt how hot they get.

Growatt says 5 year warranty. Wonder if it it holds up or not.

 

[bryhan67]

The other problem no one ever talks about is product life cycles. What happens when in a couple of years the model you have is discontinued and the new model is NOT backwards compatible. Not such a big deal when there is only 1 inverter but with a stack of 4 it only takes one failure to render the whole system obsolete. Sure they may send a new inverter to replace the bad one but the other 3 new ones that have to be purchased are on you.
The truth is, the premium models are not necessarily going to have continuing support either so lately I'm questioning my own advice about quality being worth paying for. Not so long ago a Schneider XW+ 6848 could be found on sale for $3,200. Then the Pro model was released and the price went up to $3,500, now its over $4,000 just for one inverter. Add in a PDP, charge controller and wiring/hardware price tag is in the $8,000+ range same as a Sol-Ark 15K.
I've lost count of the number of electronics items on DigiKey that are either out of stock (until 2024!!) or obsolete and N/A. Bottom line: As inflation continues to erode our collective life styles perhaps cheap is the way to go at least for next few years.

Yes thats a good point. Thats one thing I have liked about Midnite solar is they have had the same controllers for years. They have the 5 year warranty and you can send it for service and add 2 more years. I had one fail and they replced fast and easy.

 

[JCSchwarb]

The other problem no one ever talks about is product life cycles. What happens when in a couple of years the model you have is discontinued and the new model is NOT backwards compatible. Not such a big deal when there is only 1 inverter but with a stack of 4 it only takes one failure to render the whole system obsolete. Sure they may send a new inverter to replace the bad one but the other 3 new ones that have to be purchased are on you.
The truth is, the premium models are not necessarily going to have continuing support either so lately I'm questioning my own advice about quality being worth paying for. Not so long ago a Schneider XW+ 6848 could be found on sale for $3,200. Then the Pro model was released and the price went up to $3,500, now its over $4,000 just for one inverter. Add in a PDP, charge controller and wiring/hardware price tag is in the $8,000+ range same as a Sol-Ark 15K.
I've lost count of the number of electronics items on DigiKey that are either out of stock (until 2024!!) or obsolete and N/A. Bottom line: As inflation continues to erode our collective life styles perhaps cheap is the way to go at least for next few years.

OMG - now you are getting into my world, lol of keeping sophisticated things flying with obsolescence knocking daily… Some parts are in the repair cycle for 5 years! Sparing is definitely important if you value high availability and up time. I might go buy another two after reading this…

 

[JCSchwarb]

Yes thats a good point. Thats one thing I have liked about Midnite solar is they have had the same controllers for years. They have the 5 year warranty and you can send it for service and add 2 more years. I had one fail and they replced fast and easy.

You have a good company there. Not all are like that.