INVERTER INNOVATION
A DECADE OF GROWTH AND INNOVATION: GROWATT’S AUSTRALIAN STORY AUSTRALIA’S THRIVING SOLAR PV MARKET over the past ten years has been fertile soil for solar technology companies from across the world. Many of today’s world leading solar companies that were in operation in Australia a decade ago are still in the market. Fierce competition has edged out those that were weaker or failed to adapt to market demands and technical trends. Companies however that continuously provide excellent products and services remain in operation. Growatt, which was founded in 2010, exported its first load of inverters to Australia when the PV market was taking off. Over the years, the company has grown into a global leader. A decade ago, a first generation Growatt inverter, the 5000MTL, was installed in a residential PV system in Adelaide. That system was recently expanded, and two Growatt stateof-the-art inverters were added and now sit alongside the existing inverter. It’s a story that nicely illustrates product reliability as well as brand loyalty, said Lisa Zhang, Growatt marketing director. “It’s really interesting when a 10-year old inverter meets the new,” she said. “When we compare the inverters, we can see the development of PV inverters over time. At a glance, we can see the difference in size and design.” Ten years ago the first generation inverter 5000MTL weighed about 24kg, but now it’s been upgraded to the new generation inverter MIN 5000TL-X with weight reduced by 55 per cent to around 10.8kg, she explained. In addition to that, the new inverter is 40 per cent smaller than the original.
New X generation inverters added to a Growatt system installed ten years ago Although the new inverter is compact and small, it has a much higher efficiency of 98.4 per cent. And users can have a better experience with the latest and more modern inverter as it comes with OLED display and touch button that can last over three million clicks. Safety features have also been added to MIN 5000TL-X, which has Type II SPD and optional AFCI for protection. “As the industry strives to lower LCOE for solar power, module companies are using advanced technologies to enable higher power of the modules. In accordance with the trend, Growatt is continuously improving rated current and oversizing capability of the inverters,” said Zhang. In Australia, Growatt has shipped more than 320,000 inverters, many of which have been in operation for several years. According to reports by IHS Markit and Wood Mackenzie, Growatt ranked among the top 10 global PV inverter suppliers in 2019. Early this year, Growatt was awarded Top Brand PV Seal 2020 by EuPD Research, recognising its leading position in the country in terms of reliability, market penetration, brand awareness and satisfaction.
When asked about the main factors for Growatt’s success over the past decade, Zhang pointed to the company’s dedication to innovations, focus on market demands and industry trends, and a commitment to product reliability and excellent service. “These have been the drivers behind Growatt’s fast and robust growth for the past ten years,” she said, adding the company anticipates Australia’s solar market will continue to evolve.
Growatt Battery Ready Inverter As LCOE of solar and battery costs are driven down, an increasing number of people will gain their energy independence. It’s a trend noted by Growatt which quickly responds to the market. Last year at All-Energy Australia, the company launched its new battery ready inverter, MIN 2500-6000TL-XH. “This PV solution is future proof,” said Zhang. “The inverter has a battery interface which can be easily extended to a storage system at a later date, and will reduce retrofit cost. It is ideal for homeowners who are looking to convert their rooftop PV systems into solar storage systems in the future.” As Australia moves towards clean energy generation in the years to come, technology advancements will bring more product innovations to the PV market. Australian households will benefit from the developments, and of course, leading global PV companies like Growatt will continue to grow along with Australia’s solar PV market. www.ginverter.com.au
