Finn's Altius Inverters Review & Verdict
Finn Peacock has been a Chartered Electrical Engineer since 1998, and is ex-CSIRO
The Altius hybrid inverter is supplied as part of supermarket chain Aldi's solar packages. If you haven't heard of Altius, you wouldn't be alone. These are rebadged inverters produced by Afore. So you could say instead of Afore skin, they have Altius skin. There are some decent budget inverter brands out there, such as Solis and Goodwe, but only time will tell how the Altius will perform in Australia's often harsh conditions.
Altius Inverters: Pros & Cons
- A hybrid inverter for the budget-conscious
- Warranty details are thin
- Lack of track record in Australia
About Altius
Altius solar inverters are offered in Aldi solar packages in Australia, but Altius doesn't make them - they are manufactured by a Chinese company.
Contact Details
The distributor in Australia for Altius branded solar gear is Tempo, and their contact details are:
Address: Level 15, 177 Pacific Highway, North Sydney, NSW 2060
Telephone: 1800 886 649
Website
Company Info
Altius is very light on detail regarding itself on their website, choosing to highlight their partnership with Aldi. As for Tempo, they focus on consumer goods sourcing and distribution, and developing private brands.
Altius (Aldi) Hybrid Solar Inverters
Altius hybrid solar inverters are manufactured by Chinese manufacturer Afore, which has been in the inverter game for around 15 years. A number of models are on the CEC's approved list under Tempo, but the model being used for Aldi packages is the AS-5KW-HBI, a 5kW hybrid inverter (actually 4.8kW capacity) that has some backup capability.
The AS-5KW-HBI has a maximum claimed efficiency of 97.6% and a temperature range (assumed operating) of -25°C to +60°C; with derating kicking in above 45°C. The dimensions of the unit are 513 x 370 x 192 mm and it weighs 17 kilograms. Ingress rating is noted as IP65, so it's suited for outdoor use. As for MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracker) capabilities, it has two, which is fairly standard for an inverter of this nature.
The inverter has been preconfigured for the Altius home solar battery, and system monitoring is provided via an Aldi-branded app; the full capabilities of which aren't clear.
Warranty Information
The Aldi datasheet mentions a 10 year warranty on the AS-5KW-HBI - but no further details on the nature of the warranty were available at the time of publishing. If you decided to roll the dice and buy a Aldi system, ensure you sight all Altius warranties before signing on the dotted line.
This component is an incredibly important given the role it plays in a solar power system - learn about choosing inverters, and you can compare hybrid inverters from other brands here.
Have you had an Altius hybrid inverter installed? How's it faring? Leave your review and rating.
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