Finn's Solis Inverters Review & Verdict
Finn Peacock has been a Chartered Electrical Engineer since 1998, and is ex-CSIRO
A solar inverter is the workhorse of a solar power system, so it's wise to get the best of the best if you can. But if you're on a tight budget, I'm comfortable recommending Solis inverters, which have generally held up well under Australian conditions. And if things go wrong there's a decent warranty backed by local support.
Solis Inverters: Pros & Cons
- Budget-friendly pricing.
- 10 year warranty standard.
- Very well established in Australia.
- Hybrid inverters compatible with many batteries.
- Some customers report the app can be tricky to configure.
- There are better inverters out there (but you'll pay more).
About Solis
Solis's official name is Ginlong Technologies, and is a Chinese firm specialising in the design and manufacture of solar and battery storage inverters. The company is one of the world's largest manufacturers of inverters. Solis:
- Manufactures everything in-house.
- Bases its conversion efficiency data on real-world rather than ideal conditions.
- Offers local (Australian) support 5 days a week.
- Was the 3rd largest PV inverter manufacturer globally in 2023 in terms of shipments according to Wood Mackenzie.
- Produces inverters for home solar systems that are at the budget end of the spectrum.
- Has been shipping inverters to Australia for around 13 years.
Solis Australian Office
Having local warranty and technical support is incredibly important, particularly for inverters as it's the component most likely to fail in a solar power system.
Here are the Australian office address and other contact details for Solis:
5/109 Tulip St, Cheltenham VIC 3192
Service hotline: 03 8555 9516 / 1800 928 995
Service manager: 049 886 4577
[email protected] (Sales)
[email protected] (Service)
Contact form
Company Info
Ginlong Technologies was established in Ningbo, China back in 2005 - so they have many years of inverter manufacturing under their belt. They entered the Australian market, selling inverters under the Solis brand, around 2011.
The company has more more than 4,500 employees worldwide; with 800+ of those working in research and development.
More than 80GW of Solis inverters have been installed globally, and the company's annual manufacturing capacity was set to exceed 80 gigawatts by the close of 2023.
Solis Inverter Models
Solis offers a range of single-phase, three-phase and battery storage inverters to Australian customers.
Single-Phase: S5-GR1P
In single-phase, the later generations including the S5-GR1P series for home applications. This series is available in Australia from 3kW through to 10kW capacities and has average efficiency ratings from 96.5% to 97.1%. As is usual for solar inverters, the higher capacity ones are more efficient. In the 7 - 10kW range, S5-GR1P inverters have 3 maximum power point trackers (MPPTs) rather than the 2 the 3-6 kW models have. Multiple MPPTs are usually needed if you're installing panels on roof faces oriented in different directions. The Solis S5-GR1P inverters support consumption monitoring with a smart meter.
Weights of the S5 start at 11kg through to 18.5 kg depending on model, while dimensions are 310 x 543 x 160 mm for the 3kW to 6kW, to 333 x 579 x 253 mm for the 7kW to 10kW
Single-Phase: S6-GR1P
The newest single-phase Solis models are the S6-GR1P series; available in capacities from 3 to 6 kW. The S6-GR1P inverters have average efficiencies from 96.6% to 97.1%, supports consumption monitoring with a smart meter, and has 2 MPPTs - which is pretty common among inverters.
The S6-GR1P weighs in at 8.3 to 9 kg, which is a few kilograms lighter than the equivalent S5, and dimensions for all models in this range are 330 x 371 x 161 mm.
Three-Phase Inverters
Solis produces 3-phase inverters with capacities from 5 kW all the way up to 225 kW. But the largest any residential installation is likely to use is 30 kW. Their S5-GR3P inverters are from 5-20 kW, have an average efficiency of 97.1%, and 2 MPPTs.
Hybrid Inverters
Solis also produces a range of single-phase and 3-phase hybrid inverters for use with battery storage. They're compatible with a wide range of batteries. Here's the compatibility list. for their S6-EH inverters.
Compare Inverters
You can compare estimated pricing and specifications of Solis inverters available in Australia with those from other manufacturers using the SolarQuotes inverter comparison table (note: hybrid inverter comparison here).
Solis Inverter Warranty Notes
Solis inverter products were originally supplied with an industry standard 5 year warranty that could be optionally extended to 8 or even 10 years. However, residential inverters up to 20kW capacity installed from the beginning of July 2021 carry a standard 10 year warranty that can be extended to 15 or even 20 years. A ten-year product warranty as standard is reassuring for an inverter brand in this price range.
Note that if you live more than 50 kilometers from the nearest Ginlong Solis authorized service agent's location, then you'll be liable for any freight costs, fees, charges or levies that may be incurred as a result of a valid warranty claim.
If you're the owner of a Solis inverter and have a warranty issue, your first point of contact should be the business that installed the device. Regardless of what they may state, they are the party liable for the repair/replacement of a faulty inverter if the unit still within its warranty period.
Solis advise that customers who can no longer contact their original installer should visit their website and fill out their Service Request Form, available here.
Solis will then arrange for replacement of the inverter. Note that Solis will charge a quote fee or minimum service charge for arranging the replacement/inspection of the inverter.
Conclusion
Solis is among the cheapest we list among SQ-recommended brands. The company has proved itself here in Australia over time, and its inverters should be a safe best if money is tight.
If you want to find out more about Solis solar inverters and whether one might be a good choice for your installation situation, read the experiences of Australian customers who have had the units installed below. You can also submit a Solis inverter review if you own one of their products - share your thoughts with others who would find the information valuable by clicking the "leave a review" button above.
Solis has 16 solar inverters in our database
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19 August 2022
02 July 2021
29 April 2024
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Manufacturer Reply
Thanks for your support to Solis22 March 2024
30 November 2023
Manufacturer Reply
Hi Dan: Hope things are well with you. Firstly, I liker to apologise that I just saw your post. I am a new sales rep for Solis in Australia. Sencondly, I've reach out to Sunboost already, but they need more information in order to find your case, do you have a serial number of the Solis inverter? Thank you.20 July 2023
09 February 2023
An incentive was offered by Captain Green Solar for this review. Learn more here.
17 January 2023
06 December 2022
08 November 2022
16 February 2022
17 July 2021
10 July 2021
09 March 2021
8 months later : It was actually a Fronius inverter that we had installed. After installing the wi-fi extender near to the inverter, it worked perfectly and I have been able to read the daily readings from anywhere in Australia.
25 October 2018
30 October 2024
28 July 2024