There are many solar inverter brands offered by solar panel contractors in Malaysia. Oftentimes, the price difference between the quotes you get is due to the difference inverter brands used. Just like any items you purchase — there are expensive, affordable, and economical brands when it comes to solar inverters.
High End Inverters
The three most notable high end inverter brands in Malaysia are SMA, Solar Edge, and Fronius (of which Next Energy is a certified Fronius service partner). Without getting into too much technical details, these inverters are known to deliver high performance and reliability, which is why they also come with an expensive price tag.
Mid Range Inverters
The medium range inverter brands available in Malaysia are Huawei and Sungrow. Unsurprisingly, these two brands dominate the world market share for inverter shipment — 26.4% for Huawei and 16.7% for Sungrow. Their affordable price point and dependable performance makes it a popular choice for most users.
Basic Inverters
There are many entry level inverter brands that are coming out from China. Admittedly, these basic inverters tend to come with some reliability issues, but there are some brands out there that can give the more expensive brands a run for their money. The two entry level inverter brands worth mentioning are Solis and Goodwe. Popularity amongst these two brands are growing as they are cheap in price and have decent performance.
Which Inverter Brand Is Suitable For You?
It all depends on the type of user you are. Generally, if you’re a residential or for certain commercial users, we would recommend at least a mid range to high end inverter. When it comes to solar pv systems, we often take an “Install And Forget” approach — where the system should be working for you in the background without bothering you with maintenance issues.
Industrial users tend to already have an in-house maintenance team. As such, basic inverters can be considered as any performance or reliability issues can be easily and promptly addressed. Additionally, industrial PV systems tend to be larger in capacity and use multiple inverters. Therefore, the cost savings from opting with basic inverter brands can be quite substantial. On the other hand, residential and certain commercial users will likely not achieve much cost savings as typically only one or two inverters are used.
One important factor that often gets overlooked, is whether the inverter manufacturer provides localised after-sales service or not. We’ve heard too many horror stories of the hassles of dealing with after-sales service teams that is based overseas. At Next Energy, we ensure that the brands we offer not only have a local sales team, but a team that’s also competent and fast.
Conclusion
All in all, you get what you pay for. High end solar inverter brands, while more expensive, will have better performance and reliability; which will eventually bring in more returns. Basic solar inverter brands, while they cost less, may come with some performance or reliability issues; ultimately affecting your eventual returns.
At Next Energy, we provide a range of solar inverters for you to choose from based on your usage and budget. If you’re still undecided on which solar inverter brand that best suits you, our Solar PV Engineers are ever ready to assist you. Get in touch with us here at any time of your convenience.
