The decision to install a photovoltaic system on our roof was one of the best investments we have ever made. However, the true efficiency and functionality of our system was only fully realised when we chose Sungrow and integrated the SH10RT with the SBR160 storage and a wallbox into our system.
As we were probably one of the first users to install all three Sungrow system components, including the AC charger, I was asked by Sungrow to comment on my decision:
Sungrow has been around since 1997 and was previously better known for large-scale systems, although 340 GW of installed capacity is quite an achievement. in 2019, the world’s largest inverter factory was also put into operation.
Why Sungrow components?
The components from Sungrow were interesting for us for several reasons: The SH10RT inverter not only perfectly matched our 14.5 kWp of installed solar power (Jinko modules), but also had some features that are hard to find – and not just in this price range. These include the built-in 3-phase backup mode, which can supply the house with up to 10 kVA of power in the event of a power failure. The inverter automatically switches to backup power mode within 20 milliseconds. There is also no need for a manual mains disconnection device. We installed it anyway, more on this later.
The Sungrow hybrid inverters are also capable of black start operation. This means that they can restart and produce electricity without an external grid if there is sufficient PV power from the roof. Most other inverters usually only have an emergency power socket and can only guarantee emergency power operation as long as there is power coming from the roof or from the storage system. If both are exhausted, they only start up when power from the grid is available again.
Now I am far from being a doomsayer and believe that the excellent stability of our electricity grids will also be guaranteed in the coming years. However, it is nice to know that we would be reasonably independent if the worst came to the worst. In recent years, we have also had power outages due to damaged lines, some of which lasted several hours.
Of course, the Sungrow components are also very interesting in terms of price. Currently (September 2023), you can get the SH10RT inverter for under โฌ1,800. The SBR096, which is likely to be of interest to most users, costs well under โฌ4,000 in some cases and our 16 kWh model, the SBR160, is around โฌ7,000. In comparison, the BYD hvs 10.2 currently costs around โฌ5,800 and the BYD hvs 16.6 just under โฌ10,000.
You can also start with a smaller storage capacity and gradually add more modules. An additional 3 kWh module is available for around โฌ1,300.
The technical details of our Sungrow PV system
1. Sungrow SH10RT inverter
The SH10RT inverter has a maximum AC output power of 10kVA and a maximum PV input power of 15 kW. The efficiency according to the Euro standard is 97.9 %, which is in the range of what other manufacturers, such as Fronius, also specify for the Symo 10.0-3-M.
As already mentioned, the Sungrow SH10RT is capable of automatic, 3-phase emergency power operation with a maximum unbalanced load of 3 kVA. No external mains disconnector is required for emergency power operation. We have installed it anyway, because if the inverter should ever be defective, all loads connected to the backup output would no longer be supplied with power. The mains disconnector can be used to bypass these loads and thus bypass the inverter.
We have disconnected all “large consumers” such as the electric cooker, oven, washing machine, tumble dryer, my entire workshop and, of course, the wallbox in the distribution system. This means that only a few sockets, the lighting, building automation, heating and heating pumps, blinds, fridge and of course our home server with Home Assistant are still connected to the backup output.
As our installation was already very carefully organised, this was not a major effort. You just need to know that you can’t simply connect the whole house to the emergency power output of the inverter. In any case, you should first speak to an electrician who can then modify the distribution accordingly. Of course, the Sungrow SH10RT can also be operated without the backup mode.
2. SBR160 battery storage
The SBR160 battery storage system from Sungrow is the centrepiece of our system. With a capacity of 16 kWh, it can store surplus energy during the day and retrieve it in the evening or during cloudy periods. This allows us to maximise our self-consumption and cover our electricity needs even when the sun is not shining.
Of course, it will be difficult to fill the 16 kWh in the winter months and everyone will have to decide for themselves whether a battery storage system is worthwhile. However, we currently cover 100% of our consumption ourselves without drawing from the grid. As we consume quite a lot of electricity due to working from home, servers etc., it’s a lot of fun.
Compared to the SBR096 with 9.6 kWh capacity, the SBR160 can be charged and discharged with up to 10.6 kW. The SBR096 can only provide 5.4 kW charging and discharging power.
On a sunny and almost cloudless day like today, the 16 kWh storage system is charged from 25 to 100 per cent in 2.5 hours and is full again at 11.30 am. A minimum charge (SoC) can be set for emergency power operation, which is always available. If the PV power is not sufficient to guarantee this minimum charge, it can be automatically realised by drawing power from the grid. This means that even in the winter months, you can always be sure that in the event of a power failure, a certain amount of time can be bridged by the backup mode in order to keep the heating system or refrigerators in operation, for example.
3. Wallbox for charging our Tesla electric car
Another highlight of our Sungrow system is the integrated wallbox, which enables us to charge our Tesla electric car (which we have now been driving for 3.5 years) with self-generated electricity. This is not only environmentally friendly, but also saves us a lot of money as we don’t have to rely on expensive mains electricity.
The Sungrow AC-Charger is a wallbox with a maximum charging current of 11 kW. I have limited the wallbox and the maximum charging current of the car to 14 amps (3-phase), which in practice means a charging capacity of 9.6 kW. In “eco mode”, the Sungrow Wallbox can dynamically adapt the charging current to the PV yield. If there are clouds, the charging current is reduced so that no electricity has to be drawn from the grid. Short cloudy phases are then also compensated for by the battery, so that in most cases no additional electricity needs to be purchased.
In “Maximum power” mode, charging always takes place at the set charging power. If there is not enough power from the roof, grid power is added accordingly. Since the end of April, I have been able to charge our Tesla Model 3 LR exclusively with self-generated electricity. In our case, of course, it helps that we work from home a lot, so the car can also be charged during the day.
If you assume 8 cents per kilowatt hour, which the self-generated electricity costs because you don’t get paid for it, the kilometre driven with the Tesla costs just 1 cent. Of course, this does not include the investment for the PV system and other vehicle costs.
The Sungrow inverter and the AC charger work really well together here and you have this efficient charging solution with dynamic power control at your disposal without any additional effort.
Optimise self-consumption and reduce costs
The main advantage of our Sungrow PV system is that we can maximise our self-consumption. This means that we have to draw less electricity from the grid and have therefore significantly reduced our electricity bill. Thanks to the SBR160 storage system, we can store surplus electricity and use it in the evening hours when the sun has gone down. This has drastically reduced our dependence on expensive grid electricity.
I had our consumption and yield simulated once and came up with an estimated 1,500 kWh that we will have to buy in the future. Previously, we had around 7,000 kWh including electric car charging. On top of that comes the remuneration for the surplus feed-in, so we will probably end up with zero over the year. The current feed-in is 4991 kWh, which would correspond to a feed-in tariff of โฌ330.
Sungrow iSolarCloud
With the iSolarCloud, Sungrow offers access to monitor your own system, keep an eye on yields and consumption and control the wallbox. The iSolarCloud can be used via a web browser or an Android/iOS app. The apps have just been completely revised and now offer much clearer and more practical access to the important functions.
The data is not updated in real time and with a delay of around 30 seconds, but this is perfectly adequate for an overview. If you want real-time data, you can access the data via the SH10RT’s internal Ethernet connection. This is available in the MODBUS protocol and there are now successful connections to Home Assistant, ioBroker, OpenHAB and certainly many other smart home hubs.
Costs and cost-effectiveness
Now that we’ve covered the technical aspects of our Sungrow PV system and its functions, let’s talk about the costs.
Our system cost around โฌ28,000 including installation, connection and commissioning. This includes:
- 35 Jinko solar modules, totalling 14.5 kWp
- 2-layer installation with Mazari roof tiles
- Sungrow SH10RT inverter
- Sungrow SHR160 battery storage system
- Sungrow AC-Charger wallbox (three-phase connection in the garage was already available)
- Mains disconnector
- Lightning protection etc.
I don’t want to speculate about the return on investment and amortisation at the moment. I first need to know the actual proportion of self-consumption etc. and observe a winter season.
Electricity prices are currently falling sharply again and from November, with a new contract, I will be purchasing kilowatt hours for 28.9 cents (currently 40 cents). That’s the same level I was paying before the crisis. If you look at the calculations of the Federal Ministry of Economics, the electricity price will only rise very moderately until 2042 – despite rising CO? levies – and the propagated horror scenarios will not materialise.
Sungrow inverter and Home Assistant
I have integrated the inverter into Home Assistant via MODBUS (with the help of MKaiser’s great work) and can use it to call up and log all the important data in real time. For example, I have calculated an estimated remaining runtime from the average consumption of the last 30 minutes and the current fill level of the storage tank.
The first metre at the top left shows the current PV surplus. From the yellow area onwards, you have so much surplus that you can ideally start large consumers such as a dishwasher, washing machine or tumble dryer here. Of course, this can also be automated, but more on this in a detailed article.
Incidentally, the consumption and yield values come directly from the additional smart meter, which is installed during the installation; there is still no official integration in Home Assistant, but this is being worked on.
Conclusion
Our experience with the Sungrow PV system, including the SH10RT inverter, the SBR160 storage system and the wallbox, has been extremely positive. We have maximised our self-consumption, charged our electric car with self-generated electricity and the integrated emergency power supply gives us a good feeling. The cost savings are impressive and we are proud to be making a contribution to environmental protection.
If you are thinking about investing in a PV system, I can highly recommend Sungrow. The products have excellent features, are great value for money and the benefits of generating your own renewable energy are unrivalled.
You can find more information here: Home | SUNGROW (sungrowpower.com)
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