South Africa’s frequent bouts with load shedding and grid instability are driving demand for energy self-reliance. Solar power solutions company Sungrow is stepping up with its new three-phase hybrid inverter designed specifically for the South African market’s unique energy needs.
Unveiled at an event in Johannesburg, Sungrow’s SH15-25T inverter offers households and businesses a potent combination of solar generation and battery storage for grid independence. “South Africa has long grappled with electricity challenges…With our latest 3-phase hybrid inverter, we seize the opportunity to contribute to the solution,” said Ezzat Sankari, Sungrow’s channels business director for the Middle East and Africa region.
The three-phase, 15-25kW inverter is built tough to handle South Africa’s harsh climate conditions while maximising solar harvesting. It features three maximum power point trackers optimised for the country’s common rooftop array orientations. Sungrow engineer Leonard Visser noted this allows “maximising energy production and extending working hours.”
But solar alone isn’t enough for true energy resilience. The inverter is designed for pairing with Sungrow’s 9.5kWh or 25.6kWh lithium ferro phosphate batteries offering an impressive 100% depth of discharge over 6,000 cycles – outlasting much of the competition. Up to 32 batteries can be strung together for a massive 890kWh of storage capacity across eight paralleled inverters.
“You can start your battery capacity from 25.6kWh up until 890.2kWh,” said Visser. This scalable storage enables riding out even extended outages while powering heavy loads like HVAC units and pool pumps that frequently overwhelm residential solar systems.
Intelligent software enhances the hybrid system’s capabilities. Sungrow’s patented PID Zero technology helps prevent long-term degradation in solar panels from potential induced degradation, which can sap up to 30% of production over time. The iSolar cloud app provides 10-second data refresh rates on energy consumption to optimise solar self-consumption.
Sungrow has baked in robust safety features as well. An arc-fault circuit interrupter can detect and isolate faults across 200 metres of solar cables in just 200ms. The system meets stringent NRS and IEC safety certifications from TÜV and SGS.
With over 25 years of experience, 405 gigawatts of inverters installed worldwide, and 40% of its workforce dedicated to R&D, Sungrow is turning its expertise towards developing a full suite of sustainable energy solutions. Future innovations could include hydrogen energy storage, EV charging, floating solar plants, and other cutting-edge technologies.
But for now, Sungrow is empowering South Africans to control their energy future. Its powerful hybrid solar + storage systems promise true energy independence from an increasingly unreliable grid. As Sankari put it, “Our commitment to efficiency, reliability and user-friendliness ensures that our inverter empowers consumers with newfound control over their energy usage.”
