Note: Solar Choice does not sell solar equipment and has no financial or other incentives to promote Solplanet Inverters or any product brand over another.
Overview of Solplanet (AISWEI) – Company History
Solplanet is product name name which is manufactured and owned by AISWEI. Since 2009 AISWEI commenced operations as the Chinese subsidiary of leading German solar inverter company SMA. In 2019, AISWEI stopped solely making inverters for SMA (and their sub-brand Zeversolar) and now sells products under their own Solplanet brand.
AISWEI offers Solplanet branded solar inverters, EV chargers and solar batteries which are manufactured at their headquarters in Shanghai, China. Despite SMA being a top end premium brand, Solplanet products are priced towards the budget end of the market.
Solplanet first launched in Australia shortly after establishing their independent brand and have set up various distributor relationships including most recently with Austra Energy. Solplanet have no listed address in Australia.
Solplanet Inverter Range Available in Australia
Solplanet has gained approval from the Clean Energy Council in Australia for 28 inverters, a necessary step for accessing the federal STC solar rebate, under the name of “AISWEI Technology (Shanghai) Co Ltd.” For the Australian market, they offer both single phase and three phase inverters, catering the meets for variety usage of solar projects.
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Single Phase inverters
Solplanet offers 3 types of single-phase inverters: the ASW S series, ASW S-A series and the ASW S2 series.
It should be noted that Solplanet’s inverters don’t come with the option to include consumption monitoring. Consumption monitors enables customers to view both their solar power generation and their home’s energy consumption together in one view. Although not everyone gets this functionality, in my opinion it is essential.
ASW S Series:
The ASW S series ranges from 3kW (ASW3000-S) to 10kW (ASW5000-S), featuring a compact wall mount and IP66-rated design suited to indoor or outdoor installations. The inverter is equipped with 2 independent Maximum Power Point Trackers (MPPTs), which means it can support solar panels facing two different orientations on your roof.
The max efficiency of this inverter series of 97.6% matches up well with the inverters on our Best Solar Inverters list.
ASW S-A Series:
This series is similar to the S Series, however features larger sizes from 5kW to 10kW in capacity. Under Australian rules this means the 10kW single-phase solution can be paired with up to 13.3kW of solar panels.
The main difference in features is that this series features an additional MPPT, meaning it can support up to 3 different roof orientations. There are not many 5kW inverters with 3 MPPTs on the market, which means many customers are forced to go to a more expensive micro-inverter or optimiser solution.
ASW S2 Series:
The ASW S2 series is Solplanet’s hybrid inverter that is designed to support solar panels and a battery system.
These hybrid inverters are compatible with Solplanet batteries and other leading solar battery brands like Pylontech and Dyness.
Three Phase Inverters
Solplanet offers a diverse range of three-phase inverters including the ASW LT, ASW LT-G2-A, ASW LT-G2 Pro, and ASW LT-G3, catering to various capacities and applications. The capacity of these inverters ranges from 3kW to 110kW.
ASW 3-20K LT-G2 Series
These inverters are Solplanet’s cost-effective option for residential and small business solutions that have a 3 phase power connection.
The inverters come with 2 MPPTs and are IP66 rated for indoor or outdoor installation. These inverters feature a slightly higher maximum efficiency than their single phase counterparts with a rating up to 98.6%.
ASW H-T3 Series
The ASW H-T3 inverters are Solplanet’s Hybrid inverter option primarily designed for residential users with a 3-phase connection. The inverters come in an 8kW, 10kW or 12kW option which is designed for large residential solar arrays or a small business operation. The inverters can be oversized by 150% with the solar array, so the 12kW inverter can support 18kW of solar panels.
ASW LT-G3 Series
Solplanet’s mid size 3 phase commercial inverters offer outputs of 45kW, 50kW and 60kW. These inverters have a maximum efficiency rating of 98.6% and measure 670mm by 640mm by 270mm. Their compact wall-mounted design suits them well to indoor or outdoor installations at commercial buildings.
ASW LT Series
Solplanet also has large commercial solar inverters ranging from 75kW to 110kW. Given Solplanet have relatively unproven track record in the larger commercial projects, we don’t see their commercial solar inverters quoted very often.
With 8 to 10 MPPTs, a max efficiency rating of 98.6% and a 10 year warranty, they stack up to the median expectations of the market for this type of solution.
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Solplanet’s Warranty for Australian Customers
Similar to conventional inverters, Solplanet microinverters also come with a manufacturer warranty. Solplanet microinverters are backed by a 10-year warranty, with the option to extend it to 25 years. Although the Solplanet website states 5years and 12 years in different places, their warranty document specifies a 10-year warranty.
However, it’s important to note that Solplanet currently does not have an Australian office. In the event of a product failure, customers may need to contact the Chinese service center if their installer is not contactable or out of business.
Solplanet do have an Australian address listed in their warranty document, however this is for a ServCorp operated serviced office space in Melbourne CBD. The contact address for warranty claims is noted as the AISWEI factory in Shanghai.
Read more details about Solplanet warranty terms and conditions here.
Pros and cons of Solplanet Inverters
Pros:
- Cost-effective inverters from a brand with a good track record of building inverters for premium brand SMA
- Attractive price point
Cons:
- No Australian office and local support team
- No consumption monitoring
So, Should I Buy Solplanet Inverters?
Solplanet join the ranks of many low-priced Chinese inverters that lack the strong track record and reliability of some of the bigger European and other Chinese brands. The inverters miss some key functionality like consumption monitoring and aren’t backed with any staffed or an physical premises in Australia.
At this stage its probably worth investing a little bit extra to go with a more established brand.
A Case Study of a Solplanet Project
The below images are of a Solplanet ASW 8K S inverter (8kW) which was installed in Campsie, NSW in 2022. The inverter is couple with 9.96kW of solar panels.
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