Background

Over the last decade, Goodwe has gained a reputation as one of the best Chinese inverter manufacturers and is even considered by some in the solar industry to be on par with some well-known European manufacturers. Goodwe, formally known as Jiangsu Goodwe Power Supply Technology Co Ltd, was founded in 2010 and entered the highly competitive Australian solar market in 2012. While the early Goodwe inverters were limited to a few models, the company now offers a vast range of residential, commercial, and utility-scale inverters, along with numerous energy storage systems and has sold more than 2 million inverters globally. This success led to Goodwe supplying custom inverter solutions to several big-name companies, including GE and LG Energy.

Personal Experience

Having worked in the solar industry since 2011, I have encountered numerous low-cost inverters with reliability and performance issues. However, Goodwe inverters, while relatively cheap and simple, have stood the test of time and stood out as one of the few reliable and cost-effective residential inverters. This also applies to energy storage, with the Goodwe ES hybrid inverter known as one the most affordable options for residential battery storage systems requiring backup power of essential loads. The only downside is the somewhat outdated-looking SEMS monitoring portal, which can be clunky and difficult to navigate. Fortunately, this doesn’t affect the inverter’s performance or reliability.

Goodwe Inverter Quick Summary

First established: 2010
Quality and reliability: Excellent 4.5/5
Features: Very Good 4/5
Service and support: Very Good 4.5/5
System Monitoring: Good 4/5
Best Solar inverter: DNS G3 series up to 10kW
Best Hybrid inverter: ES series up to 6kW
Warranty: Standard - 10 years
Price bracket: Low $$$
Overall: Recommended ☆☆☆☆☆

Energy Storage Innovations

Technological innovation has long been a core competence at Goodwe, which led the company to develop one of the world’s first successful all-in-one hybrid inverters back in 2014, followed by a DC-coupled retrofit energy storage solution in 2015. This experience set the company on track as one of the pioneers in residential hybrid inverter solutions. Since then, many other inverter companies have integrated Goodwe’s hybrid architecture into their energy storage products, including the popular Alpha-ESS system and the Australian Redback Technologies energy storage systems. The company continues to innovate and evolve, as highlighted by the recently released Goodwe modular lithium battery systems, which we review below.

Extensive Inverter and battery range

Goodwe produces one of the most extensive ranges of solar inverters with a model to suit virtually every application in the solar market, starting from a tiny 0.7kW inverter to a massive 250kW utility-scale solar inverter, plus several models designed specifically for the unique North American market. On the commercial energy storage side, Goodwe produces a variety of three-phase string inverter options. In 2023, Goodwe launched the 3rd generation of the popular DNS Series residential solar inverters, the G3 series.

Goodwe Residential Solar Inverters

Goodwe offers a residential solar inverter suited to almost every application and region. The powerful A-MS series is designed for the US market, while in Australia, the DNS series is one of the most popular inverters due to being a simple, low-cost, lightweight string solar inverter featuring a low startup voltage of 80V, allowing it to start up in very low light conditions, along with a wide MPPT operating voltage range up to 550V. All models feature built-in WiFi and monitoring via the SEMS portal app and a simple LCD display for direct monitoring and easy setup.

The popular DNS Series Inverter

The DNS series inverter is the standout product in the residential range being a no-frills inverter offering good performance, dual MPPTs with a wide operating voltage range, and a simple digital display, all at a very affordable price. This inverter has become very popular in Australia as a reliable, entry-level inverter.

DNS inverter key features

Available from 3kW to 6kW single phase
Dual MPPT with a wide operating voltage range
up to 200% solar PV oversizing
Simple LCD and built-in Wifi
Shadow scan function
Built-in export limiting
Cost: $850 (AU) 5kW model

Powerful MS Series Inverter up to 10kW

Due to increasing loads on residential homes, Goodwe developed the larger single-phase MS series inverters with power ratings from 5kW to 10kW. These more powerful string inverters feature up to 4 independent MPPTs to enable the installation of four groups (strings) of panels on four different roof aspects. The North American A-MS series is designed to meet strict US standards with an inbuilt Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) and Rapid Shutdown. To enable these safety features, the inverter is embedded with a Tigo RSS Transmitter, which facilitates the rapid shutdown function when using panel-mounted Tigo optimisers.

MS G2 inverter key features

Available from 5kW to 10kW single phase
3 MPPTs with a wide operating voltage range of 50 to 560V
Simple LCD display and built-in Wifi (MS series)
20A MPPT input current rating. (25A Isc rating)
150% solar PV oversizing
Shadow scan function
Cost: $1280 (AU) 8.5kW / $1100 (US) 9.6kW

Shadow Scan function

Many Goodwe solar inverters feature a useful shadow scan function which helps reduce the effects of partial shading on solar panels. Shading on a few panels in a string of panels typically results in a severe loss of power as it disrupts the string voltage and current. With the shadow scan function activated, the inverters MPP trackers regularly scan the strings for the maximum power point to make sure the system is working at maximum power, minimizing the impact of partial shading. We have tested this function on a partially shaded solar array and found the system performance does noticeably improve with the shadow scan function enabled. However, for severely shaded solar arrays it would be more beneficial to use the add-on Tigo optimisers on the shaded panels or in some situations micro inverters would be a better choice altogether. Learn more about the Goodwe shadow scan function.

Energy Storage Hybrid Inverters

Goodwe was one of the first inverter manufacturers to develop an all-in-one transformerless hybrid inverter way back in 2014, which has become the industry standard for home energy storage. Today, Goodwe offers an impressive range of residential energy storage hybrid inverters with a wide variety of AC or DC-coupled models designed for single-phase and 3-phase applications from 3kW to 10kW, plus retrofit inverter solutions to add batteries to existing solar installations. Unlike other well-known manufacturers that have limited compatibility to only one or two different battery brands, Goodwe Hybrid inverters are compatible with almost every established battery manufacturer, making it easy to customise an energy storage solution. See the Goodwe approved battery chart. A complete Goodwe energy storage package can be built using one of the Goodwe lithium battery systems described below.

Hybrid Inverter Solutions - ES, ESA, EM, EH, ET series
Retrofit Inverter Solutions - SBP, BH, BT series
North America Solutions - A-BP retrofit and A-ES hybrid inverter
South Africa Solution - EHB series Off-grid or hybrid inverter

Goodwe hybrid inverter range 2024 — The range of Goodwe hybrid energy storage inverters

Goodwe ES G2 Series Hybrid Inverter

Home energy storage system featuring the Goodwe ES G2 Hybrid inverter

Goodwe became somewhat of an innovator in energy storage systems after releasing the ES series in 2014, one of the world’s first successful residential hybrid inverters. At the time, hybrid inverters from most competitors failed or had severe performance issues, while the Goodwe ES series is still one of the most popular hybrid inverters available. The ES series has had several upgrades and improvements over the years, the latest being the G2, featuring a completely new streamlined design, increased MPPT input current rating from 14A to 16A (Isc 23A) to allow for more powerful high-current solar panels to be used.

Key Features of the ES G2 Hybrid Inverter

Low-cost residential single-phase hybrid inverter with backup
150% solar oversizing - up to 7.5kW
Up to 120A (5.3kW) charging and discharging
Dual MPPTs with wide operating voltage - 60V to 550V
16A MPPT input current & 23A Isc rating
Instantaneous backup power (10ms)
Low voltage (48V) battery compatibility with a wide range of lithium batteries
On-grid or off-grid modes
Parallel operation

Parallel operation of hybrid systems

To meet the increasing demand for PV storage systems with higher capacity, Goodwe has developed a three-phase inverter paralleling device which is suited to large residential or commercial storage applications. This involves the integration of multiple hybrid inverters on the AC side, with up to a maximum 10 units operating as one large system.

To enable parallel operation, the Goodwe Smart Energy Controller SEC1000s must be used to achieve a smooth interconnection of all the units in a parallel.

Goodwe Battery Systems

Despite being one of the pioneers in energy storage inverter technology, Goodwe did not develop any batteries until 2021. Now, in 2023, the company offers numerous lithium battery systems for residential and commercial applications. The new range of batteries are available in both low voltage (48V) and high voltage varieties and are all built using the proven Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cell chemistry. LFP batteries have emerged as the most popular option for stationary energy storage due to their reliability, long lifespan, great performance, and high safety, with an extremely low risk of thermal runaway or overheating.

Goodwe battery options

Lynx Home U series: Low-voltage (48V) 5.4kWh battery scalable up to 32.4kWh
Lynx Home F series: High-voltage 3.27kWh modules scalable to 16.4kWh (max 131kWh with 8 towers)
Lynx F G2 series: High-voltage 3.27kWh modules scalable up to 28.8kWh (max 230kWh with 8 towers)
Lynx C Series: High-voltage rack-mount battery scalable from 101kWh up to 156kWh

Lynx Home U Series Lynx battery

Goodwe Home Lynx 5.4kWh battery — Goodwe Home U series Lynx 5.4kWh battery

One of the standout battery products is GoodWe’s new Lynx Home U Series battery, which is very cost-effective, coming in at a little over $3000 for a 5.4kWh battery. This equates to around $600 per kWh making it one of the most affordable home batteries on the market. The low-voltage (48V) Lynx battery can be connected with a maximum of six units in parallel to provide up to 32.4kWh of total storage capacity.

Lynx U series key features

5.4kWh capacity with 90% useable
Scalable to 32.4kWh using 6 batteries in parallel
Cost: $3100 (AU) per 5.4kWh battery
Automatic reboot after low-voltage cutout
Remote firmware upgrades and diagnosis
10-year warranty with min 70% capacity after 10 years
Download the Lynx U series battery datasheet

The U series list of smart features is impressive; it can identify parallel battery modules automatically, making installation and setup easier. More importantly, the battery can automatically reboot after it has entered self-protection mode due to an under-voltage event. This is a common problem with many other batteries during a blackout when the system can be completely drained overnight and does not automatically start the next day. In this situation, a full system reset is often required, which can be problematic for some users. Luckily, the new Lynx battery will not suffer from this issue. Another important feature is the remote monitoring and software upgrades of all battery modules simultaneously.

Inside the Goodwe Lynx battery showing the simple quick-fit connections, battery circuit breaker and other connections.

Home F Series Lynx battery

New Lynx home F Series scalable home battery system

The new Lynx Home F Series battery is a stackable high-voltage energy storage system made up of individual 3.27kWh modules using the safer lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells. A minimum of two modules is required to achieve a high enough voltage and power output to meet the Goodwe inverter requirements (ET, BT, EH, BH series hybrid inverters). High-voltage battery systems have increased in popularity over recent years due to the increased efficiency as the battery voltage is closer to the solar PV array voltage, resulting in fewer conversion losses. Additionally, the compact modular design makes it easy to set up.

Lynx F Series Battery Key Features

3.27kWh high-voltage modules, 95% useable capacity
Modular towers from 6.6 to 16.4kWh, and up to 131kWh with 8 towers in parallel.
Automatic reboot after low-voltage cutout
Remote firmware upgrades and diagnosis
10-year warranty with min 70% capacity after 10 years
Two Battery Options:
Lynx Home F Series datasheet: HV Battery compatible with Goodwe EH and ET hybrid inverters.
Lynx Home F Plus+ Series datasheet: HV battery compatible with BH, EH, BT and ET hybrid inverters.

Much like the low-voltage Lynx battery, the list of smart features is impressive. The F series battery also has the ability to automatically reboot in the event of entering self-protection mode due to under-voltage, plus it also features remote monitoring, diagnosis and software upgrades.

System monitoring - SEMS portal

The Goodwe SEMS system monitoring portal is a simple platform for monitoring both solar and energy storage systems. It provides users with all the basic solar and energy consumption information (with a meter installed) required. It offers installers access to more detailed data and charts, including MPPT voltages, currents, and battery and grid voltage, to ensure the system performs correctly. However, accessing some of the more advanced data and performance history can be tricky as some menu buttons and chart locations are not obvious. Compared to most other inverter platforms, the SEMS portal is now looking somewhat dated and could use a freshen-up.

SEMS monitoring portal app — The Goodwe SEMS portal for solar and battery system monitoring.

The Goodwe SEMS portal advanced performance monitoring using historical data.

Summary

Despite producing many reliable inverters that have stood the test of time, Goodwe has been underrated in the solar world. The ES series hybrid inverter is a great example; first released in 2014, it’s still a popular choice even in 2023, and several other manufacturers have adopted the core hybrid technology for various energy storage systems. Many other budget inverter brands have suffered numerous issues and failures; however, Goodwe differs not only with a lower failure rate but also with good technical support and service in the event of a problem. If you are looking for a simple, cost-effective solar inverter, then Goodwe would be hard to pass by.

On the commercial side, Goodwe has also not received much attention despite producing a range of affordable inverters with many impressive features, including 150% solar oversizing, high-temperature operation, and high efficiency of up to 98.8%. A standout is the powerful new HT series inverters available from 100kW to 250kW, which include 12 MPPTs, advanced communications and fault monitoring to help prevent and reduce downtime.

The Goodwe range of batteries was a long time coming but has not really taken off despite being very well-engineered and combining many smart features to increase system reliability. However, the new Generation F-series might change that, considering the new flexible modular design and numerous options. A standout feature is the automatic low-voltage restart, which is a common problem with many battery systems during prolonged blackouts. We look forward to seeing and testing more Goodwe batteries soon.

Goodwe Inverter & battery review