Without a utility grid connection, you’ll need the best off-grid inverter to ensure a steady supply of electricity from your solar panels to your house.
An off-grid inverters primary function is to convert DC electricity into useable AC which can be used by our homes appliances. However, we are about to show you that the best all-in-one off-grid inverters of 2024 can do much more than that.
We’ve selected 9 off-grid inverters from 1.3kW to 12kW to satisfy all sorts of usage from the small outback cabin with a refrigerator and TV to large off-grid homes with multiple AC units.
Let’s get started.
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Table of Contents
These Are The 9 Best Off-Grid Inverters
From 1.3kW to 12kW, here are the 9 best off-grid inverters of 2024:
- 1.3kW VICTRON ENERGY EASYSOLAR 12/1600
- 3kW GroWatt SPF 3000TL
- 3.5kW All-in-one Eco Worthy
- 4KW VICTRON ENERGY EASYSOLAR-II 48/5000/70-50 MPPT 250/100 GX
- 5kW Sol-Ark SA-5K-1P-N
- 6.5kW PHOCOS ANY-GRID PSW-H
- 9kW Sol-Ark SA-12K
- 10kW SOLAR EDGE ENERGY HUB SE-11400H-US
- 12kW Growatt Split Phase Off Grid Inverter
Let’s take a closer look at each off-grid inverter:
1. 1.3kW VICTRON ENERGY EASYSOLAR 12/1600
- Output AC power: 1.3kW continuous – 3kW peak
- Max. inverter efficiency: 92%
- Max. PV input power: 700W
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 98%
- Battery Voltage: 12V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 70A (840W)
- Warranty: 5 years standard (up to 10)
- Price: $1465
Victron Energy is a Dutch company with decades of experience in power electronics. Their products are among the most innovative and reliable on the market.
We’ve selected the EasySolar 12/1600, an all-in-one inverter that includes an MPPT solar charge controller and a pure sine wave inverter.
All you need to do is plug in your batteries and solar panels. The batteries can be charged by the solar panels or an external AC source (generator, utility grid) as a backup.
2. 3kW GroWatt SPF 3000TL
- Output AC power: 3kW continuous – 6kW peak
- Max. inverter efficiency: 93%
- Max. PV input power: 2000W
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 97%
- Battery Voltage: 24V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 80A (2000W)
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: $899
Growatt is a global leading inverter brand with more than 10 years of experience in the energy storage business.
The GroWatt SPF 3000TL is a good entry level off-grid inverter. It includes a solar charge controller and a high efficiency pure sine wave inverter (93%). You can configure it to accept grid/backup generator (AC) or solar power as a priority.
As an option you can add a WIFI module for monitoring purposes. One of its great features is its scalability, you can add up to 6 units in parallel.
It is also one of the cheapest off-grid inverters on our list.
3. 3.5kW All-in-one Eco Worthy
- Output AC power: 3.5kW continuous – 7kW peak
- Max. inverter efficiency: 95%
- Max. PV input power: 4200W
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 98%
- Battery Voltage: 48V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 80A (4000W)
- Warranty: 14 days
- Price: $589
Eco-worthy is a white label brand for inverters. This cheap inverter is the perfect choice for a DIY system. It combines an efficient MPPT solar charge controller and a pure sine wave inverter.
It accepts fast charging (up to 4kW) to absorb large solar production during peak sun hours.
In addition, there are 3 charging modes: solar only, backup priority, solar + backup. It is all programmable and will switch between one mode to another in function of the available power source to ensure seamless electricity supply.
4. 4KW VICTRON ENERGY EASYSOLAR-II 48/5000/70-50 MPPT 250/100 GX
- Output AC power: 4kW continuous – 9kW peak
- Max. efficiency: 96%
- Max. PV input power: 5800W
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 99%
- Battery Voltage: 48V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 100A (5800W)
- Warranty: 5 years standard (up to 10)
- Price: $3292
The EASYSOLAR-II is the latest update of Victron’s EasySolar series. A high-quality all-in-one inverter that includes an efficient MPPT solar charger (up to 5800W of PV power) and a smart inverter.
The EasySolar-II can be connected to the utility grid and to a backup generator at the same time. You can easily setup the power backup priority (grid or genset) and the inverter will automatically start the generator if needed.
5. 5kW Sol-Ark SA-5K-1P-N
- Output AC power: 4.8kW continuous – 10kW peak
- Max. inverter efficiency: 97.6%
- Max. PV input power: 10,400W (2*MPPT solar controller)
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 99.9%
- Battery Voltage: 48V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 120A (6000W)
- Warranty: 10 years standard
- Price: $4500
Sol-Ark is an American company that manufactures high quality inverters. The Sol-Ark-SA-5K combines a highly efficient solar charger and a pure sine wave inverter in a pre-wired solution.
This product is packed with innovation, it includes 2 of the most efficient MPPT solar chargers (99.9%) to reach a whopping 10kW of PV power. It is also versatile, as it could work in different modes, such as: full off-grid, grid sell, meter zero, time of use and peak shaving.
It also features a cloud monitoring and programming app. Ultimately it comes with a 10-year warranty which shows the robustness of the product.
As a drawback it is a bit pricey, but quality always come at a price.
6. 6.5kW PHOCOS ANY-GRID PSW-H
- Output AC power: 6.5kW continuous – 13kW peak
- Max. efficiency: >92%
- Max. PV input power: 10kW (5000W*2)
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 98%
- Battery Voltage: 48V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 120A (6000W)
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: $1999
Phocos is a German company with more than 20 years of experience in manufacturing solar related products.
Flexibility and reliability are the key characteristics of this all-in-one off-grid inverter. It integrates two high voltage MPPT solar charge controllers that enable PV modules to be connected in series of one or two strings.
With 6.5kW you’ll have enough power for an average off-grid house and if you need more, it supports up to 9 units in parallel.
7. 9kW Sol-Ark SA-12K
- Output AC power: 9kW continuous – 16kW peak
- Max. efficiency: 96.5%
- Max. PV input power: 13kW
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 99.9%
- Battery Voltage: 48V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 185A (9000W)
- Warranty: 10 years
- Price: $6900
The SA-12K is the most powerful off-grid inverter developed by SolArk. With 9kW, it has no problem to power a fully off-grid house. It features 2 MPPT solar charge controllers that allow up to 13kW of solar panels. This is more than enough to cover the daily needs of the average American house.
It is a versatile inverter as it accepts AC charging from utility or a backup generator. In addition, it is loaded with sensors to ensure safe operation and efficient energy transfers even at high amps.
On top of it, it was designed to last more than 20 years and comes with a standard 10-year warranty.
8. 10kW SOLAR EDGE ENERGY HUB SE-11400H-US
- Output AC power: 10.3kW continuous – 20kW peak
- Max. efficiency: 99%
- Max. PV input power: 22,800W
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 99%
- Battery Voltage: 48V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 80A (10,000W)
- Warranty: 12 to 25 years
- Price: $3837
SolarEdge is an Israeli company specializing in inverters and solar energy monitoring devices.
With more than 10kW, the EnergyHub off-grid inverter is packed with power. This is the perfect choice for a large off-grid house with multiple air conditioning units.
It is the most efficient off-grid inverter on the market, reaching 99%! It includes all the tools to monitor your energy consumption with built-in meters.
It is well priced (below $4,500) and comes with a 12-year standard warranty (up to 25 years), the longest on the market!
9. 12kW Growatt Split Phase Off Grid Inverter
- Output AC power: 12kW continuous – 36kW peak
- Max. efficiency: 88%
- Max. PV input power: 7000W
- Solar charge controller efficiency: 97%
- Battery Voltage: 48V (lithium, lead-acid)
- Battery charging current max.: 120A (6100W)
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: $2409
This inverter accepts up to 7kW of solar power which would be enough to cover the needs of a medium sized off-grid house.
It is entirely programmable and will automatically switch between solar mode and AC charging when needed.
As a drawback, it only comes with a 2-year warranty and the inverter efficiency is one of the lowest (88%).
What Do The Best Off-Grid Inverters Have In Common?
The best-off grid inverters are all-in-one solutions. They combine three essential parts in a pre-wired configuration:
- An MPPT solar charge controller
- A pure sine wave inverter
- An AC to DC charger (generator/utility backup charger)
On top of that, they all support the latest lithium batteries and have a dedicated app for cloud monitoring and online configuration.
How To Choose The Best Off-Grid Inverter
You don’t need to be a specialist to choose the best off-grid inverter.
We’ve selected the most relevant specifications to look at:
- Inverter power output
- Battery charger voltage
- Type of inverter
- Solar charge controller specifications
- Smart monitoring and programming
- Warranty
Inverter power output
The first parameter to look at is the continuous power output of the inverter. As we demonstrated in our list, there are inverters of all size, from 1.3kW to 12kW.
For a small off-grid cabin without AC, we recommend 1kW to 3.5kW. For an off-grid house with a single AC unit, 5kW will do a great job.
To power a large off-grid house with all the regular appliances and an AC, you’ll need around 10kW of power.
Battery charger voltage
There are currently 3 nominal battery voltages: 12V, 24V and 48V. For example, a 12V inverter will only be compatible with a 12V battery.
The higher the voltage, the higher the power abilities. With a 12V inverter you are limited to 1.5kW, with 24V around 3.5kW and with 48V you can go up to 7kW.
Type of inverter
There are two types of inverters: modified sine wave (MSW) and pure sine wave (PSW). Always go for PSW inverters, they supply clean electricity, similar to utility grid standards. They will keep your appliances safe.
In addition, always look for the highest efficiency, which usually lies between 85% and 97%.
Solar charge controller specifications
The solar charge controller optimizes battery charging from a solar panel array. It has to be compatible with your solar panel wiring configuration.
Look at the maximum voltage and power it can accept. For example, the Victron EasySolar II 5kVA works at 250V max, with a PV power of 5800W.
With 500W solar panels (VOC =59V), you can only connect 4 units in serries (4×59=236V). That’s a total of 2000W per serry. To reach the maximum PV power of 5800W you’ll need 3 serries in parallel.
If you want to know more about solar panel wiring, we recommend our dedicated article.
Smart monitoring and programming
The best off-grid inverter must have a monitoring and programming app. You’ll be able to look at your daily production and consumption to optimize your system. In addition, you can program various functions to save energy.
Warranty
The best off-grid inverters are designed to work without interruption for years. Therefore, they have to be reliable and robust. Having a long-term warranty will protect you from any failure.
Sol-Ark and SolarEdge offer the longest warranty, between 10 and 25 years.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we introduced 9 best off-grid inverters from 1.3kW to 12kW.
They are all-in-one solutions which come prewired so that you only need to connect your solar panels and your battery bank to complete your system.
With the best off-grid inverters it is also easier for DIYers to build an off-grid system. For this type of project, we recommend the 3.5kW All-in-one Eco Worthy and the 6.5kW PHOCOS ANY-GRID PSW-H.
