Review of the LuxPower 5kW Inverter
LuxPower is an inverter brand that we are starting to hear more about but not with the same veracity that we hear Sunsynk or Deye being thrown around.
But it really should be.
Although the range isn’t as extensive as the Sunsynk range, the build quality and reliability of the LuxPower inverters easily rivals its peers. Having installed mostly 5kVA units, this review will focus on the experience of these installations.
LuxPower offers two options in the 5kVA range: ◦ The SNA5000 - Eco-Hybrid ◦ The LXP-5k - Hybrid
For more information on the different types of inverters (Grid-tied, Hybrid, off-Grid, see our Inverter Basics page).The major differences between the two are compared against one another below.
SNA5000 - Eco-Hybrid | LXP-5k - Hybrid | |
Warranty (installed with Hina battery) | 2.5 Years | 10 Years |
IP Rating | 20 | 65 |
Max Solar Input | 3200W | 8000W |
Cooling System | Fan | Convection |
Nominal AC Output Power | 5000W | 5000W |
UPS Output (battery only) | 5000W | 4000W |
Supplied with CT Clamp | No | Yes |
Dimensions | 330x504x135mm | 455x565x181mm |
Things that we love about the LuxPower inverters
- The ease of setting up the inverter settings - these can be done remotely and if there are any problems, your installer can check on your setup without coming to site unnecessarily. If he/she can’t figure it out, the distributor can check. If they can’t, then LuxPower themselves can have a look. It’s a tree!
- The look - it’s just coloured good old white - no garish colours to bring more attention to the addition to your wall.
- For the installer, the connectors are tough and good quality and give a good finish to the final look of the installation.
- The CT (LXP not SNA) allows you to monitor grid usage and also disallow export onto the grid (which is illegal in terms of safety - more on this here if you’re interested)
- You have price:warranty options:
- The price - if you pair the LXP with a LuxPower battery (Brand: HINA 5-ESS) you receive a 10 year warranty on both the battery and inverter. This all for less than what you can purchase equivalents for.
- The SNA is 2 thirds of the price but the warranty of both battery and inverter is reduced to 2.5 years.
- The LXP allows for 60% more Solar input than the advertised size of the inverter
- The after-sales support. MatSolo has met and is in contact with the LuxPower team regularly. There is a local repair centre which is always good for peace of mind
Things that need a bit more work:
- Setting up the app. It’s not 100% intuitive when setting it up, but once it is running, it’s actually easy to use with colours and graphics that are easy on the eye. You can monitor your usage and the source of that power easily. An example can be seen below - the blue line indicates the battery usage, red indicates the amount of energy draw from the grid, orange shows the consumption and green the amount of PV energy generated. With a decent equipment provider and installer the app setup would be done for you.
- The display screen on the inverter itself. The Sunsynk and Deye equivalents do have a better visual on the actual inverter. The flip side of that is that you don’t really need it as you can see all the info you need on your phone as long as the unit is connected to your home Wi-Fi.
- The SNA5000 does not come with a CT and so the information you are able to see about your consumption is limited.
MatSolo has chosen LuxPower brand for all of the above reasons. LuxPower seems to have found successfully found the balance between price, build quality and support and customer service.