Growatt MIN 4200TL-XH hybrid

The Growatt MIN 4200TL-XH is a single-phase hybrid inverter that excels with good value for money. This inverter is perfect for solar panels on a private home.

The inverter has 2MPP trackers. So 2 ‘strings’ connected in series can be connected, which do not affect each other in case of shading, for example. Ideal if, for example, the lower half of the roof gets sun later than the upper half, or if, for example, there is shadowing only on one half of the roof. So you can connect 2 strings of at least 100 volts to this Growatt inverter, of up to 8400 watt peak collectively. If the solar panels are producing at their maximum, and a battery is connected to the inverter, and the battery still has room to be charged, the inverter can supply a maximum of 4200 watts to the grid, and simultaneously supply 4200 watts to the battery. This is called Dual Power Function.

The inverter uses natural convection cooling, so no fans are needed and the system operates silently. Moreover, the Growatt 4200TL-XH is transformerless, reducing energy losses and maximising efficiency.

The fact that the inverter is hybrid means that a home battery can be connected to it if necessary. The suitable battery for the Growatt MIN 4200TL-XH is the Growatt ARK High voltage set for XH, with a capacity ranging from 5.12 to 25.6 kWh. An APX battery system can probably also be chosen eventually. A dedicated BMS will be released for that. In addition, the software of the MIN 4200TL-XH inverter will have to be updated.

Note that you also need a Growatt Smart meter 1-phase or the Growatt Smart meter 3-phase to control the battery properly. You place this energy meter at the very beginning of your meter box, so that all incoming and outgoing energy of your entire house can be measured. You connect it with a data cable to the Growatt 4200TL-XH hybrid inverter so it knows when to charge or discharge the battery. The energy meter also allows you to limit exports. That way, more inverter power can be connected to a grid connection without affecting the main fuse. This battery-ready inverter can also be used as a battery inverter. In that case, you only connect batteries to the inverter and no solar panels. To monitor the yield of the solar panels from another brand of inverter, an additional Growatt 1-phase smart meter is required.

If you also want to use the backup function, you will also need the Growatt backup box for MIN XH inverters. This EPS (Emergency Power Supply) function switches less quickly than the Growatt SPH4000 hybrid inverter, so you will notice something in the event of a power failure. Because the inverter is transformerless, it is not recommended to connect any appliances with an electric motor to the emergency supply. Examples of such appliances are refrigerators, freezers, compressors, drills and washing machines. Still, it’s a nice idea that your lights and, for example, computer can work as usual when the power is out in the street. The standby consumption of this inverter is about 10 watts per hour.

Different priorities can be indicated in the Growatt MIN XH inverters. Switching between these modes can be based on preset time schedules. So it is not a completely dynamic system based on power prices.

1. Load first: This mode ensures that produced solar power is sent to consumers in the home first. The excess power generated is used to charge the battery. When the battery is full, the remainder is fed back into the grid.
2. Battery first: With the solar power generated, the battery is charged first. If this is successful, the rest can be fed to the consumers in the house. If any power is left over, it is fed back into the grid.
3. Grid first: This setting ensures that all the power generated is fed directly into the grid.

Growatt has its own monitoring platform. If you want to use this, order a monitoring module with it. Using a Wifi-X, LAN-X or Shinelink-X dongle, you can establish a connection between the inverter and the internet, allowing you to remotely view the performance of your solar panels on your computer, tablet or phone. No connection for a while? No problem at all. The dongle has a large memory, and as soon as the module can connect again, all the information is neatly transmitted and converted into a graph.

Growatt offers a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty on the Growatt 4200TL-XH hybrid inverter.

Also click on the datasheet for more information, or visit Growatt’s website.