Deye SUN-10K-G (10 kW) - single-phase grid-tie inverter

Ten kilowatts from a single phase: who this is for

The SUN-10K-G is the most powerful single-phase grid-tie inverter of the series, and it gets chosen where there is a large roof and genuine daytime consumption but no three-phase supply. Typical sites: a 200 to 300 m² house with air conditioners and a pool, a small hotel, a shop with refrigeration, a bakery, a car wash, a greenhouse operation with pumps. An array of up to 13 kW yields roughly 13 to 15 MWh a year at these latitudes, and if even two thirds of that energy is consumed on site the bill falls by an amount visible in the first month. One thing must be clear from the start, though: this model is grid-tie and supports no battery, so during an outage it shuts down with the grid and provides no backup. If both savings and autonomy are needed, the catalogue has the hybrid SUN-10K-SG02LP1-EU-AM3 (item 2059) at the same rating, but that adds a battery, a different power installation and a markedly higher system cost.

Two 26 A trackers and four strings

The input side carries two independent MPPTs, each with two strings, 26 A of operating current and 39 A of short-circuit current per tracker. That is fundamentally more freedom than the smaller models of the series offer: here two strings can be paralleled per input, because 26 A accommodates two lines of modern modules drawing 13 A each. Together that gives four strings and up to 13 kW of array against the inverter's 10 kW rating — a 30 % oversizing deliberately chosen for winter and overcast periods. The MPPT window is wider than on the hybrids: 70 to 500 V against a 550 V maximum with start-up from 80 V, so string lengths may differ while the inverter wakes early and runs until dusk. Planning is straightforward: two independent panel groups with different orientations, each holding one or two identical strings — and an array on a complex roof comes together without compromise.

45.5 A output: a dedicated circuit and an approved capacity

Rated output current is 45.5 A at 220 V and 43.5 A at 230 V with a 50 A maximum, so the connection calls for 10 mm² cable and a 50 A breaker. At this level it is worth checking not only the internal wiring but the service cable and the contracted capacity too: the inverter pushes up to ten kilowatts into the building, and if the service is limited to 32 A part of that power cannot reach the grid when there is a surplus. For a feed-in arrangement the generation capacity is approved separately by the network operator, and for ten kilowatts the procedure is more involved than for three: a design and a demarcation certificate are often required. Apparent power of 11 kW means brief output above the nameplate during the best hours, while harmonic distortion below 3 % keeps voltage quality in the building normal. The sealed IP65 output connector and the integrated DC isolator simplify installation, but the power side still has to be designed in advance.

97.7 % efficiency and ten kilowatts with no fan at all

Maximum efficiency here is 97.7 % with a European figure of 97.5 %, the highest in the series, and this is more than a number: at ten kilowatts half a percentage point means some 50 W less heat and correspondingly less housing temperature. It is precisely that efficiency which lets the inverter rely on natural convection — there is no fan in the design despite the power rating, and noise stays under 35 dB. For the site that means no maintenance: nothing to clean, nothing to replace, no component that will start whining in five years. Tracking efficiency exceeds 99 % and night-time consumption is under one watt. The flip side of passive cooling is sensitivity to the mounting location: the heatsink has to breathe, so 20 to 25 cm of clearance above and below is mandatory, and a south wall in direct sun costs output once +45 °C is passed.

Installation and operating conditions

The housing measures 330 by 410 by 198.5 mm and weighs 15.3 kg: compared with a hybrid of the same rating at over 35 kg that is very modest, and two people complete the mounting without special equipment. IP65 protection and humidity tolerance to 100 % non-condensing allow an external wall, often the simplest answer on a farm or utility building, though a shaded spot is always better. The operating temperature range is -25 to +65 °C with derating above +45 °C, and altitude up to 2000 m carries no restriction. Panels connect through MC4 connectors — eight pairs for four strings, so a cable tray or conduit is worth planning in advance so nothing hangs loose. The DC isolator is integrated and the input stage withstands short-circuit currents up to 39 A per tracker, so additional DC-side fuses are needed only where the design calls for them.

Monitoring, protection and documentation

Interfaces are RS485, RS232, Wi-Fi and LAN, all built in, plus an LCD 1602 display on the housing and a mobile app. On a system with 13 kW of panels monitoring is a tool rather than a luxury: four strings mean four possible places for a fault, and the per-tracker curves reveal a shortfall long before it shows up on the bill. The protection set is complete: earth-fault monitoring, grid parameter monitoring, DC reverse-polarity protection, short-circuit protection and type II surge arresters on the DC and AC sides. Certification covers IEC/EN 62109-1/2, IEC 61727, IEC 62116, VDE4105, VDE0126, AS4777.2 and CEI 0-21 — the list required for an official generation connection, without which the operator will not approve the scheme. The manufacturer warranty is five years, a reasonable term for a grid-tie inverter with no battery channel, because its duty cycle is even.

How it differs from its neighbours in this catalogue

Its nearest neighbour in the series is the SUN-5K-G (item 2086): the same principle and also two trackers, but rated 13 A with one string each, an array of up to 6.5 kW and 22.7 A of output current, meaning a 32 A circuit instead of 50. If the array does not exceed 6.5 kW, the five-kilowatt model is cheaper as a system and simpler to connect. For comparison with the hybrids, the SUN-10K-SG02LP1-EU-AM3 (item 2059) shares the rating but adds three MPPTs, 220 A of battery current, 35.6 kg of mass and operation without the grid — a different category of task and expense. With a three-phase supply, at this power level the sensible choice is a three-phase grid-tie unit such as the SUN-15K-G03 (item 2073) or the SUN-20K-G04 (item 2046): lower cable currents, balanced phase loading and higher efficiency, up to 98.6 %. Among single-phase grid-tie models this one is the upper limit, and it is picked precisely when there is one phase and a large roof.

Send us the roof area and layout along with your contracted capacity, and we will work out whether ten kilowatts can be fully used on your service connection.