Solis (Ginlong) Inverters: S5, S6 and Hybrid Models

What it is and where it is used

Solis is the inverter brand of Ginlong Technologies. Its catalog is split into grid-tie inverters (single-phase and three-phase; residential, commercial and industrial, and utility-scale) and hybrid and storage inverters (low-voltage and high-voltage battery, single-phase, three-phase and AC-coupled). The series include S5 and S6.

In a press release of 9 September 2022, Solis announced its partnership with Solaire Energía Renovable in Colombia and its participation in ExpoSolar Colombia, where it showed the S6-EH1P(3.8-11.4)K-H-US hybrid and a 255 kW inverter for solar farms. It is a release from the brand itself; current distributors are confirmed with the brand.

Other string and hybrid inverter brands with their own guide: Deye hybrid inverters, Fronius inverters, Growatt inverters and Chint Power CPS inverters.

Microinverter guides are also available for the Enphase IQ8 microinverters and Hoymiles microinverters.

Variants: S5, S6 and the S6-EH hybrids

There are also 30 kW and 60 kW inverters at 208 V AC, utility-scale inverters and AC-coupled units. The current list is on the Solis website, which differs by country.

Main characteristics

• S6-EH3P(5-12)K-H. Solis advertises grid-to-backup transfer in under 10 ms and unbalanced three-phase output (each phase up to 50% of rated power). It advertises 160% overload for 60 s in off-grid mode for motor starting. It includes a generator input, an IP66 enclosure rating and readiness for virtual power plants (VPP).
• Low-voltage hybrids. The low-voltage version uses 48 V batteries, intended for large residential installations.
• S5. Wide input voltage range, low start-up voltage and string current of up to 16 A.
• Coupling. The hybrids allow an existing PV inverter to be connected on the AC side, with export control.

Communications and integration

The inverters are monitored on the SolisCloud platform, with proprietary communication modules. The detail of the ports (Wi-Fi, RS485, CAN) depends on the series and is in the manual, not on the product page. For installations with a meter for export control, Solis publishes a compatibility guide of meters and current transformers by model, which should be checked before buying the meter.

For commercial and utility-scale plants with a plant controller, SCADA integration goes through the solar plant controller (PPC).

Frequently asked technical questions

• Manual for a Solis S6 or S5: Solis publishes manuals and guides in its service center. Use the one for your model and firmware.
• Compatible meter and CTs: Solis maintains a compatibility guide of meters and current transformers for export control.
• Grid code configuration: the installer loads the grid standard according to the country and the utility; the setting for a project with its own interconnection protection is defined by the study.
• Disconnects from the grid: it may be a protection of the inverter itself or of the point of connection.

What to verify before connecting it

• Capacity and application process. The threshold between small-scale self-generation and a larger plant, and the requirements that go with each, are set by the local code and the utility. The power that counts is that of the inverter, not that of the panels.
• Loaded grid code. The inverter ships with a grid standard that must match what the utility requires. The S6 hybrids carry several; the installer loads the correct one and documents it.
• Export control. If the utility limits injection, the inverter needs the meter and current transformers from Solis’s compatibility list, installed at the point of connection; the requirements of the revenue meter are covered in bidirectional meter for small-scale self-generation.
• PV array. The relationship between array power and inverter power is set by the DC/AC ratio and the clipping the owner accepts; the DC side follows the local wiring code.
• Anti-islanding. The inverters have their own islanding detection; the utility may also ask for a protection at the point of connection. In medium and large plants, the utility’s requirements set which one is accepted.
• Battery. On a hybrid, ask for the list of approved batteries for the model and confirm the communication protocol before buying one.

What comes after choosing the inverter

Once the model is defined, the project work moves to the point of connection: the service entrance, the meter, the protections and the application with the utility. In installations with several inverters in parallel, such as the six S6-EH units that Solis supports, the protection is defined for the whole group and not per unit. The voltage and frequency settings the utility accepts are confirmed in writing before commissioning, and the test report is kept as part of the installation documentation.

How we help

Our work on an installation with Solis inverters is the grid connection: interconnection studies, protection of the point of connection and its commissioning. Studies and design are done remotely, for any country; field work is done in Colombia, or elsewhere on request. For commercial or utility-scale plants, solar plant commissioning covers transformer stations, the substation and the protections. To define the connection of your project, see grid interconnection studies. Write to us through contact.

Related guides

• Bidirectional meter for small-scale self-generation: requirements and class

References

• Solis (Ginlong), worldwide inverter catalog, S5 and S6-EH3P series pages, meter compatibility guide and the press release “Solis endorses commitment to energy transformation in Colombia” (September 2022).
• IEC 62109-1 and 62109-2; IEC 62116.

Frequently asked questions