LG adds 5kW hybrid inverter to home battery storage offering

A new solar inverter will hit the Australian market next month, with the addition of a 5kW hybrid unit to the RESU Home battery energy storage system line-up from Korea-based LG Energy Solution.

Available in Australia in November, the LGES-5048 is being pitched as a highly efficient AC- or DC-coupled inverter that, when paired with a battery, can deliver backup power to keep essential appliances running during grid interruptions or power outages.

LG says the RESU Home battery and LGES-5048 inverter paring allows up to 7.5kW of solar capacity for new systems and up to 7.5kW expansion of existing solar systems, including those installed on three phase power.

On the storage side, it can be paired with a range of LG’s RESU Home batteries – according to the website it can be used to “enhance and customise your solar system as you see fit” up to 23.4kWh.

The spec sheet lists the compatible batteries as the the RESU 6.5, 10, 12 and 13, with each RESU inverter able to connect up to two RESU battery units. And, in accordance with the new rules in South Australia, automated remote control functions can be added to the inverter’s functions.

Earlier this year, LG Energy Solution made some significant cuts to the Australian prices of the LG RESU home battery range, that in some cases promised to save consumers close to $A1000.

The newly spun-off and rebranded battery arm of Korean giant LG Chem in February announced that wholesale prices across the RESU range had been reduced by $A400 for the RESU6.5, $A691 for the RESU10, and $A883 for the RESU13.

As One Step reported at the time, those price cuts brought the cost of the RESU13, which is comparable in storage capacity to the 13.5kWh Powerwall 2, to below $8,000 before subsidies, not including installation.

According to Philip Crotty, LG Energy Solution’s general manager of residential, the inverter offering will help target what the company sees as a “clear trend” towards larger rooftop solar systems, as well as a shift to battery storage as feed-in tariffs are wound back.

“Exporting excess solar power is increasingly disallowed in some regions with high solar penetration and excess solar power …simply of higher value to the consumer than it is to the utilities,” Crotty said on Wednesday.

“These changes reduce the value proposition for solar PV-only and increase the value proposition of solar PV plus battery storage.

“This trend is only on the rise with the global pandemic igniting a worldwide stay home and work from home culture, with indoor activities increasing from video conferencing, streaming, chatting, and gaming,” he added.

LG is also hoping that customers will take up the “RESU Home” package of both battery and inverter, to take advantage of a unified solution from a sole provider – even if that provider has recently had some issues with recalls of some of its older home battery models.

“There is a trend towards larger capacity batteries and customers who want to leave open the possibility of expanding their batteries in the future. This is particularly notable for those who have already experienced the benefits of having batteries and want even more flexibility in their power system”, Crotty said.

Other key features of the inverter include a quiet fan-less design, 97% efficiency, the capability for remote upgrades, compatibility with Tigo Optimisers and a warranty of 10 years.

And while LG Energy Solution wasn’t forthcoming with a retail price for the inverter, a spokesperson did venture that it would be “very competitive.”