The online e-commerce portal is one of the key avenues to attain superior cost performance, and on Amazon Prime Day in 2024, the cost of Growatt SPH8000 (8kW) dropped to $1,299 (original price of $1,599). The actual 8kw hybrid solar inverter cost price is as low as $909 if combined with the 30% federal tax credit (ITC). Meanwhile, Alibaba International Station bulk buying (10 sets) can enjoy 17% off, sea LCL ($45 per cubic meter freight) to the West Coast of the United States, the price is 23% lower compared with local purchasing. In the European market, Germany’s EcoFlow website launched the “photovoltaic revitalization plan” during the energy crisis, and the SMA Sunny Boy 8.0 fell 12%, with the installation package price of just 2899 euros, 18% lower than the dealer price.
Local distributors’ promotion activities can not be ignored, in 2023, a California distributor and SunPower launched a “trade-in” policy, the former inverter can be up to 800 US dollars discounted, so that Huawei SUN2000-8KTL-M3 net cost pressure to 2640 US dollars (market cost of 3100 US dollars). Energy Matters Australia is offering a complimentary battery compatibility test with its summer sale (worth $450) and an additional 5-year extended warranty (save $600) with the purchase of the Fronius Symo 8.0-3-M. Due to tariff adjustment in the Southeast Asian market, the landed cost of the locally assembled Jin Lang Technology 8kW model (LHV-8000) in Vietnam dropped by 19%, and only 14.2 million Vietnamese dong (around $610), including installation fees, was quoted by a Hanoi dealer, which is still 28% below the cost of imported models.
The window of opportunity for energy policy is an appropriate moment for buying, with the EU’s “REPowerEU” 2024 strategy providing subsidies of up to €1,750 for 8kW installations and the actual buy price for Victron MultiPlus-II 8kVA reduced from €3,490 to €1,745 for consumers in Italy. Jakarta, Indonesia, launched the “Solar City” initiative during Q4 2023, providing a 21% VAT rebate on the purchase of locally accredited 8kW inverters (e.g., Delta Hybrid RPI-8K) that reduces the overall system price by 13.2%. In the United States, policies vary extensively between states, and Texas provides a $0.25 per watt subsidy for energy storage 8kW models (such as SolarEdge HD-Wave 8k) that reduce the cycle time to 4.1 years from 6.3 years upon stacking the federal ITC.
Direct cost reduction mode of supply chain, contacting direct head manufacturers in China (e.g., Gurewatt) OEM order, 100-unit initial price can be negotiated to 815 US dollars/unit (FOB Shenzhen), in contrast to retail price with 37% savings. Goodway launched a special 8kW version (high temperature resistant 55 ° C) for African distributors at the 2024 photovoltaic exhibition, and bulk buying of 50 units can be exempted from sea freight (save $85 per unit). According to the global price comparison tool, since the Turkish lira was devalued in the local market, the local brand 8kW inverter fluctuated by ±19%, reaching as low as $943 (tax included) in May 2024, being 31% lower than the global average price.
There is risk and reward in the secondary market, and the Enphase IQ8H 8kW product in the eBay Certified Refurbishment program can be had for $1,699 (down from $2,399), with a 72-hour load test (97.2% efficient) and a 1-year warranty. But be careful about the grey market: “parallel imported” 8kW units at (e.g., unlicensed SMA models) shops in the Mexican border city of Tijuana, although the cost is as low as 21,400 pesos ($1,170), lack of UL certification translates to insurance rejection rates of up to 43%. According to EnergySage, the second-hand inverter failure rate is 27% higher compared to new units, but when a third-party extended warranty service ($120 per year) is used, the total cost over five years is 18% lower than for new units.
In 2023, Sydney community lowered price of Fronius Primo 8.0 from $4,899 to $3,875 per unit through a mass tender (50 houses), and received free smart meter worth $650. In USA Solar United Neighbors cooperative model, the group buying price of 8kW system is 22% lower than retail, and also with free Internet connection application service (market value of $800). Penang Malaysian industrial park supplying Chinese factories on B2B platform, obtained 100 8kW orders in order to achieve FCA terms (factory delivery), saved logistics costs of 34%, and avoided 6% import tariffs.
Seasonal fluctuations affect demand and supply, northern Hemisphere winter (November – February) off-season for demand of photovoltaics, European distributors’ inventory days of up to 68 days, a Dutch supplier of Solis 8kW models to provide “buy inverter send monitoring module” activity (valued at 199 euros). Before and after the Chinese Spring Festival season (January to March), there was clearing stock by the manufacturers, and wholesale prices of 8kW hybrid cars on Alibaba’s platform 1688 fell below 7,000 yuan (roughly $965) temporarily, 21% lower than prices during peak selling season. Yet, one has to keep an eye on the chip supply chain risk: because of the shortage of silicon carbide MOSFETs in Q2 2024, the delivery cycle of high-end 8kW models has been pushed out to 11 weeks from 4 weeks, and the backwardation has increased to 15%-20%.