Compare like with like. Aligned scores, specifications and local evidence within one scoring class or tier.
Market context
Australia purchasing view
Sungrow | SH15T, SH20T and SH25T; scored model SH25T
77/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-08-30
Available in Australia · checked 2026-08-26
Buyer evidence: Ready (100% direct coverage).
AlphaESS | SMILE-M8-S-INV, SMILE-M9-S-INV and SMILE-M10-S-INV; scored M10 at 9.999 kW local rating
68/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-09-01
Available in Australia · checked 2026-08-27
Buyer evidence: Ready (100% direct coverage).
marks the better value on rows where a higher number is better. Temperature coefficient counts as higher when it is closer to zero. Size measures such as rated power carry no marker, because a larger product is a different choice rather than a better one.
| Measure | SH15T / SH20T / SH25T Three-Phase | SMILE-M-S Inverter |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | ||
| Design & Flexibility | ||
| Thermal & Physical Resilience | ||
| Features & Integration | ||
| Safety & Compliance | ||
| Guarantee & Backbone | ||
| Energy Ecosystem |
marks the better value on rows where a higher number is better. Temperature coefficient counts as higher when it is closer to zero. Size measures such as rated power carry no marker, because a larger product is a different choice rather than a better one.
| Measure | SH15T / SH20T / SH25T Three-Phase | SMILE-M-S Inverter |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Hybrid inverter | Hybrid inverter |
| Published rated AC power range | 15–25 kW | 8–9.999 kW |
| Scored benchmark | 25 kW | 9.999 kW |
| Power | 25.0 kW | 9.999 kW |
| Type | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Peak eff | 98.2 % (better value on this row) | 97.47 % |
| MPPTs | 3 | 4 (better value on this row) |
| Evidence | SH15T / SH20T / SH25T Three-Phase | SMILE-M-S Inverter |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Available in Australia | Available in Australia |
| Checked | 2026-08-26 | 2026-08-27 |
| Certifications | The current Australian regulator snapshot lists SH15T, SH20T and SH25T as three-phase multiple-mode PV and battery inverters through 18 April 2027., The exact sheet lists IEC/EN 62109 and AS/NZS 4777.2:2020 together with further national grid standards. | The current CER snapshot lists M8, M9 and M10, approved 7 July 2026 and expiring 7 July 2029. |
| Warranty scope | Sungrow Australia's Version 4.2 standard warranty explicitly names SH15T, SH20T and SH25T for ten years. | Australia; the exact SMILE-M-S inverter warranty provides ten years for the named M8, M9 and M10 family. |
| Warranty remedy | Sungrow may repair or replace an accepted defective product. | AlphaESS may repair, replace or otherwise settle an accepted claim under the governing terms. |
| Labour and reinstallation | A published service rebate contributes to approved replacement labour but does not promise every site cost. The service rebate contributes to replacement work; full removal and reinstallation cost is not unconditional. | Reasonable accepted claim costs may be covered, subject to authorization and installer participation. Full removal and reinstallation reimbursement is not promised unconditionally. |
| Freight | Standard freight is covered within the governing warranty limits. | Replacement-part freight is covered within the stated process; broader transport is not unconditional. |
| Transfer and registration | The remaining warranty transfers when original purchase evidence is available. Purchase evidence, exact product identity and the published claim process remain controlling; extensions have separate terms. | Coverage follows the product at the original installation site when the building changes ownership. Purchase, installation and claim evidence are required. |
| Grid/network approval evidence | Three-phase 220/380 V, 230/400 V or 240/415 V hybrid family with exact current Australian listings. DNSP settings and export limits remain installation-specific. | The exact model or family appears in the current Australian approved-inverter export. DNSP settings, export limits and site design remain installation-specific. |
| Local product pathway | No separate local pathway recorded | No separate local pathway recorded |
| Buyer evidence | Ready (100% direct coverage): Local availability, buyer evidence, and the publication threshold are confirmed. | Ready (100% direct coverage): Local availability, buyer evidence, and the publication threshold are confirmed. |
| Safety notice | No model-specific notice recorded | No model-specific notice recorded |
| Review note | Only SH15T, SH20T and SH25T are included. Smaller SHT models remain separate records; no combined-system pairing recommendation is published. | This is the inverter layer only. Existing AlphaESS battery records remain separate, and no product-pair recommendation is published. |
| Register: parts term | Not in the structured register | Not in the structured register |
| Register: labour and service | Not in the structured register | Not in the structured register |
| Register: transport and freight | Not in the structured register | Not in the structured register |
| Register: registration | Not in the structured register | Not in the structured register |
| Register: transferability | Not in the structured register | Not in the structured register |
| Register: explicit unknowns | Not in the structured register | Not in the structured register |
| Latest reviewed Approval Watch event | No exact-identity event in reviewed history | No exact-identity event in reviewed history |
| Sources | Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5 | Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5 |
These checks sit beside the benchmark score. They are site, tariff and contract questions that no product score can settle.
Ask for every model number to appear on the quote and order. The Clean Energy Council product lists are live: STC creation requires listed products at installation, and network requirements may also depend on current approval.
Have the retailer state the supply phase, inverter connection limit, export limit and any export-control cost. The local network connection agreement, not a generic datasheet, determines those settings. See the Australian Government's connection guidance.
Ask which bills or interval data, tariff, feed-in rate, export limit and future loads support the savings and payback claim. Self-consumed electricity and tariff timing usually matter more than a headline feed-in rate. See the system sizing and battery savings guidance.
Confirm the proposed inverter phase, PV input design, battery pairing and export-control configuration against the final connection agreement. A suitable product can still require a different site design or control setting.
Keep the retailer, installer, manufacturer warranty and escalation path in the contract. Australian Consumer Law guarantees apply separately from any manufacturer warranty; where one business supplied both product and installation, it is generally responsible for the remedy. See the ACCC guidance.
A score lead is only meaningful inside this shared class or tier. Weigh it against the specification and evidence rows above before deciding.
Both products are scored in the Inverter class, on the same rubric weighting. Scores are not comparable across classes or tiers. Full methodology.