Compare like with like. Aligned scores, specifications and local evidence within one scoring class or tier.
Market context
Australia purchasing view
Sungrow | SH5T / SH10T; scored model SH10T
82/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-09-02
Available in Australia · checked 2026-10-07
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
66/ 100
Strong evidence coverage · 100%
Evidence checked 2026-09-01
Available in Australia · checked 2026-08-27
Buyer evidence: Ready (100% direct coverage).
Full scorecardmarks 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 | SH5T / SH10T 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 | SH5T / SH10T Three-Phase | SMILE-M-S Inverter |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Hybrid inverter | Hybrid inverter |
| Published rated AC power range | 5–10 kW | 8–9.999 kW |
| Scored benchmark | 9.999 kW | 9.999 kW |
| Power | 9.999 kW | 9.999 kW |
| Type | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Peak eff | 98.0 % (better value on this row) | 97.47 % |
| MPPTs | 2 | 4 (better value on this row) |
| Evidence | SH5T / SH10T Three-Phase | SMILE-M-S Inverter |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome | Available in Australia | Available in Australia |
| Checked | 2026-10-07 | 2026-08-27 |
| Certifications | The Australian approved-inverter list (regulator export dated 24 September 2026) names SH5T and SH10T in its Residential series with the (AS4777-2 2020) suffix, approved 14 August 2024 and expiring 14 August 2027. Certificate SGS/230890 was recorded from the list on 2 August 2026; the export carries no certificate column, so the identifier was not re-read on 7 October 2026., The exact datasheet lists AS/NZS 4777.2:2020, IEC/EN 62109, EN 50549-1, VDE-AR-N 4105 and 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 current 10-year standard warranty terms (published file V4.32, footer V4.31_202510, October 2025) explicitly name SH5T and SH10T for a 10-year term from installation, capped at 11 years from manufacture. The standard remedy includes repair or replacement, standard freight up to a stated cap and a published service rebate rather than an unlimited promise to meet every site cost. | Australia; the exact SMILE-M-S inverter warranty provides ten years for the named M8, M9 and M10 family. |
| Warranty remedy | Repair or replacement at Sungrow's discretion for an approved claim. | AlphaESS may repair, replace or otherwise settle an accepted claim under the governing terms. |
| Labour and reinstallation | The standard service rebate contributes to approved replacement labour but does not promise all site costs. 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 | Sungrow covers outbound and inbound standard ground transport up to a total of $200; costs above that cap, and the cost of any other transport mode the claimant requests, are borne by the claimant. | 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. Optional parts-only or standard-warranty extensions are governed by the separate published extension 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 Australian approved-list entries. DNSP settings, export limits and phase-balance requirements 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 SH5T and SH10T are included. The broader manual also names SH6T, SH8T and SH12T, but those models are excluded because they were not present in the current Australian approved-inverter result checked for this migration. | This is the inverter layer only. Existing AlphaESS battery records remain separate, and no product-pair recommendation is published. The exact M8/M9/M10 inverter manual specifies Smart Fan Cooling, with noise below 45 dB(A) at 1 m. These models are not documented as fanless; natural cooling in the same manual applies to the separate lower-power M5/M3.6/M5-B models. |
| Register: parts term | stated: Ten-year materials and workmanship warranty for SH5T and SH10T. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: labour and service | conditional: A standard service rebate may contribute to installer replacement labour. Travel, subsistence and general on-site installation, modification and maintenance costs are excluded. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: transport and freight | conditional: Standard ground freight is covered up to AUD 200 in total for an approved claim; excess and alternate transport are borne by the claimant. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: registration | not stated: No standard product registration condition is stated. Purchased extensions are subject to separate terms. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: transferability | stated: The warranty is transferable when original purchase proof is available. | Not in the structured register |
| Register: explicit unknowns | 2 retained | 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 5Source 6 | 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.