iStore Solar Inverters

iStore is an Australian brand owned by Solargain Pty Ltd, a Western Australian company based in Malaga, near Perth, that has traded since 2009. It made its name with heat pump hot water systems built to its own specifications and sold through representatives in most Australian states.

In 2023 iStore added hybrid solar inverters and home batteries to its line-up, alongside pool heaters and EV chargers, so that one Australian company can supply the whole home energy package. According to the Australian consumer site Solar Choice, the inverters and batteries are manufactured by Huawei.

iStore inverter range

The range is named plainly: IS-HYB for hybrid, then the power in watts and the phase. Single-phase IS-HYB models run from 5 to 10 kW, including the 5000HC version with three trackers, and three-phase models from 5 to 25 kW. The IS-INV 29900 and 40000 are three-phase inverters for small businesses and large homes.

The electrical specifications line up closely with Huawei’s SUN2000 residential inverters of the same sizes, which is useful if you are comparing datasheets or looking for installer experience with the platform.

What iStore is known for

An Australian company in front of Huawei hardware. Owners deal with a local support team rather than an overseas manufacturer, and can buy inverter, battery, heat pump and EV charger from one brand. The trade-off is that iStore is mainly an Australian proposition, and its inverters are much newer than its hot water systems.

Matching panels to an iStore inverter

Check the current rating first, because it differs sharply between models of the same size. The IS-HYB-5000-1PH and 6000-1PH take only 12.5 A per tracker, and the 5 and 6 kW three-phase models 13.5 A. Most 440 W and larger panels with 182 mm or 210 mm cells operate at 13–18 A, so on those models some power is clipped. The 5000HC, 8000 and 10000 single-phase models take 16 A, and the 10–25 kW three-phase models 30 A.

Voltage is straightforward: single-phase models accept 600 V and three-phase models 1,100 V. Most of Australia has mild winters, but inland and alpine sites still see frost, and a string’s open-circuit voltage rises as it gets colder. Run your panel through the string calculator with the exact iStore model to check cold-weather voltage, the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) window and per-tracker current.