In 2024 Huawei solar inverters and batteries sold in Australia will split into two brands.
Inverters above 40kW will remain as Huawei branded products.
Inverters 40kW or less, and batteries are now re-branded as 'iStore'.
Huawei will remain in Australia to supply and service existing and new major contracts for solar farms/industrial.
They will also retain a few staff in Australia to service the existing residential customer base until at least 2034.
The international 24x7 support centre that currently handles warranties on Huawei solar products will continue unchanged.
Who are iStore?
iStore are an Australian company who for the past ten years or more have been wholesaling heat pump hot water systems.
in 2024, they added solar inverters and batteries to their product range under an OEM agreement with Huawei.
iStore have designed their own installer app (HiSolar) and end user app (Univers EMS) for these solar products.
iStore are also providing all the iStore solar and battery warranties and support.
They have even partially increased the inverter defect warranty from Huawei's 10 years to iStore's 12 years.
For those people who already have a Huawei hybrid inverter, I have great news...
The iStore battery works perfectly with your inverter !
We installed our first iStore 10kWh battery to a Huawei 6kW inverter in Jan 2024.
iStore solar products
It's really no more than a label change.
Whatever Huawei develop and release for the World, the company behind iStore will import and distribute in Australia.
That is, as previously mentioned, as long as it's 40kW or less.
Solargain will no doubt be iStore's best customer, but there again, they were also Huawei's best customer to date too.
As a competitor to Solargain, we are pleased to see that we, and all other retailers of iStore, will be on the same footing as Solargain.
The iStore line-up of products that we know about are as follows:
5kW, 6kW, 8kW and 10kW single phase hybrid inverters (hybrid means solar + battery).
5kW, 6kW, 8kW, 10kW, 12kW, 15kW, 17kW, 20kW and 25kW hybrid three phase inverters.
Note:- Initially 5kW and 6kW single and three phase hybrids only. Larger models to follow subject to regulatory aproval.
We understand that the existing 'Luna' (5-30kWh) battery that connects to the existing 5kW and 6kW inverters will remain for some time.
In addition, a new and larger capacity battery (7-84kWh) will arrive.
How long both run in tandem for is unknown as it doesn't make a lot of sense to have two different batteries.
Both batteries use LFP cells, are parallel connected, with optimisers and fire extinguishers inside. Very popular features.
Optimsers, EV Chargers, a new consumption meter that allows loads to be turned on and off remotely are part of the product mix.
I'm assured that all of these new products will be on show at the All Energy Conference in Melbourne, 25th-26th October.
I'm also told that the Huawei stand which usually dominates all of these conferences will be split. Huawei on one side, iStore on the other.
I'm going to the conference so I'll take some pictures and update this page.
Are Huawei using OEM agreements like this already, elsewhere?
Yes. One of the largest Brazilian solar companies, WEG is selling Huawei solar products under their own label.
It's also happening in some countries in Europe.
It's also possible that Huawei will use OEM to get their solar products back into the USA.
When will this move to OEM and iStore occur?
There's a lot that needs to be established, and it's been going on through all of 2023.
All of the existing and new products have to be approved with the Clean Energy Council as iStore.
That takes a lot of time (and money).
Huawei stock in wholesaler and retailer warehouses has to be run out as well.
Best estimates are that iStore branded product will start selling in early 2024.
Who will provide support and warranty for iStore branded Huawei products?
Huawei will manufacture their products and label them as iStore.
The Australian company behind iStore will import them into Australia.
That Australian company will be responsible for warranty and support, not Huawei.
What is the warranty on iStore products?
iStore will be purchasing from Huawei and receiving a warranty on the products from Huawei.
It's logical therefore that whatever warranty Huawei provide iStore, iStore will offer to retailers/installers.
The retailers/installers will then offer this warranty to their customers.
Based on a recent Huawei presentation about their new product range, that will soon be iStore in Australia, warranties are:
Solar inverters - 10 years parts AND labour.
Battery (the new 7/14/21kWh model) - 15 years parts and labour defect warranty and a 15 year or 12,000 cycle to 60% output warranty.
(If you cycled the battery fully twice a day, 12,000 cycles = 16.43 years).
Optimisers - 25 years
New consumption meter - Unknown at this time.
Smart EV Charger - Unknown at this time.
How will existing Huawei solar users be impacted?
We have been installing Huawei inverters and more recently batteries on a daily basis for the past five years.
The answer to this question therefore is very important for us indeed.
Under Australian Consumer Law, the retailer is responsible for all warranties.
If Huawei ran away and iStore didn't want a bar of the existing customer base, we would, to be frank, be stuffed.
I'm relieved that Huawei are staying in Australia to support the installed base. Very relieved.
I foresee only one problem and that is to do with batteries.
The new batteries aren't physically the same size as the existing ones so they can't be added to an existing stack.
If an existing Huawei inverter user doesn't have a battery, then when they want one, they can simply buy the new battery. Easy.
In fact the required firmware upgrade (SPC 157) for existing L1 and M1 Huawei inverters to work with the new battery is already available.
It's probable, as Huawei's batteries are parallel connected, not series, that we may be able to have a stack of old and a stack of new next to each other.
At this time though, I don't have all the answers, but that's really my only concern for our installed base.
I can't solve it by buying a bunch of the existing batteries and storing them until people want one.
They would be dead sitting uncharged in the warehouse within 18 months.
Most likely there will come a time when deals are made and people are offered a 'last chance to add more batteries to your stack'.
Is that really any different to what happens to any brand when one battery supersedes another?
Solar4Ever is a Perth, Western Australian solar retailer & installer established in 2011.
Huawei have been our most successful brand since they released their residential inverters in Jan 2018.
Whilst we also install many other brands including Fronius, Sungrow, GE/Goodwe, Growatt etc, we are heavily invested in Huawei.
We are keen that Huawei solar products continue to come to Australia as they are without question, excellent.
If they are labeled iStore, then I really don't think that makes very much difference to us or to many others.
All I care about is how reliable and good the product is at filling client needs and not what name is on a label.
If you have any questions please email andrew@solar4ever.com.au.
If you are in Perth, WA and are looking for a solar quotation, please visit our website, www.solar4ever.com.au.
Update. 02/10/23.
A press release on the iStore website has just been posted.
I'm told that this is not the final iStore website and the new company behind iStore PV will be putting up a new site in due course.
Andrew MacKeith
Solar4Ever service manager, Perth WA.
www.solar4ever.com.au