50 kW Hybrid Inverter with 100 kWh Battery Storage

A factory-floor starter system: one 50 kW hybrid inverter, one 100 kWh or 120 kWh LFP cabinet, and 50–100 kWp of rooftop PV. Grid-tied with anti-backflow, island-capable, and able to take a diesel genset as a fourth source.

Hybrid inverter: 50 kW; Growatt hybrid, four-port
Battery energy: 100 / 120 kWh; 5–6 clusters × 20.1 kWh
PV window: 50–100 kWp; DC-coupled, one inverter
Cycle life: 6,000–8,000; to 80% SoH, 80% DoD

C&I System · Entry tier

System overview

This is the smallest system in the DLXN C&I range, and for a lot of factories, workshops and cold stores it is the only one that makes sense. A 50 kW hybrid inverter sits at the centre of the plant, a single 100 kWh or 120 kWh battery cabinet hangs off its DC bus, and between 50 and 100 kWp of PV feeds the same inverter through its MPPT inputs. Everything the site consumes during the day is served first from PV, then from the battery, then from the grid — in that order — and the inverter decides the split several thousand times a second.

The sizing logic is deliberately conservative. A 50 kW inverter suits a site whose daytime load sits somewhere between 35 and 70 kW, with peaks that touch 90–110 kW for an hour or two a day. The 100 kWh cabinet gives 90 kWh of usable energy at 90% depth of discharge, which is roughly two and a half hours of full-power discharge — enough to walk a site through the evening peak tariff window, or to carry the critical load panel through a two-hour outage without starting the generator.

What makes this configuration different from a stack of separate boxes is that the inverter treats the battery, the PV array and the generator as managed sources rather than as independent equipment. The battery is not a UPS bolted onto the wall; it is scheduled. On a good solar day the cabinet is full by early afternoon and the inverter holds it there, waiting for the tariff window rather than cycling it for no reason. When the generator runs, the inverter can use it to charge the battery at a controlled rate instead of letting the genset idle at 20% load, which is where diesel sets burn the most fuel per kWh delivered.

The hardware here is not generic. The inverter is a Growatt 50 kW export-model hybrid unit — third-party equipment that we configure, wire and commission — and the battery is our own LiFePO4 build: 64 V / 314 Ah clusters, of which five give roughly 100 kWh and six give roughly 120 kWh. The PV side is built from 710 W modules, so 50 kWp is about 70 panels and 100 kWp about 140. Those are the numbers a buyer can check with a calculator, and the arithmetic is shown on this page rather than buried in a specification table.

System configuration

Nominal values as ordered. Where a value depends on the manufacturer datasheet that has not been released yet, the row says so rather than offering an estimate.

Parameter	Value
Hybrid inverter	Growatt 50 kW hybrid, three-phase (export model) — system configured with a Growatt hybrid inverter
Battery energy (nominal)	100 kWh (5 clusters) or 120 kWh (6 clusters)
Battery cluster	64 V / 314 Ah — 64 × 314 = 20.1 kWh per cluster
Battery cells	314 Ah LiFePO4 (LFP), aluminium-shell prismatic
Usable energy at 90% DoD	90 kWh (100 kWh frame) / 108 kWh (120 kWh frame)
Cycle life	6,000–8,000 cycles to 80% state of health
PV input window	50–100 kWp DC-coupled — 710 W modules, ≈70 panels at 50 kWp and ≈140 at 100 kWp
Enclosure	IP55, C3 anti-corrosion coating
Fire suppression	Aerosol, pack-level release with thermal-runaway detection
Inverter efficiency, dimensions, weight	Specifications available on request (Growatt document set)
Operating modes	Grid-tied with anti-backflow, off-grid island, genset-supported
Grid interface	Three-phase 400 V, 50/60 Hz; step-up transformer advised where the site is on MV
Switchgear	AC breaker at 1.25× inverter rated current, DC isolator, Type 2 SPD — quoted separately
Monitoring	CAN/RS485 to inverter; Ethernet or 4G uplink to DLXN-IOT — available on request
Certification	IEC 62619, UN38.3, GB/T 36276-2023
Dimensions and weight	Specifications available on request

Where the numbers come from

64 V × 314 Ah = 20,096 Wh = 20.1 kWh per cluster
5 clusters × 20.1 kWh = 100.5 kWh → ordered and sold as 100 kWh
6 clusters × 20.1 kWh = 120.6 kWh → ordered and sold as 120 kWh
710 W module: 50,000 W ÷ 710 W = 70.4 → 70 modules for 50 kWp
710 W module: 100,000 W ÷ 710 W = 140.8 → 140 modules for 100 kWp

The inverter is Growatt equipment, not ours; the battery clusters are DLXN-built. Efficiency, dimensions and weight are marked "available on request" because we will not publish a third-party number we have not seen on the current document set — ask for it and it ships with the quotation.

Connection topology

The topology is a single AC bus with one four-port power conversion unit at its centre. On the DC side the inverter has two independent inputs: one MPPT tracker set for the PV array, and one battery port that talks to the cabinet BMS over CAN. On the AC side it has a grid port and a generator port, plus the load output. That is the whole architecture — there is no separate PV inverter, no separate battery inverter and no external transfer switch between PV and battery.

Everything that matters for grid compliance happens at the point of common coupling. A CT clamp or a revenue meter sits on the incoming service, and the inverter reads it continuously. If the site is approved for export, the inverter exports up to the approved limit. If it is not — which is the normal case for a factory in Lagos or a warehouse in Cebu — the export setpoint is zero and the inverter curtails PV or diverts surplus into the battery rather than pushing it upstream.

The generator port is what separates this from a plain grid-tied hybrid. The genset is treated as a voltage source the inverter can synchronise to, not as a replacement for the grid. That means the site can run PV and diesel at the same time, with the inverter holding the genset at a stable load instead of letting it swing, and it means the battery can be recharged from the genset at a rate we set rather than at whatever the charger happens to deliver.

Single-line flow

PV array → DC combiner + isolator + Type 2 SPD → hybrid inverter [PV | battery | grid | genset] → AC distribution → loads / PCC meter → utility

1. PV array — 50 to 100 kWp
Modules on rooftop rails or carport structure, string length set against the inverter MPPT window during design. DC cable sizing keeps voltage drop under 1.5% from the farthest string to the combiner.
2. DC combiner, isolator and surge protection
String fuses or breakers per input, a lockable DC isolator at the inverter, and a Type 2 DC surge arrester bonded to the array frame. This is the disconnect point for array maintenance.
3. Hybrid inverter — four ports
PV on the MPPT input, battery on the DC bus, grid on the AC grid port, genset on the AC generator port. The inverter decides, per moment, whether energy flows to load, battery, grid or curtailment.
4. Battery cabinet and BMS
100 or 120 kWh of 314 Ah LFP cells with a pack-level BMS reporting SOC, SOH, cell voltages and temperatures to the inverter over CAN. Aerosol suppression is triggered by the cabinet, independent of the inverter.
5. AC distribution and essential-loads panel
Main breaker sized at 1.25× the inverter rated current, then either a whole-site connection or a split board where only the critical circuits — compressors, cold room, IT, pumps — sit behind the inverter.
6. Metering and point of common coupling
Bidirectional meter plus CT at the service entrance. This is the sensor that makes zero-export and peak shaving possible; without it the inverter is running blind.
7. Genset interface and ATS
Generator contactor or ATS with a dry-contact start signal from the inverter. The inverter can start the genset on low SOC or on grid failure, run it at a stable load, and stop it when the battery can carry the site again.

Operating modes: export, islanding, genset

Grid-tied with anti-backflow

PV serves load first, surplus charges the battery, and only what remains is exported — up to the approved limit, or not at all if the connection is zero-export. On a zero-export site the inverter holds output at the setpoint by ramping PV and absorbing the difference into the battery; if the battery is full it curtails. Peak shaving discharges the battery during the tariff window and recharges it in the cheap window or from the next morning PV.

Off-grid island

On grid loss the inverter opens the grid contactor and forms its own voltage and frequency reference on the load port. Transfer is a break-and-make, not a seamless UPS transfer, so downstream equipment sees a short interruption — anything that must ride through needs its own UPS. The generator port stays available inside the island, so a long outage escalates from battery to genset automatically.

Genset-supported running

The genset can run in parallel with PV and battery. The inverter limits how much of the genset capacity is used, keeps the set above its minimum stable load, and routes surplus genset output into battery charging. This is the mode that cuts diesel hours: the set runs at 70–80% load for two hours instead of idling at 25% for six.

Generation estimate

Design point: 80 kWp design point (mid-window), at a performance ratio of 0.80.

Yield is calculated from global horizontal irradiation at the three markets we ship to most, with a performance ratio of 0.80 to account for temperature derating, inverter conversion losses, cabling and soiling between cleans. That gives 4.40, 4.00 and 3.60 kWh per kWp per day for South Africa, Nigeria and the Philippines respectively — realistic first-year numbers for a well-installed rooftop array, not a laboratory figure. At 80 kWp the array is 113 panels of 710 W.

The design point below is 80 kWp, the middle of the 50–100 kWp window, because that is the array most sites with a 50 kW inverter can actually fit. Lower the array to 50 kWp and the annual figures fall by roughly 37%; take it to the full 100 kWp and they rise by 25%, though the inverter will clip around midday in summer, so the last 15 kWp of array earns less than the first.

Market	Irradiation	Specific yield	Daily	Annual (year 1)
South Africa	5.5 kWh/m²/day	4.40 kWh/kWp	352 kWh/day	128,480 kWh/yr
Nigeria	5.0 kWh/m²/day	4.00 kWh/kWp	320 kWh/day	116,800 kWh/yr
Philippines	4.5 kWh/m²/day	3.60 kWh/kWp	288 kWh/day	105,120 kWh/yr

First-year figures at 80 kWp; expect 0.5–0.7% annual module degradation and a 3–5% loss in year one from soiling if the array is cleaned twice a year.
Not all of this generation reaches the battery. Direct daytime consumption usually absorbs 55–70% of PV output; the surplus that can be stored is capped by the 90–108 kWh usable battery capacity.
Clipping: above roughly 85 kWp the inverter limits midday output on the clearest days. Size the array for annual energy, not for the peak hour.
Shading, tilt and azimuth move these numbers more than the module brand does — a north-facing 25° array in Gauteng and a flat-mounted one on the same roof can differ by 8%.

Arbitrage and demand savings

Peak-valley arbitrage is the simplest revenue line to model because it does not depend on how the site behaves — it depends only on usable energy, the tariff spread and how many cycles the battery runs. We deliberately do not put a currency figure on the spread here: the tariff is yours, it changes, and a number invented in a brochure is worse than no number at all.

The formula below takes your own spread and your own cycle count. The sensitivity rows show what each 5 US cents of spread is worth on this cabinet, so you can price your own tariff against it in a single multiplication.

Formula — based on local tariff

Annual arbitrage value = C_usable (kWh) × Δtariff (USD/kWh) × N_cycles per year

Usable energy at 90% DoD: 90 kWh (100 kWh frame) / 108 kWh (120 kWh frame)
Value per cycle at USD 0.05/kWh spread: USD 4.50 (100 kWh) / USD 5.40 (120 kWh)
Annual value at 330 cycles, USD 0.05 spread: USD 1,485 (100 kWh) / USD 1,782 (120 kWh)
Annual value at 330 cycles, USD 0.10 spread: USD 2,970 (100 kWh) / USD 3,564 (120 kWh)
Demand-charge saving (separate formula): ΔkW × demand charge (USD/kW/month) × 12

Δtariff is your own peak minus off-peak price, based on local tariff. The figures above are sensitivities, not a forecast.
330 cycles a year assumes one cycle on each working day plus a partial weekend cycle; a two-shift site with a long evening peak often reaches 350.
Round-trip efficiency of 0.85–0.90 means roughly 10–15% more energy goes in than comes out, so the effective spread is slightly below the meter-to-meter figure.
Demand-charge savings are usually larger than arbitrage on African and Philippine industrial tariffs, but they depend on how the utility sets the billing peak — check whether it is a 15, 30 or 60-minute interval.

What it solves

Five situations account for most of the 50 kW systems we quote. They are not marketing scenarios — each one changes how the inverter is configured, so tell us which of them you are actually in.

Factory peak shaving

A plant whose load climbs above its contracted capacity for an hour each morning and again at shift change. The inverter discharges into the rise, holding the site below the contract limit, and recharges once the peak passes. The value is in avoided capacity charges and in not tripping the main breaker during a restart.

Demand control

Where the utility bills a monthly maximum-demand charge, one bad 15-minute interval sets the bill for the whole month. The inverter watches the PCC meter and discharges whenever the projected interval demand crosses a setpoint, so the recorded peak is a number you choose rather than a number you discover.

Diesel displacement

A site running a 100–150 kVA set for six hours a day because the grid is unreliable or expensive. PV plus 90 kWh of storage covers the daytime base load and the set covers the evening; typical fuel reduction is 40–60% where the array is well sized, and the set stops idling at low load, which is where most of the maintenance cost comes from.

Off-grid microgrid

A remote workshop, farm or mining camp with no reliable utility connection at all. The inverter forms the grid, PV is the primary source, the battery carries the night, and the genset becomes a backup that starts on low SOC instead of running continuously. Fuel logistics, not generation, is usually the binding constraint at these sites.

EV charging support

Two to four AC chargers at a depot or dealership, where a 22 kW charger would otherwise double the site peak. The battery buffers the charger so the grid sees a smooth 30–40 kW instead of a 90 kW spike, and PV covers part of the energy. This is the configuration where a 50 kW inverter is genuinely enough, because charging is scheduled rather than simultaneous.

Certification & compliance

Three certificates travel with the battery cabinet regardless of destination. Grid connection is a separate question and is always resolved in the country of installation, not in the factory.

IEC 62619

Safety of industrial lithium cells and batteries

Covers the cell and battery system against overcharge, over-discharge, external short circuit, thermal abuse and drop. This is the document most insurers and EPCs ask for first, and the one that maps most directly onto how the cabinet is built.

UN38.3

Transport of lithium batteries

The test series that allows the cabinet to be shipped as Class 9 dangerous goods by sea or air, with the test summary and the MSDS issued with every consignment. Without it the battery cannot legally leave the factory, so it is a shipping document as much as a safety one.

GB/T 36276-2023

Lithium-ion battery for electrical energy storage

The Chinese national standard for stationary storage cells and systems: electrical performance, cycle life, safety and the test methods behind the 6,000–8,000 cycle claim on the 314 Ah cells.

Grid-code compliance per destination: South Africa expects NRS 097-2-1 compliance and utility approval before parallel operation; Nigeria requires NERC licensing of the installation and compliance with the grid code of the relevant distribution company; the Philippines requires ERC approval and compliance with the Philippine Distribution Code. We supply the inverter manufacturer documents that the local authority asks for, but the approval itself is applied for in-country, by you or by your EPC.

Indicative EXW pricing

Prices below are indicative EXW and cover the battery cabinet only. The inverter, switchgear, metering, structure and installation are quoted separately because they change with the site — a rooftop array on a steel warehouse and a carport array on the same capacity do not cost the same.

Item	Specification	Indicative range
Battery cabinet — 100 kWh	314 Ah LFP, IP55, C3, aerosol suppression, BMS included	USD 11,000 – 15,000
Battery cabinet — 120 kWh	Same frame, higher module count, same enclosure and suppression	USD 13,200 – 18,000
50 kW hybrid inverter	Four-port, PV + battery + grid + genset	Quoted separately
Switchgear, metering, ATS	AC breaker, DC isolator, SPD, PCC meter, generator changeover	Quoted separately
PV array and mounting	50–100 kWp modules, rails or carport structure, DC cabling	Quoted separately
Commissioning and training	On-site or remote, depending on destination	Quoted separately

Indicative EXW, final price depends on configuration — cell supply, enclosure options, BMS variant and order volume all move the number.
Battery pricing is calculated at USD 110–150/kWh on nominal capacity; the band reflects cell sourcing and order size, not a discount ladder.
EXW excludes freight, insurance, export packing, duties and in-country logistics. A 100 kWh cabinet is a Class 9 dangerous-goods shipment and needs a carrier that will take it.
Prices are valid for 30 days from quotation. Lithium cell prices move; we re-quote rather than honour a stale number.

Indicative EXW — final price depends on configuration.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a 100kWh battery storage system cost?

At USD 110–150/kWh on nominal capacity, a 100 kWh LFP cabinet lands at roughly USD 11,000–15,000 EXW. The 120 kWh version is USD 13,200–18,000. That figure is for the battery cabinet with BMS, IP55 enclosure and aerosol suppression — it does not include the hybrid inverter, switchgear, PV array or installation, which are quoted separately against your site. A complete installed 50 kW / 100 kWh system with 80 kWp of PV is a different number and depends mostly on the array and the local labour rate.

Can a hybrid inverter work with a diesel generator?

Yes — this inverter has a dedicated generator input, so the genset is a managed AC source rather than something you have to interlock manually. The inverter synchronises to the generator, caps how much of its capacity is used, keeps the set above its minimum stable load, and can charge the battery from it at a controlled rate. It can also start and stop the genset on a dry contact when SOC drops or the grid fails. The one thing to get right is generator sizing: a set much larger than the load will run at low load and wet-stack, so we size the generator against the site base load, not against the inverter rating.

How much PV can a 50 kW hybrid inverter take?

Between 50 and 100 kWp, DC-coupled on the inverter MPPT inputs. With 710 W modules that is about 70 panels at 50 kWp and about 140 at 100 kWp — the count is simply kWp ÷ 0.71. The upper end is an oversizing ratio of about 2:1, deliberate on sites where most generation is self-consumed: the extra array earns its keep in the morning and afternoon shoulders even though midday output is clipped. If your tariff pays well for export, stay nearer 65–75 kWp and avoid clipping.

What is the difference between the 100 kWh and 120 kWh cabinet?

One cluster. The 100 kWh cabinet is 5 × 64 V/314 Ah clusters at 20.1 kWh each; the 120 kWh cabinet is 6. Same enclosure, same cells, same IP55 and C3 rating, same aerosol suppression — simply one more cluster on the bus. It gives 108 kWh usable at 90% DoD instead of 90 kWh, roughly forty extra minutes of full-power discharge and about USD 300 more annual arbitrage value per 5 cents of tariff spread. Choose it when the evening peak runs longer than two hours or the site has a cold room that must ride through a full outage.

What happens during a grid outage — is it a UPS?

No. The inverter islands the site by opening the grid contactor and forming its own voltage reference, and that transfer is break-and-make, so there is a short interruption of a few tens of milliseconds to a few hundred, depending on the loads. Computers, servers and anything with a safety function still need their own UPS. What the system gives you is hours of runtime on the essential-loads panel, not millisecond transfer.

Size a 50 kW system against your load profile

Send us a month of half-hourly meter data, or the peak kW and daily kWh if that is all you have. We will come back with a PV array size, a battery configuration and an EXW number — plus the inverter and switchgear quote separately, and an honest note on whether 100 kWh is the right frame for your evening peak.

Configuration:: 50 kW Hybrid Inverter + 100 kWh Battery Storage System
Delivery:: EXW, freight and duty quoted per destination
Email:: dlxn@dlxnsolar.com

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