Growatt SPF 5000 ES vs SPF 3000TL LVM-ES: Off-Grid Head-to-Head
Growatt's SPF family is its battery-first hybrid line for off-grid sites, and the SPF 5000 ES and SPF 3000TL LVM-ES are the two models buyers cross-shop most — usually without noticing that they are built for different electrical worlds. The SPF 5000 ES is a 230VAC machine for the grid standards used across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and most of Asia and Oceania. The SPF 3000TL LVM-ES outputs 100/110/120VAC, matching North and Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and Japan's low-voltage networks. Both run 48V battery banks, both carry a 10-year warranty, and both are pure-sine-wave units with built-in MPPT solar charging — but capacity, surge and charge specs separate them well beyond the voltage question.
Specifications side by side
Every figure in this table is read from the product’s own record — the same rows each product page shows.
| Specification | Growatt 5 kW Hybrid Solar Inverter SPF 5000 ES | Growatt 3 kW Hybrid Solar Inverter SPF 3000TL LVM-ES |
|---|---|---|
| Rated AC Power | 5000 W | 3000 W |
| Max Efficiency | 93 % | 90 % |
| Surge / Peak Power | 10000 VA | 6000 VA |
| Transfer / Switchover Time | 10 ms | 10 ms |
| Max PV Array Power | 6000 W | 4000 W |
| MPPT Voltage Range | 120 ~ 430 V | 120 ~ 250 V |
| Number of MPP Trackers | 1 | 1 |
| Parallel Capability | Yes | Yes |
| Output Waveform | Pure sine wave | Pure sine wave |
| Max Solar / PV Charge Current | 100 A | 80 A |
| AC Input Voltage | 230 V | 120 V |
| AC Frequency Range | 50 ~ 60 Hz | 50 ~ 60 Hz |
| Strings per MPP Tracker | 1 | 1 |
| AC Voltage Regulation (Battery Mode) | 230VAC ± 5% @ 50/60Hz | 100Vac/110Vac/120Vac @ 50/60Hz |
| Max PV Open-Circuit Voltage | 450 V | 250 V |
| Charge Current | 80 A | 40 A |
| Selectable Voltage Range | 90 ~ 280 V | 65 ~ 140 V |
| IP Rating | IP20 | IP20 |
| Dimensions (W×H×D) | 280×125×435 mm | 320×470×135 mm |
| Net Weight | 12 kg | 12 kg |
| Weight | 12 kg | 12 kg |
| Relative Humidity | 5 ~ 95 % | 5 ~ 95 % |
| Operating Temperature | 0 ~ 55 °C | 0 ~ 50 °C |
| Storage Temperature Range | -15 ~ 60 °C | -15 ~ 60 °C |
| Warranty | 10-Year Manufacturer Warranty | 10-Year Manufacturer Warranty |
| Price | AED 1,326 | AED 2,366 |
Two Grid Standards, Two Machines
The single most important line on these datasheets is AC voltage regulation. The SPF 5000 ES holds 230VAC ±5% at 50/60Hz — the standard across most of the world's off-grid markets. The SPF 3000TL LVM-ES regulates to 100, 110 or 120VAC at 50/60Hz, which is what household appliances in the Americas and Japan expect. Buying across voltage classes means every load in the building needs a transformer, so the region question settles most purchases before any other spec is read.
Capacity, Surge and Motor Starting
The 5000 ES delivers 5000VA/5000W continuous with 10000VA of surge for motor starts; the 3000TL LVM-ES delivers 3000VA/3000W with 6000VA surge. Both use the same 2x surge ratio, so neither is proportionally weaker on inductive loads — but in absolute terms the 5000 ES starts bigger pumps, compressors and air-conditioning units. Off-grid systems live and die on surge headroom: a refrigerator compressor or submersible pump pulling several times its rated current at start-up is the load that trips an undersized inverter, and 10000VA of headroom simply covers more of those events.
Datasheet Comparison
| Spec | SPF 5000 ES | SPF 3000TL LVM-ES |
|---|---|---|
| Rated power | 5000VA / 5000W | 3000VA / 3000W |
| Output voltage | 230VAC ±5% | 100/110/120VAC |
| Surge power | 10000VA | 6000VA |
| Peak efficiency | 93% | 90% |
| Max. PV array | 6000W | 4000W |
| MPPT range | 120-430VDC | 120-250VDC |
| Max. solar charge current | 100A | 80A |
| AC charge current | 80A | 40A |
| Parallel capability | up to 6 units | up to 6 units |
| Transfer time | 10ms typical | 10ms typical |
| Waveform | Pure sine wave | Pure sine wave |
| Protection degree | IP20 (indoor) | IP20 (indoor) |
| Operating temperature | 0-55°C | 0-50°C |
| Net weight | 12kg | 12kg |
| Warranty | 10 years | 10 years |
The wider ES family also includes a 3500VA model and a 5000 ES Lite whose MPPT window extends to 450VDC and which parallels up to 9 units.
Solar Charging and Battery Recovery
Both inverters integrate an MPPT charger on a 48V battery bank, but the ceilings differ meaningfully. The 5000 ES accepts a 6000W array on a 120-430VDC MPPT window and charges at up to 100A from solar plus 80A from AC input. The 3000TL LVM-ES tops out at a 4000W array on a narrower 120-250VDC window, 80A solar charge and 40A from AC. In practice this means the 5000 ES refills a drained battery bank noticeably faster after a cloudy stretch — and its higher AC charge current makes generator-assisted recovery twice as quick as the LVM's 40A when fuel-burning time matters.
Shared Off-Grid DNA
Some things do not differ, and they are worth listing because they define the ES experience: pure sine wave output safe for electronics, 10ms typical transfer time when switching between sources, lithium and lead-acid battery support at 48VDC, IP20 indoor-rated enclosures that want a ventilated utility room, and Growatt's 10-year warranty on both models. Parallel expansion to 6 units means a 5000 ES system can scale to 30kW and a 3000TL LVM-ES system to 18kW, so neither model is a dead end if the site grows.
The models in this comparison
Winner
SPF 5000 ES on raw capability; SPF 3000TL LVM-ES for 120V-market builds
Conclusion
Region decides first: no configuration setting turns one voltage class into the other, so the LVM-ES is the pick for 100-120VAC territories and the 5000 ES for 230VAC territories. Where both are viable options through a step transformer or a dual-voltage design, the 5000 ES is simply the stronger machine — two-thirds more rated power (5000W vs 3000W), two-thirds more surge headroom (10000VA vs 6000VA), a wider MPPT window reaching 430VDC, 100A of solar charging against 80A, and 93% peak efficiency against 90%. The 3000TL LVM-ES earns its place as the right-sized unit for cabins, small homes and workshops in low-voltage markets, where 3000W covers the load and its 4000W PV ceiling matches a modest roof. Both parallel up to 6 units, so either can grow into a larger system later.