The Sunsynk Maximus Inverter Powers Missouri Farm Solar Installation

When Sunsynk installer Ampray Solar was asked to expand the solar installation at Silo Hills Farm in Belton, Missouri, the project presented an unusual opportunity. The property already had a 13.12 kWp ground-mount solar array in operation, and the addition of a second, almost identical array meant the installer could see how a Sunsynk Maximus hybrid inverter performed alongside the existing system under real-world conditions.

Silo Hills Farm is both a working agricultural property and a residence, where owners Joe Cates and his wife are also in the process of building a large new home. With the property's energy requirements expected to increase, the aim was to generate more electricity on site and further reduce the amount drawn from the grid.

The original 13.12 kWp solar array had been operating since May 2024 using an 11.4 kW inverter from another manufacturer. For the new installation, Ampray Solar installed a second 13.12 kWp array using a Sunsynk Maximus Split Phase Hybrid Inverter (SSM-11.4-SPHYB-UL), which went online on June 1, 2026.

What makes the installation at Silo Hills Farm a particularly useful case study is how closely the two arrays match. Each consists of 32 × 410 W solar modules, giving both an installed capacity of 13.12 kWp. The modules are the same make and model, were purchased at the same time, and are installed in the same four-row-by-eight-module layout. Both arrays are fixed tilt and south facing.

The main difference between the two systems is the inverter. The original array uses a non-Sunsynk 11.4 kW inverter, while the newer array is connected to the 11.4 kW Sunsynk Maximus split-phase hybrid inverter.

For Ampray Solar, based in the Kansas City, Missouri area, this was one of its first Sunsynk installations. The company became a Sunsynk Registered Installer in 2026 after hearing positive reports about the performance of Sunsynk inverters and wanted to evaluate the technology on a real project. The existing installation at Silo Hills Farm made it a particularly useful site to do so.

There is currently no battery installed as part of the system, but using a hybrid inverter provides greater flexibility should the property's energy requirements change in the future.

A few months after the new system was commissioned, Ampray Solar had an opportunity to compare the live output of the two arrays.

During an on-site check on August 25, 2026, at 9:15 a.m. the original array was producing 2.99 kW, while the Sunsynk-equipped array was producing 4.60 kW, approximately 54% higher at that point in time.

While this represents a single operating snapshot rather than a long-term performance comparison, the two arrays are closely matched in capacity, module specification, layout, tilt and orientation.

The customer has been impressed with the performance of the Sunsynk-equipped array and is now considering replacing the inverter on the original array with another Sunsynk Maximus inverter.

With both arrays now operational, Silo Hills Farm has a total installed solar capacity of 26.24 kWp. The additional generation will help support the farm, existing residence and the new home currently under construction, while reducing the amount of electricity the property needs to draw from the grid.

For Ampray Solar, the installation has also provided an opportunity to gain first-hand experience with Sunsynk technology. Rather than evaluating the inverter through specifications alone, the company has been able to see it operating on a customer's property alongside an established system with a closely matched solar array.

As the energy requirements at Silo Hills Farm continue to develop, the installation provides a strong example of how solar can be expanded around the changing needs of a working agricultural property and, for Ampray, a promising start to their work with Sunsynk in the United States.

The Sunsynk Maximus range combines solar, grid, generator and battery functionality within a split-phase hybrid inverter platform developed for the US market.

Explore the Sunsynk Maximus Split-Phase Hybrid Inverter