Inverters OK to be INSIDE? or not??

Well... yes for UL 1741 properly wired will pass code and even for most insurance companies, though you may have to acknowledge that you have installed a solar system and may be asked to have it inspected if not required in your area.

Unfortunately the Samlex 2000 is only UL 458 (for mobile vehicles) but also carries ETL which I believe is accepted in many/most places and doesn't differentiate between Mobile/Home/Telecommunications.

So answer for me would be yes, if properly installed.

Answer for your insurance company or code inspector might be no...

Clear as mud?

To muddy the waters is what government is all about. I've even seen inverters factory mounted right above the batteries in RV's. Would think RVIA would have heart burn with that.

Inverters perform best in a cool, dry and clean environment. I think some are equipped to deal with an outdoor environment but not most. Heat is their enemy. Humidity is their enemy. Dust is their enemy. I think these rules pretty well apply to electronics.

But you also want short runs to the batteries. 10' maximum. Shorter being better.

Then you have theft to think about. My 5000 watt inverter was stolen out of my minivan. They bent the door frame so they could access the door lock. Now my window doesn't work. Thieves are brazen as hell.

"running next to the woodstove. That way the works stay secure, warm and dry."

Different world up in Alaska. Kudos to those with the savvy to adapt and thrive. Many of these lower 48 wimps wouldn't last a month in an Alaskan winter. Shiver me timbers...

I recently looked at the local codes for battery systems here, and found a few surprises. Obviously hydrogen ventilation is a big one (for AGM as well as FLA). But there are also clearance requirements such as 500mm between the battery and other surfaces, doors, etc and a requirement to have no electronics mounted above the battery bank. Access to system has to have a door of a certain size (1.8m x 0.75m). Disconnects have their own clearance requirements (basically space to stand directly in front of it). Labelling requirements for hazzards, shutdown etc etc.

The effect of which is that the electronics and battery need to be mounted some distance apart. One way to solve that is to put them on opposite sides of a wall. Using the likes of fibre cement or plaster board as fire resistant materials is recomended.