MurphyGuy
It just needs a bigger hammer
- Joined
- May 20, 2020
- Messages
- 4,129
Well I just ordered the Outback Radian GS4048A-01 with the MATE 3 and a FlexMax 80. I did not purchase their pricey "Load Center" so interested if anyone else has rigged one up and how they went about it? Materials to get started with ...
There really isn't much to rig up.. You need to purchase a fuse or breaker for your battery and disconnect switch. If you get a breaker, that works as the disconnect as well.
The Radian's AC output will need a breaker, but if you're feeding your home's load panel with an interlocked breaker, just size it appropriately and that's covered.
You will probably also want a shunt on the battery.
Depending on how you wire it up, you might also want a bypass switch.. but that's only needed if you're feeding a dedicated sub-panel.
This all really depends on how you choose to wire your system and how you want it to operate. Three different ways:
1) Manually operated emergency backup (like mine)
2) Automatic emergency backup (most complex)
3) Full time off-grid use.
How you choose to wire it will dictate what you need. That said, all three of those require some basics:
1) Battery protection (Breaker, fuse, disconnect)
2) You'll probably want a shunt on the battery.
3) Breaker on the AC output of the inverter and breakers on all branch circuits.
Optional:
1) Generator input breaker
2) Bypass switch
3) Critical loads panel(s)
Before you start stripping wires and driving screws, you should make a model of your setup.. I used autocad to model each and every component to make sure things were neat, easy to work on, and didn't result in a mess tangle of crap.
You might want to start looking for some clear plexiglass as that stuff is invaluable for putting shields over connection points and separating close connections with a solid non-conductive barrier. You can drill it, screw it, and even shape and form it if you stick it in your oven at 220 degrees.
I would get on ebay and find a 12 x 12 x 6 (or larger) plastic hinge covered junction box.. Run your battery cables straight to the inverter, but run all the AC lines through that junction box. Get some DIN Rail and terminal strips and mount everything to those.