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  • Post in thread: Repairing inverters...

    Thanks to ALL for the opinions. I can repair anything electronics if I learn how it works. It has been my spoon 45 years. A manual teaches how it works, test procedures and diagnostics. When parts are available, much easier. If parts are unobtanium, the resource is replacing modules/boards...
  • Post in thread: Century old history...

    Greetings. Some may find this interesting. Please delete if improper to post. ----> https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2021/10/how-to-build-a-low-tech-solar-panel.html
  • Post in thread: Buchanan Splice Caps and other novel splicing methods.

    I like these 'grounding bars' used inside the circuit breaker boxes but have not found a proper mounting method inside a plastic box yet...
  • Post in thread: Higher voltage hybrid ?

    Hello. Is there in the market that you know of, any hybrid inverter that will take about 500VDC input from a roof string of panels; and work with 48VDC lead-acid battery bank; outputting ~6KW split phase 240VAC/60Hz with or without grid presence ?
  • Post in thread: Any on-line calculator with bell-power-curve results ?

    Thanks. Am not after finding the optimal angle. Just curious to compare flat to my 15 degree roof tilt.
  • Post in thread: Sorry, will not be worse than plastics...

    Alternative is manufacturing the solar panels in a way that the components can be dismantled/separated. I believe the hurdle is the cells are very glued to the front glass and to the rear backing.
  • Post in thread: Microinverters for novice...

    Good day. Is there microinverters that will handle an input of 400+ W at about 40+VDC single panel ? Is there about 400WDC input microinverters that do not have to be hooked to internet in order to commission/work ? Is the Enphase IQ7A operable without internet connection ? A microinverter rated...
  • Post in thread: Looking to buy used parts for Delta/SolarCity H6 grid tied...

    Please let me know if you have a defunct H6 inverter; am after components or the entire board that has large capacitors on it. Yes, that board, the one that explodes. Please do not discard it. :rolleyes: If I can put my phone here, it is 859 2zero2 6ninefour8. If not allowed; please delete...
  • Post in thread: Hot water heater-off grid

    Good day. Visited a friend in Florida last year and found him making a plywood tray with a glass cover taken from a defunct sliding door and he was ready to make a serpent of PVC pipes in it to be painted black, and sealing the tray with silicone to put on his roof. Somehow I convinced him to...
  • Post in thread: SolarCity H6 Stopped Working

    Hi. Check the user manual page 80 for clearing 'other' faults. If recovers functionality, then I would remove some panels for a less than 6KW DC input for peace of mind and evaluate the H6 behavior then.
  • Post in thread: Disabling active grid-tied inverters

    A tiny bit of planning/prevention for next day can shut off the inverter or its circuit breaker from mains by midnight. If you must disconnect PV panels for whatever, do it at night time. I think...
  • Post in thread: Removed the 'signature' ?

    Hiding the signature ? Others see it ! But I do not. :oops:
  • Post in thread: Removed the 'signature' ?

    Fixed. Reset the "Show people's signatures" that somehow deselected. Thanks, gentlemen.
  • Post in thread: The WiFi router fever...

    Greetings. Why manufacturers of inverters believe everyone uses/has/needs/wants WiFi routers ? My inverter cannot report its performance to my smart phone. Growatt customer service is lost in space; if I have the solar system in a barn by the farmlands away from internet providers, I cannot...
  • Post in thread: Stupid question about H6 SolarCity...

    Hello all. Running this H6 grid-tied inverter from photovoltaic panels and injecting its AC output to the grid trough a 30 Amperes circuit breaker. No batteries, all is fine. If instead of the 30A breaker; a tiny isolation plain AC transformer is used just to make the grid parameters 'presence'...
  • Post in thread: Is there a convenient strategy ?

    Greetings. At my residence; all my solar grid-tied generation fed into the grid gets 100% credit for the same electric rate consumed from the electric utility, and will be that good for 22 more years... they said... Now the law has changed to the generated energy to be credited at 75% of the...
  • Post in thread: Put to use a 12V inverter ?

    Thank you ! Something like this, for a single 40V 400W 10A panel to a plain lead acid 12V battery ?? Or this ?
  • Post in thread: Any brands you want to avoid by all means ?

    Hello all. Based on bad experiences, which brands/models of grid-tied inverters you consider unreliable, weak, fragile, not performing, that you would never use again nor get involved with ? Do you believe their price reflect its failure prone characteristics or the price is unrelated to its...
  • Post in thread: Higher voltage hybrid ?

    Checks as fitting the wishes, thanks !
  • Post in thread: Hacking the new Growatt WiFi-F modules

    Spectacular thread, gentlemen. But I understand nothing of your magic :unsure: Is this about obtaining activity reports of real-time and daily/history performance of a Growatt inverter ? If you can pardon my ignorance; need to ask your expertise if it is possible to read real-time performance...
  • Post in thread: Repairing inverters...

    Hi. Perhaps the wrong forum section for the subject; but can be dangerous for many without proper procedures and servicing instructions. Do service manuals exist or are they plainly unobtanium for the many brands / models on the market ? At least; if no schematics are available to the public; do...
  • Post in thread: Heating with DC...

    Running a grid-tied system, all happy. If the grid dies, can the DC from the panels that would be doing then nothing be used to heat a dwelling ? Anyone using that energy with some switch to reroute the DC to heating elements ?
  • Post in thread: Is there a convenient strategy ?

    Unclear to my brain :(... If I inject 100KWh into the grid and get credited for 75KWh; the utility sells, bills and collects the 25KWh to my neighbors. Or I should not see it as energy but as dollars ? Assuming $0.10 per KWh : If I inject $10 into the grid and get credit for $7.50; the utility...
  • Post in thread: Sharing the feed-back breaker with a load, is it that bad ?

    Thanks. My system as in my 'signature' is all good and fine for 2+ years now, feeding the utility with $0 billing from credited energy. The hypothetical question in this thread would be for my next door house that belongs to my daughter; evaluating to put panels in the back yard and using...
  • Post in thread: No mix and no match ?

    Greetings. Have a bunch of ~40 VDC/400W surplus panels. Have an 'automotive' 12VDC input inverter : Cannot be used together. Or can they ? Is my only choice to connect the panels to a series of 3 lead-acid batteries ? Or is a battery charger an option (charge controller?) with about 500VDC...
  • Post in thread: Microinverter into 120VAC single 'phase' ?

    Hello. Do 120VAC output microinverters exist, 'phase branch' and center-tap-neutral as for U.S. ? I have several dormant spare 400W panels, wondering if can be additionally injected into the grid plugging the microinverter output to a plain 120VAC outlet (which is fed by a breaker in the main...
  • Post in thread: Put to use a 12V inverter ?

    As always, the misleading chinese. Will explore others, thanks.
  • Post in thread: sensing current / power / energy direction ?

    Hello all. What instrument or gadget clamp-hooked to the utility incoming 230VAC split phase wires to a house energy meter can indicate or detect if the utility grid is delivering energy to the dwelling or the dwelling solar inverter is injecting energy into the grid ? Utility <----------->...
  • Post in thread: DC arcing...

    Hi all. Just checking... The arcing (spark) length at disconnection of a DC circuit is proportional to the current interrupted, is that right ? The arcing (spark) length at disconnection of a DC circuit is proportional to the voltage interrupted, is that right ? The arcing (spark) length at...
  • Post in thread: Wi-Fi reporting feature...

    Hello, wondering if there is microinverters that report wirelessly performance/production direct to a smart phone WiFi, NO routers involved ! On a barn in the middle of nowhere to the left; its roof with microinverters system producing power to farm equipment... Can it be monitored close...
  • Post in thread: Grid-tied inverter working during a grid shut-down?

    That was my question that got no response about :cry: ----> https://diysolarforum.com/threads/stupid-question-about-h6-solarcity.24592/ Faking a grid presence; from the response above from solar8484, about 'robustness' seems to be key. But cannot understand the 'power' capacity of the GTI. As...
  • Post in thread: Both operation modes...

    Good day. What is the name for inverters that can work off-grid and/or grid-tied ? Is it 'All-in-one' or 'hybrid' or ...? Is there a selector switch to choose operation ? Can you supply a couple of links for well known brands/models that do both modes ?
  • Post in thread: Multiple inverters, different brands on same grid ?

    Hi. Read somewhere that some inverters 'talk' to each other when outputs are paralleled to grid; and there is a limit of how many can be connected. If the inverters are different brands, what happens, if they have no intercommunication, what happens ? Some people sell their inverter that...
  • Post in thread: Sealed shattered glass on a dozen big panels...

    Greetings. Carefully, thoroughly double coated the shattered glass on new, transit damaged 400W panels with a clear coat and would like to know opinions for putting them to work. If rain water gets in by an undetected/missed crack, will there be arcing/burning ? What is the typical scenario...
  • Post in thread: Inverters reporting without internet ?

    Hello. What inverter brands/models can report their history and live performance direct to my nearby smart phone without any internet intervention ?
  • Post in thread: How to use this RS485 port ?

    Hi. The RS485 adapter arrived in today's mail; it is wired now pins 3&4 to the USB plug adapter and am ready for idiot-proof instructions for a dummy. Sorry, has to be hand-helding instructions, when god created the computer idiots I was first carrying the flag... I have a Linux, a Chromebook...
  • Post in thread: Arc faults...

    Thanks very much for your very complete and dedicated response.??? Did not reset itself; manually restored and is back to normal operation by following its user manual instructions. Produced 27KWh yesterday. Equipment is on 'signature'. I have suspicion that if simoultaneous starting of...
  • Post in thread: Balancing panels into two MPPT inputs ?

    Hello. My solar panels feed a 7 series string to MPPT1 input and 7 series string to MPPT2 input. Is it important to keep that same balance ? Can three more panels I have as spares be added in series to one of the MPPT inputs for a 10 series and a 7 series ? Those extra panels to be added...
  • Post in thread: Under snow...

    Good day. Panels under 15cm snow; the inverter display shows as producing minus (-26W) at a time of the day that when not snowed would be like 2000W. Why the 'minus' ?
  • Post in thread: Shattered glass on panels... garbage now ?

    Any way to replace the glass; to unglue the cells from the glass, or to fill all the cracks with a superfluid clear glue that will seal the surface ? Many iffy posts on the web...
  • Post in thread: Arc faults...

    Good day to all. On a very snowy cold day, an 'arc' warning came on and the inverter stopped its normal work. First time it happens to my 9 month old system. Turning all off for 24 hours did not cure it; had to restart and manually clear the fault. When arcing is detected and protection...
  • Post in thread: Educate me for shut-off, please ?

    Hi. A plain system : Solar panels------------>DCswitch--------------DC>Inverter>AC------------->breaker------------->Meter------------->Utility pole When sunny, to shut-off the system; if DC switch is turned off first, arcing at the DC switch may occur. When sunny, to shut off the system...
  • Post in thread: Snow Condition

    If suitable to your installation, install sprinklers aimed to the panels, fed by a pipe that stays fully drained when not in use.
  • Post in thread: What is this type of inverter named ?

    Hello all. An inverter that inputs solar panels, no battery, and household 240VAC as output but does not feed energy into the grid ? That is, household consumes its generation during daylight and consumes from grid at dark. Or, an inverter that 'stops' from feeding into the grid any generated...
  • Post in thread: Finding the prompted suggestions...

    Hi. When starting a thread, similar titles appear to be evaluated as if already discussed. How to find the same list after the thread is done posting ?
  • Post in thread: Islanding and protected home loads...

    Greetings. First post here. I believe to understand what 'islanding' is; believe to understand what 'protected loads' are. A H6 SolarCity inverter am using without batteries, only PV solar panels, if medical equipment was used on 'protected home loads' during daylight; how are they energized...
  • Post in thread: Power generated into AC branches...

    Hello. If an inverter readout shows is putting out -say5KW- into a split phase 240VAC backfed breaker; is it safe to say both branches of the AC are getting equal currents ? With the exception of a refrigerator being on one branch and a television on another, is safe to say each of the AC...
  • Post in thread: Can you buy 'empty' travel trailers (ie outer shells, no appliances/cupboards)

    Yes, I see them often offered as 'gutted' at "facebook marketplace"
  • Post in thread: Re-purposing a panel for safety - patio lighting...

    o_O To bring down 40V panel to 13.8 V battery. Or, to bring down 36V battery series to 12V lights. The 12V lights in the image take 1.2 Amperes each. Will check for a charge controller that can accept a big 40V panel.

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