I'm looking into purchasing a Victron Multiplus II along with a Victron MPPT and Lynx distrubutor. If I pair these with a server rack battery, like the EG4 LifePower4, do I still need to add a Victron shunt to the system (e.g Lynx Shunt or Smart Shunt)? Or do server rack batteries already...
I was strongly considering purchasing an Ecoflow Delta, but I'm having second thoughts now due to the NCM battery chemistry. I'm mostly concerned about the safety of the NCM batteries, because I know LiFePO4 batteries are safer. I don't know if I'm just being paranoid because I know someone...
The Ecoflow Delta Pro is out of my price range for now. For alternatives, I've been looking at the Bluetti AC200P, and the Bluetti AC200Max. The AC200P looks nice, except that the minimum input voltage is very high and I would have to spend more on panels in order to use it. So I think I like...
When an inverter is listed as having 90% efficiency what does this actually measure? Is it the efficiency when outputting the maximum amount of power or does it mean 90% efficiency for all loads?
Ok, interesting. Did your AHJ require the other components to be listed? The requirements of my AHJ are somewhat vague, but best I can tell UL listed components are required even for off-grid, but maybe it's up to the discretion of the inspector?
This is actually one thing I'm considering. Right now, I'm trying to understand which wires to put where. For example, do I put the solar generator in the garage and run a connection from the inverter through the wall of my garage into the house. Or do I instead keep the generator in the...
I'm designing a small solar system that will supply continuous power to a generator transfer switch in my garage for 6 months out of the year and for the other 6 months will be used infrequently(as much as sunshine allows).
I was wondering if it makes sense to connect this system to the...
Is there a difference in shade that comes from the clouds vs shade that comes from a building (or tree) in how it affects the performance of solar panels?
I have a shed with roof faces measuring 54 in. tall by 98 in. across This turns out to be somewhat of an unfortunate size, because I'm finding a lot of panels that are just a few inches to big to fit on the roof. One example of this are the 200w Newpowa panels, which are 55.28 x 27.76 inches...
Are batteries under 1KWh exempt from the UL listing requirement? My state follows NEC 2020 and mentions this in its residential codes. I'm also planning to do a small system and the only way this is going to be possible for me is if smaller batteries are exempt.
I'm going to put the PV on the roof of my shed which is a few feet away from the garage, and the generator input would be on the outside of the garage (3 -15 feet from the shed depending on where I put it).
I was not aware of that, but that looks like a really great system. Ultimately, I decided to go with the Bluetti EB3A, because I needed a UPS, and I was able to find a really cheap 60w portable solar panel, so my total investment was only $340. I also realized that I don't actually need a...
What if I want to configure the Multiplus II to switch to grid power once the battery reaches a certain state of chage? Does the Multiplus need the battery (or a shunt) to communicate the battery charge state, or can the Multiplus detect charge state on its own?
I have an outlet (powering a refrigerator and cell phone booster) in my home that shares a wall with my garage that seems like it would be very easy to connect to a solar inverter if I had one in my garage. Is this something that can be done safely? If so, what's the best way to do it? Does...
If you have 2 parallel strings (String A and String B) and the bypass diodes activate on one of the panels in String A, will that reduce the output of String B?
Most ground mounts I see send DC power some distance back to the house or garage where the batteries are stored. But is there any advantage to doing this versus building some kind of mini-shed under or around the panels to hold the batteries and inverter and then sending AC power back to the...
First of all, thanks for posting, this looks really nice!
Do I understand correctly that you have grid power feeding in to the Growatt and then when battery is low, the grid power is routed back into the house via the transfer switch? This is something I wanted to do, but wasn't sure if it was...
I'm designing a system and have space for 2-4 panels. I would like to get some UL listed panels, but so far all the panels I've found have a minimum order if at least 6. Does anyone know of a vendor that will ship small quantities of UL listed panels?
My county has a one size fits all permitting process you have to use whether or not you have a large roof-top grid-tie system or small off-grid ground mount. I was wondering if anyone lives in a county (or other AHJ), that has a simple, straight-forward permitting process for off-grid. I'm...