diy solar

diy solar

EG4 18kPV Q+A general thread

wolfmansbrother said:
if the main panel and sub panel are no longer wired together, wouldn't I want both to be bonded? I'm picturing this as if the 18k is the only interconnection point between the two panels, and it is not bonded from what I read.
Click to expand...
forgot to mention, I also have an interlock kit on the main panel for my portable gas generator. I'd need to keep that in play as I've got a chargeverter on order, I'm thinking about wiring in a plug to my main panel just to have a place to connect the chargeverter.... and in a worst case scenario still have a backup for the whole house. Since the interlock would effectively isolate the 18k's grid terminals from the generator I think that should work, but feel free to correct me if I'm missing something here
 
#40Fan said:
Are there 2 of the 18's sitting on a shelf somewhere that the CT's could be procured from?
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I wish! If we did that, the units we took them from would be in the same situation. There's a model 18k next to me for learning purposes at the office that I wanted to pull them from for a customer who's been waiting but I unfortunately can't 😅 I assure you, if I could go rip through the warehouse to get you guys the parts you need, I would! 💯😂
 
Absolutely you can buy your own that will meet those specifications.
I have a set I will not be using in the future but unfortunately I am using them while still having the grid as backup for now.
Sounds like they are worth a lot of money on the black market like beanie babies 🤣
 
#40Fan said:
Are there 2 of the 18's sitting on a shelf somewhere that the CT's could be procured from?
Click to expand...
Perhaps I can be of some assistance. I have 4 of these I'm not using and unlikely to ever use I have everything behind a transfer switch. DM me I can mail them to you.

You could probably just make a couple as well, get the clip style from E-bay and wire it up to an RJ-45. They really aren't doing any magic mee-thinks.
 
ksmithaz1 said:
Perhaps I can be of some assistance. I have 4 of these I'm not using and unlikely to ever use I have everything behind a transfer switch. DM me I can mail them to you.

You could probably just make a couple as well, get the clip style from E-bay and wire it up to an RJ-45. They really aren't doing any magic mee-thinks.
Click to expand...
Thanks, but I'm not the one looking for them.

@Shinzul is though
 
ksmithaz1 said:
Perhaps I can be of some assistance. I have 4 of these I'm not using and unlikely to ever use I have everything behind a transfer switch. DM me I can mail them to you.

You could probably just make a couple as well, get the clip style from E-bay and wire it up to an RJ-45. They really aren't doing any magic mee-thinks.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the offer! Eg4 is going to ship 2 sets I think, but if I don't get them in the next week or so, I'll let you know 🙂
 
I'm at my cabin and updating the firmware while I'm out here - I noticed there's a new FAAB-18xx firmware available. Does anyone happen to know where I can find the changelog?
 
Ah ha! Nice, thanks. That's quite buried...

For future reference, here's the website for the 18kpv firmware update changelogs (note that this appears to need you to be logged in to monitor.eg4electronics.com): http://os.solarcloudsystem.com/#/releaseLog?deviceType=LXP_LB_8_12K

I wonder what this line actually means in the latest FW:
15. Improvement—Surge protection supports EPS output by1.35 times rated power for 1 minute.
 
I bought an 18kpv and i’m having trouble with communication between the bms of my batteries and my inverter. I have five eg4 LL v1 and i’ve already tried 3 differents firmware updates and different batteries as a master also. I even tried different communication cables. Bare in mind that the batteries i have are the EG4 LL V1 (with LCD screen). Do they require the communication hub from EG4 ?? Or is there another solution to this issue ??

Please advise because my inverter is currently set up on lead acid for me to support the loads.
 
tivilla said:
I bought an 18kpv and i’m having trouble with communication between the bms of my batteries and my inverter. I have five eg4 LL v1 and i’ve already tried 3 differents firmware updates and different batteries as a master also. I even tried different communication cables. Bare in mind that the batteries i have are the EG4 LL V1 (with LCD screen). Do they require the communication hub from EG4 ?? Or is there another solution to this issue ??

Please advise because my inverter is currently set up on lead acid for me to support the loads.
Click to expand...
Hopefully someone smarter will chime in but I'm 90% sure you need the coms hub.
 
Which way does the air flow in the EG4 18KPV?

I presume the fans on the bottom are the air intake. I presume this because updraft is best for cooling air flow and having the air turbulent (downstream of fans) inside the cabinet is best for heat transfer (breaks the boundary layer).

I can see the fans on the bottom in the user manual:

1709309331535.png

Where does the air come out? All the pictures I can find show no air vents on the front, sides, or through the connection ports. One wouldn't expect air vents on top for something rated for outdoors, that would be stupid. So where does the air come out?

The reason I ask is that I am planning to put this in a garage in Florida. The garage is not conditioned and can get hot in the summer months, exactly when the inverter is working the hardest. It will put out about 1 KW of heat on average based on the efficiency numbers I see. I am wondering if I direct that airflow outdoors so the heat doesn't build up in the garage. To do that, I need to understand the airflow behavior to see if I can collect it in a duct and send it outside. If I can do that, then I get the double benefit of dumping the heat outside plus increasing air exchange in the garage.

The manuals are, as usual, inadequate to figure this out. So where does the air go on the 18KPV? Can anybody take a picture of the exhaust ports? I couldn't find any online or in a video.

Mike C.
 
mciholas said:
Which way does the air flow in the EG4 18KPV?
Click to expand...
After a lot of searching, I did finally find a video showing the top of the unit and that shows an exhaust grill:

1709314756878.png

For something rated to be outdoors, having an open exhaust port on top surprised me. Even for indoors, dust can settle inside the unit and affect the thermal performance.

My idea would be to build a collector duct above the unit and direct the airflow out an external vent, kind of like a dryer vent. I may be able to find an HVAC register fitting that works for this.

The benefits would be:

1. Exhaust the heat outdoors and not into the garage.
2. Improve garage air exchange.
3. Protect the exhaust port from dust and debris.

I'll have to size the duct so as to not impede the airflow in a meaningful way, and/or add a helper fan to increase the airflow. I could also vent it into the attic which would be easier to do, would be less air resistance, and has a natural chimney effect.

I am kind of surprised there is no inlet filter before the fans. Dust and debris will eventually build up inside the unit. This suggests some sort of periodic maintenance to open the unit up and air dust to remove this build up. For something that is designed to run decades, this can be an issue.

Any concerns or suggestions with this idea?

Mike C.
 
mciholas said:
Which way does the air flow in the EG4 18KPV?

I presume the fans on the bottom are the air intake. I presume this because updraft is best for cooling air flow and having the air turbulent (downstream of fans) inside the cabinet is best for heat transfer (breaks the boundary layer).

I can see the fans on the bottom in the user manual:

View attachment 199280

Where does the air come out? All the pictures I can find show no air vents on the front, sides, or through the connection ports. One wouldn't expect air vents on top for something rated for outdoors, that would be stupid. So where does the air come out?

The reason I ask is that I am planning to put this in a garage in Florida. The garage is not conditioned and can get hot in the summer months, exactly when the inverter is working the hardest. It will put out about 1 KW of heat on average based on the efficiency numbers I see. I am wondering if I direct that airflow outdoors so the heat doesn't build up in the garage. To do that, I need to understand the airflow behavior to see if I can collect it in a duct and send it outside. If I can do that, then I get the double benefit of dumping the heat outside plus increasing air exchange in the garage.

The manuals are, as usual, inadequate to figure this out. So where does the air go on the 18KPV? Can anybody take a picture of the exhaust ports? I couldn't find any online or in a video.

Mike C.
Click to expand...
At 1kw the fans want even come on. Unless they change the firmware. But if you net meter the fans will come on.
 
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