diy solar

diy solar

the rapidly changing inverter landscape

Cmiller said:
The Schneider specs do say surge: 15.4kW, but I would need to see it to believe it. And I'm also sure that single leg surge is limited to half of that. Pretty sure it's a HF inverter.
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Could certainly be HF... But if it is, I would think they would have said the inverter's weight ?

boB
 
Solar Guppy said:
Here is the data sheet, weight is 88 lbs. that's HF for sure. Has allot in common spec wise Solis S6
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Looks like it's not only dependent on proprietary battery, but also the Pulse Backup Controller. That means when installing at an existing electric service, you would need to completely re-do the service! I hadn't even realized that.

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Andrewr05 said:
I didn't state anything to the contrary.

But if I want to add or remove a component in my system I'm not going to get on my knees and beg the government for permission.
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In Australia, private company’s own the power distribution. If you want to participate in their distribution you follow their rules. Our government simply obeys its corporate masters.

There is always my preferred option of going off-grid. Unfortunately there is no complete escape as a portion of my taxes assists in propping up the profits of the power companies.

The upside of this is you aren’t allowed to re-use components in grid-tied applications, so used gear is readily available very cheaply (often free for panels).

I just got hold of 3 used Powerplus cylindrical LiFePO4 5kw rack batteries and a Selectronic SPPro from a less than three year old system as with government subsidies it was cheaper for the owner to fully replace the system rather than add capacity.

If I pair this with a used Fronius 5kw PV system I will have a 15kwh battery / 5kw PV system for less than $2k AUD. All the best possible gear, just 3 years old.
 
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hwy17 said:
And I used a 10" chop saw on the end of a 150 ft extension cord the other day. Do the 6000XP's and 18kPV's really handle that sort of load now? Maybe, idk.
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even the 3000-EHV48 can handle that
I use a stick & mig welder on a 200ft extension cord and it works fine lmao
 
Mattb4 said:
If it plugs into a 120v-15a circuit likely the 3000w unit can run it without problems. I have not found anything my 3kW units will not start and run that plugs into an ordinary receptacle.
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Well I'll believe it when I see someone do it on youtube. But I haven't owned any of these inverters either, so idk.
 
wattmatters said:
Grid-tied anything requires distribution network service provider approval. That requires an application and afterwards, proof of certification.

It will often require a change of meter or a change in metering set up in order for the system to benefit you. With an incorrectly set up meter you might even find you are being billed for your own generation. Now you are between a rock and a hard place.

If the meter is older:
- negative values will instantly trigger a system flag
- it requires a physical presence meter reading by a DNSP/retailer representative
- it will be replaced anyway in the next couple of years as the upgrade to smart metering rollout completes (already done in VIC years ago, others states catching up).

In SA there are even remote dynamic controls required as part of the system (for grid stability). This will gradually be rolled out across the country as the amount of rooftop PV grows. Half of all homes in SA have rooftop PV (and growing). It's about one in three nationwide and growing strongly.
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I can attest to this. When I bought my house, it already had solar. I was bringing my own off grid inverters with me from my previous home, so I didnt want to deal with all the hassles of a contract. (The SMA inverters were installed in 2008, so I figured they would die soon anyway) When it came time to turn on the power, they installed a normal smart meter and no contract. I thought all was well.

The original SMA system was still in place though, and generating power. I noticed my first bill was way high, as they were charging me for the power being generated by the existing system! Pissed me off.

They said I needed a contract if I wanted to fix it. As I had just moved in, and other projects had priority( like fixing the broken AC unit that died the first day), it would take me a while to get to installing my batteries and inverters, so I had to comply.

In the end, it turned out OK, since I just left the old system in place, and AC coupled to it so the SMA's could charge the batteries on the LVX inverters.
Those freaking Sunny Boys are amazing. They just dont quit.
 
Mattb4 said:
If it plugs into a 120v-15a circuit likely the 3000w unit can run it without problems. I have not found anything my 3kW units will not start and run that plugs into an ordinary receptacle.
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Duration of the initial load spike can vary. Try an air compressor that has head pressure. You will want a GOOD LF for that.
 
sunsurfer said:
Duration of the initial load spike can vary. Try an air compressor that has head pressure. You will want a GOOD LF for that.
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Son has a reasonable size 120V compressor. Using a Honda eu2200 gas generator, it can start up with the tank at 0 PSI. But once that tank has built up pressure, the generator can no longer start it up.
 
sunsurfer said:
Duration of the initial load spike can vary. Try an air compressor that has head pressure. You will want a GOOD LF for that.
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I run an air compressor and various other tools plus my water pump. Typically when people have trouble with a HF inverter it comes down to inadequate battery capacity and cabling.
 
Mattb4 said:
I run an air compressor and various other tools plus my water pump. Typically when people have trouble with a HF inverter it comes down to inadequate battery capacity and cabling.
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I totally agree, higher volts = lower amps through the driver channels in the inverter.

I guess different manufactures have different ideas on what is to much through the mosfets and what not. I accidentally started a 12v 2800w LF magna-sine with 4 freezers a fridge and everything else in the house plugged it. It started but boy was it groaning for a few seconds. If it had been a 3000w Victron, the protection would of kicked in and said no thank you. But apparently, magnum is fine with a short circuit start up. I'm sure a couple times is OK, but do it often enough, something is going to die. LF is the best way to go if you want to do start loads often. I dont think I would ever buy another HF inverter. I don't think the low cost is worth it.
 
Gttnsun said:
It also depends on what you are cutting with a chop saw, i want to see someone try cutting a 4x6 with a chop saw on a HF inverter.
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On a 120vAC chop saw cutting 4x6, unless thin wall tubing, it is likely to burn it up or trip the breaker on a normal grid circuit.

Not to overstate things but the concept that you need a LF inverter to start loads is a bit overdone. Many folks are getting by without much problems with HF inverters. A good rule of thumb for me is if the load is 1500w capacitive it will run with a 3000w rated inverter (6000w surge).
 
sunsurfer said:
I totally agree, higher volts = lower amps through the driver channels in the inverter.

I guess different manufactures have different ideas on what is to much through the mosfets and what not. I accidentally started a 12v 2800w LF magna-sine with 4 freezers a fridge and everything else in the house plugged it. It started but boy was it groaning for a few seconds. If it had been a 3000w Victron, the protection would of kicked in and said no thank you. But apparently, magnum is fine with a short circuit start up. I'm sure a couple times is OK, but do it often enough, something is going to die. LF is the best way to go if you want to do start loads often. I dont think I would ever buy another HF inverter. I don't think the low cost is worth it.
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I have a 15 year old Magnum 4448 inverter, built a whole house with it, never died but it did shut off from overheating many times.
 
Mattb4 said:
On a 120vAC chop saw cutting 4x6, unless thin wall tubing, it is likely to burn it up or trip the breaker on a normal grid circuit.

Not to overstate things but the concept that you need a LF inverter to start loads is a bit overdone. Many folks are getting by without much problems with HF inverters. A good rule of thumb for me is if the load is 1500w capacitive it will run with a 3000w rated inverter (6000w surge).
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I have cut many 4x6's with a 12" compound miter saw and did not blow the breaker or burn it up, my low frequency inverter just kept working.
 
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