Flying under the Radar!

2Gunz said:

New guy here! I've been lurking for a bit, and finally signed up!
Thanks for letting me in.

I live in southern California and my house Idles at 400-600 watts.
I'm looking to offset that.

My goals for now are to produce 400-1000 watts during the day and at some point store energy to offset the night as well.

I don't want to involve DWP and don't want to produce electricity for the grid.
I just want to "Fly under the radar".

I need a push in the right direction as far as solar inverters that can match consumption, and won't send power to the grid.

Thank you!

Chad

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SparkyJJO said:

Safest way is to put stuff in "off grid" - move what you want to a separate sub panel fed by an off-grid inverter that cannot backfeed the main panel. Run AC from your main panel to your AC-in on the offgrid inverter to run stuff from grid power when there isn't solar/battery to handle the loads.

There are some that use CTs on the incoming lines so that they don't backfeed beyond your usage. Some have reported momentary backfeeds anyway on some (most? all?) models.

Exact models and such would depend on what you're wanting to run.

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plympton said:

I went a similar route and came up this: Big Bang For Buck.

Check it out. I was originally going to go much bigger, but really happy I kept it constrained-yet-expandable.

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chrisski said:

There is no practical way to do all what you're asking for. You can come a lot closer to a break even point if you make this a permitted grid tied install.

-You can get a solar powered EG4 air conditioner.

-You could build an unpermitted EV charger and put that in your garage.

-Going off grid is not cheap and likely will need to still have a connection to the grid in your area.

-You can get a grid assist inverter, but those could send a small amount of power back to the grid when an extreme load suddenly shuts off, triggering a smart meter.

I have a "solar generator" I use to offset loads, and honestly that is more like chasing a metric than making any actual benefit.

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sunsurfer said:

Hard part is hiding your panels. If I was stuck in a city with "laws", I would build a "shed" with panels for a roof. Maybe its just dead panels for the roof or maybe its just a 12v system to run light for the backyard. Look for cracks in the system and good luck when the goons with guns show up for your steeling the suns rays without a license.

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JRH said:

Yep… ya always gotta keep an eye out for goons…especially if they are smiling at first meet

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iwood said:

But, I definitely do NOT want to back feed utility power under any circumstances. Is that a risk with any of these setups using the 6000XP?

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iwood said:

I am considering a similar set up also in the the LADWP area. I've been considering an EG4 6000XP, an EG4 PowerPro and 10-12 450-500w panels on my flat roof racked for maximum efficiency as a starter system. I'd still use some power from the grid to keep DWP satisfied but want to significantly reduce my consumption. I see three different ways to do it:

1. The simplest solution seems to be to put the inverter between the grid and my panel. Downside would be if the inverter fails, I am in the dark. Also, my loads need to be within the 6000XP's limit for output + pass through. I think I am safe but I have yet to do detailed measurements.

2. A better option might be an interlock on my panel allowing me to choose the inverter or the utility feed while also feeding utility power to the inverter for passthrough as needed.

3. Lastly, I could set up a transfer switch with a critical load panel for my major consumers (central AC, EVSE, small cluster of always on computers, washer / dryer) to run off the inverter with utility power being used for passthrough as needed. This seems the most robust option but also the most complex.

I am inclined to go with option 2 but only if it is safe and not contravening any building and safety codes. The utility passthrough feature of the EG4 6000XP is kind of critical in that I doubt I could get my AC started without it. But, I definitely do NOT want to back feed utility power under any circumstances. Is that a risk with any of these setups using the 6000XP?

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DIYPV said:

I would go with option 3.
It will allow you to bypass solar and revert to grid in the event of system problem.
Another advantage would be the ability to adjust circuits based on system capabilities and consumption.

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trdstarlet said:

I myself have an 18Kpv system, and yes, I'm, quote-unquote, 'flying under the radar'. I'm achieving this by using a new breaker box solely for the 18Kpv connected to the load side. There's no grid connection because I want to avoid backfeeding and any potential legal issues. Currently, I'm using the EcoFlow Smart Panel v1 with 2 Pros and 4 additional batteries (21.6kW). It works okay, but it struggles to handle both my HVAC system and pool pump, especially since the solar input is limited.

Now, with the removal of the 18Kpv solar limit, I have 10.9kW of PV capacity (though I'm only utilizing 5kW at the moment). Additionally, I'm storing excess power on a server rack equipped with 4 EG4-LL Batteries (20.48kW). This setup allows me to feed the DeltaPros at a faster rate than the solar input alone.

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plympton said:

Have any pictures of that? That’d be a great one for the Show And Tell area!

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plympton said:

Another nice thing about the transfer switch:

If the inverter dies or you need to maintain something or it’s just a crap sun day/week/month - flip flip flip - everything is back on grid. No need to run an inverter and lose 20% of the energy if the sun’s not shining!

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