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EG4 18kPV Q+A general thread

I'm having a hard time finding an electrician to look at my set up and the solar companies I talk to just want to sell me the whole system so I'll ask here. Here is my one-line diagram. My diagram has more detail than the electric co-op example. So does this look right. Also the only electric question I really have is about the ground-neutral bond. Right now, the bond is in my main panel, so can it stay there or do I need to move it to the fused disconnect?
 

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Mesquitemonkey said:
I'm having a hard time finding an electrician to look at my set up and the solar companies I talk to just want to sell me the whole system so I'll ask here. Here is my one-line diagram. My diagram has more detail than the electric co-op example. So does this look right. Also the only electric question I really have is about the ground-neutral bond. Right now, the bond is in my main panel, so can it stay there or do I need to move it to the fused disconnect?
Click to expand...
Is there a 200 amp fuse between the supply side tap and the input of the LP inverter ?
I think if you make the lockable disconnect a fused 200amp you are good on that side.
 
Last edited:
Mesquitemonkey said:
I'm having a hard time finding an electrician to look at my set up and the solar companies I talk to just want to sell me the whole system so I'll ask here. Here is my one-line diagram. My diagram has more detail than the electric co-op example. So does this look right. Also the only electric question I really have is about the ground-neutral bond. Right now, the bond is in my main panel, so can it stay there or do I need to move it to the fused disconnect?
Click to expand...
You don't need to move the N-G bond. Does your coop allow bi-directional metering on the DG meter? That would bea surprise to me.
 
Shimmy said:
Does your coop allow bi-directional metering on the DG meter? That would bea surprise to me.
Click to expand...
They require a DG output meter and on the 18k and solark bi directional is the only option. They use a smart meter as a remote disconnect so they can kill outgoing power if their lines start getting too much power.

Does anyone else have to put a DG meter on their 18k or solark15?
 
Has anyone else had weirdness with timers? I was using one that would charge from grid between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. and it was working fine, and then I did a firmware upgrade to the latest available in the app and now although the inverter is showing the correct time, the timers seem to be running 2 hours behind i.e my 4:00 a.m. charge timer didn't start until 6:00 a.m.
 
Quattrohead said:
Has anyone else had weirdness with timers? I was using one that would charge from grid between 4:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. and it was working fine, and then I did a firmware upgrade to the latest available in the app and now although the inverter is showing the correct time, the timers seem to be running 2 hours behind i.e my 4:00 a.m. charge timer didn't start until 6:00 a.m.
Click to expand...
is the time on the inverter, correct? when you did the registration, did you put the right GMT time? daylight saving too is important? DM me your GMT time And Inverter SN to have look on your setting...
 
This seems to be the standard operating procedure for these units.
The benefits of a diy system is that you have the independence and freedom. If I were to have a problem. I would rather have support help ME fix it. So that I now have more knowledge about my system.
If I had to have someone else fix it for me. I wouldn't call it diy friendly.
 
timselectric said:
This seems to be the standard operating procedure for these units.
The benefits of a diy system is that you have the independence and freedom. If I were to have a problem. I would rather have support help ME fix it. So that I now have more knowledge about my system.
If I had to have someone else fix it for me. I wouldn't call it diy friendly.
Click to expand...
I think it is called customer service.
I think it takes less time to remotely check those settings then to type how the customer should check it.
 
timselectric said:
This seems to be the standard operating procedure for these units.
The benefits of a diy system is that you have the independence and freedom. If I were to have a problem. I would rather have support help ME fix it. So that I now have more knowledge about my system.
If I had to have someone else fix it for me. I wouldn't call it diy friendly.
Click to expand...
Agreed.

I’m all for a knowledge base. Share that knowledge with the community, communities will turn around and share it with others. Ultimately making the original support structure responsible for bigger and better problems. And to top it off - the original support structure builds a solid and supported brand - with a community that supports them - resulting in a perfected system that’s DIY friendly.

Pipe dream - probably. Goal? - it should be.
 
fromport said:
I think it is called customer service.
I think it takes less time to remotely check those settings then to type how the customer should check it.
Click to expand...
I think that it's calling the customer stupid.
"Get out of the way and I'll just fix it. I don't have the time or desire to explain it to you ".
 
The reason why I asked people to see their settings because I don’t guess what to tell them i have to compare their settings then i tell them why isn’t working, either i asked permission to correct it or i can tell them how to correct it. Then this is up to the person if he want to share here how the problem solve… I’ve encountered users putting the wrong GMT time during registrations thats why timers don’t react with the inverter settings.

Also I already typed down what mostly need to check. This is up to the user if they still want my help.
 
Luxpower_Gilbert said:
DM me your GMT time And Inverter SN to have look on your setting...
Click to expand...
Then maybe you shoud preface this with, "if you still can't figure it out, you can....... "

For me personally, giving someone else access to my equipment would be the last resort.
 
Luxpower_Gilbert said:
like I said this is up to the person if they want my help, im not asking their log in or personal info.
Click to expand...
Did I miss read this?
Luxpower_Gilbert said:
is the time on the inverter, correct? when you did the registration, did you put the right GMT time? daylight saving too is important? DM me your GMT time And Inverter SN to have look on your setting...
Click to expand...
I'm just saying that it comes off as demanding.
 
I can see the user error part and how nice having the ability to remote in can help immensely in solving trivial issues.
Looking back on my younger days when I fixed / serviced computers on the side being able to login remotely saved me hours and miles, heck I still frequently use teams at work to see what the operator is seeing and show them how to do things in various programs from excel to SAP.
I can also see how it would be incredibly frustrating if something were changed without the end users acknowledgement, kinda liked those forced corporate IT updates that force restart my PC the first time I login Monday morning before my coffee.

I am curious how the remote viewing works... @Luxpower_Gilbert am I correct to assume with the dongle serial number you are able to see all settings for an inverter? You don't change the settings without the customers approval, even though you could?
 
Yes the time is correct on the inverter and yes the timed charge I had setup did work fine before the firmware update.
I looked around the unit menu's, but don't see any other time settings. I just have not got around to checking on the monitor website yet...weekend and all that.
 
42OhmsPA said:
I can see the user error part and how nice having the ability to remote in can help immensely in solving trivial issues.
Looking back on my younger days when I fixed / serviced computers on the side being able to login remotely saved me hours and miles, heck I still frequently use teams at work to see what the operator is seeing and show them how to do things in various programs from excel to SAP.
I can also see how it would be incredibly frustrating if something were changed without the end users acknowledgement, kinda liked those forced corporate IT updates that force restart my PC the first time I login Monday morning before my coffee.

I am curious how the remote viewing works... @Luxpower_Gilbert am I correct to assume with the dongle serial number you are able to see all settings for an inverter? You don't change the settings without the customers approval, even though you could?
Click to expand...
I've helped couple of owners of 18Kpv, LXP-12K, and 12 GSL, I gave them my personal number, so i can real time remotely when I'm looking at their setting, I always asked permission before changing their setting even do i could but I'm not like that.
 
Luxpower_Gilbert said:
The reason why I asked people to see their settings because I don’t guess what to tell them i have to compare their settings then i tell them why isn’t working, either i asked permission to correct it or i can tell them how to correct it. Then this is up to the person if he want to share here how the problem solve… I’ve encountered users putting the wrong GMT time during registrations thats why timers don’t react with the inverter settings.

Also I already typed down what mostly need to check. This is up to the user if they still want my help.
Click to expand...
I am one of the "beta testers" so want to figure out the wrong setting or present a full bug report.
I don't know who Gilbert is, so no info sent.
 
Quattrohead said:
Yes the time is correct on the inverter and yes the timed charge I had setup did work fine before the firmware update.
I looked around the unit menu's, but don't see any other time settings. I just have not got around to checking on the monitor website yet...weekend and all that.
Click to expand...
If GMT is correct, next is to make sure any features that have a time setting must not overlap with others except AC Charge and Charge First (pv).
 
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