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I can't even believe I'm typing this right now... I installed a grid-tied Sunny Boy PV system on my in-laws' garage roof, and it's been running perfectly for nearly two years. Recently, the red light on the inverter came on indicating an error: failure in string C. Not coincidentally, the...

I recently picked up an old, used Prius. Planning to use it for transport, and hope to fall back on it as a generator, should the need arise. I've read plenty of threads about using the Prius 12V system to drive an inverter, and the inverter to drive a battery charger, but I'm seriously...

I'm trying to free up an MPPT on my Sunny Boy 7.7 (edit: US-41 model) by paralleling 2 identical strings with an ISC of 9.75A, 19.5A once combined. Each MPPT can only handle 18A, according to SMA's specs. Sunny Design gives the following warning: I'd really like to take suitable measures for...

I'm trying to adapt to the Schneider Conext XW Pro 6848, coming from Victron gear. I was used to setting a single modbus register with a positive or negative number to indicate the targeted power to be drawn from or backfed into AC1. It seems to be a whole different paradigm with Schneider. I'm...

When I first started dipping my toes in the water with solar, I had a 3000W Windy Nation inverter w/ a Battle Born 100ah 12V battery. Later, I picked up a 2nd battery, and that's when I learned that The Right Way™ to connect a pair of parallel batteries is with the POS lead to one, the NEG lead...

I'm writing to share my recent experience with trying to add AC coupled PV to my existing Sunny Island and Sunny Boy system, in case it proves useful to anyone. Ideas and suggestions welcome! Backstory/set-up: I had a DC Solar trailer with 2kW on-board PV, DC coupled via Midnite Classic. No...

I presume that many of us that are off-grid and AC-coupled have implemented Rule 21/UL1741SA frequency shifting, to curtail PV output when production exceeds loads and battery charging capacity. Rather than curtail production (and "waste" power), I'd prefer to make use of it! In the winter, a...

While running off-grid for the better part of a year now, I've been monitoring energy use carefully. What I've overlooked, until now, is reactive power. I'm trying to wrap my head around it, but I think I've got the basic gist of it: capacitance or inductance as a load leads or lags the phase...

Sometimes, my AC-coupled system is curtailed despite the battery not yet being full, solely because I don't have a way to convert the excess power from AC to DC. So I've been looking for a way to supplement the paltry 80a x 2 provided by my 12V split-phase Multiplus system. I've got 12x...

I picked up a B-stock second-hand Victron SmartShunt 500a, and recently integrated it into my split phase Multis. Since the Multis can only pump out 80a each (@14 volts=2240w). I wanted to install additional charging capacity, and be able to keep track of it. But now that I've completed the...

After procuring a turn-key power station on a trailer (a trailer from the DC Solar bankruptcy auctions), I set about expanding its limited 2kW of PV with another 8kW, courtesy of a Sunny Boy 7.7, and have been using them in an off-grid configuration to power my house, with occasional switchovers...

I bought a DC Solar trailer from a bankruptcy auction, and it has a pair of 48V GNB Tubular LMX batteries on board, wired in parallel. When I took possession, I took readings of individual cell voltages (all were fairly close), and topped off the water. Then it just sat unused, with the Midnite...

It's important to use a transfer switch that also switches neutral, when using a bonded generator, I'm convinced. But how? I found this 3 pole, double throw safety switch, but the $600+ price tag has me weighing my options, and trying to get creative. Would it be possible (code compliant) to...