$5000 investment good or bad ?

[markansas]

so here i am in my old age and thought now is the time. 5000 bought me 30 240 watt panels a growatt 8k mvp offgrid and 6 gmi 260 watt microinverters 40 dc to 110ac and 6 sma 240 microinverters sunnyboy 40dc to 220ac.. this was kinda a mix of stuff to try.. found out several things that the sma 240 inverters need a sunnymultigate to run them.. can not find multi gate.. the other microinverters work well.. 40volt dc to 110 ac it has rapid shut down for grid tie.. easy.. however not ul approved for grid tie.. so not legal to use as grid tie. now my focus is the growatt. and pulling off the grid one day at a time...

 

[MisterSandals]

Let’s run some numbers:
250W Panels from santan would be 30x $50 + $300 shipping = $1800
Growatt $800
12x micro inverters $1200

What else is there?, I cannot figure out the rest for $1200

 

[Hedges]

Here's a Multigate

SMA Solar Technology, MG XT2e-US-10, Sunny Multigate Communication Box, New | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SMA Solar Technology, MG XT2e-US-10, Sunny Multigate Communication Box, New at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Not sure that's the best way to spend $950.
I've see New and Used Sunny Boys around $0.10/watt or so, for instance I bought a lot of SB 5000US for a bit under $500 each. That's one unit you just connect to PV panels and AC circuit breaker.

 

[markansas]

Let’s run some numbers:
250W Panels from santan would be 30x $50 + $300 shipping = $1800
Growatt $800
12x micro inverters $1200

What else is there?, I cannot figure out the rest for $1200

thank you .. well there was wire $300 for 500ft roll of mc4 wire 100 mc4 conectors crimpers wire stripers. well to be honest i did try many different ways.. and as the good man who found a muiltgate for me .. that is 900 and a bit out of budget at the moment. and oh i do want the multi gate bad.. the sma inverters were only 25$ apiece and rivaled enphase.. what do i know.. so know i got . i have put the panels on a temperary base of drill pipe and wood frame.. next year that will change .. two strings of trinas 240w panels 6 each.. the growatt input is 250volts dc if it needs more i can add more . first set of batterys will be agm 4 of them .. need that just to get the growatt to turn on. and i still need bits and pieces all add up and i still am not sure what i am missing.. funny tho.. i repaired tvs for a living and this is not tubes anymore.. keeps me thinking. thanks all mark

 

[markansas]

Here's a Multigate

SMA Solar Technology, MG XT2e-US-10, Sunny Multigate Communication Box, New | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SMA Solar Technology, MG XT2e-US-10, Sunny Multigate Communication Box, New at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Not sure that's the best way to spend $950.
I've see New and Used Sunny Boys around $0.10/watt or so, for instance I bought a lot of SB 5000US for a bit under $500 each. That's one unit you just connect to PV panels and AC circuit breaker.

ya i think you are right.. being a new at this i tried different ways. and i still am working on the growatt.. figuring out how to rig a block and tackle to hang it on the wall 180 lb got my panels up temp. and got my wire connectors and crimpers . its the little stuff that will get ya.. now need to get 2 gage wire for the battery pack.. sorry stress of this gets me and some times it helps to toss ideas out and see if someone has done it already.. still learning.. and when i find the multigate used.. i will try it .. its just plug and play like windows 7 was to windows 98 lots of change thanks mark

 

[Hedges]

and i still am working on the growatt.. figuring out how to rig a block and tackle to hang it on the wall 180 lb

How does a 140 pound weakling hang a 140 pound inverter?

When I hung my original 2.5 kW SWR-2500U inverters 17 years ago, I was probably stronger and they were only 75 lbs. I was able to carry them up a stepladder and hang them head high. Taking them down to upgrade was doable, but difficult When I hung 75 lb transformerless 10000TLUS under the deck...

diysolarforum.com

 

[Hedges]

and as the good man who found a muiltgate for me .. that is 900 and a bit out of budget at the moment. and oh i do want the multi gate bad.. the sma inverters were only 25$ apiece and rivaled enphase.. what do i know.. so know i got .

I use grid tie high voltage string inverters, like the following or others. They are efficient an economical.
They need a DC disconnect (except for models which have one built in), and an AC circuit breaker.

That's about all that is required, just connect and they start working. Some (the older one), had a start-up process of remove GFCI fuse, turn on for self-test of no ground shorts, turn off, wait for lights to go out, reinstall fuse, turn back on.

SMA Sunny Boy SB3000TL-US-22 3000W Solar Inverter for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SMA Sunny Boy SB3000TL-US-22 3000W Solar Inverter at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

SMA Sunny Boy Photovoltaik Stringwechselrichter 2500 | eBay

<p>SMA Sunny Boy Photovoltaik Stringwechselrichter 2500. </p><p>In good condition, buy with confidence </p>

www.ebay.com

 

[markansas]

How does a 140 pound weakling hang a 140 pound inverter?

When I hung my original 2.5 kW SWR-2500U inverters 17 years ago, I was probably stronger and they were only 75 lbs. I was able to carry them up a stepladder and hang them head high. Taking them down to upgrade was doable, but difficult When I hung 75 lb transformerless 10000TLUS under the deck...

diysolarforum.com

ya i know and understand just had to grip a bit . already got the lumber down to build a frame for the block and tackel and i have that also.. i live in a old church where i can tear down the walls cause its paid for and in a county that has no building codes.. myself i dont want to burn down my home.. so i am asking reading and watching all i can to catch up on this thanks mark

 

[markansas]

I use grid tie high voltage string inverters, like the following or others. They are efficient an economical.
They need a DC disconnect (except for models which have one built in), and an AC circuit breaker.

That's about all that is required, just connect and they start working. Some (the older one), had a start-up process of remove GFCI fuse, turn on for self-test of no ground shorts, turn off, wait for lights to go out, reinstall fuse, turn back on.

SMA Sunny Boy SB3000TL-US-22 3000W Solar Inverter for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SMA Sunny Boy SB3000TL-US-22 3000W Solar Inverter at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

SMA Sunny Boy Photovoltaik Stringwechselrichter 2500 | eBay

<p>SMA Sunny Boy Photovoltaik Stringwechselrichter 2500. </p><p>In good condition, buy with confidence </p>

www.ebay.com

oh is that not a nice price a good fix for that microinverter mess. grin wow next month maybe.. just found some agm batterys for 75 each they are blemish .. next would the the 48 volt lithum battery.. i am a bit tired and lasy so trying to buy all in one system. that sunnyboy it is nice...

 

[markansas]

ya i know and understand just had to grip a bit . already got the lumber down to build a frame for the block and tackel and i have that also.. i live in a old church where i can tear down the walls cause its paid for and in a county that has no building codes.. myself i dont want to burn down my home.. so i am asking reading and watching all i can to catch up on this thanks mark

loved it i got a chuckle from it

 

[markansas]

I use grid tie high voltage string inverters, like the following or others. They are efficient an economical.
They need a DC disconnect (except for models which have one built in), and an AC circuit breaker.

That's about all that is required, just connect and they start working. Some (the older one), had a start-up process of remove GFCI fuse, turn on for self-test of no ground shorts, turn off, wait for lights to go out, reinstall fuse, turn back on.

SMA Sunny Boy SB3000TL-US-22 3000W Solar Inverter for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SMA Sunny Boy SB3000TL-US-22 3000W Solar Inverter at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

SMA Sunny Boy Photovoltaik Stringwechselrichter 2500 | eBay

<p>SMA Sunny Boy Photovoltaik Stringwechselrichter 2500. </p><p>In good condition, buy with confidence </p>

www.ebay.com

learning all the time thanks.. serious thanks mark

 

[markansas]

Here's a Multigate

SMA Solar Technology, MG XT2e-US-10, Sunny Multigate Communication Box, New | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for SMA Solar Technology, MG XT2e-US-10, Sunny Multigate Communication Box, New at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Not sure that's the best way to spend $950.
I've see New and Used Sunny Boys around $0.10/watt or so, for instance I bought a lot of SB 5000US for a bit under $500 each. That's one unit you just connect to PV panels and AC circuit breaker.

yep i got into a rush just glad i divided it out between several things.. panels good growatt good wire good the sma was a learning experence grin

 

[Hedges]

A lot of people like microinverters.
Now that code in many locations requires "Rapid Shut Down" box per PV panel (isolate to make low voltage for fireman safety), the cost advantage of string inverters is almost gone.
One problem with microinverters is their wattage may not fit available panels well. String, I can do series/parallel of suitable number of panels to fit it well.
Microinverters were running about $1/W, like $240 for the 240W SMA, so $20 to $25 looks reasonable. Too bad Multigate isn't similarly discounted.

New installations may require UL-1741-SA (grid support), in which case you need newer models. I have a grandfathered 10kW system so was able to swap for less old models to get the features I wanted (support for battery inverters AC coupled to the PV inverters.)

See if the PV panels you have are subject to "Potential Induced Degradation", or if they are "PID free", which may be mentioned on data sheet. If subject to PID, best to use with a negative grounded inverter (or positive grounded, in the case of some panels.) Or a low DC voltage system like microinverters. I have both n-type and p-type panels, so I'm now using a transformer type string inverter which can be configure either negative or positive ground. Even though at least some of my panels are supposed to be "PID free" (really just reduced effect), I figure I should ground the strings in the way which prevents it entirely.