Eg4 6000ex single unit enough?

[Turbo_Gunner]

I’m closing in on finishing my solar setup. Just need to mount my 30 Trina panels and wire them to the inverter and eg4 mppt. I live fully off grid, is this single unit enough? I currently have 1 6000ex, 5 eco worthy 48 volt 50ah batteries in series.”gonna add 3 more soon for 2 banks of 4” I used all 4/0 cable on all the batteries and then sig solar recommended 2awg from the inverter to the buss bars. Also used 2 awg from the eg4 mppt to the buss bars. i have 30, 250 watt Trina panels that are gonna be facing directly south, strings of 10, series parallel and the last 10 will be wired in series to the charge controller. Inverter is wired to the main panel with a 2 pole 40amp breaker with 8 gauge stranded wire. I live in eastern Kentucky if that helps.

I left space to symmetrically add a second 6000ex if needed but seems to me that eg4 decided to axe the production. Is this due to un reliability? Should I try to find a refurbished unit or, wait til finances allow and switch to something different. I bought this unit a couple years back while building the house and then a flood hit and knocked out our budget to buy more as we had to fully re build the home.

House uses a 240 well pump, 240 water heater, clothes dryer, range is propane, we heat with wood and propane on occasion, then of course the normal 15 amp and 20 amp circuits. I do plan to add a couple mini splits later on down the road. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks, Tim.

 

[Mattb4]

I am sure you will find that you need to practice load management. Based on a 6000w 240vAC rating it is able to supply 3000w per leg or 25a. This is likely to be exceeded if you attempt to run too many things or start a heavy load while powering other loads. Unlike a 200a House grid Service that can supply 48,000w 24/7 you are attempting to live with much less.

Solar is also a Feast and Famine type of situation.

 

[Turbo_Gunner]

I’m closing in on finishing my solar setup. Just need to mount my 30 Trina panels and wire them to the inverter and eg4 mppt. I live fully off grid, is this single unit enough? I currently have 1 6000ex, 5 eco worthy 48 volt 50ah batteries in series.”gonna add 3 more soon for 2 banks of 4” I used all 4/0 cable on all the batteries and then sig solar recommended 2awg from the inverter to the buss bars. Also used 2 awg from the eg4 mppt to the buss bars. i have 30, 250 watt Trina panels that are gonna be facing directly south, strings of 10, series parallel and the last 10 will be wired in series to the charge controller. Inverter is wired to the main panel with a 2 pole 40amp breaker with 8 gauge stranded wire. I live in eastern Kentucky if that helps.

I left space to symmetrically add a second 6000ex if needed but seems to me that eg4 decided to axe the production. Is this due to un reliability? Should I try to find a refurbished unit or, wait til finances allow and switch to something different. I bought this unit a couple years back while building the house and then a flood hit and knocked out our budget to buy more as we had to fully re build the home.

House uses a 240 well pump, 240 water heater, clothes dryer, range is propane, we heat with wood and propane on occasion, then of course the normal 15 amp and 20 amp circuits. I do plan to add a couple mini splits later on down the road. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks, Tim.

Batteries are wired in parallel, I said series by mistake.

 

[Turbo_Gunner]

I am sure you will find that you need to practice load management. Based on a 6000w 240vAC rating it is able to supply 3000w per leg or 25a. This is likely to be exceeded if you attempt to run too many things or start a heavy load while powering other loads. Unlike a 200a House grid Service that can supply 48,000w 24/7 you are attempting to live with much less.

Solar is also a Feast and Famine type of situation.

Thanks a lot for the reply. We fully intended on adding to the system as we went, but wasn’t certain on real world performance of this inverter. We intend on switching the water heater over to propane as well. Leaving the well pump the largest item in the power system. I wish they had the 18k out at the time that I purchased chased this unit.

 

[wildbillpdx]

Should I try to find a refurbished unit or, wait til finances allow and switch to something different.

I've seen several posts regarding the quality of the refurbished units. They work, but I'm not sure I'd buy one. I'm in a similar position, one 6000ex. I almost jumped on the EG4/Signature Solar upgrade to the 6000xp but realized the sunk cost of my 6000ex made that deal less desirable.

 

[Turbo_Gunner]

I've seen several posts regarding the quality of the refurbished units. They work, but I'm not sure I'd buy one. I'm in a similar position, one 6000ex. I almost jumped on the EG4/Signature Solar upgrade to the 6000xp but realized the sunk cost of my 6000ex made that deal less desirable.

Yes, as did I b4 making this post. Seen an exchange going in and was like ok sweet. Then noticed they wanted $750 and mine for the new unit. My unit has never been used and I paid sig solar right around $1500 for it. Hard to want to eat the other half with it being same condition it was when I got it from them new.

 

[wildbillpdx]

I recently saw a post on the forum about someone who got a refurb unit. The exterior was beaten and had holes drilled into it. It worked but looked like hell. I certainly don't want anything like that. I'll wait and maybe get a pair 6000xp inverters, if the the 6000ex fails. (Especially if it's still under the 5yr warranty. )

 

[Turbo_Gunner]

I recently saw a post on the forum about someone who got a refurb unit. The exterior was beaten and had holes drilled into it. It worked but looked like hell. I certainly don't want anything like that. I'll wait and maybe get a pair 6000xp inverters, if the the 6000ex fails. (Especially if it's still under the 5yr warranty. )

I think I saw that post and also a video on you tube of one a guy bought that looked to been dropped off a building. I don’t want anything like that either. Wish the 18k was out when I purchased the 6000ex. Or that I could have purchased 2 6000ex, but seemed impossible to find 2 in stock at the same time.

 

[Turbo_Gunner]

I recently saw a post on the forum about someone who got a refurb unit. The exterior was beaten and had holes drilled into it. It worked but looked like hell. I certainly don't want anything like that. I'll wait and maybe get a pair 6000xp inverters, if the the 6000ex fails. (Especially if it's still under the 5yr warranty. )

I talked with sig solar and they directed me to their refurbished units.$898 I believe it was plus shipping and tax. I ask their input and they assured me there is nothing wrong with the 6000ex. And shouldn’t have issues with them if used correctly. Told me the upgrade unit is for those who could t get over the idle consumption of the 6000ex.

 

[Timmaahhh]

I am in a similar situation to you. I purchased my setup a year and a half ago and it took me forever to get what I needed to mount, wire and do all the little things. That and life happened. I am currently running my entire house off one 6000ex, 2 Lifepower4 batteries *totally insufficient* and 10 255w Canadian solar panels.

During the day, I have 2 240v mini splits running all day set at 70* "East Texas*, one 120v portable A/C running in the office, and all the computer/TV/internet items. The last 2 weeks having this up and running, my typical load is between 230-1300 watts. That is mostly depending on if the compressors are running or not on the mini splits. My current setup handles all that with zero issues at all. Now, the inverter tells me how unhappy it is when the hot water heater kicks on or if I am using the stove or the drier *all electric units*. It seems that there is a pretty good margin of protection in this as when the big ticket items are running the display tells me I am at 110-120% load. I have yet to trip the overload protection. I am also contacting SS to see if I can get one of their "returned" 6000ex's to add so I can keep from pushing this one to the max.