Hello everyone! Let me start by saying how much of dumb I've been. I have grid-tied micro inverter-based solar panels (I duped myself into paying one of these door-to-door companies). I noticed I'm injecting almost 30-40kwh daily to the grid and getting paid $0.30-$1.50 per day depending on price range (I'm in the ERCOT market). I decided to get batteries to store the power instead of selling it for almost free. I failed to pay attention to the "Off-grid" part of every video review I saw of EG4 6500EX models. I bought 2 of them thinking I can run the whole house with 13kw along with 20kwh batteries.
I've got lots of experience in electricity as I worked as a master tech for a big utility company and now am a transmission dispatcher, so I worked from 130v DC system to 345kV AC with no residential experience (but everything in the substation is way more complicated than any house so I figure wth!!). So I wired up the whole setup via a sub panel, moved some circuits to the panel mostly fans lights computers etc, and left the big appliances on the grid panel (which I can backfeed during a power outage after turning the main breaker off via the tie-breaker)
The moment I started to wire up stuff, I came to the realization of how I would sync the inverters to solar panels with two different potentials and different phase angles due to frequency and voltage differences. That's when I stumbled on AC coupling inverters. I planned to use batteries at night to run lights, fans, etc., and leave the AC fridge on the grid as the AC units are 7.5 tons altogether, and I didn't trust the inverters to be able to run them due to the high in-rush current. The other main reason was to use the batteries and inverters during power outages and, in hurricane years, use the solar panels to charge the batteries. But alas, without AC coupling, I can't do it unless I somehow get a sync relay then fool the solar panels' control module to turn the inverters on to start producing power during an outage, and then somehow sync the two different power sources inverters AC output and solar panels output and then when batteries are full somehow decrease power output or completely shut them off, too bad I can't control their outputs or a sync relay would do wonders.
So, I called up SS to see what my options were. They suggested I purchase an 18k inverter, which can couple AC, create a microgrid, and bring my solar panels online during outages to charge the batteries. But I'd have to fork over another 5k even though SS offered $1000 off due to having just bought the 6500EX upgrade program. But I don't have the funds after getting solar panels and then investing 10k more on inverters, batteries, and parts. My wife is already after me because she didn't care much for solar panels, especially after hearing about the total cost I've spent on inverters and batteries. I didn't plan nor research enough to correctly assess what I should've purchased to properly use the solar panels, batteries, and a proper backup. So far, I've been using the timer function in the inverters battery SBU from 2000-0900 and USB 1000-1900.
Now, the few issues I've had with the inverters themselves. Flickering LEDs through the circuits batteries feed whenever I'm on inverter battery feed, I get flicking lights, and voltage would fluctuate 109-119v on both 2P1 and 2P2 randomly. I called SS tech support they told me I need a grounding screw to bond N-G (which they shipped yesterday). Also, I've updated it to the latest firmware, 79.71 (my inverters are missing option 42 after option 41, it jumps to 51), but I've still got flicking and voltage fluctuations. A few minutes ago, I installed an 8-foot ground rod outside, ran a solid copper ground bond, and grounded the inverters. Let's see if this helps (I believe my inverters didn't have a proper grounding; there is too much resistance between the inverter's ground and the main panel's ground). Hopefully, this will solve the issue I will see tonight when I roll to batteries.
Also no matter what I do via app or from the inverter buttons themselves I cannot get the output to change to 127v.
Adding few screenshots one is when the batteries are being charged and other two are from the horrid app “WatchPower”
I apologize for being long-winded, but hopefully, others can see this as what not to do and a lesson learned an expansive lesson!!.
I've got lots of experience in electricity as I worked as a master tech for a big utility company and now am a transmission dispatcher, so I worked from 130v DC system to 345kV AC with no residential experience (but everything in the substation is way more complicated than any house so I figure wth!!). So I wired up the whole setup via a sub panel, moved some circuits to the panel mostly fans lights computers etc, and left the big appliances on the grid panel (which I can backfeed during a power outage after turning the main breaker off via the tie-breaker)
The moment I started to wire up stuff, I came to the realization of how I would sync the inverters to solar panels with two different potentials and different phase angles due to frequency and voltage differences. That's when I stumbled on AC coupling inverters. I planned to use batteries at night to run lights, fans, etc., and leave the AC fridge on the grid as the AC units are 7.5 tons altogether, and I didn't trust the inverters to be able to run them due to the high in-rush current. The other main reason was to use the batteries and inverters during power outages and, in hurricane years, use the solar panels to charge the batteries. But alas, without AC coupling, I can't do it unless I somehow get a sync relay then fool the solar panels' control module to turn the inverters on to start producing power during an outage, and then somehow sync the two different power sources inverters AC output and solar panels output and then when batteries are full somehow decrease power output or completely shut them off, too bad I can't control their outputs or a sync relay would do wonders.
So, I called up SS to see what my options were. They suggested I purchase an 18k inverter, which can couple AC, create a microgrid, and bring my solar panels online during outages to charge the batteries. But I'd have to fork over another 5k even though SS offered $1000 off due to having just bought the 6500EX upgrade program. But I don't have the funds after getting solar panels and then investing 10k more on inverters, batteries, and parts. My wife is already after me because she didn't care much for solar panels, especially after hearing about the total cost I've spent on inverters and batteries. I didn't plan nor research enough to correctly assess what I should've purchased to properly use the solar panels, batteries, and a proper backup. So far, I've been using the timer function in the inverters battery SBU from 2000-0900 and USB 1000-1900.
Now, the few issues I've had with the inverters themselves. Flickering LEDs through the circuits batteries feed whenever I'm on inverter battery feed, I get flicking lights, and voltage would fluctuate 109-119v on both 2P1 and 2P2 randomly. I called SS tech support they told me I need a grounding screw to bond N-G (which they shipped yesterday). Also, I've updated it to the latest firmware, 79.71 (my inverters are missing option 42 after option 41, it jumps to 51), but I've still got flicking and voltage fluctuations. A few minutes ago, I installed an 8-foot ground rod outside, ran a solid copper ground bond, and grounded the inverters. Let's see if this helps (I believe my inverters didn't have a proper grounding; there is too much resistance between the inverter's ground and the main panel's ground). Hopefully, this will solve the issue I will see tonight when I roll to batteries.
Also no matter what I do via app or from the inverter buttons themselves I cannot get the output to change to 127v.
Adding few screenshots one is when the batteries are being charged and other two are from the horrid app “WatchPower”
I apologize for being long-winded, but hopefully, others can see this as what not to do and a lesson learned an expansive lesson!!.
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