EG4 8K Not a True Hybrid? SIg Solar needs to either fix or recall.

[Mendo Home Power]

If all of the homes loads are after the inverter and only connected to the inverters Load output, then that panel will only be powered by pv/battery or the grid. But not both at the same time.

I'll ask again, have you personally worked with this machine?

 

[Cheap 4-life]

I use battery powered grid tie limiting inverters with Cts. No I don’t have personal experience with this particular inverter. As I said I have thoroughly researched Megarevo.. Beene Brothers on youtube also uses it as I describe.
so with the SolArks/Deyes you installed. Did the inverters power the homes loads like a grid tie inverter via its bidirectional AC input? Or did you have all the homes loads after the inverter powered only by the loads output?

 

[Cheap 4-life]

I understand you not wanting to leave these new inverters in the hands of customers.

 

[Mendo Home Power]

I use battery powered grid tie limiting inverters with Cts. No I don’t have personal experience with this particular inverter. As I said I have thoroughly researched it. Beene brothers on youtube also uses it as I describe.
so with the SolArks/Deyes you installed. Did the inverters power the homes loads like a grid tie inverter via its bidirectional AC input? Or did you have all the homes loads after the inverter powered only by the loads output?

The Sol-Arks and the Deye's I have set up with critical load panels. The critical load usually encompasses most if not all of the house load with an interlock set in the panel to revert to grid if needed. The bidirectional AC is set up as normal from the main panel. It's how I set all installs, whether they are bidirectional or one way, as Net Metering is becoming less desirable where I am. It also allows for an easy replacement with a grid assist unit should the need come up. This way of doing a system also allows the customer to revert if needed without having to know a bunch of tech that they won't want to know anyway.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

The Sol-Arks and the Deye's I have set up with critical load panels. The critical load usually encompasses most if not all of the house load with an interlock set in the panel to revert to grid if needed. The bidirectional AC is set up as normal from the main panel. It's how I set all installs, whether they are bidirectional or one way, as Net Metering is becoming less desirable where I am. It also allows for an easy replacement with a grid assist unit should the need come up. This way of doing a system also allows the customer to revert if needed without having to know a bunch of tech that they won't want to know anyway.

So your setting them up so that the critical panel has basically all the homes loads moved to it from the main panel. So yeah if there’s no loads before the inverter then the inverter will not be able to use the external CTs to cover the loads in the main panel because there isn’t any.
id set it up so that only critical loads are in the critical/offgrid panel. And when Grid power isn’t available the inverter then supplies those critical loads with offgrid power. The CTs prevent the need for a net metering agreement. They stop power from going past the homes meter.. this makes offgrid with grid assist useless..

 

[Markus_EG4]

That's not how the unit is advertised, nor is it set up that way. This unit was set up with the Ct's pointed towards the inverter to keep from sending power to the grid along with the Grid disable set to enable.(stupid) Everything runs through a critical load panel on the AC output. Went through the settings with tech support for hours, several times to try and get the unit to not stay in grid mode. The inverter, if operating correctly, is not a good setup for any off grid or grid assist system. The dual outputs is unnecessary if the inverter was programed from the factory correctly. It seems like an intentionally crippled machine with a just plain bizarre setup.

The CTs need to point towards the grid. Not towards the inverter. Also L1 CTs has to go to L1 same for L2.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

I’d set the system up with a manual transfer switch to power the offgrid panel from the grid or the inverters load output. By grid I mean the inverters bidirectional AC input. But not directly. I’d have the bidirectional AC input wired to the main panel with most of the homes loads there and a breaker from that panel to the manual transfer switch That powers the critical/offgrid panel

 

[Mendo Home Power]

So your setting them up so that the critical panel has basically all the homes loads moved to it from the main panel. So yeah if there’s no loads before the inverter then the inverter will not be able to use the external CTs to cover the loads in the main panel because there isn’t any.
id set it up so that only critical loads are in the critical/offgrid panel. And when Grid power isn’t available the inverter then supplies those critical loads with offgrid power. The CTs prevent the need for a net metering agreement. They stop power from going past the homes meter.. this makes offgrid with grid assist useless..

That's ok if you want to use the grid more. A single panel is preferable to how I want to set things up. Simpler as well. CT's can be temperamental and not always eliminate bleed through of power in one direction or the other. The use is becoming more widespread, but simpler equipment is also preferable in my experience. Different schools of thought I suppose. In my frame of reference I go for less interaction with the grid.

 

[Mendo Home Power]

The CTs need to point towards the grid. Not towards the inverter. Also L1 CTs has to go to L1 same for L2.

Depends on what you are doing I suppose. If there is no net metering agreement then this scenerio will certainly get the power police knocking on your door. I've been through all this with over the phone tech support more than once and it was concluded that the unit needed to go home.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

That's ok if you want to use the grid more

Don’t have to barely use the grid setting it up as I describe. With offgrid and grid assist the purpose would be to use the grid more. I don’t think it’s simpler to move all the homes loads to a critical panel. If it’s new construction maybe so. Seems like you want your setup/installations to be like a SolArk 15k (not 12k) is installed. That’s with all loads after the inverter. what your calling a main panel is apparently just a panel with a main breaker. No loads in it.
If there’s going to be a grid connection to the house then grid tie zero export with Cts is how most homes should be setup for ease of installation. It’s also less strain on the inverter because the grid handles the surges.

 

[Cheap 4-life]

Depends on what you are doing I suppose. If there is no net metering agreement then this scenerio will certainly get the power police knocking on your door. I've been through all this with over the phone tech support more than once and it was concluded that the unit needed to go home.

Putting the CTs the other way might be making the inverter think it’s backfeeding the grid which might be why it’s not supplying any power from pv to the critical loads. Very heavy speculation

 

[Mendo Home Power]

Putting the CTs the other way might be making the inverter think it’s backfeeding the grid which might be why it’s not supplying any power from pv to the critical loads. Very heavy speculation

This was at the specific instruction of Sig Solar tech support and recommended for not accidentally back feeding the grid in case the non intuitive "Grid Disable" enable selection didn't work right. These are in the EG4 videos as well.

 

[Mendo Home Power]

Why am I arguing with people who haven't installed one of these turds

 

[Markus_EG4]

Depends on what you are doing I suppose. If there is no net metering agreement then this scenerio will certainly get the power police knocking on your door. I've been through all this with over the phone tech support more than once and it was concluded that the unit needed to go home.

Anti reverse is yor Grid Export setting. You can enable or disable it

 

[Markus_EG4]

This was at the specific instruction of Sig Solar tech support and recommended for not accidentally back feeding the grid in case the non intuitive "Grid Disable" enable selection didn't work right. These are in the EG4 videos as well.

You are setting this up wrong. If you would like I can help you set it up the right way like the manual says and then we can see if it’s faulty equipment. But if you are already returning them for something you are more familiar with then please delete this post because it was never set up right in the first place

 

[robby]

If all of the homes loads are after the inverter and only connected to the inverters Load output, then that panel will only be powered by pv/battery or the grid. But not both at the same time.

I have not been following all the details of this drama but I can say that the Sol-Ark 12k and 15k can supply the loads with PV, Battery and grid power all combined to satisfy the load.

 

[FilterGuy]

I believe the EG4 8KEXP-240V can be modeled like this:




A typical layout might look like this


The relays shown in the inverter would normally be in the position connecting the Grid inputs to Load 1. However, in the event of a power failure, the relays would open as part of the anti Islanding it is required to do as a grid-interactive inverter. Consequently, if the grid is down, anything on the grid circuit (eg Load A) will not have power. Only loads connected to the Load1 output (Load B) will have power during a grid-down situation.

The CTs will allow the inverter to pump enough energy into the system to power loads A and B without back-feeding the grid. Depending on the configuration, the CTs also allow other functions centering around controlling the energy to/from the grid.

 

[Mendo Home Power]

So your setting them up so that the critical panel has basically all the homes loads moved to it from the main panel. So yeah if there’s no loads before the inverter then the inverter will not be able to use the external CTs to cover the loads in the main panel because there isn’t any.
id set it up so that only critical loads are in the critical/offgrid panel. And when Grid power isn’t available the inverter then supplies those critical loads with offgrid power. The CTs prevent the need for a net metering agreement. They stop power from going past the homes meter.. this makes offgrid with grid assist useless..

Nice theory but it doesn't work with this machine. The inverter is only part of the issue. While it may be nice that what you are saying could work in theory, it has to jive with both the instructions and what comes out of Sig Solar's tech team(?) Have one of them like and cheer you on here on the forum is one thing but none of them nor you have got any on the ground experience putting one in. So I'm reading theories.
I've had to send CT position photos to SIg already. I'm clear on the positioning. I know how they operate from previous installations. I'm clear on L1,L2 positioning. I think, before Sig sells another unit they need to have each of their tech(?) people set one of these up from scratch with no assistance. Theory and reality are two different things. Just look at the cloogy instructions. Advice is a mute point right now because the 32" x 32" pallet required for return shipment has left the building never to darken my customers door again.

 

[Mendo Home Power]

Anti reverse is yor Grid Export setting. You can enable or disable it

Markus, You are contradicting your own tech people and setup video.

 

[Mendo Home Power]

You are setting this up wrong. If you would like I can help you set it up the right way like the manual says and then we can see if it’s faulty equipment. But if you are already returning them for something you are more familiar with then please delete this post because it was never set up right in the first place

Markus, The Megarevo has left the building.