diy solar

diy solar

Generlink: Whole home transfer switch at meter connection?

Will Prowse

Will Prowse

Forum Owner
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Sep 19, 2019
Messages
3,431
Location
36° N 115° W
I had no clue these exist! Instead of wiring up a transfer switch or critical loads panel, you can run your entire home off this thing:
MA23_CORD.png
from-murray-anita-ott-to-photo-ott-subject-h26.jpeg


Imagine how easy it would be to run a house with an off-grid solar system with this unit.

The biggest downside is they only have a 30A and 40A model. But for some folks, that's all they need.

Also, pretty expensive. But the ease of installation over other options may pay for itself. Possibly cheaper than having an electrician install a transfer switch.

Have you guys seen these? Anyone have one on their house?
 
I don't have them but they have been around for years. Many POCO's won't allow them in Cali because it's third-party equipment that touches the grid. Recently PG&E came out with their own version (BPTM). Tesla also has a similar one (Backup Switch).
 
That is absolutely killer.

I'm assuming one couldn't install this DIY though. The electric company wouldn't be so happy with you removing their meter so you can install this.
 
I asked my PoCo about them a few years ago. Unfortunately not supported. I love the idea of it.
 
peakbagger said:
Not supported by my POCO (Eversource NH)

Some of the Coops in VT accept them (Washington Electric is one of them)
Click to expand...
Yes, Vermont Electric Co-Op does. My neighbor had one installed for years.

I’m not sure about Green Mountain Power, the other big provider in my area.
 
Will Prowse said:
I had no clue these exist! Instead of wiring up a transfer switch or critical loads panel, you can run your entire home off this thing:
View attachment 181956
View attachment 181957


Imagine how easy it would be to run a house with an off-grid solar system with this unit.

The biggest downside is they only have a 30A and 40A model. But for some folks, that's all they need.

Also, pretty expensive. But the ease of installation over other options may pay for itself. Possibly cheaper than having an electrician install a transfer switch.

Have you guys seen these? Anyone have one on their house?
Click to expand...

That's really neat!
 
Saw that 7 or 8 years ago and contacted ComEd in Illinois to inquire if they allowed them. They had zero clue on what it was. Spent way too much time on the phone going round and round with them. I eventually gave up and had a traditional gen. inlet plug and interlok installed. I would hope by this time the electrical companies would be more familiar with them.
 
These have been around for many years. Not popular because not able to be used with many utilities. Also, I may be wrong, but if I remember, no 50 amp connection.
 
Monday I’m installing a generator outlet and interlock for a customer. Materials were $200. I’m charging $500. Should have it done 4 hours.. I have not looked up the price of these units that connect to meter but hard to beat $500.
 
Cheap 4-life said:
Monday I’m installing a generator outlet and interlock for a customer. Materials were $200. I’m charging $500. Should have it done 4 hours.. I have not looked up the price of these units that connect to meter but hard to beat $500.
Click to expand...
A lot of houses can be a lot harder than that though. My main panel is just a single molded case breaker and it goes from there to the first subpanel, which is upstairs and indoors.
 
hwy17 said:
A lot of houses can be a lot harder than that though. My main panel is just a single molded case breaker and it goes from there to the first subpanel, which is upstairs and indoors.
Click to expand...
for the job I’m doing the panel that the generator outlet is connecting to is also indoors. Main panel or sub-panel doesn’t matter as long as all the loads that are to be backed up by the generator are in that breaker panel. Yours being Indoors simply means running the cable through the ceiling or walls or floor to the generator outlet..
 
Personally I hate them. Functionally they serve a purpose, but it is a sloppy solution for most use cases.
 
Will Prowse said:
I had no clue these exist! Instead of wiring up a transfer switch or critical loads panel, you can run your entire home off this thing:
View attachment 181956
View attachment 181957


Imagine how easy it would be to run a house with an off-grid solar system with this unit.

The biggest downside is they only have a 30A and 40A model. But for some folks, that's all they need.

Also, pretty expensive. But the ease of installation over other options may pay for itself. Possibly cheaper than having an electrician install a transfer switch.

Have you guys seen these? Anyone have one on their house?
Click to expand...
Hello. Is there a DIY system you would suggest that is beginner friendly to build and would be compatible with one of these? I just had one installed for free as a pilot program with my utility provider. They suggested a 6-7000w generator to run it with, but using a solar system with it would be ideal, that way I dont have to have a loud generator running outside. Thanks if you can provide any suggestions or insight!
 
Will Prowse said:
I had no clue these exist! Instead of wiring up a transfer switch or critical loads panel, you can run your entire home off this thing:
View attachment 181956
View attachment 181957


Imagine how easy it would be to run a house with an off-grid solar system with this unit.

The biggest downside is they only have a 30A and 40A model. But for some folks, that's all they need.

Also, pretty expensive. But the ease of installation over other options may pay for itself. Possibly cheaper than having an electrician install a transfer switch.

Have you guys seen these? Anyone have one on their house?
Click to expand...
In my area you cant pull the meter and install it again without an inspection (the seal seen in the photo)
 
I have the PG&E version of this here in the SF Bay area - the utility installed it recently last August for free, because I live adjacent to a high-fire threat area and so there's a higher likelihood of them shutting off my grid power pre-emptively. The PG&E version BPTM is 30A (240V) with a 25' 10ga cord (proprietary on the meter socket end, L14-30R on the generator end).

While I purchased a 240V dual-fuel inverter generator that can plug in, I learned about Will's videos and this forum while researching 240V power stations (battery generators) that were plug-and-play directly into the BPTM. I ended up settling on the new Anker Solix F3800, shown here connected for test purposes. Then I actually joined the forum recently, to learn how to select and wire some rigid off-grid panels for the Solix F3800 instead of using the 200W Anker panels (which I got discounted as part of the Solix kickstarter).

EV_mode.jpg

For longer multi-day power outages, I'm looking at setting up what I consider a series hybrid "EREV" mode - using the propane generator 240V to an EG4 Chargeverter to top-up the Solix F3800 via the solar DC inputs at 1200W or 2400W - by running the propane at higher load and efficiency only for shorter periods, I think I might be able to stretch my propane tanks up to 7X as long vs just running the house off the propane generator directly.

EREV_mode_small.jpg

Unfortunately there's no way to simulate a grid outage with these things, to actually make it switch off-grid - you can't just flip off your main panel breaker like testing an interlock or transfer switch. Since the BPTM is on the meter side of your main panel, that would just disconnects you from gird AND the BPTM. And the BPTM won't switch over automatically unless it detects the grid is actually down - so at best you can just get the GEN ready light to come on.

bptm_diagram.png
BPTM_hookup_small.jpg
 
wwu123 said:
I have the PG&E version of this here in the SF Bay area - the utility installed it recently last August for free, because I live adjacent to a high-fire threat area and so there's a higher likelihood of them shutting off my grid power pre-emptively. The PG&E version BPTM is 30A (240V) with a 25' 10ga cord (proprietary on the meter socket end, L14-30R on the generator end).

While I purchased a 240V dual-fuel inverter generator that can plug in, I learned about Will's videos and this forum while researching 240V power stations (battery generators) that were plug-and-play directly into the BPTM. I ended up settling on the new Anker Solix F3800, shown here connected for test purposes. Then I actually joined the forum recently, to learn how to select and wire some rigid off-grid panels for the Solix F3800 instead of using the 200W Anker panels (which I got discounted as part of the Solix kickstarter).

View attachment 189582

For longer multi-day power outages, I'm looking at setting up what I consider a series hybrid "EREV" mode - using the propane generator 240V to an EG4 Chargeverter to top-up the Solix F3800 via the solar DC inputs at 1200W or 2400W - by running the propane at higher load and efficiency only for shorter periods, I think I might be able to stretch my propane tanks up to 7X as long vs just running the house off the propane generator directly.

View attachment 189585

Unfortunately there's no way to simulate a grid outage with these things, to actually make it switch off-grid - you can't just flip off your main panel breaker like testing an interlock or transfer switch. Since the BPTM is on the meter side of your main panel, that would just disconnects you from gird AND the BPTM. And the BPTM won't switch over automatically unless it detects the grid is actually down - so at best you can just get the GEN ready light to come on.

View attachment 189583
View attachment 189584
Click to expand...
When you use your back up transfer meter from PGE, do you need to shut off your solar?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Transfer switch powered by Victron Multiplus II
Replies
2
Views
217
Simpleone71
S
J
8.5kW Transfer Switch with 9kW inverter - auto-cap at 8.5kW?
Replies
2
Views
236
hedwig415
H
M
DIY Home Battery Backup System Question (EG4 6500EX + Transfer Switch
Replies
14
Views
999
Capt Bill
Capt Bill
H
Adding inverter w/o transfer switch
Replies
8
Views
582
Zwy
Zwy
E
Outdoor Transfer Switch
Replies
1
Views
363
mrgizmo
M
Back
Top