Grid Current Vampire Drain 1-2 amps continuous

[markcupitt]

We have a POWRMR as well as a couple of other Chinese brands, and we have noticed that they draw 1-2 amps continuously, even if solar/battery is supplying 100% to the load., We checked this by adding a current meter, and watching it, waited until 100% of the load was supplied by solar, then disconnected the inverter from the grid

Have not been able to find any reference to this in any manuals, or online which I find quite surprising, nor can we find a way to stop it. CUrrenty,. we manually disconnect the grid when its a good solar day ..

Has anyone else experienced this, any tips on what we can do, or is it just a manufacturing feature

Many thanks in advance

 

[sunshine_eggo]

This is idle consumption - the power consumed by the unit itself. Most cheap chinese units, MPP Solar, Growatt, EG4, burn about 40-50W per 3000W rated output. That's the hidden cost to them - they need larger arrays and larger batteries to account for the 1.1kWh consumption from the continuous drain.

I have a PowrMr 24V/3kW headed my way, and this will be something I check to confirm.

 

[timselectric]

Has anyone else experienced this, any tips on what we can do, or is it just a manufacturing feature

This is normal.
If connected to the grid, it uses some of the power to monitor the grid and power the controls. So that it's always ready to switch to grid. In the event that the battery power is lost.
Turning the breaker off, is the only way to avoid it.
You can automate this. By adding a relay for the AC input. And control it with the dry contacts.
When the batteries reach the "back to grid" setting. The dry contacts turn on the AC input power. Then, the unit switches to grid.

 

[Partimewages]

I have a PowrMr 24V/3kW headed my way, and this will be something I check to coconfirm.

It's not going to be BLUE!????

 

[Hedges]

"Disconnect from grid", so you refer to AC current draw, not from battery?
Do you also know the no-load current & power drawn from battery, when both grid and PV are disconnected? (or from battery + PV with PV connected)?

When disconnected from grid, does power drawn from battery & PV change, to make up for the (apparent? Real?) power no longer supplied by grid?

I was thinking no-load current of a transformer, which is reactive power, VA but not W. To the extent power is consumed, current is in phase with voltage, but reactive power is 90 degrees out of phase, sucking power then stuffing it back into the grid.

Sunshine - see if you can measure that, either with scope or kill-a-watt.

However, these units don't seem to be heavy enough to have a 6kW transformer type battery charger.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0746/0415/1079/files/POW-SunSmart-10K-User-Manual_455cdd63-d1e4-4f51-8c15-294c928f9709.pdf?v=1686636457

"Mains/Generator Input Voltage Range 90-140Vac"

Likely feeds switching power supply. Unless PF corrected, I expect that to show low power factor, but only when charging. I would not expect it to show inductive reactance, where it draws current in phase then stuffs it back out of phase. But when drawing relatively low power, current would be drawn as short bursts at peak of sine wave voltage (rectifier into capacitor), which might measure incorrectly on a meter.