Growatt 12k unboxing

[Tecnodave]

P.s. Dave, your wrong yet again.

Your ignorance is showing....

MSEE University of Alaska grad 1966
Engineer General Electric Corporation 1966-1987
C-10 Electrical Contractor California, USA 1989 to present
Licensed, Insured ,Bonded 1989 to present

Your qualifications please........duh!

 

[Darren67-72]

Oh, your one of them book smart can't speak guys. That's my last responce. Again, good luck. Good day.

 

[Tecnodave]

Oh, your one of them book smart can't speak guys. That's my last responce. Again, good luck. Good day.

And yes, I do run into a lot of instant experts,

only 54 years in electrical, but you know more

 

[Zwy]

Lol, my point is; you can't over watt your house. Same is true for your car (dcv) your can't put too large of a battery in your car. amp capacity is irrelevant. 800 or 1000cca or bigger will not hurt the system. It won't blow your headlights or burn out your starter. These are amp draw, or watt draw. But we dont talk watts in a car.... no need to.
We also don't worry about how many watts we have available in our home. For the record mine is 24000 watts or 200 amp service.

You can over watt a SCC. Don't believe me? Hook up a 15Kw array to SCC (under 250VDC too) in something like the GW 12K unit and put a full load on the inverter plus have batteries not fully charged.

Let me know how it works out for you, and yes, I'll be laughing at you for doing it.

That smoke is very hard to put back into the unit once you let it out.

 

[Darren67-72]

So sorry you made that mistake. Shake it off and move forward. You did not mention the amps. But I'm sure your just trying to be a know it all.
Sure would be nice to have helpful people post here. I try to give useful information and likewise look for some here too.
The math on growatts is simple and always works, we just have to remember to look at ALL the parameters.

 

[Tecnodave]

You can over watt a SCC. Don't believe me? Hook up a 15Kw array to SCC (under 250VDC too) in something like the GW 12K unit and put a full load on the inverter plus have batteries not fully charged.

Let me know how it works out for you, and yes, I'll be laughing at you for doing it.

That smoke is very hard to put back into the unit once you let it out.

Hey what can I say, instant expert....he has a 200 amp 120 volt service.....and yep thats all you can get...doesnt know the difference between a 120 volt service and a 120/240 split phase, Dont waste your time

 

[Darren67-72]

Still talking about service panel. This is a solar site right? We shall call you... solar troll.
Thanks for the help guys.
I hope you have a happy new year.

 

[Tecnodave]

Still talking about service panel. This is a solar site right? We shall call you... solar troll.
Thanks for the help guys.
I hope you have a happy new year.

I actually work in the industry.....Beta Tester Midnight Solar.....

 

[Zwy]

So sorry you made that mistake. Shake it off and move forward. You did not mention the amps. But I'm sure your just trying to be a know it all.
Sure would be nice to have helpful people post here. I try to give useful information and likewise look for some here too.
The math on growatts is simple and always works, we just have to remember to look at ALL the parameters.

When GW puts a max wattage on the SCC, that is a hard rule. Go over to kromc5 and his thread where he over paneled his GW 12K's with the blessing of the company he bought them from. When the smoke rolled out of the caps, well, they admitted he needed additional SCC's as he was overpaneled.

 

[Darren67-72]

Xwy. Thanks, I can understand that. My question is, forgive my ignorance here, can I have 7000 watts on a string, then split that wire to both Pv inputs = 3500 each? Seems logical. If not I will just run another wire from my array. A little expensive, but if need be.

 

[Zwy]

Xwy. Thanks, I can understand that. My question is, forgive my ignorance here, can I have 7000 watts on a string, then split that wire to both Pv inputs = 3500 each? Seems logical. If not I will just run another wire from my array. A little expensive, but if need be.

After adding additional SCC's, kromc5 ran his PV wires that way, you can parallel 2 strings as long as each is less than the max PV input wattage and VOC rating of the unit. I intend to wire my LV6548's that way, 2 parallel strings of just over 4000 watts combined into a single wire, then split the the single wire into the 2 PV inputs at the unit. Saves running extra wire however you will have to upsize the wire size from the array. There are 2 SCC's in the LV6548's, each rated at 4000 watts.

You have several limitations with any GW or MPP Solar SCC. Usually no more than around 18 amps and the max input voltage is 250VDC, recommended is 230VDC. The sweet spot is usually around a 350 watt panel, in my case I have JA Solar 530w panels which 4 in series puts me at 199VDC and ISC of 13.43 amps. I can't input 2 parallel strings into one PV input, nor can I series connect 5 panels with a VOC of 49.65 VDC. My array is 16 panels, makes for a nice input with 2 PV inputs per LV6548 without running the SCC's near the limits. Adding an external SCC is always an option if I expand the array.

 

[MrM1]

We opted for a second GW SCC after being told and sold we could over panel the GW 12k. We had purchased 32 370w panels

We had planned to use an 8 in 2 out combiner having 2 arrays of 5920w each into each of the 2 PV inputs of the GW 12k . We were to have 2 4s4p arrays that did not exceed 200vdc voc.

After much discussion and reaching out to GW and others we just decided it better to run a second SCC

Benefit? We will now have 4 arrays 4s2p. But because we only have 2 stings in parallel from any 1 array into any single pv input, we can skip the combiner box all together. The cost of the 8 in 2 out combiner was $370. The cost of the 2nd SCC was $450. It was nearly a wash. And now will NOT be over paneled AND get to use the full output of the array. A no Brainer really.

 

[Darren67-72]

Thanks again. I'll just pull another wire (pr). What's $500 at this point, better safe, than sorry. Appreciate the responce.

 

[AlbaCORPS]

We opted for a second GW SCC after being told and sold we could over panel the GW 12k. We had purchased 32 370w panels

We had planned to use an 8 in 2 out combiner having 2 arrays of 5920w each into each of the 2 PV inputs of the GW 12k . We were to have 2 4s4p arrays that did not exceed 200vdc voc.

After much discussion and reaching out to GW and others we just decided it better to run a second SCC

Benefit? We will now have 4 arrays 4s2p. But because we only have 2 stings in parallel from any 1 array into any single pv input, we can skip the combiner box all together. The cost of the 8 in 2 out combiner was $370. The cost of the 2nd SCC was $450. It was nearly a wash. And now will NOT be over paneled AND get to use the full output of the array. A no Brainer really.

MrM1, if you mind me asking..... Did you wire another SCC to the GW 12kW or was the addition of a 2nd GW ?

 

[Darren67-72]

If your question was directed to me... I have a 80a 250v growatt, scc. So I will have a dedicated Pv for my SCC and a equal size pv split for the each PV input of the growatt inverter. I'm one of those overkill, be safe guys. I know, I know, sometimes it's a waste of money, but I sleep better.

 

[MrM1]

MrM1, if you mind me asking..... Did you wire another SCC to the GW 12kW or was the addition of a 2nd GW ?

We have a Growatt 12kw 250 vdc inverter with built in120amp 250vdc scc and ordered a second Growatt 120amp 250vdc scc

 

[MrM1]

... I have a 80a 250v growatt, scc.

So maybe you know the answer to this...
I have a Growatt SC 4880-mpv SCC. It is the 250v VOC version. But looking at the specs, this SCC has me a little concerned.

For 48v dc no problem
- up to 7000w array (3500w on each input)
- 250v voc
- 240v operating


BUT for 24 vdc systems according to the spec sheet
- max array 3500w (1750w each input).
- BUT (according to the spec sheet - and I can't see how this isn't a typo) ... Operating volts is 60-100vd ! ???

The 250v VOC model (according to the spec sheet) is the same as the 150v VOC model for 24v?

So what is your operating voltage input per side (per pv input)? Or if you only have 1 pv input what is your operating vdc?

What is your array size per input?

 

[Darren67-72]

Nope, I'm useless....today. long story short, I started my system unbalanced. Due to the wife buying me extra batteries as a gift. So I bumped up my array. Now I got everything fud up.
I did look at the data sheet on line, and I believe it is the old data, from the 150v models they sold and are now discontinued. Again, this is my belief. I have nothing definitive BUT, i promise to continue my search for the answer to your question as it concerns me as well.
And my original Pv array is 4160 watts and now I have 2 of those for a total of around 8,320. You know how that works.

 

[MrM1]

Take a look at the spec sheet from the box of the Growatt SC 4880-mpv. Note they still have a column for the 150 VOC units, but note the working voltages of the 250 VOC MPVs, especially @24v

 

[Darren67-72]

Good eye. It is normal to see these, dubble the capacity as they dubble the voltage ie; 12, 24, 48. But, I see the decrepency you mention. Almost, as if, the unit has never changed. I'm not overly concerned with burning these units out (mainly because of the price) but, it appears anything over 200v is somehow absorbed in the unit and not made into any usable power. My intent of use, with this unit is for an array size of 185 voc and 33.04 amps. Factoring in, my cold climate max. I could reach 231.25 voc keeping me under the 250v threshold. But, Still 99% of the time, being within the operating voltage and at 80% of that max for lawenjevity. Hope that helps?