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Hybrid inverter switching between solar and battery has no switch time (no power interruption)?

ABarbarian

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Mar 13, 2022
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I understand hybrid inverters have an internal ATS (automatic transfer switch) that can switch the load from solar/battery to grid supply when batteries are running low.

How about when switching load between solar panel power and battery power, eg solar panel power is used when there is enough sunlight, but as the sunlight drops too low the hybrid moves to battery power, is there any possible power interruption at those times?

My understanding is there is no interruption, is that because the inverter merges both inputs? or perhaps because the solar power always feeds into the batteries and the load is always taken from the batteries?
 
that’s interesting- I think this is the third time this question in a thread today. At least twice anyways. The other might’ve been another day.
 
Same person lol
Thanks for the responses, I get in now that the power merges and is shared, I sometimes see people say in this configuration the solar powers the load, and the batteries are only used when solar is not sufficient, but that statement did not seem right when the two inputs simply merge, ie I feel there would be some activity from the batteries even when there is enough solar to cover the full load.

Not too important for my use case as I am concerned about the switching time more than anything, and wanted to make sure there was none between solar and battery, am clear now there is no switching.

Sorry if it seems like duplicate posts, but I felt they were different questions, the other post is focused on the DC <> grid switching, which does involve power interruption, whereas this post is specifically about solar <> battery which does not have switching ... I did not want to cloud the questions by combining them into one post.
 
I feel there would be some activity from the batteries even when there is enough solar to cover the full load.
No. Maybe ‘scientifically’ electrons move about but in practical use and terms that is not what happens.
The battery is simply not a lesser ‘load’ potential than a robust solar output sees for the inverter or other big DC load. If the battery is full and the big load is less than the SCC output potential all the solar essentially all flows to the load. If the load is bigger than solar output potential the battery bank can contribute.
 
Not all units work the same.....might want to direct the question to a specific unit.

For grid down, mine switches over in a fraction of a sec without lights even blinking....most of the time we don't even know grid is down till we hear the neighbor start his generator.

My inverter doesn't have a solar input but can control micro inverters or you can have solar charge controllers that also charge the batteries. I have both types of solar inputs. ie...AC and DC coupling....

GS4048
 
I agree with Newbostonconst: not all units are the same.
My twin MPP Solar 6048's switch very fast, and like above, the other day I didn't even know the grid was down until my wife told me.
 
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