derekja
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2021
- Messages
- 51
Hi, I wanted to start a thread about my installation and some of the mistakes I've made and get some feedback on where I'm planning on going from here.
I am building a 2100 sq ft off-grid house in British Columbia. I am under CEC2018 for this build, and when I started a I pulled a homeowner permit for the service install because I couldn't find a good local solar installer. I was going to wire the house myself as well, but a couple chats with the local inspector made me realize that this was going to be more trouble than it was worth and I did find an electrician I like who was able to do the house wiring.
Since they were recently given CSA approval, I ended up going with the MPP Solar LV6548, a pair of them, and put in a ground mounted array of 20 370 Watt solar panels. I used the Nader 200A breakers from Signature Solar and bought a rack and a single 48V 100Ah lifepower4 battery. Knowing I would eventually need more capacity, but not wanting to buy it until the inspector signed off on the equipment choices.
I have to say, I've been quite happy with the performance of this system and these components. In my testing they were able to handle the 1.5HP well pump, power tools like the air compressor, and everything has been working great. I missed some elements of what I would need for an inspected electrical install, though.
The first problems were in the main house panel. I had used a calculated load sizing for the panel, but the inspector has been unwilling to do that and needs to see a full 100 Amp panel based on my square footage. (brief digression on actual loads - heating, water heating, cooktop are all propane. I currently have an electric stove and an electric oven. The well pump and pressure booster pump are electric, as is the septic pump. Everything else is lighting and convenience outlets.)
OK, I started going down a path of load shedding and found a load shedding device that could accommodate that (https://shop.blackbox-in.com/products/evems-100a-service-60a-charger) and the inspector seemed to consider this an acceptable solution, although I was having a hard time finding enough loads to shed.
Next problem was the Nader breakers, not in the breakers themselves but in terms of the housing. Finding a DIN rail housing that fits the 2/0 battery cables has been challenging. This one is as yet unresolved, but Hammond seems to make a box that would work.
The batteries had to go. No CSA approval markings, and getting them individually approved through the SPE-1000 process was unworkable due to some components (breaker and BMS) not themselves having Canadian approvals. Again, nice product in terms of performance and they have been really helpful with such things as firmware updates to allow me to run two inverters off a single battery even outside of design recommendations, but I can't see how they are installable in inspected settings in Canada. Unfortunately its back to AGM for the time being since I already have those and the inspector has no issue with them.
The killer. I think this one is just unsolvable at this time. The LV6548 does not seem to offer any AFCI protection on the DC inputs from the solar panel. Now under 690.11 in the US I wouldn't necessarily need this. There is an exception for ground mounted arrays feeding into a building that houses only PV equipment. But this exception didn't seem to make it into the Canadian Electrical Code. I have found no reasonable solution to AFCI on the PV inputs.
I've also had a bunch of noise about the mc4 connectors on the lv6548 and how to make them compliant (strain relief, dc cabling in a conduit, etc) but nothing entirely unsolvable.
The inspector really wanted me off a homeowner permit and applied a lot of pressure to find a solar electrician. I could have resisted, but it would have taken time and money and I want to move in before winter, so I found someone. He would like me to consider dropping the inverters and suggests the Sol-Ark 15k. Expensive, but he has installed them successfully before and knows how to get them approved. The Outback Radian was the other suggestion. I'm a little bit worried about the imbalanced shutoff issues Davidpoz and others reported on the Sol-Ark 12k, but I figure I can add an autotransformer down the road if it becomes an issue.
Given all this, before I drop $14k Canadian on a Sol-Ark 15k, does anyone have thoughts for me?
Thanks!
I am building a 2100 sq ft off-grid house in British Columbia. I am under CEC2018 for this build, and when I started a I pulled a homeowner permit for the service install because I couldn't find a good local solar installer. I was going to wire the house myself as well, but a couple chats with the local inspector made me realize that this was going to be more trouble than it was worth and I did find an electrician I like who was able to do the house wiring.
Since they were recently given CSA approval, I ended up going with the MPP Solar LV6548, a pair of them, and put in a ground mounted array of 20 370 Watt solar panels. I used the Nader 200A breakers from Signature Solar and bought a rack and a single 48V 100Ah lifepower4 battery. Knowing I would eventually need more capacity, but not wanting to buy it until the inspector signed off on the equipment choices.
I have to say, I've been quite happy with the performance of this system and these components. In my testing they were able to handle the 1.5HP well pump, power tools like the air compressor, and everything has been working great. I missed some elements of what I would need for an inspected electrical install, though.
The first problems were in the main house panel. I had used a calculated load sizing for the panel, but the inspector has been unwilling to do that and needs to see a full 100 Amp panel based on my square footage. (brief digression on actual loads - heating, water heating, cooktop are all propane. I currently have an electric stove and an electric oven. The well pump and pressure booster pump are electric, as is the septic pump. Everything else is lighting and convenience outlets.)
OK, I started going down a path of load shedding and found a load shedding device that could accommodate that (https://shop.blackbox-in.com/products/evems-100a-service-60a-charger) and the inspector seemed to consider this an acceptable solution, although I was having a hard time finding enough loads to shed.
Next problem was the Nader breakers, not in the breakers themselves but in terms of the housing. Finding a DIN rail housing that fits the 2/0 battery cables has been challenging. This one is as yet unresolved, but Hammond seems to make a box that would work.
The batteries had to go. No CSA approval markings, and getting them individually approved through the SPE-1000 process was unworkable due to some components (breaker and BMS) not themselves having Canadian approvals. Again, nice product in terms of performance and they have been really helpful with such things as firmware updates to allow me to run two inverters off a single battery even outside of design recommendations, but I can't see how they are installable in inspected settings in Canada. Unfortunately its back to AGM for the time being since I already have those and the inspector has no issue with them.
The killer. I think this one is just unsolvable at this time. The LV6548 does not seem to offer any AFCI protection on the DC inputs from the solar panel. Now under 690.11 in the US I wouldn't necessarily need this. There is an exception for ground mounted arrays feeding into a building that houses only PV equipment. But this exception didn't seem to make it into the Canadian Electrical Code. I have found no reasonable solution to AFCI on the PV inputs.
I've also had a bunch of noise about the mc4 connectors on the lv6548 and how to make them compliant (strain relief, dc cabling in a conduit, etc) but nothing entirely unsolvable.
The inspector really wanted me off a homeowner permit and applied a lot of pressure to find a solar electrician. I could have resisted, but it would have taken time and money and I want to move in before winter, so I found someone. He would like me to consider dropping the inverters and suggests the Sol-Ark 15k. Expensive, but he has installed them successfully before and knows how to get them approved. The Outback Radian was the other suggestion. I'm a little bit worried about the imbalanced shutoff issues Davidpoz and others reported on the Sol-Ark 12k, but I figure I can add an autotransformer down the road if it becomes an issue.
Given all this, before I drop $14k Canadian on a Sol-Ark 15k, does anyone have thoughts for me?
Thanks!
