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Largest Solar Inverter for Single Phase Pump

Solarpump

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Apr 18, 2022
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What is the largest solar inverter available in the market to operate a single phase 50Hz, 230 V, 14 Amps pump? The solar system is to operate only the pump without batteries nor any AC input from a generator or a grid. I installed a 2.2 K LS from MPP but it does not operate any pump above 1.5 HP with inverter output power of ~1700 W but when connecting a 2HP the output power of the inverter goes up to ~2400 to ~2500 W which makes the inverter to shut down with error code : Output overload protection".
 
Probably not even possible.
The problem is the massive starting current surge required to start up that pump.
Let's assume 220v at 14 amps running current, that is just over 3kW.

Starting surge could easily be five times that, or 15kW for a second or two. Possibly even more if its a deep well.
That massive start up surge usually comes from the grid or a big battery, that should handle it easily with the right inverter.

Without that you are probably going to need 20kW+ of panels and full sun and a really good inverter just to get that 3kW sucker started up.
 
Many of the mpp/growatt style all in one inverters have solar only modes.
They make 5kW and 8kW models I'm fairly sure.
But as mentioned,they don't have surge abilities without batteries.
If you are getting a 1.5hp pump running with 2.2, then a 5 might do it.
 
Here is a snip of the inrush current. The solar inverter is MPPT with pure sine wave and soft start capability. The 2HP and 3 HP pump will start and while the 2HP could run for 10 minutes before overload protection kicks in it is only 5 seconds for the 3HP pump.
 

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  • 230 V_50 Hz_ Single Phase Submersible Pumps Technical Data.PNG
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Forty eight amps is some pretty serious power, 10.5kW at 220v. All of that has to come directly from solar, and any mppt system takes time to self adjust to locate the power peak.
A really brutal start may very easily overwhelm the mppt and just overload the solar panels.
I cannot see this ever working well without a battery.
 
The current solar panels are rated at ~6600 Watts, 17 Impp and 375 Vmpp and the soft start feature can help with the start up current because it starting the 2HP pump every time for a while the issue is the inverter will shut down after a while as the output power of the inverter is around 2500 Watts above the rated 2.2 K of the inverter. I was wondering if there is a bigger inverter in the market that could work on a 2HP pump or 3 HP one.
 
Old thread and OP @Solarpump doesn't seem to be active on here but to provide a point of data related to post #3. I can confirm I start and run my 2HP well pump on solar only through a 6kw EG-6000EX - that used to be an MPP LVX6048. But it is a 3-phase pump and I'm doing that through a VFD - which provides soft start. Unclear if OP was trying to start his pump "across the line" but probably so since he posted the inrush table. I can't run that experiment since my pump is 3-phase and inverter is split-phase or I'd give it a go :)
 
Victron has a host of inverters that would handle this need
 
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