Leaning into solar from Texas

[Hedges]

But panels, it isn't always me. I bought 2 pallets from Inxeption, leaving about 150. Then somebody bought all.

150 lbs. is freight. The newer transformerless SB are under 75#, go common carrier. A few I picked up locally.

I got a pallet of 8 SI. Another pallet of 9 SB 5000US, open box, from Canada cost $700 shipping (quotes up to $7000 from FedEx). Those were a couple years ago before costs went up.

One to four pallets of PV panels, up to 5000# total, have cost $200 to $500 shipping Arizona to San Jose, spread over the past three years.

Large load makes it more economical per unit.

Here's the Sunny Island deal, $3800 including delivery for two plus extras.
Offgrid I would like 3x SI for 3-phase 120/208Y. Could buy two of these and have a spare.

Battery Inverter Solar Cabinet: (QTY 2) SMA Sunny Island SI-6048 w/ Warranty | eBay

These cabinets were designed and built by DC Solar. If you use the cabinet as-is there are only 2 connections required to have a functioning system (battery connection and solar panel connection). This setup will generate power even when there is no connection to the power grid.

www.ebay.com

SMA is OK. The hardware is great, and I do get on-line support at least for a serial number that is within it's warranty window. Maybe outside, don't know. Within a service ticket for SI that had 10 year warranty I've received help with much older SB. What they won't support is SunPower branded SMA equipment.

Latest firmware is on website. For SBS, update instructions said multiple intermediate versions required. I contacted SMA support, and they said the LG battery model I have stops at an earlier version, sent me a zip with that and the previous ones needed to do the upgrade. That one was by WiFi from a laptop with browser.

 

[Dave911]

Do you have a shop you want to run off 3 phase?

I've been watching that Ebay deal.

SMA's gear is looking quite viable now.
I appreciate the help!

>>What they won't support is SunPower branded SMA
I need to remember this!

How long ago did DC Solar go bankrupt? The Ebay seller mentions that those SI's were installed 4 years ago and then unused.

Will SMA honor a warranty on equipment not from the original purchaser?

I may just wait and watch further as a lot of new inverters are coming out and I still need to obtain my panels and build my ground mounts.

Thanks Hedges!

 

[Hedges]

SMA has sent replacement SI to someone who bought a DC Solar item. They sent me a replacement Speedwire daughter card. They seem to operate on warranty period, not paper trail. One guy said he bought a spare, and SMA says warranty will begin when commissioned (and presumably registered.) Maybe there is a period of time since manufacture, and a period since commissioning. SI used to have 5 year warranty, but many were shipped with a 10 year warranty noted on the box.

(Good/Bad news is they seem to do swap of whole SI inverter, may not be supporting with repair like they did for an SB I had under warranty years ago.) All the more reason to have a spare yourself.

The bankruptcy auctions started in 2019, I think.

I wanted 3-phase for future shop tools, always have. I did set up 3-phase and for now just a replacement 3-phase motor on what was a split-phase 2 HP Dayton compressor. VFD is the economical way to supply 3-phase motors, but (1) only smaller HP supposed to be fed single-phase input, (2) Some motors might get windings or bearings damaged by VFD transients, (3) non PF-corrected VFD aren't great loads and I think upset SB when voltage from SI gets clipped to flat top.


If you want SI, that seller shows only 3 pairs left. I would suggest getting one for split-phase or two for 3-phase system. You will be able to pick up used or new old stock SB cheap enough. Panels can be had sometimes under $0.20/W new. SanTan at the moment has a promo on junk old 240W panels for $20 apiece, and they have a short pallet of SunPower 305W for $0.13/W (with shipping might cost me $0.19)

Maybe bargains will keep appearing. I'm getting pretty good at catching a falling knife. But cost per kWh for my new DIY installs is so far below PG&E that greater discounts don't really matter.