Looking for inverter suggestion to set up a critical backup system while cutting utility bill.

[MurphyGuy]

Well I just ordered the Outback Radian GS4048A-01 with the MATE 3 and a FlexMax 80. I did not purchase their pricey "Load Center" so interested if anyone else has rigged one up and how they went about it? Materials to get started with ...

There really isn't much to rig up.. You need to purchase a fuse or breaker for your battery and disconnect switch. If you get a breaker, that works as the disconnect as well.

The Radian's AC output will need a breaker, but if you're feeding your home's load panel with an interlocked breaker, just size it appropriately and that's covered.

You will probably also want a shunt on the battery.

Depending on how you wire it up, you might also want a bypass switch.. but that's only needed if you're feeding a dedicated sub-panel.

This all really depends on how you choose to wire your system and how you want it to operate. Three different ways:
1) Manually operated emergency backup (like mine)
2) Automatic emergency backup (most complex)
3) Full time off-grid use.

How you choose to wire it will dictate what you need. That said, all three of those require some basics:
1) Battery protection (Breaker, fuse, disconnect)
2) You'll probably want a shunt on the battery.
3) Breaker on the AC output of the inverter and breakers on all branch circuits.

Optional:
1) Generator input breaker
2) Bypass switch
3) Critical loads panel(s)

Before you start stripping wires and driving screws, you should make a model of your setup.. I used autocad to model each and every component to make sure things were neat, easy to work on, and didn't result in a mess tangle of crap.

You might want to start looking for some clear plexiglass as that stuff is invaluable for putting shields over connection points and separating close connections with a solid non-conductive barrier. You can drill it, screw it, and even shape and form it if you stick it in your oven at 220 degrees.

I would get on ebay and find a 12 x 12 x 6 (or larger) plastic hinge covered junction box.. Run your battery cables straight to the inverter, but run all the AC lines through that junction box. Get some DIN Rail and terminal strips and mount everything to those.

 

[SolarPrep]

Check out Surplus Sales of Nebraska for good deals on components. Also, Midnite Solar E panels are a better value than the ones offered by some of the manufacturers. From what I understand, Midnite makes many of those panels for others, like the new Victron VEP.

But like MurphyGuy says, you can just buy components and spend a few hours to make your own up. I was looking at investing in a hydraulic panel cutter/dies but then found a shop 2 miles from my house that would punch them for me.

 

[wcpastures]

Well I ended up getting a used "package" that included the Load Center anyway so I guess I'll end up using it since it's included.
I do still have to figure out how I'm going to end up wiring it, hopefully without having to rewire most of my current main panel to a "critical loads panel" which I'm afraid sounds like I may need to?

 

[wcpastures]

1) Manually operated emergency backup (like mine)

Is this possible with the Radian while maintaining the hybrid feature? Their suggested wiring shows everything that will be run during power failure be rewired to a "critical loads" panel. The only thing I would not want to be run during a power failure is the water heater and dryer which I would just manually turn off those breakers. When running hybrid grid-tie my understanding is that the Radian's internal transfer switch would shut down power to my main panel if there was a power failure?

 

[MurphyGuy]

Is this possible with the Radian while maintaining the hybrid feature? Their suggested wiring shows everything that will be run during power failure be rewired to a "critical loads" panel. The only thing I would not want to be run during a power failure is the water heater and dryer which I would just manually turn off those breakers. When running hybrid grid-tie my understanding is that the Radian's internal transfer switch would shut down power to my main panel if there was a power failure?

I'm not sure what you're asking when you say "possible with hybrid feature".

My Sunny Island battery inverters have a an automatic mode.. (I don't use it) In normal automatic mode, solar power flies right through them into the grid, when the grid goes down, they open their internal grid connected relay and send battery/solar power only to a sub panel for critical loads.
This is part of the reason why I don't use the automatic mode.. I want my entire home powered, not just a few circuits.. I want to live normally, not in "camping mode" where some important stuff works and other things don't.

My other reason is that I want my critical off grid power source completely disconnected from the house/grid in case of a power surge, EMP, lightening strike, etc. I don't want to risk $10,000 worth of inverters to mother nature or some drunk guy hitting a pole.

I believe the Radian's can actually do more stuff than the Sunny Islands.. IE: they have more features, but I think you have to pick and choose.. if you want A, you can't have B.. sort of thing.

If you tell me what you want to do, I can (probably) tell you if they can do it.