Midnite Solar Announced their new 10kw AIO at Intersolar Today

[zanydroid]

If you have an off-grid system with RSD, you need a dark start battery anyway. To do otherwise would be foolish (we can debate whether someone true blooded off-grid would kowtow to installing RSD)

You can use a dark start battery to charge your phone or laptop.

Also, don't a lot of technicians carry ruggedized laptops, phones, and tablets now, to do serious maintenance all over the place? I don't think every workflow has a device-free backup. The backup is a backup device / backup power for those devices, or a limited set of settings that you can control from a button UI

 

[DIYrich]

Things work, until they don't. Even if you have the grid, when the grid is down is when you may need to do something. I would put the screen and buttons behind the door to protect it from the sun.

 

[timselectric]

If you have an off-grid system with RSD, you need a dark start battery anyway. To do otherwise would be foolish (we can debate whether someone true blooded off-grid would kowtow to installing RSD)

You can use a dark start battery to charge your phone or laptop.

Also, don't a lot of technicians carry ruggedized laptops, phones, and tablets now, to do serious maintenance all over the place? I don't think every workflow has a device-free backup. The backup is a backup device / backup power for those devices, or a limited set of settings that you can control from a button UI

I'm not saying that there aren't ways to work around the situation.
I'm saying that I would rather not have a situation that needs working around.

 

[Madcodger]

we can debate whether someone true blooded off-grid would kowtow to installing RSD)

Well, I have a system sitting in the garage of one property, ready to install at another (off grid) property, that has RSD. Totally voluntary, as there's no local code enforcement of it. Why? I've spent too much time on a fire scene, sometimes in the middle of a bright, sunny day. One button press to much better peace of mind and safety for people just trying to help their neighbors. Anyway, my two cents on that topic.

 

[Quattrohead]

Put the touchscreen inside the access door, job done.

 

[Danke]

I know module level rapid shutdown is now the requirement. But if only the southern slope of a roof has solar panels, why wouldn’t firefighters just vent on the northern slope and avoid the solar panels altogether?

 

[InTheHills]

We have all had a phone go dead at the worst possible time.
It would be bad if you couldn't charge the phone, because the inverter was down. And you couldn't get the inverter back up, because the phone is dead.
But as I said, a hybrid is designed to work with the grid. So just install a transfer switch to bypass it and you should be fine.
Once your phone has a little time to charge, you can hopefully get your system up and running again. Or at least figure out why it went down.
Or maybe install a receptacle fed from the grid only, nearby. And you might be able to avoid the cost of the bypass.

A person could purchase a $50 tablet, mount it on the wall (on a charger) within bluetooth range and ensure you always have a charged device connected to The One. As a side benefit the screen is larger than my phone and I might actually be able to see it!

 

[Banjoman]

A person could purchase a $50 tablet, mount it on the wall (on a charger) within bluetooth range and ensure you always have a charged device connected to The One. As a side benefit the screen is larger than my phone and I might actually be able to see it!

This

 

[42OhmsPA]

A person could purchase a $50 tablet, mount it on the wall (on a charger) within bluetooth range and ensure you always have a charged device connected to The One. As a side benefit the screen is larger than my phone and I might actually be able to see it!

For an additional fee I bet a great distributor could set one up and include it with the purchase.
Hint hint

 

[1201]

This is disappointing news.
An app on your phone is handy. But not what I would want to have to rely on.
I agree that a touch screen is a bad idea. But a couple of buttons are not going to add much cost to the unit.
Some people rely on their system as their only source of power. Not being able to access it without a secondary device, is scary.
I always look at things from an off grid mindset. But that's not what a hybrid AIO is for. So maybe it isn't a big deal, when you have the grid available.

A couple of buttons would have been very nice.
Redundancy can be a good thing

 

[1201]

thinking about the marketing/mismarketing of the MNAIO

the units are now for sale. Current connected has several in stock. Midnite said they were going to send some out to reviewers. Is this still going to happen?

how do you guys plan to get the word out?

 

[Adam De Lay]

Put the touchscreen inside the access door, job done.

While I understand the logic for no touchscreen, I wouldn't be opposed to a screen that plugs into the RS485 port and then sits behind the door. Would be nice for those times where you forget your phone.

 

[Brucey]

While I understand the logic for no touchscreen, I wouldn't be opposed to a screen that plugs into the RS485 port and then sits behind the door. Would be nice for those times where you forget your phone.

Wonder if they can make the MNGP2 thats used to control the Rosie work with the aio?

 

[Brucey]

$2869 from Stellavolta right now

Picked up their last mobile version in stock for $2783. And MNGP2 controller for $207.

 

[Madcodger]

I know module level rapid shutdown is now the requirement. But if only the southern slope of a roof has solar panels, why wouldn’t firefighters just vent on the northern slope and avoid the solar panels altogether?

Realizing this is off topic, but at this point in the conversation I'm a bit less concerned. Basically, because sometimes you need to vent / gain access to a specific area, not just "somewhere in the roof". But we can discuss that somewhere else in another thread. I get that RSD can be overkill at times. But then again, codes are often designed to protect at the margins. Anyway, back to normal programming, eh?

 

[billvon]

This

"Yes sir. The problem you are having is that your tablet automatically upgraded to the latest Apple OS, and it's not compatible with our app any more. We have a new app but it won't work with your inverter; the software is too old. But you can upgrade your inverter's software through the app that . . . . uh . . . . let me escalate this and we will call you back."

 

[Hedges]

At least from my perspective, what we call a phone of course is just a computer much like any other. At this point with the advancement and abundance of handheld computers at such low cost and low power consumption, so long as the software is fully comprehensive a dedicated computer seems like the optimal method of control and monitoring.

Software is an almost intractable problem.

"App", as in download from the iTunes store or Android equivalent?

What other hardware can run the app, and how can you get the software without a cell phone, account at huge "Be Evil" company, and working cellular service?

At least a WiFi or Ethernet connection and HTML served by the inverter can be connected to by many computers and browsers.

A USB port for keyboard and/or mouse should be all that is needed to select menu items on that built-in screen.

 

[Adam De Lay]

A person could purchase a $50 tablet, mount it on the wall (on a charger) within bluetooth range and ensure you always have a charged device connected to The One. As a side benefit the screen is larger than my phone and I might actually be able to see it!

So I did just find out this morning that they'll be selling custom tablets made specifically to run only the MNS Pro app. It will have a direct Bluetooth connection to the inverter can be used as a touch screen. They already have these being built.

 

[Brucey]

So I did just find out this morning that they'll be selling custom tablets made specifically to run only the MNS Pro app. It will have a direct Bluetooth connection to the inverter can be used as a touch screen. They already have these being built.

Nice, sounds like they are definitely taking user feedback to heart (even prior to this thread).

 

[Q-Dog]

"Yes sir. The problem you are having is that your tablet automatically upgraded to the latest Apple OS, and it's not compatible with our app any more. We have a new app but it won't work with your inverter; the software is too old. But you can upgrade your inverter's software through the app that . . . . uh . . . . let me escalate this and we will call you back."

Who in their right mind allows mission critical hardware to auto update it's own software?

 

[Hedges]

"Yes sir. The problem you are having is that your tablet automatically upgraded to the latest Apple OS, and it's not compatible with our app any more. We have a new app but it won't work with your inverter; the software is too old. But you can upgrade your inverter's software through the app that . . . . uh . . . . let me escalate this and we will call you back."

 

[Hedges]

 

[rhino]

Phone app is nice but to alleviate the problems inherent in having phone only app to control something is it should have built-in web server that can be accessed by anything that can run a browser. Victron is close to this in allowing you to access many setting via just a browser and also having a well refined phone app that gives more/easier control.

 

[rhino]

You can also easily get in situation where the company changes priorities and does not update the app anymore and over time you would not even have a phone readily available that could run the software. I couldn't imagine trying to find something to change settings on my still functioning almost 20 year old Outback FX3648 (it has physical specific controller for changing settings). If these devices are supposed to last a long time it would take a VERY dedicated company to keep an app continuously updated.

 

[glandpuck]

Manual for the Midnite AIO shows 3 fans and at least 2 in the Sol-Ark 15K if not 3 like all the others.

It's the placement, the Lux has the fans and their grills on the outside behind the wire box facing down and out. The Sol-Ark and midnight are inside the boxes.