MPP-Solar LVX-6048

[nasadave]

Impressive, beautiful "homegrown stuff"! Thanks for sharing! Are/were you a NASA programmer? What led to you growing your own? Frustration with off-the-shelf products? Many of us are using Solar Assistant on Raspberry Pi, which is quite good but to my eye comes nowhere near what you're producing! Maybe you would consider licensing your PV Use monitoring to Pierre at Solar Assistant?

Thanks for the complements. I am a contractor at NASA for many years in IT. I decided to make my own when I realized I'd have to dedicate a Pi to Solar Assistant. Since the pandemic, Pis got so expensive and I only had one extra, so I just decided to do my own thing. I already am familiar with monitoring with Grafana and databases and such, so it was just a fun little project to do. Share? I'd probably share with some folks here. What I have isn't perfect and I'd feel obligated to maintain it if I were to opensource it. I have it at that "good enough" state for myself, but I'm constantly tinkering with different graphs and ways of spinning the data. The PV Use graph is very handy to see when I'm "underwater" (blue), using more power than the panels are providing.. and of course to see when charging tails off and I start wasting. But I suppose any properly sized system will do that on sunny days if you aren't selling back to the grid (I'm not).

I didn't mean to spin the thread off the LVX6048 topic, I'm still watching closely for that next firmware update and news on the parallel stuff!

 

[euphonius]

I am thinking about EV too and that's the main reason for 2 EG4's being ordered. I don't drive much since I work from home so I don't really need more than 6k worth of solar. I can always add more if I find that it is insufficient. I do have grid if I need it but so far I've not had to use it.

When you say "two EG4s" on order, do you mean the 100AH batteries or the new inverters?

In our case, as rural homesteaders, we opted to first build a large solar structure comprising two 40-foot shipping containers spanned by a 2000sqft south-tilting roof, and I bought enough panels to fill it. I'm hoping this 22kW array will provide all the power we need as our consumption footprint grows, including sufficient power just to build the house. So with that much collection on the roof, it made sense to me to get enough inverter capacity for future needs, hence the four LVX6048 units. I've yet to install the array, since I want to get the strings right and never have to restring. I'm now leaning toward installing half of the array, 36 310w panels, and two of the LVX units, and doubling my battery bank to six G4LL/EG4 batteries. See how that gets us through the winter, given our current EV use, etc. Also will install a mini-split in our 500 sqft interim dwelling, a 62-year-old single-wide.

I'm all for planning loads and trying to scale system needs efficiently, but there's no substitute for actual experience, as you're learning with your single LVX6048.

 

[nc73]

When you say "two EG4s" on order, do you mean the 100AH batteries or the new inverters?

In our case, as rural homesteaders, we opted to first build a large solar structure comprising two 40-foot shipping containers spanned by a 2000sqft south-tilting roof, and I bought enough panels to fill it. I'm hoping this 22kW array will provide all the power we need as our consumption footprint grows, including sufficient power just to build the house. So with that much collection on the roof, it made sense to me to get enough inverter capacity for future needs, hence the four LVX6048 units. I've yet to install the array, since I want to get the strings right and never have to restring. I'm now leaning toward installing half of the array, 36 310w panels, and two of the LVX units, and doubling my battery bank to six G4LL/EG4 batteries. See how that gets us through the winter, given our current EV use, etc. Also will install a mini-split in our 500 sqft interim dwelling, a 62-year-old single-wide.

I'm all for planning loads and trying to scale system needs efficiently, but there's no substitute for actual experience, as you're learning with your single LVX6048.

No due to the potential for paralleling issues with the lvx I've decided to ditch it and go for a pair of Eg4 inverters, 6500ex's. Plus they are a tad quieter I think. Those lvx's are a bit annoying with their transformer noise. You will def need more batteries with the lvx's due to their high idle consumption.

 

[nasadave]

No due to the potential for paralleling issues with the lvx I've decided to ditch it and go for a pair of Eg4 inverters, 6500ex's. Plus they are a tad quieter I think. Those lvx's are a bit annoying with their transformer noise. You will def need more batteries with the lvx's due to their high idle consumption.

I'm about a half lap behind you nc73. In the beginning I was planning on expanding the lvx6048 platform to 3-4 of them over time after some experience with a single one.

euphonius: no substitute for actual experience

My experience so far is that the LVX6048 just has alot of quirks. I feel like most are firmware related. It is a very competent piece of hardware (I've done some of the same things as in the videos like welding with it), but I don't know if I'm ready to expand it to my whole house. That idle consumption is a killer also. I am interested in hearing about how the 6500 EG4 parallel setup compares to the LVX6048. And how going from low to high freq does for your loads.

 

[nc73]

My lvx works perfectly after putting a cap at the ac output. I wish I could've just bought another and parallel but can't take the risk. The downside to the EG4's is that there is no backup if one dies. Well you would only have 120v and the important stuff is on 240v. I have not heard of any parallel issues yet with the 6500ex. Per the specs for surge it's almost identical to the lvx, so it should start my well pump. My heat pump has a soft start so that wouldn't be an issue.

 

[Eber]

Thanks for the complements. I am a contractor at NASA for many years in IT. I decided to make my own when I realized I'd have to dedicate a Pi to Solar Assistant. Since the pandemic, Pis got so expensive and I only had one extra, so I just decided to do my own thing. I already am familiar with monitoring with Grafana and databases and such, so it was just a fun little project to do. Share? I'd probably share with some folks here. What I have isn't perfect and I'd feel obligated to maintain it if I were to opensource it. I have it at that "good enough" state for myself, but I'm constantly tinkering with different graphs and ways of spinning the data. The PV Use graph is very handy to see when I'm "underwater" (blue), using more power than the panels are providing.. and of course to see when charging tails off and I start wasting. But I suppose any properly sized system will do that on sunny days if you aren't selling back to the grid (I'm not).

I didn't mean to spin the thread off the LVX6048 topic, I'm still watching closely for that next firmware update and news on the parallel stuff!

I was under the impression that it was ok to have more production than you needed and that it would not hurt anything.
Does it hurt the solar panels to loaf after everything is charged back up?

 

[nasadave]

Doesn’t hurt a thing, I just know how expensive every solar kWh is and try to put it all to work.

 

[koppted]

My lvx works perfectly after putting a cap at the ac output. I wish I could've just bought another and parallel but can't take the risk. The downside to the EG4's is that there is no backup if one dies. Well you would only have 120v and the important stuff is on 240v. I have not heard of any parallel issues yet with the 6500ex. Per the specs for surge it's almost identical to the lvx, so it should start my well pump. My heat pump has a soft start so that wouldn't be an issue.

Can you share a pic or wiring diagram of how exactly you connected the capacitor to your inverters AC output? i'm having the same flickering issues with the LVX6048WP, would like to try this out.

 

[nc73]

Can you share a pic or wiring diagram of how exactly you connected the capacitor to your inverters AC output? i'm having the same flickering issues with the LVX6048WP, would like to try this out.

Don't have a good pic but it's like this pic from the other thread, left wire goes to L1 and right one goes to L2. DO NOT FOLLOW THE PIC, should only be on L1 and L2 if you have the lvx model. Not L1 and N.

 

[Ian30]

Don't have a good pic but it's like this pic from the other thread, left wire goes to L1 and right one goes to L2
View attachment 113869

Do you have it wired L1 and L2, or L1-N and then another Cap for L2-N. In the pic it is L-N. Also can you use a run cap for an a/c unit like this one. https://www.amazon.com/TEMCo-Motor-...hIjoiNC4yOCIsInFzcCI6IjMuODMifQ==&sr=8-4&th=1

 

[nc73]

Do you have it wired L1 and L2, or L1-N and then another Cap for L2-N. In the pic it is L-N. Also can you use a run cap for an a/c unit like this one. https://www.amazon.com/TEMCo-Motor-Capacitor-RC0009-20-Electric/dp/B00FBR2V04/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=20uf+capacitor&qid=1664359746&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjY4IiwicXNhIjoiNC4yOCIsInFzcCI6IjMuODMifQ==&sr=8-4&th=1

Nope just one on L1 and L2 that is it.

 

[nc73]

Prices went up but this is the one I bought and you get 2

uxcell Ceiling Fan Capacitor CBB61 20uF 350V AC 2 Wires Metallized Polypropylene Film Capacitor 58x48x30mm for Electric Fan Pump Motor Generator 2Pcs: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

uxcell Ceiling Fan Capacitor CBB61 20uF 350V AC 2 Wires Metallized Polypropylene Film Capacitor 58x48x30mm for Electric Fan Pump Motor Generator 2Pcs: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.com

 

[Ian30]

I came across this device, which is supposedly just a couple caps but nicely packaged. If you installed it in the panel after the inverters it seems easier than putting a cap at the output of every inverter. Just putting ideas out there, but I read the reviews and most seemed favorable.

https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Saving-Correction-Protection-Service/dp/B00338ZO0M/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

[nc73]

I came across this device, which is supposedly just a couple caps but nicely packaged. If you installed it in the panel after the inverters it seems easier than putting a cap at the output of every inverter. Just putting ideas out there, but I read the reviews and most seemed favorable.

https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Saving-Correction-Protection-Service/dp/B00338ZO0M/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Man that is high dollar though. I got 2 caps for 10 bucks

 

[nodoze]

I was thinking of buying 2+ LVX6048WPs. In reading this thread it seemed a mix of both LVX6048WP & LVX6048 so a little confused.

Is the LVX6048WP a high frequency or low frequency inverter?

Does the LVX6048WP have the roughly the same idle draw as the LVX6048 (~135W each)?

Anyone have a single LVX6048WP working well (setup with near published max PV in and AC out) ?

Anyone have 2+ LVX6048WP's working well in parallel?

 

[Ian30]

I was thinking of buying 2+ LVX6048WPs. In reading this thread it seemed a mix of both LVX6048WP & LVX6048 so a little confused.

Is the LVX6048WP a high frequency or low frequency inverter?

Does the LVX6048WP have the roughly the same idle draw as the LVX6048 (~135W each)?

Anyone have a single LVX6048WP working well (setup with near published max PV in and AC out) ?

Anyone have 2+ LVX6048WP's working well in parallel?

They are both low frequency inverters with high idle consumption. I do not own one, but someone on here said it had the same problems when running in parallel.

 

[nc73]

WP is weather proof i suppose. I'd stay away from MPP if you want to parallel.

 

[jsheffer]

WP is weather proof i suppose. I'd stay away from MPP if you want to parallel.

Aren't the EG4s clones of mpp solar?

 

[boondox]

WP is weather proof i suppose. I'd stay away from MPP if you want to parallel.

The regular version runs so hot I can't imagine it in a weather proof housing.

 

[nc73]

Aren't the EG4s clones of mpp solar?

Well the 6500ex's are improved. They are not exactly the same. The 6k's might be similar to MPP and that is why I'd rather go with the 6500ex since they are 120v each, hook em up to get 240v. Cheaper to boot and no need to buy additional cables to hook the 2 together. Only annoying part is if one is dead I only have 120v. That's where grid backup comes in.