diy solar

diy solar

Need help - No idea where to start

j4ttm4co

New Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2023
Messages
2
Location
UK
Hi all,

I stumbled across the forum a couple of weeks back and have been researching about what I need but I'm at a lost and wondered if anyone could provide some advice / wisdom? Looking at setting up a basic grid tie setup for POC on my garages just hopefully reduce some of the load from the grid - Currently on tick over the house consume anyway from 250 - 450w.

I've got two of these panels - Viridian pv16-300 with the following spec:

Rated Power: 300 W
VMPP: 32.51 V
IMPP: 9.23 A
Isc: 9.6 A
Voc: 40.1 V
Connector Type: MC4
Efficiency: 18.4 %

I got given two of these panels brand new which is great but don't know what Grid Tie inverter to link them with and which will work? - I found this one online - WVC-600 (https://www.craigsolar.co.uk/shop/f72k623g0t500tvoasqolv2tqvf23b) Or I've been offered a Growatt 1000-S 1KW inverter for £50.

The company in the UK (CraigSolar) which is supplying the WVC inverter has said I can use it with one or two solars panels upto 600W which the panels I've got would fall into but with the Growatt one - It states a startup voltage of 80V which that's the bit I don't really understand - How do the solar panels make that startup voltage and do I need more than two panels for the growatt one to work?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Matt
 
How do the solar panels make that startup voltage and do I need more than two panels for the growatt one to work?
By connecting the 2 panels you have in series (connect + of one panel to - of the other) the volts are summed. Your panels will run at Vmp voltage in full sun, so 62V. Not enough to start an inverter that requires 80V.
Another panel or preferably 2 in series would work (~124V).

Add a micro inverter for each pair and connect to a breaker in your electrical panel and Bob’s your uncle. There is likely some specialty connectors to connect these micro inverters to each other. But standard wiring pretty much to your breaker.
 
By connecting the 2 panels you have in series (connect + of one panel to - of the other) the volts are summed. Your panels will run at Vmp voltage in full sun, so 62V. Not enough to start an inverter that requires 80V.
Another panel or preferably 2 in series would work (~124V).

Add a micro inverter for each pair and connect to a breaker in your electrical panel and Bob’s your uncle. There is likely some specialty connectors to connect these micro inverters to each other. But standard wiring pretty much to your breaker.
Thanks for the reply and advice - With the panels in series the VMP is totals and I presume the amps stay the same so if the inverter DC input is 9v then this would be ok or would I need those micro inverters with a higher amperage?

Cheers.
Matt
 
Micro inverters are AC output.

Not sure why you need the Growatt. That would take a DC input.
 
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