Opinion on inverter and batteries

[spacemancw]

I have an 8kw solar system (28 panels x 305w each).
I an considering adding battery backup.
I am thinking of the Sungoldpower 10kw 48v split phase inverter and 4 Goldmatenmate batteries. The batteries are GoldenMate 12V 200Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery, 2560Wh Energy. 4 Batteries will give me 10kw total power.

Are these good choices? Is the inverter too big or too small? I saw youtube reviews of the batteries and they seem to get thumbs up.

thanks

Roger

 

[crossy]

I would go for a proper 48V battery pack with a single 16S BMS. There's a risk of 4 x 12V packs going out of balance with one another with attendant issues.

Just how much autonomy do you need from your batteries?

Your panels are going to be generating about 25kWh per day (very much dependent upon location and weather) I'd like to be able to store all that.

Others will comment on the inverter.

 

[Yosemite Fred]

I was looking at sun gold power but had nothing but problems getting my order shipped. No phone number to call only correspondence was by email. I cancelled my order and bought eg4 6500and eg4 server rack batteries. I really like the new eg4 6000 xp and looking to upgrade to those.

 

[chrisski]

If you're in California, is this a permitted system? I would expect adding a battery pack in California to require a bit of planning with the county and I doubt Sungold Batteries meet the requirements, and I if you are permitted, I wonder if this will change any agreements.

I am thinking of the Sungoldpower 10kw 48v split phase inverter and

Are you getting rid of a grid tied inverter to go with this?

Normally with a permitted system, I would expect you to be adding an AC coupled battery, or to ditch the other PV gird tied inverter.

4 Goldmatenmate batteries. The batteries are GoldenMate 12V 200Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery, 2560Wh Energy. 4 Batteries will give me 10kw total power.

Are these good choices?

Unless you want to add a battery balancer, not a good idea to to put four in series.

 

[timselectric]

48v system?
48v battery!!!!

 

[spacemancw]

If you're in California, is this a permitted system? I would expect adding a battery pack in California to require a bit of planning with the county and I doubt Sungold Batteries meet the requirements, and I if you are permitted, I wonder if this will change any agreements.

Are you getting rid of a grid tied inverter to go with this?

Normally with a permitted system, I would expect you to be adding an AC coupled battery, or to ditch the other PV gird tied inverter.

Unless you want to add a battery balancer, not a good idea to to put four in series.

I have a grid tied inverter (SolarEdge 7600H) and I will not be getting rid of it. I would however move it to a critical loads panel and put the new inverter AC coupled between the the main and critical load panels.

As for permits and agreements, everything would be done according to code.

 

[spacemancw]

I was looking at sun gold power but had nothing but problems getting my order shipped. No phone number to call only correspondence was by email. I cancelled my order and bought eg4 6500and eg4 server rack batteries. I really like the new eg4 6000 xp and looking to upgrade to those.

The eg4 6500 is not hybrid, it is off-grid. Can it be used as an AC coupled inverter along with my existing grid tied inverter?

 

[Yosemite Fred]

The eg4 6500 is not hybrid, it is off-grid. Can it be used as an AC coupled inverter along with my existing grid tied inverter?

I would look at 6000 xp instead of the sun gold power. I will be going the 6000 xp route as soon as I can.

 

[spacemancw]

I would look at 6000 xp instead of the sun gold power. I will be going the 6000 xp route as soon as I can.

Yes that one too is offgrid .. Can it be used as an AC coupled inverter along with my existing grid tied inverter?

 

[zanydroid]

As for permits and agreements, everything would be done according to code.

Code compliant system requires a pretty high tier of battery and inverter (UL9540 listed combination).

And hybrid that interacts with grid will have additional POCO and PUC requirements above that.

 

[zanydroid]

Yes that one too is offgrid .. Can it be used as an AC coupled inverter along with my existing grid tied inverter?

6000XP does not support that, maybe the next generation of LuxPower inverters at that price point might (no U.S. announcements)

 

[Skypower]

I have a grid tied inverter (SolarEdge 7600H) and I will not be getting rid of it. I would however move it to a critical loads panel and put the new inverter AC coupled between the the main and critical load panels.

As for permits and agreements, everything would be done according to code.

You need to find an electrician that has done this before (your present system AND off grid). He can probably find a creative solution. What ever you do, don’t contact POCO or any agency first. Let the electrician pull that thread. Done too early can get a snowball rolling the wrong way, especially in California.

 

[zanydroid]

Done too early can get a snowball rolling the wrong way, especially in California.

What can happen if OP has a fully legal system today and has not purchased any equipment yet?

It doesn’t seem too hard/nonstandard if OP gets the appropriate CEC and POCO approved hybrid inverter. The hard part comes in with trying to do it with cheaper equipment, but you would pay for this on the labor and design side if you hire it out to a contractor

 

[spacemancw]

You need to find an electrician that has done this before (your present system AND off grid). He can probably find a creative solution. What ever you do, don’t contact POCO or any agency first. Let the electrician pull that thread. Done too early can get a snowball rolling the wrong way, especially in California.

I want a good, affordable and correct size inverter, same with batteries. And I want them both to meet state requirements. I want to use battery power in the evenings. I want the to supply sine wave to the grid-tied inverter when the grid is down (already have an interlock for the main breaker on the panel that I flip to intake my gasoline generator). That's the what. The how is a different conversation. Maybe I know an electrician, maybe my son has installed lots of solar systems. Maybe I believe the state should keep their nose out of my business and what I do with my power. Maybe I'll have a permit and update my agreement with the POCO to get even less for the power I pump back into the grid. Maybe.

 

[Skypower]

I want a good, affordable and correct size inverter, same with batteries. And I want them both to meet state requirements. I want to use battery power in the evenings. I want the to supply sine wave to the grid-tied inverter when the grid is down (already have an interlock for the main breaker on the panel that I flip to intake my gasoline generator). That's the what. The how is a different conversation. Maybe I know an electrician, maybe my son has installed lots of solar systems. Maybe I believe the state should keep their nose out of my business and what I do with my power. Maybe I'll have a permit and update my agreement with the POCO to get even less for the power I pump back into the grid. Maybe.

What the state of confusion believes and common sense (you) may be two entirely different things. I’m on your side….. and I feel your pain, because I’m here too. For a while more anyway.

 

[zanydroid]

I want the to supply sine wave to the grid-tied inverter when the grid is down

You probably know this but providing the sine wave is only one part of the equation (and is a bit of overly simplified cringe, since it's far from the most important necessary condition in a functioning AC coupled system). It needs to correctly absorb the output power from the GTIs and defeat the anti-islanding mechanism on the GTIs to keep them active.

 

[Skypower]

What can happen if OP has a fully legal system today and has not purchased any equipment yet?

It doesn’t seem too hard/nonstandard if OP gets the appropriate CEC and POCO approved hybrid inverter. The hard part comes in with trying to do it with cheaper equipment, but you would pay for this on the labor and design side if you hire it out to a contractor

I think that OP’s Solaredge inverter is an older unit and isn’t controlled by the utility(they have to buy). It would be nice if the OP could keep it (and grandfathered rates) and get batteries with a parallel system. That might take some creativity.

 

[zanydroid]

I think that OP’s Solaredge inverter is an older unit and isn’t controlled by the utility(they have to buy). It would be nice if the OP could keep it (and grandfathered rates) and get batteries with a parallel system. That might take some creativity.

Yes, you keep grandfathered rates if you add ESS to NEM1 or NEM2 with no increase in solar capacity.

AFAIK you are not required to upgrade the GTI to one on the current approved list. That said 7600H is 1741SA according to Google, which is pretty new.

I'm pretty sure there are several build threads already (and at least one from California) that adds ESS to already-installed SE inverter. There may be some in progress that are having approval issues because of missing certification paperwork from EG4 with PG&E.

 

[spacemancw]

You probably know this but providing the sine wave is only one part of the equation (and is a bit of overly simplified cringe, since it's far from the most important necessary condition in a functioning AC coupled system). It needs to correctly absorb the output power from the GTIs and defeat the anti-islanding mechanism on the GTIs to keep them active.

Well, hopefully it can provide the sine wave to the SolarEdge, make the the SE power itself on, charge the batteries, and in the case of grid down, change the frequency to shut down the solar so that the batteries don't overcharge. The Sungoldpower inverter is supposed to be able to do that