power Magnum inverter/charger using solar panels with micro inverters?

[Ale]

Is it possible to operate a Magnum PAE4448 inverte/charger directly from solar panels with micro inverters?
This 120/240 inverter/charger is ordinarily connected to an AC source for battery charging, and a DC battery bank connected to the inverter "side".
Off grid the battery bank is charged by the DC solar panels until a genset is activated and the Magnum automatically switches to battery charging.
Solar panels with micro inverters produce AC current so could they be the AC source for battery charging instead of a genset?

A further complicated question is about using the grid tied panels with micro inverters to operate the battery charging function of the Magnum when the grid is "down"? When the grid goes down the panels sense no connection and shut down until the grid is reactivated.
Say a generator interlock kit is installed in the electrical panel. Using this the main breaker to the grid is turned off, the interlock slides down blocking that circuit breaker from being turned on, and freeing up the breaker for the genset circuit to provide power to the electrical panel.
Instead of a genset plugged into that circuit you plug the Magnum into that circuit and supply inverted power from the battery bank to the panel. I know this works successfully. (note the battery charging system on that inverter is not functioning)
Now if the charging circuit of the Magnum was wired into the electrical panel and the solar panels with micro inverters are connected to circuit breakers in that electrical panel, would the solar system sense that there was AC power to the electrical panel and come back on line, thereby providing AC power to the electrical panel and the battery charging side of the Magnum?

This is very convoluted and hard to put into words. Just trying to figure out how to use all those panels with micro inverters on the roof to charge the backup battery when the grid is down.
Appreciate any thoughts from folks who know more about this than i do!

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Is it possible to operate a Magnum PAE4448 inverte/charger directly from solar panels with micro inverters?

Only if the panels can provide a voltage range within the DC input requirements of the inverter AND survive/successfully provide the surge needed to initially charge the capacitors. Essentially, you're trying to replace the batteries with solar panels.

This 120/240 inverter/charger is ordinarily connected to an AC source for battery charging, and a DC battery bank connected to the inverter "side".
Off grid the battery bank is charged by the DC solar panels until a genset is activated and the Magnum automatically switches to battery charging.
Solar panels with micro inverters produce AC current so could they be the AC source for battery charging instead of a genset?

Not in the way you're stated. If they are added to the AC OUTPUT of the inverter, the inverter could use surplus AC from the AC coupled PV to charge the batteries.

A further complicated question is about using the grid tied panels with micro inverters to operate the battery charging function of the Magnum when the grid is "down"? When the grid goes down the panels sense no connection and shut down until the grid is reactivated.

Connecting the GT PV to the OUTPUT of the MS4448PAE will allow grid-down operation as the Magnum is providing the grid for the GT PV. You would obviously want to isolate the GT PV from the grid while operating in this manner.

There is a limit to how much GT PV can be AC coupled to the Magnum. Consult the manual.

 

[Ale]

Is it possible to operate a Magnum PAE4448 inverte/charger directly from solar panels with micro inverters?
This 120/240 inverter/charger is ordinarily connected to an AC source for battery charging, and a DC battery bank connected to the inverter "side".
Off grid the battery bank is charged by the DC solar panels until a genset is activated and the Magnum automatically switches to battery charging.
Solar panels with micro inverters produce AC current so could they be the AC source for battery charging instead of a genset?

A further complicated question is about using the grid tied panels with micro inverters to operate the battery charging function of the Magnum when the grid is "down"? When the grid goes down the panels sense no connection and shut down until the grid is reactivated.
Say a generator interlock kit is installed in the electrical panel. Using this the main breaker to the grid is turned off, the interlock slides down blocking that circuit breaker from being turned on, and freeing up the breaker for the genset circuit to provide power to the electrical panel.
Instead of a genset plugged into that circuit you plug the Magnum into that circuit and supply inverted power from the battery bank to the panel. I know this works successfully. (note the battery charging system on that inverter is not functioning)
Now if the charging circuit of the Magnum was wired into the electrical panel and the solar panels with micro inverters are connected to circuit breakers in that electrical panel, would the solar system sense that there was AC power to the electrical panel and come back on line, thereby providing AC power to the electrical panel and the battery charging side of the Magnum?

This is very convoluted and hard to put into words. Just trying to figure out how to use all those panels with micro inverters on the roof to charge the backup battery when the grid is down.
Appreciate any thoughts from folks who know more about this than i do!

A better way to ask the question suggested by friend of mine is - Would it be safe to operate the system with the GT solar microinverters tied to the charging output of the MS4448PAE? What happens if there is more solar output available than AC loads? Would the GT solar microinverters backfeed the MS4448PAE in a harmful way if solar output were higher than the loads or is solar output automatically regulated somehow?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

"charging output" = ?

I interpret this to be the AC charger that charges the batteries, so no. The GT PV needs to be connected to the AC out of the inverter. This is called "AC coupling."

You will need to check the Magnum manual for how much GT PV can be attached to the AC Out. Most inverters are 1:1 or 1.2:1

 

[Jack Rabbit Off Grid]

In this video they use a Solar Edge as AC in to a pair of Magnums.

 

[sunshine_eggo]

I don't see that he explicitly states that; however, he indicates "frequency shifting" which is purely a function of AC coupling with can only occur on the OUTPUT side of the inverter:

https://www.magnum-dimensions.com/sites/default/files/MagDocs/64-0032-Rev-B-MS-PAE-Series_WebVersion.pdf

* This inverter has the ability to be used in an AC coupled application, which allows the inverter’s ouput to be connected to a grid-tie inverter’s output. The grid-tie inverter’s output is synchronized to the inverter’s output so that the two AC outputs can be connected together without damaging either inverter.

If the GT PV inverter is connected to the magnum input, then the GT PV goes offline when the grid goes down and access to the entire array is lost unless the GT PV output is connected to the off grid inverter output.