powmr 3k24v-H

[88blues]

I see how it works off-grid, but I don't see how it works in mixed mode or how to wire it up. I think the ac out is not supposed to connect back to my house while it is connected to the grid. If I do that I get an error 15. It also didn't make sense to me that I should do that. So is the inverter putting power back into my house thru the inverter's ac input? Will the inverter know that when I set it up in hybrid mode under UTI to work like that?

The manual:
4. Mixed functions mode: When the battery is not available or the battery is fully charged, theload is provided by PV and commercial power, PV maximum output power output.
I got a reply from Mattb4:
No the AC out does not connect out to your grid supply or home panel from where you get AC in from. It is an off grid AIO and will not back feed. The AC out should only be used to a panel that is disconnected from the grid.

Mixed mode refers to operating without battery or when battery is full. This allows mixing of PV and grid to AC out though I have never used it so have no experience with its operation.
So, if I read this and factor in what you provided as an interpretation this says, that the pv and commercial power can be combined to power an isolated load that is not on the same panel as the grid. Right?
If so, I am disappointed. I was thinking that it would lower my power bill by whatever the inverter could produce from my pv.
I am mislead by the advertised claims by the manufacturers. What kind of AIO or other kind of inverter config will do what I want to do? Or am I misunderstanding that the inverter should work with the commercial power and just augment the power that I am using. I'm thinking that the two should be combined and use as much solar as I could produce and use in my home and buy the rest from a commercial source.

Mattb4 responded:
You would need a true hybrid AIO (Solark or EG4 18kPV as example) if you want to feed your main panel from the AC in. I would recommend you post in the regular Forum so that others can learn/advise.

So I am posting here. With the understanding that the Powmr 3k24v will not do what I thought it would or what I want.

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[sunshine_eggo]

I have that inverter. It's not a hybrid in the sense you're thinking. "Hybrid" can also simply refer to supplying power simply from battery OR passthrough from grid - not both at the same time.

Note that it says "when battery is not available" - while you may want to think "without battery" - this likely means the battery is simply not available due to it being below setting 12 voltage.

You've also likely noticed that there are settings in the manual that aren't available on the inverter.

On the PowMr website, it's categorized as an all-in-one. They have a separate category for hybrids.

https://powmr.com/collections/all-in-one-inverter-charger - you'll find it here

Solar Hybrid Inverters

Discover PowMr's versatile hybrid solar inverter. Experience efficient and flexible energy conversion between 24V/48V DC and 110V/220V AC or 120/220V split phase.

powmr.com

If you set to Uti mode and set setting 34 (if you have it) to Lod, it might work as you expect, but Uti mode explicitly states it will only switch to inverter if grid goes down...

Both the mixed mode comment and setting 34 functionality may also simply be bad documentation as is very common with most chinese made inverter manuals.

 

[Mattb4]

...
If so, I am disappointed. I was thinking that it would lower my power bill by whatever the inverter could produce from my pv.
I am mislead by the advertised claims by the manufacturers. What kind of AIO or other kind of inverter config will do what I want to do? Or am I misunderstanding that the inverter should work with the commercial power and just augment the power that I am using. I'm thinking that the two should be combined and use as much solar as I could produce and use in my home and buy the rest from a commercial source.

...

Like Reply

Yes it can lower your power bill by making use of solar power. Loads carried by the AIO when operating from PV/battery are not being carried by the grid. The best way to think of it as a UPS. It sits between your loads and two power sources. One being the grid and the other being PV/battery. Depending on the settings it can be set for either power source as being the preferred power source.

Typically with this class of off grid inverter it is used to power a critical loads panel or a loads transfer panel. It gets its AC in from your Main panel and acts like a ATS to switch AC bypass or inverter to AC out. Some folks go and put another transfer switch on the AC out to the critical load panel with the grid as a second input.

When operating in AC bypass the inverter can operate as a battery charger and work alongside the PV input to charge the battery.

There are several strategies that if you implement them you achieve GAB (grid as backup). I run my home almost entirely off solar with only resorting to the grid during periods of bad weather that last more than a few days.

Problem with a true hybrid setup is you are almost forced to have a grid interconnect agreement with your electric company.

 

[88blues]

Yes it can lower your power bill by making use of solar power. Loads carried by the AIO when operating from PV/battery are not being carried by the grid. The best way to think of it as a UPS. It sits between your loads and two power sources. One being the grid and the other being PV/battery. Depending on the settings it can be set for either power source as being the preferred power source.

Typically with this class of off grid inverter it is used to power a critical loads panel or a loads transfer panel. It gets its AC in from your Main panel and acts like a ATS to switch AC bypass or inverter to AC out. Some folks go and put another transfer switch on the AC out to the critical load panel with the grid as a second input.

When operating in AC bypass the inverter can operate as a battery charger and work alongside the PV input to charge the battery.

There are several strategies that if you implement them you achieve GAB (grid as backup). I run my home almost entirely off solar with only resorting to the grid during periods of bad weather that last more than a few days.

Problem with a true hybrid setup is you are almost forced to have a grid interconnect agreement with your electric company.

Is there a place I can go to research the strategies people are using to do this? Should I just search GAB and grid as backup or is there an outline people have used as a starting point. Today I changed item '1' to 'SOL' and there was a big diffence how the simple test loads I supplied were handled.

 

[Mattb4]

Most everything you would want to know can be found here on the Forum. For my needs I generally run SBU but occasionally when I want to preserve battery charge I switch the Uti. During the Summer I avoid utility charging by setting OSO. Winter is more likely to be SNU with a low battery charging current set (10 or 15 amps). I started out with a critical load panel setup and than switched to my own build individual transfer control distribution boxes so as to pick and choose loads powered from the AIO or grid.

Strategies for voltage transfers settings to and from grid are also part of things you will learn to choose what works best for you.

 

[88blues]

I am trying to understand the battery setting #8 I don't know what it means by 'strings' 7, 8, or 9. I am testing using chin's 12v batteries in 2s/2p configuration to give me 24v. The chin's book doesn't mention strings. I made a choice based on voltages and chose 7 thonking that was a safe choice. When I tried 8 I got an alarm but, I thought the would give me better performance and agreed with the battery's stated spec's. I don't have high expectations from these but I am trying to learn with a low startup cost. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

 

[sunshine_eggo]

Those are cell counts. You would select 8 as you have two 4S batteries in series.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with it as it may require comms. Select USE and specify your own voltages.

 

[Mattb4]

Batteries are made up of cells in series (string) Lithium batteries can have more or less cells and be considered within the nominal voltage range. however the charge amounts have to be set properly. Most likely you have a 8 cell battery of 25.6vDC. If you are getting an alarm, like for high voltage, you might check the 28.4vDC default setting. If it is 28.8vDC (defaults on these AIO's may not be what the manual claims) you might try dropping it.

 

[88blues]

Does this inverter have an overhead power consumption? I have read that it uses 50-60W in power save mode. I wonder what it uses in operation. I'm trying to figure out battery use.

i am turning it off at night to try to stop the battery from cycling all the time. It seems to me that charging and discharging at night when I have grid power just cycles the battery with no net benefit to me. I think it probably is a net loss.

I started with some small 20ah 12v lifepo4 batteries configured 2s/2p and that cycled fast so I bought a 100ah 24v lifepo4 and as I expected it cycles more slowly but faster than I would like.

On a good day I use no grid power. 200W average up to 350W using video game console. I have 1600W of solar and have used up to 1200W with appliances for a very short period as tests.

The battery calculators I have used made me set an expectation of several hours of battery use, but not even close. I only get a few minutes of use before it starts charging again. I am monitoring the system using "ipower-nt V2.1". Again, during a sunny day I use no battery and no grid power.
I use 'uti' and 'lod' to set the operation mode.

I am thinking of configuring the batteries with a switch to run either the 2s/2p 12v 20ah or th3 24v 100ah since they are so dis-similar in capacity. I think they would not be able to be connected as 2s/2p 12v 20ah in parallel with 24v 100ah without bad results. Am I wrong?