running into issue getting most out of 18kPV

[Jdcarrol]

It's been about 5 months since I installed my EG4 18kPV solar system and Powerpro battery. The installation was easy, but I'm having trouble getting the most out of my system.

My house was built in 1960, and a previous owner added a new section with its own electrical panel. The EG4 system is connected to this subpanel, which powers a 2-ton AC unit, clothes dryer, electric water heater, lights, and two deep freezers. I'm not selling any excess power back to the grid.

I recently added a 5-ton AC unit to the subpanel. I ran new wiring and installed a 50-amp breaker. The 5-ton unit has its own soft starter, but it would initially fault and not turn on. I was able to fix this by reprogramming the soft starter. However, the compressor still struggles and shuts off when the clothes dryer is running.

Before adding the 5-ton unit, my system worked fine even when running the 2-ton AC, clothes dryer, water heater, and a portable AC unit at the same time. This configuration used about 10,000 watts of power. I knew adding the 5-ton unit would push me past the 12,000-watt limit of my system, so I installed a timer on the water heater to prevent it from running at the same time as the AC units.

I'm confused why the system worked fine with the water heater using 5,500 watts, but it struggles with the 5-ton AC unit using around 4,500 watts.

I've attached some pictures showing the easy start configuration when it runs from the grid. The eg4 image shows one brief moment it got to 10k watts, but nothing it can't handle. I also attached the eletrical specs of the 5-ton HVAC and a pic of the break box powered by the 18kPV. I can't post a video here, so here is a Google Photo link to show how a fan light struggled when the 5-ton and clothes dryer were on: https://photos.app.goo.gl/DUC5DcfeYAcb8aCJA

I would appreciate any advice on how to fix this issue.

 

[wpns]

How many batteries? 18Kpv needs more than one PowerPro WallMount to reach peak power.

 

[BKY2003]

In picture 2 it looks like your grid power is not moving. Are you off grid? If so your inverter is limited to battery power(200 amps)

 

[Jdcarrol]

Just 1 powerpro battery. And I’m fine having PV+battery handle things and then switching to grid by pass in the evening.

This was mid day to where the battery +PV was enough.

Also, the magnetic type clamps that go around the load arrived broken from solar sovereign and haven’t had luck getting them to send new ones.

 

[Jdcarrol]

Any thoughts @FilterGuy or @sunshine_eggo ?

 

[DIYrich]

Put a clamp meter on the ac.
Determine the inrush current when on grid. The unit says 144 amps. Maybe the soft start is still above 50 amps.
The logs may not be fast enough to see the overload.

 

[Jdcarrol]

Put a clamp meter on the ac.
Determine the inrush current when on grid. The unit says 144 amps. Maybe the soft start is still above 50 amps.
The logs may not be fast enough to see the overload.

What’s odd is when the compressor successfully engages, some time later it faults and shuts off when it shouldn’t.

 

[BKY2003]

When you switch to grid in the evening does the 5 ton AC run fine?

 

[Quattrohead]

You are asking wayyyy too much of it, 2 batteries per inverter is the minimum required and trying to run a 5 ton on top of everything else.

 

[Brucey]

Before adding the 5-ton unit, my system worked fine even when running the 2-ton AC, clothes dryer, water heater, and a portable AC unit at the same time. This configuration used about 10,000 watts of power. I knew adding the 5-ton unit would push me past the 12,000-watt limit of my system, so I installed a timer on the water heater to prevent it from running at the same time as the AC units.

I'm confused why the system worked fine with the water heater using 5,500 watts, but it struggles with the 5-ton AC unit using around 4,500 watts.

To me its because you've replaced an ideal resistive load like a water heater with a compressor with much higher surge requirements. Personally I think you are asking too much of a single 12kW unit, especially when only running 200A of battery BMS. If I was going with eg4 batteries I'd just get three rack mount LL-S units and the 300A of discharge, versus a wall mount 14kWh with 200A

 

[Jdcarrol]

When you switch to grid in the evening does the 5 ton AC run fine?

I haven’t tried that but I guess I should force it into grid bypass to confirm the limiting factor is the single wall mount battery

 

[Jdcarrol]

Thanks everyone. I’ve been on the fence about another battery but I guess I know what to do now.

Can someone help me understand why the wall mount battery plus 8,000watts of PV input still isn’t enough though?

 

[BKY2003]

The PV is limited by the 18Kpv for what loads are needed at the time. So I don’t think the 18Kpv can ramp up the available PV fast enough for the 5 ton AC.

 

[BKY2003]

How bad were your CT broken? 5 months sounds like your retailer left you high and dry. Maybe EG4 can help with this @EG4TechSolutionsTeam

 

[wpns]

Also, the magnetic type clamps that go around the load arrived broken from solar sovereign and haven’t had luck getting them to send new ones.

Some folks have had luck with gluing the pieces together, but given that Signature Solar and Solar Sovereign are associated, maybe @SignatureSolarJess can help?

 

[Quattrohead]

Solar sovereign needs to get his shit together and start providing customer service rather than laying out on some beach in Tahiti with his Ferrari.

 

[wpns]

Solar sovereign needs to get his shit together and start providing customer service rather than laying out on some beach in Tahiti with his Ferrari.

Getting a Ferrari out of the surf is a real drag. If you see what I did there.

 

[Jdcarrol]

How bad were your CT broken? 5 months sounds like your retailer left you high and dry. Maybe EG4 can help with this @EG4TechSolutionsTeam

Pretty bad, plastic outer shell was all cracked and the magnets were in pieces.

 

[Jdcarrol]

Some folks have had luck with gluing the pieces together, but given that Signature Solar and Solar Sovereign are associated, maybe @SignatureSolarJess can help?

How bad were your CT broken? 5 months sounds like your retailer left you high and dry. Maybe EG4 can help with this @EG4TechSolutionsTeam

I would love for that. I’d even pay for them at this point. I just don’t know where I can go.

 

[Jdcarrol]

The PV is limited by the 18Kpv for what loads are needed at the time. So I don’t think the 18Kpv can ramp up the available PV fast enough for the 5 ton AC.

Ok so the batteries are what give the required initial surge?

 

[BKY2003]

Yes, but you should be able to add the grid to help with the initial surge. And then make the 18Kpv go back to solar and battery.

 

[BKY2003]

CTSA-024 100-250A Split Core Current Transformer (CT) SolArk Deye | eBay

Insulation Resistance: 100M Ohms @ 500Vdc. Rated Primary Current: 100-250Aac. RoHS compliant. Standard: IEC 61869-1, IEC 61869-2. Frequency: 50-1KHz.

www.ebay.com

You would have to figure out how to wire it into your existing CT wire.

 

[wpns]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305210309702

You would have to figure out how to wire it into your existing CT wire.

Wow, $50 each, didn't realize they were that pricey. Signature Solar should ship him a couple and deduct that from their next payment to Solar Sovereign.

 

[wpns]

Ok so the batteries are what give the required initial surge?

Yes

 

[FilterGuy]

I'm confused why the system worked fine with the water heater using 5,500 watts, but it struggles with the 5-ton AC unit using around 4,500 watts.

There are a couple of significant differences between the two loads.

Surge: An electric watter heater has essentially no surge on start up. A 5-ton AC has a huge surge on start-up
reactive power: The 5 tone AC is an inductive load that can have a large reactive power. Even though the unit is only doing 4500 watts of real work, the inverter has to satisfy the reactive power as well.

As others have mentioned, a single battery is really not enough for your application.