zanydroid
Solar Wizard
Do you plan on having separate batteries and solar panels as well?
SUNGOLD 10KW 48V SPLIT PHASE SOLAR INVERTER
- Thread starter Lighthouse Beacon
- Start date
42OhmsPA
Who likes Electrical Gremlins?
One big ass battery bank feeding the inverters from a main buss, multiple arrays to the MPPTs.
zanydroid
Solar Wizard
That seems like the more efficient way to do it, though there is not the air gapping that the other commenter was interested in. You gotta tradeoff for the air gapping somehow -- more money, less convenient, less efficient.
Ok, I think that technically could violate some instructions for these things and may not be UL9540 compliant as a result...
But I guess someone could have two batteries, pass inspection on that, and then naughtily join the two battery banks.
Ok, I think that technically could violate some instructions for these things and may not be UL9540 compliant as a result...
But I guess someone could have two batteries, pass inspection on that, and then naughtily join the two battery banks.
42OhmsPA
Who likes Electrical Gremlins?
Good points. I'm not concerned with 9540... Just RL365 (reliability 365 days a year)
Lighthouse Beacon
Following the Light
Your theory is exactly what I’m doing.
I chose Sungold because inventory is already in U.S., sales are going, no tax, and no shipping. It’s a no brainer in regards to $$$ and getting your feet wet in solar.
No parallel, but my plan is to have 2 sub panels and partner each with 2 wall batts by SG and have 2 separate positioned arrays. (Summer / winter) arrays. Then I’ve got isolation as well as redundancy and also haven’t spent alot of $$$ so my system pay off is lower.
It makes very little sense to do these projects to “save money on electric” and have a 20k+ device install overhead, sure you can pay it off over time, but I work in IT and I learned long ago it’s not wise to finance IT over extended time periods,
The systems become obsolete or fail.
I am happy so far and very impressed by this system.
I plan to scale more systems down this wall:
Dave911
Solar Addict
My feelings exactly. If I pay it off in 20 years, then what is the point? Stick the money in a few stock market index funds and you would be further ahead. A 7.2% return for 10 years is a 100% return on investment (Rule of 72) .
My plan is to go with used solar panels. I can get them, within driving distance, for about $1100/6KW. I want to mount them on a welded steel frame, tipping ground mount rack of my own design that is generic so different sizes of panels can fit on it in case I want to swap them out. My current idea is to make the angle facing south adjustable via lift cables and a hand winch (think boat trailer winch). Loosen the rear mount bolts and raise/lower the north side of the frame via a crank. Retighten the mount bolts and I am good for another two months or more. I have a surplus steel sales yard about 10 miles from my house so obtaining relatively cheap steel is not difficult.
Kenny_
Solar Wizard
I was initially thinking of going with the EG4 18Kpv and wall mount battery ... about $10k but really don't need that much inverter and not planning on doing grid feed so ended up going with the SunGold 10K48 and Sungold batteries for much less.
zanydroid
Solar Wizard
Another difference might be AFCI and ground fault protection which is required on a structure. AFCI really sucks to retrofit.
There’s a lot of 1741 stuff with MPPT that do not have AFCI. The direct solar powered Deye heat pumps being one. It is allowed presumably because there are legit scenarios where you don’t need it.
There’s a lot of 1741 stuff with MPPT that do not have AFCI. The direct solar powered Deye heat pumps being one. It is allowed presumably because there are legit scenarios where you don’t need it.
Dave911
Solar Addict
AFCI is a widely ignored thing in the midwest USA.
I know of several installations where they were installed and later removed due to nuisance tripping.
When they first came out, everyone was selling them since they are expensive and I think the big box stores thought they had struck gold.
I was at Menards last night looking at what they have for some subpanels and I didn't even notice the AFCI breakers.
They probably had a few there, but the vast majority was regular old breakers. The NFPA drives a lot of this stuff and I know from first hand experience that they often go overboard. If it was up to them, you would be sleeping with a fix extinguisher next to you in bed with the pin pulled out!
Some of the safety guys I have worked with are way beyond paranoid. I think some are mentally unstable. Seriously.
zanydroid
Solar Wizard
Yeah AFCI is a bit sus, and I'm regularly traumatized by AFCI trips on a MWBC.
To clarify I was referring to DC AFCI on the solar conductors. There are very few listed retrofit boxes (in fact there are two or three threads here with rather smart people trying to figure it out, both in a code compliant way and pieces together from industrial controls so they can at least tell folks they tried).
To the point about flakiness, there's another thread here about how AFCIs will get salty about the power modulation behavior from optimizers on the same string and trigger a fault during some transitions. I guess the answer there is to turn off AFCI ?
. There's probably a theoretical possibility of PLC confusing it but those power levels are way lower.GFP on DC side is easier to retrofit, however it is also complicated and having an AIO provide that is great. I still don't understand even one GFP topology.
Most of these are detection and not interruption systems because it is hard to interrupt DC solar.
Mfig07
New Member
Hello how did you connect the powmr input . I am getting one as well 10k but out puts are going in a sub panel so I can put my centra ac pool pump ect any suggestions will be appreciated. Or help with set up too. So far I have 2500 watts solar panels..
42OhmsPA
Who likes Electrical Gremlins?
See the replies from @Kenny_ and myself in the other thread you are posting in.
Install and Operation of the SUNGOLD 10KW 48V SPLIT PHASE SOLAR INVERTER
Yes. Pace bms in the batteries. Need to connect to them with a PC to change settings. Assumed the cables would have come in the battery packaging like Dexter noted with the SOKs in the video. Yeah maybe they come with the SOK batteries, but not with the Sungold but I have seen places say to...
diysolarforum.com
Mfig07
New Member
Hello! That is nice I did the same canopy but is not attached to the house is out by the pool area so is on 4x4 post and 2x3. Looks great any input on your inverter connection and sub panel thank you.
Mfig07
New Member
Hi Schamp what is the model number on your PowMr I got the sungold but not sure on the PowMr trying to decide wich unit to buy thanks
It's called Sunsmart-10K split phase inverter. I don't know the exact model number, because I'm not at the house now. I'll only be back there mid December. But as far as I know, there is only that one model.
Well, my house there is a bit complicated. There are 3 phases 220V/50Hz coming into the house, but the guy that built the house was from the States and he also wanted 110V, so he installed a huge autotransformer (20kW) to get 2 phases of 110V, and those 2 phases L1 +L2 are connected to the inverter mains input. Of course these 2 phases are also 50Hz. I think Curacao is the only place worldwide, where lots of houses still have 110V/50Hz coming into the house, but mine only had 220V, so that's why he needed that transformer.
First I set the inverter output to 60Hz, which works fine as long as it's running from solar or battery, but when switching to bypass mode it chokes, power goes out for about 20 seconds and then comes back on through bypass with 50Hz. So, I decided to stay on 50Hz, which led to changing some ceiling fan controllers and light dimmers, because they would not work right with 50Hz. Still have some 110V appliances that don't work completely well with 50Hz, but it's bearable.
Pool pumps, sewage pump, dryer and some 220V outlets were on a normal 220V phase. Reconnected all that to the L1, L2 output of the inverter, instead of the 220V L+N. That works flawlessly. So, now everything, except the aircos and the water boiler is on solar. I have 10 aircos in the house, so that would definitely be way too much load for the inverter. Just leaving them on the direct 220V.
I have 36 panels (250W) in 4 strings of 9 in series. 2 strings go to each PV input with a Voc of about 300V, so totaling max. 9KW solar input.
Hope this info helps. If you have any further question, just ask.
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@Dave911 i got the Sungold because of color. Truthfully I would buy the powmr all the same if I found a good deal.
Like others mentioned, Sungold has no shipping fees, no taxes, and California warehouse inventory.
Powmr is readily available on Amazon for simply returns/warranty stuff I imagine and it seems I usually find their 10k as of the last month averaging 100 dollars cheaper
Can’t go wrong either way imo.
@42OhmsPA did make a comment the other day that the SRNE version can be sold or programmed (I don’t remember which) as a 120v or split/240v input while if I recall my Sungold is 120 only
Like others mentioned, Sungold has no shipping fees, no taxes, and California warehouse inventory.
Powmr is readily available on Amazon for simply returns/warranty stuff I imagine and it seems I usually find their 10k as of the last month averaging 100 dollars cheaper
Can’t go wrong either way imo.
@42OhmsPA did make a comment the other day that the SRNE version can be sold or programmed (I don’t remember which) as a 120v or split/240v input while if I recall my Sungold is 120 only
Lighthouse Beacon
Following the Light
Got Solar Assistant up and running in SRNE as inverter type. Still learning the software but so far it seems SA is a must. A+ software
Kenny_
Solar Wizard
Yep Solar Assistant is the way to go!!
Dave911
Solar Addict
In the picture above with the unit that has a screen that is mounted to the front of a box; What is that ??
Thanks!
Thanks!
Looks like a pi computer with a sungold label stuck on it.
Lighthouse Beacon
Following the Light
Great idea. I agree 100%. Get it going! You’ll be impressed with how much you actually produce. I’m still ‘shocked’ how well this works and how much power I am producing during the day.
Lighthouse Beacon
Following the Light
It’s an orange pi with Sa running on it. I didn’t want to see orange. I want blue dammit! Lmao yeah it’s a sticker
Dave911
Solar Addict
I have Raspberry Pi's including the 4, but I haven't seen a case like that.
Is that screen integrated into the case? Do you have a link for that?
Thanks
It's not a screen its a sticker stuck to the case.
This is the case I have one of mine in. It looks to be the same case.
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