Well that's what has me VERY concerned. I DO NOT want back feed EVER. I was under the impression by setting my tp6048 to not back feed I was 100% SAFE. After all of this crap luxpower or whoever is now telling us that EVERY hybrid inverter can back feed I'm VERY concerned so this thread going on in hopes of me understand if this can happen with my unit or not is the most important piece of info I hope at this time to get out of this forum !
Terrible Signature Solar / EG4 18Kpv Experience - Returning and Replaced with Sol-Ark 15k
- Thread starter Watts Happening
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Watts Happening
I call it like I see it.
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I’m glad to see the information everyone is posting, I just don’t have any new information to add as the inverter was picked up and is on its way back to Signature Solar. I assume I’ll see a refund in the coming week or so, or maybe they’ll send me a pair of their sweet new batteries instead (kidding, totally unfair for them).
Once they get the software side figured out, I really think they have a very attractive combo now. Exciting to see the innovation, it’ll be interesting to see how other battery manufacturers and retailers respond.
Good job moving the market forward @Markus_SignatureSolar
Once they get the software side figured out, I really think they have a very attractive combo now. Exciting to see the innovation, it’ll be interesting to see how other battery manufacturers and retailers respond.
Good job moving the market forward @Markus_SignatureSolar
Yes, did test this and still need to make that video. I loaded the inverter with 12,000 Watts, and then ran my car lift that goes up to 100 amps to 120 volts. It trips All of my inverters except for the 6500. You can also start a 5-ton AC without the grid connected. I really need to talk about this more and show it
Yes the LV 6548s are really good. But I think you should try out an 18K if you can. It's just on a different level. Everything about it is better.
Minus the software issues some are reporting. I know I would feel differently if I had one of the defective units in my workshop in front of my camera. Till I have proof all I can go by is what I have in my shop and I love it.
cs1234
Solar Wizard
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SignatureSolar might have a "refurb" / "open box" 18kwpv available shortly that you could get from them.. ?
I hope I can buy it off them haha I'll take the risk
Watts Happening
I call it like I see it.
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Shoulda just had it routed down to you, would have been a lot cheaper to move it 400 miles than to Texas and back!
Cheap 4-life
My body is 2.63 trillion volts, .07v per cell
If there’s a grid connection thru the inverter to the inverters loads output then when the inverter stops producing power for the loads it can backfeed for a short duration thru the inverter and to the grid. I’d say if anyone absolutely cannot backfeed they need to be 100% offgrid. Shame but electric companies want anything paralleled with the grid to be up to some crazy standards in some areas. Anti islanding and a simple shutoff outside is all that should be required. My inspector and electric company might have taken it easy on me due to being an electrician who has had the inspector inspect many of my jobs.. all I needed was inspection anti islanding and outdoor disconnect. But I think the real reason I got off easy was that they thought they were going to get all my excess solar for free because they don’t give credit for backfeed in my area.. I installed a regular grid tie inverter that wasn’t zero export fir inspection and then later removed it and installed a zero export inverter. I now have permission to backfeed even though I will not be giving them my excess power. Only thing they will get is spurious backfeed
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Consumerbot3418
Fitting square pegs into round holes... for fun?
I did quite a bit of reading on this with regards to Victron, as I had hoped to (eventually) integrate their inverters in my home, very much the same way it would be implemented on an RV.
In other countries (especially South Africa), the utilities strictly enforce anti-backfeed measures via smart meters that will sever the connection to the utility if backfeeding is detected. Apparently some of them are extremely sensitive.
Victron says that a small amount of backfeeding can't be prevented--if inverters are powering a large load that suddenly switches off, for example, some power will leak out to the grid faster than the inverters can respond. They suggest using a positive grid setpoint (say, 50W grid draw) for their Energy Storage System, to help mitigate this issue.
I've read somewhere that SMA Sunny Islands are very good about never backfeeding at all, if they're set up to never do so. Not sure how they manage to solve the above-referenced issue.
I gave up on the idea, since my utility insists I go through the Net Metering approval process if I wish to connect any inverter to their grid, period. I asked about my APC UPS, and never got a response.
edit - I don't think OP's issue had anything to do with the tiny "blips" I just described. More like some kind of logic error in the firmware causing measurable, sustained backfeeding.
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Quattrohead
Emperor Of Solar
Yes could some of you please try some surge loads off grid with the 18K. It's not so much about whether you can trip it from overload but how does it handle big load switching on and off for you? Look at your lights, monitor voltages and let me know please.
ghostwriter66
"Here - Hold my Beer"
You realize that to them every day is a new day - if they have time during the day to answer your questions and emails then so be it -- but otherwise I honestly believe that at 0001 hours daily they literally wipe the email and phone slate clean and start each new day fresh...
Someone should do a poll asking - have you (a regular person - not someone with 100K followers) ever called SS or emailed SS and got a reply within 24hours? or at all??
I know that what I am about to say is going to not sound logical -- but you have to think of it from a money making point of view and not a customer service point of view ...
From a business perspective SS is smart ... selling brings in money -- customer service doesn't ... having an employee spend time doing customer service instead of selling actually loses them money -- 99% of the people that have bought something from SS is not going to be in the market for anything new any time soon anyway - so why would they waste time, labour and money trying to fix issues when that is not going to change their PROFIT bottom-line.
This is when you say - "OH but all these people are going to post negative things and people are going to stop buying SS yada yada yada" ...
Thats not going to happen for a while either -- go onto YouTube and look at all the posters that wet themselves over the SS stuff ... and SS loves that because they can simply write everyone thats leaving negative stuff as "one-offs" ...
Also - hell SS must be doing something right because their sales has not fallen at all ... Even when James gets on and accuses the OP of being a fraud and Liar - most people just wrote James off as being an unprofessional owner - BUT still people reading all of this thread is still going to roll the dice and order from SS on Monday ...
Sure SS puts out some good stuff -- you just have to pick and choose your battles and roll the dice hoping that you're buying some of those "time tested things" and not something that's so new that they themselves don't even know how it works - or maybe ever will ...
We have all seen this since c0vid -- with every industry -- customer service has gone to crap ... again -- everything you buy needs to be purchased through a BUYER BEWARE filter..
Zwy
Emperor Of Solar
Yes, please put up that video, I've looked at the spec sheet for the 18Kpv and it gives various times for higher loads. There really isn't spec shown for only under battery power and it would be interesting to see how it handles it in real time.
I'm pretty happy with my current system, I added a pair of EG4 MPPT100-48 SCC's for my higher voltage strings. These can handle more PV input than the 6500EX's and take full advantage of string capacity.
cs1234
Solar Wizard
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He's trying to keep everybody employed. Think how many people are involved in all that shipping stuff around.
Cheap 4-life
My body is 2.63 trillion volts, .07v per cell
BenFromSignatureSolar
Solar Addict
Send me your email address on a DM. Let's talk about some options and work something out you can be happy with long term.
Mr.Sunshine
New Member
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Hello Ghostwiter66,
Actually a business wants to retain customers. Retaining a loyal customer costs less in the long run. It is expensive and time consuming to attract new customers/business. I have been reading the posts, seems like there is a gap between customer expectations and what was delivered. Customer service has always been an afterthought for most businesses.
That is my 2 cents.
Zwy
Emperor Of Solar
String voltage, array is 420 feet away one way distance.
I watched Ian's video and around the 8 minute mark he is connecting the 240V from the supply to the inverter input, but the neutral to the inverter output. I think this is where his entire thesis goes wrong. That neutral should be isolated since it is being provided by the transformer inside the Growatt. The manual says not to connect the neutral from the incoming supply.
Read some of the comments on the video:
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Mine seems to die right away. Being off grid with around 30k of battery and 3800w solar will not start any big loads. Quincy belt driven 5hp ( received a smooth start from SS but not hooked up yet) in about 1 second kills the KPV. Grizzly 3hp dist collector with motor starting relay, Kills KPV immediately. Handles well pump, 24k min.,split, fine. If washer is on when well kicks on, see flicker with cheap led lights. I have a 60 amp main in the shop, grid starts these loads easy. KPV don't even seem to try, its kinda like seeing a short. Still using firmware it came with - fa1-0, Build- faab-0c0d. May be I'm asking for to much, but in any case It's doing great else where. I did not have much of any load while trying to start theses unsuccessful loads in the shop. It also will start car lift just fine. Seems direct drive motors seem to start but not belt drives.
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Markus_EG4
I am from Germany. Don't mean to come off rude
what firmware are you on? We can run a dryer a stove and start an air compressor with batteries only.
You must not be reading my complete message or you would not be asking about my firm ware. When you say air compressor, lets get a proper comparison to a 5hp belt driven Quincy,. the stove is coming on burner by burner, not real load like a motor with more inrush. And you do this right next to each other. Try your test from building to building with a longer run. Try your belt driven compressor 5hp with about 1500w load to start. Compare apples to apples.
Markus_EG4
I am from Germany. Don't mean to come off rude
The air compressor we use Is a 5hp 120v the surge on it it’s 95amps start up. Even tho its not belt driven it still kills every other inverter we test.
Markus_EG4
I am from Germany. Don't mean to come off rude
I see where you stated your firmware and you are correct I didn’t read the whole thing before I posted.
that firmware is not for the surges at all. The new firmware will show you a big difference ?
that firmware is not for the surges at all. The new firmware will show you a big difference ?
codypilot
Not a new member
fAAB-1110?
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