daklein
New Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2020
- Messages
- 190
I use a cheap scr dimmer circuit to dump extra solar into water heater. Wifi relay board adds different combos of resistors, instead of the original manual potentiometer, controlled from raspberry pi listening to main inverters as to available extra power. The original tank thermostat works fine to limit water temperature.While this may be true, my battery can reach full as early as 1 pm. So I still like to run on solar until the sun goes down instead of running the battery for 5 hours. That might be tough to do off grid though. Since I am on grid, I just revert back to letting the Enphase system export the extra to grid again and back up those credits for the few times I do have to buy power.
One of the common dump loads is an electric water heater. I wonder if anyone has tried to use something like a programable high power light dimmer to adjust the current into a water heater to match the extra solar production?? Use all the power the solar panels are producing so the battery state stays flat at your full charge. Use more load in the house, or a cloud goes by, then it lowers the power to the water heater. Obviously, you still need another shut off if the water heater get's too hot, but that can take a very long time.
I had maybe similar AC coupling instability issues, with about 40 enphase micros M series up to maybe 7kw total, and 2x SMA SI6048US. Only when running an old PSC compressor A/C unit, with micros putting out plenty of power. No A/C or less AC coupling power or was ok. Replaced the A/C with inverter heat pump, and issues are gone.
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