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Upgrade to two phase for offgrid minisplit AC?

Colorado_Al

RV & Tiny Home
Joined
Nov 24, 2020
Messages
32
I have a 120v AC one phase system that I installed about 4 years ago that is working quite well. I am doubling the solar capacity and adding 50% more battery (or maybe 100%) in order to add a high efficiency mini split AC. The one I am planning on buying is 120v inverter. However I was thinking maybe taking the opportunity to upgrade to 2 phase 240v system, but I'm not sure if it is worth it.
My original system is a 1.9kw solar array, charging 2 GYLL 48v LiFePo4 100AH batteries with a Growatt 3000TL LVM 48v controller.
I've already added a Vatrer 48v LiFePo4 100AH battery and it is working well with the existing system.
I'm in the process of building my racking for the racking for the 2.2kw of solar panels I'm adding.
My original intention was to add those in 2 parallel strings to my existing 2 strings of panels and call it good.
Is there any advantage to buying another Growatt 3000TL LVM 48v controller and another Vatrer 48v LiFePo4 battery and having a 2 phase 240v system?
I don't have anything that requires it at the moment, but it might be good to have some redundancy and ability to add 240v appliances in the future. But it is expensive to keep adding and changing.
Anyone have any thoughts on it?
Thanks!

Oh. This is the Minisplit I'm looking at. About $12000 MXN/$600 USD
22 SEER rating
1743975106381.png
 
I suspect you mean upgrading to a single phase, 240V system but perhaps I'm missing something. If you are going to add other 240V appliances in the future (e.g., well pump, stove, dryer) then it seems this upgrade is a good time to do it. But if that's unlikely, why go to the added expense? Really a decision only you can make, as we don't know your plans or needs.
 
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Go forward with a split phase AIO is my experience. Select a model that can be paralleled (stackable is another term used). You’ll for sure need more power once you get addicted to solar (and by the way it’s going to be almost as expensive as a cocaine addiction 🤣🤣)
 
If your current system has the inverter capacity to run the mini split, I see no reason to add another inverter to get 240v unless you have other needs for 240v. Why?

- added cost and complexity of adding 2nd inverter
- added drain on battery from 2nd inverter (you don't have a large amount of solar, so this could be a big problem)
- you can get 22 seer in 120v or 240v, so there is no "need" for 240v.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Thanks everybody! We're going to just keep what we've got then and move forward with the 12v mini split.
And for your information, it wouldn't be "two phase" it would be either single phase, or split phase. It seems like it would be two phase, but thats not how AC voltage works.

What you have now is single phase 120V to Neutral, adding a second inverter changes what you have to a split single phase to a center neutral.
It is still only single phase, just the wave is larger, and there is a center tap to reference half the wave.

You will have great difficulty searching for two phase.

It did exist, but it was a long time ago, and wasnt effective, and it used three conductors that were hot, and wasnt a balanced output like 3 phase...

Best to just forget about it.
 
Just be aware that if you add more battery and you increase consumption you won't be able to charge the batteries without increasing your solar array.

That mini split will consume close to 1KW at full power and around 300W when just keeping the temperature. How many hours do you plan on using it?
 

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