I am a rank newbie with pretty good electrical knowledge and have run into a question that I just can’t answer.
I have an 11Kw GTI, MPPT inverter that accepts power from both my four wind towers and 6 banks of solar panels. I can generate about 5.5Kw/h per day average. I built the system without a dump load or battery bank but am being advised by a friend to install a dump load for high winds and very bright days. Here is the issue. when I built the system I thought that being directly tied to the grid would relieve me of needing a battery bank AND a dump load. All power, once through the controllers and joiner boxes and fed directly into the inverter would then feed the utility grid directly. I get credit for power generated and pay for anything that I use above that amount or get future credit for any generated above and beyond my usage. No batteries, no dump load…but the interesting question has come up…”What if the grid goes down and you continue to generate more power than you use? Can I just go to the joiner box and throw the circuit breakers to the some of the solar panels to limit the load coming to the house or do I need the battery bank and dump load? I’m hoping to answer this question before “I blow up the neighborhood” as my friend assures me I am likely to do…(which seems unlikely)
I have an 11Kw GTI, MPPT inverter that accepts power from both my four wind towers and 6 banks of solar panels. I can generate about 5.5Kw/h per day average. I built the system without a dump load or battery bank but am being advised by a friend to install a dump load for high winds and very bright days. Here is the issue. when I built the system I thought that being directly tied to the grid would relieve me of needing a battery bank AND a dump load. All power, once through the controllers and joiner boxes and fed directly into the inverter would then feed the utility grid directly. I get credit for power generated and pay for anything that I use above that amount or get future credit for any generated above and beyond my usage. No batteries, no dump load…but the interesting question has come up…”What if the grid goes down and you continue to generate more power than you use? Can I just go to the joiner box and throw the circuit breakers to the some of the solar panels to limit the load coming to the house or do I need the battery bank and dump load? I’m hoping to answer this question before “I blow up the neighborhood” as my friend assures me I am likely to do…(which seems unlikely)
