Mike's (non-Sunsynk) System

abd2 said:
Hi
Can you take a close up of that battery bus box... I'm interested in getting one like that.

Details on brand etc?
Click to expand...
IMG_20230219_124218.jpg

Can't find a brand on the box. I think it's a custom box with two of these...

shop.thesunpays.co.za

DC Copper Busbar with bolt and nuts included

DC Copper Busbar with bolt and nuts included When connecting two or more 48V solar batteries in parallel, it is required to ensure proper DC current distribution is done. This is achieved by means of using a copper busbar. Specifications: Copper strip Connections: 6x Max current rating: 372A...
shop.thesunpays.co.za shop.thesunpays.co.za
 
So just a bit of feedback.

Batteries went live on the 17th. I used the first two days to top them up from the grid to get them balanced (weather wasn't great).

Yesterday:
Screenshot_2023-02-21-10-33-51-808_com.igen.solarmanbusiness.jpg
SOC went down to 51% in the morning but I didn't game during the previous evening. Weather went to crap in the afternoon but at least the batteries were mostly charged before it did.

Today:
Screenshot_2023-02-21-17-09-20-804_com.igen.solarmanbusiness.jpg
SOC went down to 44% in the morning. Did a bit of gaming last night. Batteries were fully charged by 12:30.

Also have the geyser draining the batteries from 20:00-21:00 and 05:00-06:00.

Screenshot_2023-02-21-17-11-02-975_com.igen.xiaomaizhidian~2.jpg
Because of LS I have grid charge ticked on all my slots. So my consumption hasn't been good all month.

But my Eskom usage for the past 3 days has been zero despite this and the afternoon rains. Can probably run the aircons for 5 hours a night and take SOC down to 25% and still use zero Eskom...
 
Last edited:
Mike Hoxbig said:
So just a bit of feedback.

Batteries went live on the 17th. I used the first two days to top them up from the grid to get them balanced (weather wasn't great).

Yesterday:
View attachment 1480171
SOC went down to 51% in the morning but I didn't game during the previous evening. Weather went to crap in the afternoon but at least the batteries were mostly charged before it did.

Today:
View attachment 1480173
SOC went down to 44% in the morning. Did a bit of gaming last night. Batteries were fully charged by 12:30.

Also have the geyser draining the battery batteries from 20:00-21:00 and 05:00-06:00.

View attachment 1480215
Because of LS I have grid charge ticked on all my slots. So my consumption hasn't been good all month.

But my Eskom usage for the past 3 days has been zero despite this and the afternoon rains. Can probably run the aircons for 5 hours a night and take SOC down to 25% and still use zero Eskom...
Click to expand...
Beautiful.... It does give you lots more options in how you deploy or preserve your power. With a little bit of effort you could do a 0 eskom trial
 
Neuk_ said:
Second setup in as many days I have seen using a bus bar for the batteries, anything besides future expansion that made you go this way?
Click to expand...
Various benefits. Increases capacitance, lower inductance and improves energy efficiency.

Simpler design, so if there's an issue with one battery, just unplug it and the others keep working. This becomes a factor as you grow your bank.

Also eliminates any potential install errors because one rail is positive and the other is negative.

The trade off as mentioned is increased cable costs. Each cable from the battery to the busbar needs to be approximately the same length irrespective of the distance to the busbar. Adding new batteries will probably mean new cables unless you can configure the layout for the new batteries to be approximately the same distance as the furthest one in the existing configuration.

For an extra R1k, for me the benefits outweigh the trade off. You're not going to be adding batteries all the time. I'll probably only be adding 2 more if the existing bank is insufficient which it so far isn't...
 
Last edited:
Mike Hoxbig said:
Various benefits. Increases capacitance, lower inductance and improves energy efficiency.

Simpler design, so if there's an issue with one battery, just unplug it and the others keep working. This becomes a factor as you grow your bank.

Also eliminates any potential install errors because one rail is positive and the other is negative.

The trade off as mentioned is increased cable costs. Each cable from the battery to the busbar needs to be approximately the same length irrespective of the distance to the busbar. Adding new batteries will probably mean new cables unless you can configure the layout for the new batteries to be approximately the same distance as the furthest one in the existing configuration.

For an extra R1k, for me the benefits outweigh the trade off. You're not going to be adding batteries all the time. I'll probably only be adding 2 more if the existing bank is insufficient which it so far isn't...
Click to expand...

Thanks, a work colleague has done the same with his four Narada's fed in to his 16kW SunSynk, I am looking in to doing the same when I add a 4th PylonTech to our setup.
 
So my folks are about to pull the trigger on a bit of a monster.

Screenshot_2023-02-23-23-41-55-617_com.google.android.gm.jpg

It's about 40k more than mine came to in total with the extra batteries, but they're getting 6 more panels. So basically about 20k more, not bad considering the price increases...
 
So when the domestic is here and there's cloud in the afternoon, the batteries only get charged to like 85% by evening. It's 13:00 now and even though I generated 22 kWh so far, the batteries are only at 54%.

So now it looks like I need more panels. FFS it never ends...
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
So when the domestic is here and there's cloud in the afternoon, the batteries only get charged to like 85% by evening. It's 13:00 now and even though I generated 22 kWh so far, the batteries are only at 54%.

So now it looks like I need more panels. FFS it never ends...
Click to expand...
Sigh - I feel you my guy - then at some point you'll need another inverter

How many panels do you think you'll need?
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
So my folks are about to pull the trigger on a bit of a monster.

View attachment 1481665

It's about 40k more than mine came to in total with the extra batteries, but they're getting 6 more panels. So basically about 20k more, not bad considering the price increases...
Click to expand...
26K to install? That's meth territory.

Mike Hoxbig said:
So when the domestic is here and there's cloud in the afternoon, the batteries only get charged to like 85% by evening. It's 13:00 now and even though I generated 22 kWh so far, the batteries are only at 54%.

So now it looks like I need more panels. FFS it never ends...
Click to expand...
8kw is peanuts when you start using appliances and don't live like a bum.
 
Mzezman said:
Sigh - I feel you my guy - then at some point you'll need another inverter

How many panels do you think you'll need?
Click to expand...
6 more (20 in total) would pretty much max out the inverter. You can add a few more but I'd rather err on the side of safety especially with voltage levels being linked to temperature.
semaphore said:
26K to install? That's meth territory.


8kw is peanuts when you start using appliances and don't live like a bum.
Click to expand...
Yeah it is a bit high. Mine was about R17k IIRC, but they're doing more batteries and panels, and there's some complexity with their house layout...
 
Mike Hoxbig said:
6 more (20 in total) would pretty much max out the inverter. You can add a few more but I'd rather err on the side of safety especially with voltage levels being linked to temperature.

Yeah it is a bit high. Mine was about R17k IIRC, but they're doing more batteries and panels, and there's some complexity with their house layout...
Click to expand...
So at least another 30k incl installation... damn. But i hear you - i just bought a 2nd 5kw inverter and another battery taking it to phase 3 now. Didn't increase panels and the money ran out and i don't have access to unlimited funds like the guvament
 
Mzezman said:
So at least another 30k incl installation... damn. But i hear you - i just bought a 2nd 5kw inverter and another battery taking it to phase 3 now. Didn't increase panels and the money ran out and i don't have access to unlimited funds like the guvament
Click to expand...
Nice, maybe you can use that to start a Phase 3 thread since you don't have an install one... :p
 
Thanks for the reference. I have a quote and as soon as the funds is sorted I will request install. I now know these guys are legit.
 
Here’s what I paid excluding installation in September.
 

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