Generator or Inverter for residential use?

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vassen

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mariusmeyer said:
Hi guys. So I contacted the local support this morning and he got back to me within 30mins. So that was impressive on its own. He gave me all the connections which some are not specified in the manual. But that also did not work. I sent him the pics and a video to show what the system is doing and he then later sent that off to factory support after we tried everything possible. Turns out they say parallel without batteries can not be done. So it is clearly not a manufacturer specific issue and looks to be a general limitation when wanting to do parallel.
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Okay. That’s a really good thing that local support is actually supporting.

it’s strange that they expect you to have a battery if you want to grid tie multiple. Did they provide any reasons as to why this is the case.
Is it not just a fault that can be corrected
 
gbyleveldt

gbyleveldt

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I just wish that importers start to realise that their products are only as good as what their support is. It seems that service and support is such a unique thing in this game. Many of us get these complex systems in the belief that the supplier actually cares, only for that illusion to be shattered rather quickly.

It‘s a pity really. My Goodwe inverter now works after months of swearing and crying. So much so that I wont recommend it to anyone. Not because of the product but the support. The Sunsynk ticks all the boxes, let’s hope the support isn’t what kills the brand.
 
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mariusmeyer

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The reason why it is not possible is the following. When you parralel the units, they have to share the battery to be able to balance each other out, also the individual controllers need to remain synchronized for the parallel system to work.
I will ask Keith Gough to explain this in a bit more detail since nowhere in any of his videos or in any of the manuals or advertising material do they make mention of this limitation.
 
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wingnut771

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mariusmeyer said:
The reason why it is not possible is the following. When you parralel the units, they have to share the battery to be able to balance each other out, also the individual controllers need to remain synchronized for the parallel system to work.
I will ask Keith Gough to explain this in a bit more detail since nowhere in any of his videos or in any of the manuals or advertising material do they make mention of this limitation.
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Aren't you basically doing the same thing "sharing the load" between 3 masters?
 
RonSwanson

RonSwanson

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mariusmeyer said:
The reason why it is not possible is the following. When you parralel the units, they have to share the battery to be able to balance each other out, also the individual controllers need to remain synchronized for the parallel system to work.
I will ask Keith Gough to explain this in a bit more detail since nowhere in any of his videos or in any of the manuals or advertising material do they make mention of this limitation.
Click to expand...
Ah, that makes a whole lot of sense!
 
AchmatK

AchmatK

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Running 4 of my big appliances that will normally be used in summer.

1.1kw pool pump (will only run a few hours per day in winter)
24000btu inverter aircon in lounge
12000btu inverter aircon in main bedroom
12000btu non inverter aircon in spare room. Only running as there is still a lingering paint smell after the room was painted. Will be my son's room in the new year so the aircon will probably only run at night when it's very hot. LiveMessage_2020-12-13-13-05-40.gif
 
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mariusmeyer

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So since I will need to invest in batteries for the parallel to work properly, I am thinking of starting off with 2 Pylontech US3000C batteries. The added 5% draining capacity is always handy in my opinion. Now from everything I have read so far I will need to connect the batteries to a busbar and then the 3 inverters will each connect to the busbar as well. So the questions I have is

1. Having 3 inverters, I assume I would need the 3 sets of battery cables to connect inverters to busbar..
2. Since the BMS will limit the current to 74Amps continuous (2 batteries at 37A each), will the standard pylontech cable pack be sufficient or do I need to upsize the cables between the busbar and the inverters? I dont foresee a single inverter pulling more than 120Amps at a given point in time.
3. Should the battery disconnect be between the battery bank and the busbar as this makes the most logical sense to me?
4. What amp fuses should I go for? I am thinking 160A but wondering if it is too small since all 3 inverters could pull from the bank at the same time.
5. Where do I get a canbus cable for connection between the master battery and the master inverter?
6. Are there any ready made busbars available or is it something that I have to put together myself? Do I just get a little DB box and add 2 busbars with appropriate amp ratings in there and do all the connection in the box?
7. From my readings people say to keep the cable lengths between inverters and batteries the same length, is it really that big of a deal if one length is say 50cm and the other 2 are 1m?

Thanks in advance.
 
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mariusmeyer

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Or with regards to the battery disconnect, should I have a separate disconnect between each inverter and busbar connection?
 
itareanlnotani

itareanlnotani

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mariusmeyer said:
So since I will need to invest in batteries for the parallel to work properly, I am thinking of starting off with 2 Pylontech US3000C batteries. The added 5% draining capacity is always handy in my opinion. Now from everything I have read so far I will need to connect the batteries to a busbar and then the 3 inverters will each connect to the busbar as well. So the questions I have is

1. Having 3 inverters, I assume I would need the 3 sets of battery cables to connect inverters to busbar..
2. Since the BMS will limit the current to 74Amps continuous (2 batteries at 37A each), will the standard pylontech cable pack be sufficient or do I need to upsize the cables between the busbar and the inverters? I dont foresee a single inverter pulling more than 120Amps at a given point in time.
3. Should the battery disconnect be between the battery bank and the busbar as this makes the most logical sense to me?
4. What amp fuses should I go for? I am thinking 160A but wondering if it is too small since all 3 inverters could pull from the bank at the same time.
5. Where do I get a canbus cable for connection between the master battery and the master inverter?
6. Are there any ready made busbars available or is it something that I have to put together myself? Do I just get a little DB box and add 2 busbars with appropriate amp ratings in there and do all the connection in the box?
7. From my readings people say to keep the cable lengths between inverters and batteries the same length, is it really that big of a deal if one length is say 50cm and the other 2 are 1m?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
Honestly, get a professional to look. While you can DIY, and have someone sign off, you need to know what you are doing.

Powerforum.co.za will also be a good resource.

I'd read this - https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ve.bus:manual_parallel_and_three_phase_systems and take note of the tips there for DC and AC wiring. You can ignore the other bits as they aren't relevant to your specific setup.

From the questions you are asking, I'm slightly concerned. Please get a professional in.
3 Phase or inverters in parallel setups need a lot more care taken on setup, as its not as simple as single inverter setups.
 
RonSwanson

RonSwanson

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lsheed_cn said:
Honestly, get a professional to look. While you can DIY, and have someone sign off, you need to know what you are doing.

Powerforum.co.za will also be a good resource.

I'd read this - https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ve.bus:manual_parallel_and_three_phase_systems and take note of the tips there for DC and AC wiring. You can ignore the other bits as they aren't relevant to your specific setup.

From the questions you are asking, I'm slightly concerned. Please get a professional in.
3 Phase or inverters in parallel setups need a lot more care taken on setup, as its not as simple as single inverter setups.
Click to expand...
:whistling: Agreed that it's quite involved. Personally, I would involve an experienced pro as well, have far too little knowledge on the subject.
 
AchmatK

AchmatK

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Sold my battery cabinet today but only getting the server rack the weekend.

Is it fine to leave the batteries connected like this for a few days. I have a 900mm x 900mm tile that will rest on top of the handles without touching anything. 20201215_071258.jpg 20201215_071556.jpg 20201215_071614.jpg
 
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