Generator or Inverter for residential use?

AchmatK

AchmatK

Honorary Master
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
10,049
signates said:
Not ideal pv generation conditions today in Cape Town and have two load shedding slots overnight. Will not use batteries and leave them at 100% for load shedding. View attachment 995124
Click to expand...
Got through both sessions. Battery was at 35% at 6:00 this morning but then the geyser switched on at this time. Not sure why yet but the inverter switched off with low DC voltage error when the geyser switched on.

Grid came back at 6:15 so it should have made it.

Maybe I should select one of the slots to charge from grid at 2am just to make sure it's back to 100% SOC for when there are two load sheddingslots overnight.
 
gbyleveldt

gbyleveldt

Expert Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Messages
1,579
signates said:
Got through both sessions. Battery was at 35% at 6:00 this morning but then the geyser switched on at this time. Not sure why yet but the inverter switched off with low DC voltage error when the geyser switched on.

Grid came back at 6:15 so it should have made it.

Maybe I should select one of the slots to charge from grid at 2am just to make sure it's back to 100% SOC for when there are two load sheddingslots overnight.
Click to expand...
Did the inverter switch off at 35% because of a setting, or did one of the batteries switch off? Seems like a weird place to just switch off. Unless the inrush from the geyser was just to much based on other loads running?
 
AchmatK

AchmatK

Honorary Master
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
10,049
gbyleveldt said:
Did the inverter switch off at 35% because of a setting, or did one of the batteries switch off? Seems like a weird place to just switch off. Unless the inrush from the geyser was just to much based on other loads running?
Click to expand...
The inverter switched off. Restarted a minute later and then switched off again. When it restarted for the third time I managed to switch off the Geyserwise before it could give the fault again. Grid came back on about 10 minutes later.

Total load was 1kw before the geyser switched on so it should have enough to run everything. It is a 4kw element so could be the inrush on startup.

The older faults was when I disconnected the batteries. 20210117_091609.jpg
 
Sinbad

Sinbad

Honorary Master
Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
81,151
The extra draw from the geysers pulled the battery voltage below the lower threshold most likely.
 
gbyleveldt

gbyleveldt

Expert Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Messages
1,579
Sinbad said:
The extra draw from the geysers pulled the battery voltage below the lower threshold most likely.
Click to expand...
That what I’m thinking as well. You might also have one of the battery packs imbalanced on the low end. I’ve had weird things happen at low SoC with high power consumers.
 
AchmatK

AchmatK

Honorary Master
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
10,049
Checked my usage at 6am and before the geyser switched on my consumption was 1.8kw. With the geyser switching on this would have gone up to 5.8kw which would cause the BMS to switch off the batteries causing the inverter to switch off with the low voltage error. It probably tried to maintain the load for 10 seconds before switching off. It rebooted but the Geyserwise just restarted the geyser causing it to switch off again.

At least i know it will automatically reboot. One more pylontech should solve this as it would add another 37A to the current limit of 111A.
 
S

Saba'a

Executive Member
Joined
May 21, 2009
Messages
8,232
Any capetonians know this company?
Nice idea.
5991e8d63c640d69919a78a826aa8263.jpg



Hi all, while you’re working on the design of your container or tiny homes, consider our complimentary energy products which are made here in Cape Town, SA.

Our Solar Powerports and UPS PowerBoxes may be of interest to some of you on this group.

Sun Ship PowerPorts:
This is a Solar and Shade steel structure with high quality aesthetic finish which can be used for a car port, garden pergola or pool side shade strucure, or architectural extension. It comes in multiples of 2.2 KWp. Ships with high performance Canadian Solar bifacial frameless panels, with or without battery and grid inverter systems. 30 year warranty on the panels.

Sun Ship PowerBoxes:
We assemble 12v/500w/1KWh and 24v/1200w/2kwh Systems with top components- Victron and BlueNova or similar. 5 year warranties. Designed for 3 hours continuous power this is better than what else you will find.

Price and spec enquiries:
info@sunshiptech.com or dm us now,
or call (021) 791-0675.
or WhatsApp / Telegram 078 078 5519

Ralph and Felicity Berold
Sun Ship Technologies
 
AchmatK

AchmatK

Honorary Master
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
10,049
When Eskom load sheds in my peak pv generation slot.

Will have to turn off the Geyserwise tonight at I have load shedding starting at 6am tomorrow morning.

One more month and my yeilds should recover enough for me to buy one more pylontech battery. Screenshot_20210118-183935_SOLARMAN%20Business.jpg
 
AchmatK

AchmatK

Honorary Master
Joined
Dec 8, 2009
Messages
10,049
Speedster said:
Ah. That makes sense
Click to expand...
What they said.
RonSwanson said:
Eskom's load-shedding is cutting off @signates feed into the grid :-(
Click to expand...
wingnut771 said:
PV matching the load, battery fully charged, no grid?
Click to expand...
Would really be interesting to know how much is lost from residential or office block pv that could support Eskom and possibly alleviate some of the need to load shed or take it down one stage.

Anyone know if the large office blocks and malls are able feed into the grid during load shedding?
 
C

calypso

Expert Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2009
Messages
1,857
Most malls have deals now that if they run generator power during the whole load-shedding day they then don't get loadshed for the 2h slot. So they make back the power over the course of the day instead of 2 hours dead.
 
Speedster

Speedster

Honorary Master
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
21,684
calypso said:
Most malls have deals now that if they run generator power during the whole load-shedding day they then don't get loadshed for the 2h slot. So they make back the power over the course of the day instead of 2 hours dead.
Click to expand...
Why wouldn't they just run the genies for the 2 hours? That works out much cheaper for them
 
Lupus

Lupus

Honorary Master
Joined
Apr 25, 2006
Messages
50,976
calypso said:
Most malls have deals now that if they run generator power during the whole load-shedding day they then don't get loadshed for the 2h slot. So they make back the power over the course of the day instead of 2 hours dead.
Click to expand...
What? I don't think they would do that, that would cost a lot more then if they just ran the generators over the power failure.
Also not all areas are 2 hours
 
Neuk_

Neuk_

Executive Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2018
Messages
7,995
calypso said:
Most malls have deals now that if they run generator power during the whole load-shedding day they then don't get loadshed for the 2h slot. So they make back the power over the course of the day instead of 2 hours dead.
Click to expand...

Besides it not making sense to run a generator for hours and hours to make up for only 2 hours, how does Eskom cut supply to an entire area but not a mall?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top