Generator or Inverter for residential use?

Speedster

Speedster

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Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
21,683
signates said:
If you really don't need 3 phase I would just convert the whole house to single phase.

Makes for a more simple setup. I don't know if having 3 phase in a residential property makes any difference or provides any missed opportunities if you change to single phase. Or if it adds any value to a residential property.
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This is very much still an option, although if the price premium on staying three phase isn't too much I'd prefer to stay. There are two aircons, 3 geysers and a pool pump (amongst all the other stuff). I think that might justify staying on 3 phase?

If I understand the setup correctly, going with 3 (or 2) Sunsynks also gives me a ton of MPPTs. It appears I can hook them up in parallel and set them to 3 phase mode which will give me 5kw per phase, while sharing a common battery. Biggest drawback of this setup is finding space for the inverters close to the db.
 
Neuk_

Neuk_

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Jan 23, 2018
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Speedster said:
Back to my 3phase conundrum. The Solis 3 phase hybrid works with HV batteries, which I can't seem to source in SA yet.

The best 3 phase option at the moment seems to be the infinisolar at about R60k. For the same price I can hook up 3 x 5kw sunsynks, which seems to be a much better option than the infinisolar. Am I missing something?

Edit: depending on the circuit layout at the new house I might even be able to get away with 2x sunsynks (i.e. ignore the 3rd phase)
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I am following with some interest, my in-laws have a Solis grid tied 3 phase 25kVa inverter at their factory with 90 odd 360w PV panels and will be putting a hybrid 3 phase inverter or inverter setup at the new house at Pecanwood later this year.
 
T

thehuman

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Joined
Nov 2, 2004
Messages
4,240
Speedster said:
This is very much still an option, although if the price premium on staying three phase isn't too much I'd prefer to stay. There are two aircons, 3 geysers and a pool pump (amongst all the other stuff). I think that might justify staying on 3 phase?

If I understand the setup correctly, going with 3 (or 2) Sunsynks also gives me a ton of MPPTs. It appears I can hook them up in parallel and set them to 3 phase mode which will give me 5kw per phase, while sharing a common battery. Biggest drawback of this setup is finding space for the inverters close to the db.
Click to expand...
Advantage of 3 separate inverters
Lower voltage battery.
More mppts
If one unit fail have 2 x backups
If sometime in future want to switch to single phase don't need to buy new inverter.
 
Neuk_

Neuk_

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Jan 23, 2018
Messages
7,995
thehuman said:
Advantage of 3 separate inverters
Lower voltage battery.
More mppts
If one unit fail have 2 x backups
If sometime in future want to switch to single phase don't need to buy new inverter.
Click to expand...

Why would you have 'lower voltage battery' with three separate inverters versus a single three phase inverter? And you would only have more MPPT's if the inverters had built in MPPT's, manufacturers that separate the MPPT from inverter would give more flexibility but at a cost of course.
 
T

thehuman

Expert Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2004
Messages
4,240
Speedster said:
Back to my 3phase conundrum. The Solis 3 phase hybrid works with HV batteries, which I can't seem to source in SA yet.

The best 3 phase option at the moment seems to be the infinisolar at about R60k. For the same price I can hook up 3 x 5kw sunsynks, which seems to be a much better option than the infinisolar. Am I missing something?

Edit: depending on the circuit layout at the new house I might even be able to get away with 2x sunsynks (i.e. ignore the 3rd phase)
Click to expand...
Neuk_ said:
Why would you have 'lower voltage battery' with three separate inverters versus a single three phase?
Click to expand...
Solis 3 phase works with HV batteries, he struggling to find them.
 
S

Saba'a

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May 21, 2009
Messages
8,232
signates said:
My previous upgrade took a few minutes and the inverter does reboot afterwards. You don't lose power during the upgrade and reboot.
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Suspect when power went off and I checked phone that I saw the notice. So upgrade probably took place earlier overnight. But cant trace it now.

But electricity off as running on battery and neighbours generator on.
 
AchmatK

AchmatK

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Dec 8, 2009
Messages
10,049
Saba'a said:
Suspect when power went off and I checked phone that I saw the notice. So upgrade probably took place earlier overnight. But cant trace it now.

But electricity off as running on battery and neighbours generator on.
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The app notice on Solarman is only for the Solarman app and not the inverter. I also had a pop-up notification on the Solarman app that they will be doing maintenance on the service.
 
Speedster

Speedster

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Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
21,683
signates said:
The app notice on Solarman is only for the Solarman app and not the inverter. I also had a pop-up notification on the Solarman app that they will be doing maintenance on the service.
Click to expand...
Are there any costs attached to using solarman?
 
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