Generator or Inverter for residential use?

[Sinbad]

You have solar if I'm not mistaken. How much unused excess do you typically generate each day?

0

 

[Speedster]

0

So your batteries are never full? Or do they get filled up with Eskom?

 

[Speedster]

none - no one who has a system generates excess

So nobody's batteries are ever full? Unless you're being pedantic about my wording?

 

[Steamy Tom]

So nobody's batteries are ever full? Unless you're being pedantic about my wording?

when there is no demand there is no production, so when batteries are full the sun tap closes.

you should be asking, given average conditions, how much capacity for extra generation do you have available?

but also in honesty, imo it is also about mechanical sympathy and using tools built for the job, i personally am not thrilled about the idea of making my system work to its limits to heat water in a geyser, i would rather use a solar geyser that is designed to do that.

also i was technically wrong, if you have a grid tied system that backfeeds you would technically be generating excess constantly when available.

 

[Speedster]

when there is no demand there is no production, so when batteries are full the sun tap closes.

you should be asking, given average conditions, how much capacity for extra generation do you have available?

but also in honesty, imo it is also about mechanical sympathy and using tools built for the job, i personally am not thrilled about the idea of making my system work to its limits to heat water in a geyser, i would rather use a solar geyser that is designed to do that.

also i was technically wrong, if you have a grid tied system that backfeeds you would technically be generating excess constantly when available.

PV is designed to provide electrical current. Feeding that current to a heating element shouldn't place any mechanical strain on the system (provided you have sufficient capacity on the inverter). Most households use very little electricity during the afternoon, so there should be capacity on the inverter. If you scale your system to be done charging the battery by, say, 2pm you could easily heat the geyser too.

 

[Sinbad]

So your batteries are never full? Or do they get filled up with Eskom?

No, I tweak the discharge levels so they reach around 99 each day

 

[cfvh600]

PV is designed to provide electrical current. Feeding that current to a heating element shouldn't place any mechanical strain on the system (provided you have sufficient capacity on the inverter). Most households use very little electricity during the afternoon, so there should be capacity on the inverter. If you scale your system to be done charging the battery by, say, 2pm you could easily heat the geyser too.

I started doing this in March and now the PV gets maxed out every day.

 

[Speedster]

I started doing this in March and now the PV gets maxed out every day.

Are you using the relay on the inverter, or how have you set this up?

 

[cfvh600]

Are you using the relay on the inverter, or how have you set this up?

There is a energy meter on the grid side communicating with the inverter, so if there is excess solar the inverter pushes it to the loads connected directly to the grid like the geysers and oven.

 

[Speedster]

There is a energy meter on the grid side communicating with the inverter, so if there is excess solar the inverter pushes it to the loads connected directly to the grid like the geysers and oven.

Nice. Are you using a "normal” 3kw element, or did you change it out for a smaller one?

 

[cfvh600]

Nice. Are you using a "normal” 3kw element, or did you change it out for a smaller one?

It's a 2kw element. Think it was standard with the geyser.

 

[wingnut771]

There is a energy meter on the grid side communicating with the inverter, so if there is excess solar the inverter pushes it to the loads connected directly to the grid like the geysers and oven.

which inverter is this?

 

[cfvh600]

which inverter is this?

It's a Voltronic Infinisolar 3kw.

Goodwe and Victron will also do this.

 

[AchmatK]

So I decided to include a battery and getting an 11kwh battery which should sort me out for a few hours of load shedding. Going to split my DB into essential and non essential loads. Basically all lights, most plugs and pumps for water will be on the essential load with my geyser, air conditioners, washer, dryer, kettle, microwave and dishwasher on non essential load.

Wife's work requires Internet access so backup has now become priority over connecting up the solar panels.

Been reading up everything I can on the sunsynk inverter and it seems like a very underrated piece of kit. It also seams to be rebranded in the US as Sol-Ark with some crazy pricing as the same unit is sold there for $6k vs ±R30k locally.

Inverter, batteries and solar panels already set me back R150k.

 

[wingnut771]

So I decided to include a battery and getting an 11kwh battery which should sort me out for a few hours of load shedding. Going to split my DB into essential and non essential loads. Basically all lights, most plugs and pumps for water will be on the essential load with my geyser, air conditioners, washer, dryer, kettle, microwave and dishwasher on non essential load.

Wife's work requires Internet access so backup has now become priority over connecting up the solar panels.

Been reading up everything I can on the sunsynk inverter and it seems like a very underrated piece of kit. It also seams to be rebranded in the US as Sol-Ark with some crazy pricing as the same unit is sold there for $6k vs ±R30k locally.

Inverter, batteries and solar panels already set me back R150k.

linky for battery?

 

[AchmatK]

linky for battery?

The Sun Pays 4.8 kWh Lithium Ion Battery Pack

Features: LCD display LiFePO4 cells Low environmental impact Superior thermal stability High peak power rating Long cycle life Intelligent Battery Management System (BMS) BMS communication compatible with Sacolar and Growatt inverters RS485 BMS communication CAN bus (only available on client...

shop.thesunpays.co.za

2 of these for now. 9.6kwh

 

[wingnut771]

The Sun Pays 4.8 kWh Lithium Ion Battery Pack

Features: LCD display LiFePO4 cells Low environmental impact Superior thermal stability High peak power rating Long cycle life Intelligent Battery Management System (BMS) BMS communication compatible with Sacolar and Growatt inverters RS485 BMS communication CAN bus (only available on client...

shop.thesunpays.co.za

2 of these for now. 9.6kwh

only 3500 cycles, what about this, 4 grand more but 6000 cycles although i see it's out of stock:

Dyness 4.8kWh Lithium-ion Battery Power Depot

The perfectly sized Wall Mounted Luthium-ion battery for the household or small business, 4.8kWh (3.84kWh 80% DOD @ 6000 Cycles Useable Storage)

solaradvice.co.za

or, also 6000 cycles:

Pylontech US3000 3.5kWh Li-Ion Battery ( excl. brackets )

Pylontech US3000 3.5kWh Li-Ion Battery ( excl. brackets )

www.solar-shop.co.za

 

[AchmatK]

only 3500 cycles, what about this, 4 grand more but 6000 cycles although i see it's out of stock:

Dyness 4.8kWh Lithium-ion Battery Power Depot

The perfectly sized Wall Mounted Luthium-ion battery for the household or small business, 4.8kWh (3.84kWh 80% DOD @ 6000 Cycles Useable Storage)

solaradvice.co.za

That looks good but no stock. Need to place my order by Monday to get everything setup the following week.

Inverter and panels are being delivered on Tuesday.

 

[wingnut771]

That looks good but no stock. Need to place my order by Monday to get everything setup the following week.

Inverter and panels are being delivered on Tuesday.

see my update, also look at pylontech.

 

[AchmatK]

see my update, also look at pylontech.

Looking at the Dyness 9.6kw unit

Dyness 9.6kWh Lithium-ion Battery Power Box | Buy Now

Adopts LiFePO4 chemistry battery with safety performance and long life time, which offers you four capacities to meet your more requirements. Features Compact Size & Light Weight High Power Output & Usable Energy Ratio Modular Design & Expandable System Safest Battery & Perfect C ...

solaradvice.co.za

It works with the Deye inverter which seems to be another rebranded sunsynk inverter.