Generator or Inverter for residential use?

[AchmatK]

Way out of my league! Way over R100 000! But if cycles true, its worth it.

Too rich for me as well but just thinking of the possibilities of the options available if money was not an option.

My target battery capacity is 36kw and another 8kw sunsynk inverter when I'm eventually completely off grid.

Will see how my current setup performs and assess later again. I might only need more batteries and not another inverter.

 

[AchmatK]

So there are a number of ways the sunsynk inverter can be connected.

There's three main connections, a grid input, load output and the last one is configurable and is generator input or can be used for smart load features as an output.

Option 1 is to have the inverter connected after non essential loads. During load shedding these will be without power and only the load output will send power to the essential loads from the battery storage or solar. Negative with this setup is that I would never be able to power the non essential load if I have excess capacity during day from solar or batteries and will not work when I go off grid.

Option 2 is to put the inverter after the grid and before all loads. The aux output can be configured for non essential loads which will mean that if there is no load shedding then non essential loads will be supplied by the grid through the inverter. During load shedding and where there is no excess solar or battery capacity, the aux out will cut supply to non essential loads. There is a manual override button should I want to power the non essential load during load shedding. It will be active for fire hours then revert to preconfigured settings. I will lose the option to add a generator backup but don't see myself ever getting one in any case. As I build the battery bank, I can change the settings of the smart load feature to only send power to the non essential DB if certain conditions are met like battery level and pv output.

Going with option 2. Rudimentary drawing and connection options from sunsynk showing option 1.

 

[AchmatK]

Connection option from sunsynk.

 

[Sinbad]

I can vouch for BYD. 100 percent DoD and I have had a battery couriered up to me from cape Town as a warranty replacement.

 

[wingnut771]

I can vouch for BYD. 100 percent DoD and I have had a battery couriered up to me from cape Town as a warranty replacement.

how many cycles at 100% DOD?

 

[Sinbad]

how many cycles at 100% DOD?

3000 I think it was with 60 percent capacity at the end.
I'll check the warranty.


Also they measure a cycle by the amount of charge in and out. So 10 days of 10 percent discharge and recharge counts as 1 cycle for warranty purposes.

 

[Sinbad]

60 percent usable capacity after 2 or 3 thousand full cycles depending what battery it is. Or 10 years.

 

[TedLasso]

Stupid question,

But assuming installing inverter and all kit makes it part of the house , so when selling , it needs to stay? But will it actually increase the value of house?

If I installed the inverter and batteries in a 19" rack, technically that's movable , so I could take with me?

Just thinking of long term implications with all the automation I put in. How the feck does one sell a house that has IOT devices running everything? Does one just put all the devices in permanently on mode and then that's that? Or do we need to provide a operator's manual and service support package to the new owners

 

[AchmatK]

My opinion. Improvements generally add value to the property. Inverters and panels I would include when advertising to sell. Batteries however are portable and unless its a battery bank with many more cycles left, I would probably not include the batteries.

If you are wiring the inverter into the DB and splitting the circuits with some om the inverter and others not, I would think that it must be included in the sale.

Home automation is a bit tricky. I would just make a short manual if its custom stuff, set a generic password, turn off automation and give them the details. They can decide if they want to play around with it and turn it on.

 

[Saba'a]

Stupid question,

But assuming installing inverter and all kit makes it part of the house , so when selling , it needs to stay? But will it actually increase the value of house?

If I installed the inverter and batteries in a 19" rack, technically that's movable , so I could take with me?

Just thinking of long term implications with all the automation I put in. How the feck does one sell a house that has IOT devices running everything? Does one just put all the devices in permanently on mode and then that's that? Or do we need to provide a operator's manual and service support package to the new owners

http://

See mobile installation option in below photo.

 

[TheChamp]

Good points you guys are making, especially with regards to automation, it does sound tricky, battling with automation stuff that is misbehaving can be tough on the new owner, it would help if nothing is hidden or the is at least a circuit diagram for everything.

 

[Speedster]

60 percent usable capacity after 2 or 3 thousand full cycles depending what battery it is. Or 10 years.

Which isn't that great compared to Pylontech's 4500 cycles with 90% DoD or 6000 cycles with 80% DOD. I guess the takeaway here is to try stay above 80%

 

[Sinbad]

Which isn't that great compared to Pylontech's 4500 cycles with 90% DoD or 6000 cycles with 80% DOD. I guess the takeaway here is to try stay above 80%

What is pylon's guaranteed capacity after 4500 90% cycles?

The BYD warranty is completely unrelated to DoD. Cycles are measured purely by charge in and charge out.

 

[Speedster]

What is pylon's guaranteed capacity after 4500 90% cycles?

The BYD warranty is completely unrelated to DoD. Cycles are measured purely by charge in and charge out.

I believe it is 80%, but I'll need to confirm that. Will look for the documentation a bit later

 

[Speedster]

What is pylon's guaranteed capacity after 4500 90% cycles?

The BYD warranty is completely unrelated to DoD. Cycles are measured purely by charge in and charge out.

From this document it is 60%. I'm assuming they use standard metric across their range?

View attachment SWR_ES_PB_DS_EN.pdf

 

[Sinbad]

From this document it is 60%. I'm assuming they use standard metric across their range?

View attachment 876983

Can't see it on my phone. How do they define/measure a cycle?

Looking now... that's marketing material.

Here's warranty wording:
Product Warranty
Pylontech warrants that the Product will be free of defects caused by improper workmanship or defective
materials.
This warranty commences the period of Seven (7) years from the earlier of:
1. the date of installation of the Product; or
2. six (6) months after the date the Product was manufactured,

Warranty period could be extended to Ten (10) years FOR FREE by successfully register your product on
Pylontech website: http://www.pylontech.com.cn/service/support ,and the Minimum Capacity/remaining
capacity in this document would be not less than 60% of the Nominal Capacity at the end of Warranty
Period.

They don't appear to specify any warranted capacity or cycle count/depth.

https://solaradvice.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/US2000B-plus-warranty-SA-17WP7093.pdf

 

[Speedster]

Can't see it on my phone. How do they define/measure a cycle?

Looking now... that's marketing material.

Here's warranty wording:
Product Warranty
Pylontech warrants that the Product will be free of defects caused by improper workmanship or defective
materials.
This warranty commences the period of Seven (7) years from the earlier of:
1. the date of installation of the Product; or
2. six (6) months after the date the Product was manufactured,

Warranty period could be extended to Ten (10) years FOR FREE by successfully register your product on
Pylontech website: http://www.pylontech.com.cn/service/support ,and the Minimum Capacity/remaining
capacity in this document would be not less than 60% of the Nominal Capacity at the end of Warranty
Period.

They don't appear to specify any warranted capacity or cycle count/depth.

https://solaradvice.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/US2000B-plus-warranty-SA-17WP7093.pdf

10 years at 60% according to that. Anyway, my point has less to do with the warranty than the purported battery life / health over the duration of its life.

 

[buyeye]

I'm having problems with electricity tripping when using appliances in the kitchen, I checked each one .It can be any combination stove , kettle, oven or Iron.

Now I think I found the problem but I'm not sure just wanted some help before calling an electrician.

The picture is of the main breaker coming into the house I think it's wrong amps but I'm only a google electrician.

 

[AchmatK]

I'm having problems with electricity tripping when using appliances in the kitchen, I checked each one .It can be any combination stove , kettle, oven or Iron.

Now I think I found the problem but I'm not sure just wanted some help before calling an electrician.

The picture is of the main breaker coming into the house I think it's wrong amps but I'm only a google electrician.

I think that's wrong. Mine is a 63a breaker.

 

[Sinbad]

30 amp breaker = max 6600W.
Work out the ratings of your appliances.