Generator or Inverter for residential use?

[Speedster]

Reading the CoCT docs on solar, my current setup just with the inverter and battery does not need any approval from CoCT at I'm not generating electricity.

Backup systems are not regulated. Only generation systems are regulated under their bylaws.

Does that change the moment you connect your PV?

 

[AchmatK]

Does that change the moment you connect your PV?

Yep.

 

[TheChamp]

Got me two of these combiner box.

Has fuses, surge arrestors and disconnect switches.

It combines 2 pv strings into one output to the invert. It reduces cabling so now I just need to run 4 cables from the panels to the inverter instead of 8 cables. Combiner boxes will be mounted outside. It also has the MC4 quick connectors for the cable from the panels.

You can make them yourself but I went for a ready made solution. View attachment 883306 View attachment 883308 View attachment 883312

How many strings in total do you have for the 28 panels?

 

[AchmatK]

How many strings in total do you have for the 28 panels?

4 strings of 7 panels.

 

[Steamy Tom]

Ready made is expensive!

Made up should be about R2 500? So R2 000 not too out of ballpark?

you going with class 1 or 2?

 

[Saba'a]

you going with class 1 or 2?

This is greek to me?

Edit

All I know is below:


#1237


A combiner box is where all your pv strings are fused and join up to go to the charge controller

A hanger switch with fuses is your battery fusing

The 2 main circuit must be the in and out breakers for the inverter

A battery is a battery

These things are all separate things

 

[AchmatK]

The data logger of the SunSynk uses the Solarman service.

They have 4 apps on the Google store. I mostly use the Solarman Smart app.

This screenshot is from the Solarman Business app and has more details reports and features.

The web interface allows for retorts to be exported to csv. The amount of data parameters that you can select is huge.

Not sure if it will be clear enough.

 

[AchmatK]

That's not going to work.

Better individual screenshots of the main page.

 

[wingnut771]

Reading the CoCT docs on solar, my current setup just with the inverter and battery does not need any approval from CoCT at I'm not generating electricity.

Backup systems are not regulated. Only generation systems are regulated under their bylaws.

until tomorrow they probably had their eye on you already when your panels went up.

 

[AchmatK]

until tomorrow

Their legislation is pathetic and clearly shows that their intent is around protecting their revenue stream more than anything else and not getting people to be more self sufficient.

They did the same with water and borehole registrations. I registered at the time but nothing ever happened, instead they came out and replaced my water meter 3 times as they thought it must be faulty as it was recording zero water usage. Eventually showed the last guy that came to replace the meter that I have a well point feeding my whole house. He made a note on the system and I never heard a word back from them since. Must have cost them more than R10k to replace the water meter 3 times.

Now i just pay them R100 per month for the water connection charge but zero usage.

 

[wingnut771]

Their legislation is pathetic and clearly shows that their intent is around protecting their revenue stream more than anything else and not getting people to be more self sufficient.

They did the same with water and borehole registrations. I registered at the time but nothing ever happened, instead they came out and replaced my water meter 3 times as they thought it must be faulty as it was recording zero water usage. Eventually showed the last guy that came to replace the meter that I have a well point feeding my whole house. He made a note on the system and I never heard a word back from them since. Must have cost them more than R10k to replace the water meter 3 times.

Now i just pay them R100 per month for the water connection charge but zero usage.

yeah, the da are just as gready as the anc minus the corruption. regarding the revenue stream for feed in, i can't understand what they're worried about, and why they're making it so difficult, as they're buying for 50c and selling it for R2. it would help people earn an income especially during this time.

 

[Saba'a]

yeah, the da are just as gready as the anc minus the corruption. regarding the revenue stream for feed in, i can't understand what they're worried about, and why they're making it so difficult, as they're buying for 50c and selling it for R2. it would help people earn an income especially during this time.

At the end who would be buying, thats the problem. All the large consumers are busy switching off from the grid. Municipality cash flow gone and left with the freeloaders or low profit users.

In a few years I'll be offgrid. But yes, since Eskom cant cope one would think SA would encourage energy generation. Cheap electricity means more things can be produced cheaper, more places can be electrified. Hell, I'll be happy to give them excess electricity for free or minimal cost to cover maintenance.

 

[AchmatK]

Lost shedding scenario tested and working brilliantly.

No delay in transferring power to the essential load which means we will not even notice that the grid went down.

Non essential load(aux output) however does switch off momentarily and is not an instant transfer from grid to battery.

CT sensor currently being installed.

I still have the issue with aux output restarting every few hours while connected to the grid.

 

[cfvh600]

Lost shedding scenario tested and working brilliantly.

No delay in transferring power to the essential load which means we will not even notice that the grid went down.

Non essential load(aux output) however does switch off momentarily and is not an instant transfer from grid to battery.

CT sensor currently being installed.

I still have the issue with aux output restarting every few hours while connected to the grid.

Did you see Keith replied to your post on the Sunsynk forums?

 

[AchmatK]

Did you see Keith replied to your post on the Sunsynk forums?

Not yet. Will check now.

 

[Saba'a]

My batteries and brackets with cable dropped by electrician.

No invoices etc. Do I need any or will boxes be enough. Edit for any warranty claims if he drops dead?

If so, who do I approach i.e. who is distributor?

Or must I get invoices from electrician? Assume he doesn't want to reflect price and thus his markup/profit

 

[AchmatK]

Did you see Keith replied to your post on the Sunsynk forums?

I think they are working on it remotely via the data logger now. It restarted a few times in the space of 30 minutes which did not happen before and now its been running for about an hour without any restarting.

Glad they can do remote troubleshooting.

The data logger also reports the software version to the Solarman app so I could see the exact time the software was changed. The update also did not interrupt the inverter and it continued to supply power during the software update.

 

[cfvh600]

I think they are working on it remotely via the data logger now. It restarted a few times in the space of 30 minutes which did not happen before and now its been running for about an hour without any restarting.

Glad they can do remote troubleshooting.

The data logger also reports the software version to the Solarman app so I could see the exact time the software was changed. The update also did not interrupt the inverter and it continued to supply power during the software update.

That's great! I hope it's all sorted now. Keep us updated.

 

[AchmatK]

2 x 2 into 1 combiners up.

 

[Saba'a]

2 x 2 into 1 combiners up. View attachment 883908

Lay your own conduit?