Hybrid Solar, grid tied solar pv with batteries

[SunEagle]

Stickies should be locked down and closed.

Done and done

[Sunking]

Stickies should be locked down and closed.

[SunEagle]

Ummm...How do I post a new thread topic? I only see Reply option. Thx much.

Apparently the forum software does not give new members the ability to create a new thread topic. The IT department is looking into it.

[TheVillagesGuy]

Ummm...How do I post a new thread topic? I only see Reply option. Thx much.

[yokwedave]

My GT is all one string. I'd like to add another 3kw string, but our utility won't let me.

[Mike90250]

Welcome. Yes, the issues of unregulated battery charging. Is your GT system on 1 string, or 2 ? Perhaps one string can be disabled as the batteries come up to full ?

[yokwedave]

My hybrid system arose because of need. I have had a 1,000 watt off grid system with an Outback FX3048 inverter. The system is to provide power during our frequent outages. However, I run some circuits off it during the day to decrease my electric bill (0.34/kwh). I finally got permission to install a 3000 watt grid tie with an SMA inverter. Of course the grid tie is down when the grid is down. So, I use a 5000 watt transformer to change the output of the Outback from 120v AC to 240v AC. I put in a manual transfer switch to bring the Outback power into the SMA when the grid is down, and now my 3000 watt panels can be of use during power outages. The only tricky thing is handling the excess power the panels produce. They charge the batteries, but the Outback does not regulate battery charging when the power is going "backwards" through it, so doing this can quickly overcharge the batteries. I have a water heater element as a diversion load, but even that is not enough, and sometimes I just have to turn on enough appliances to use the power. However, I am very happy to have all that power available for use during outages!

[rmk9785e]

I am in need of guidance to help a friend who lives overseas in a country where grid power outages are quite common. All systems run on 220V AC. He has had a battery backed 8kW PV system with 4 inverters which would switch to backup power when grid supply went down. Recently, the utility has started offering net metering and he wants to know if it makes sense for him. His vendor has proposed a single SMA10000TL inverter with SMA WebConnect module for net metering setup. He is told that his existing system will work as Backup system (UPS) where the PV will be attached to Grid Tied Inverter.
I'm not sure how it will switch in the existing system as a backup. The single line diagram (attached) they have provided doesn't show any link with the existing inverters and batteries. Is SMA1000TL a hybrid inverter and should the system look something like the second diagram?

[jflorey2]

I am trying to install a grid tie / battery back-up residential PV system and I was hoping to get some useful pointers as far as preferred equip.among other things. I was thinking of going w/ the sunny island w/LG Chem batt. The house needs 8kw system to offset current use.(w/ a little room to move) There will be a dedicated loads panel. The loads have not been isolated as of yet. Since this is the first batt / grid-tie I have done I was hoping someone could clarify how, once the backed up loads are isolated in the dedicated panel will these loads get power when not on back up power(batt) if at all?

There is a built in transfer switch that will ensure the loads are running off the grid if it is available.

[JMW77]

I am trying to install a grid tie / battery back-up residential PV system and I was hoping to get some useful pointers as far as preferred equip.among other things. I was thinking of going w/ the sunny island w/LG Chem batt. The house needs 8kw system to offset current use.(w/ a little room to move) There will be a dedicated loads panel. The loads have not been isolated as of yet. Since this is the first batt / grid-tie I have done I was hoping someone could clarify how, once the backed up loads are isolated in the dedicated panel will these loads get power when not on back up power(batt) if at all?

[Sunking]

I'm still not understanding this disdain for youtube.

A lot of that has to do with your generation and a failed public education system. When folks like JPM, a few others like myself graduated High School was in the days when there was discipline, consequences, critical thinking skills, math, and science were taught in school. When I graduated in 74 is today's equivalent of a 4-year Bachelors degree program. When we went to school courses in algebra, geometry, physics, biology, and chemistry were required. Even Home Economics was required in order to graduate. You simply got cheated out of a real education and all you have is You-Tube and a Cell Phone.

As JPM said, like me, we are professional engineers with 40 or mores years experience, and we the crap on You Tube all the time from Millennials coming on here point yo You Tube Links. Most of them are just plain BS. Some are very funny about a guy who claims to run his car on water and his whole house on some home made panels with used car batteries. Unfortunately a lot of people believe that because they lack a basic education. They lack any critical thinking and math skills and end up believe that crrap.

Are there some good ones out there? Yes, but 90% is make believe.

[Logan5]

You tube is riddled with false knowledge, inaccuracies, fakes, and in the case of solar battery projects, Looks great when everything is brand new. seldom see a follow up video on the 6 month old set up. They always have a new one and of course everything works great on a brand new battery.

[jflorey2]

I'm still not understanding this disdain for youtube. You guys speak of the solar stuff on there as this general abstraction that the audience is incapable of filtering. There are people on there filming real world home/commercial installs, thousands of them. How is it possible that the bulk of them are all full of ****?

They're not. Most are pretty average - most of the info is correct, and it's not too hard to understand, but there are mistakes. Some are terrible - full of errors, or with presentations so bad that they do more harm than good, or are political ads thinly disguised as advice. Some are great.

In that way, it's a lot like this forum.

That doesn't make much sense to me. As with anything, there is good and bad you just have to look for the good and as I am learning it's easier to spot.

That's the key. Once you know enough to discriminate, unfiltered sources like Youtube become a lot less hazardous.

I'm still a n00b, maybe in a couple of years i'll be poking fun of youtube and the mindless drones that can't help but soak in the disinformation.

I doubt that. But I have a feeling that you will get to the point where someone asks you "so I want to generate some power - not a lot, just enough to run my air conditioner and refrigerators - and I saw this thing on Youtube . . . ." and your first reaction will be to sigh.

[SunEagle]

I'm still not understanding this disdain for youtube. You guys speak of the solar stuff on there as this general abstraction that the audience is incapable of filtering. There are people on there filming real world home/commercial installs, thousands of them. How is it possible that the bulk of them are all full of ****? That doesn't make much sense to me. As with anything, there is good and bad you just have to look for the good and as I am learning it's easier to spot.

I respect your opinions on solar as it seems like you guys know what you are talking about, but i think the youtube hate is irrational... ahhh everyone is different.

I'm still a n00b, maybe in a couple of years i'll be poking fun of youtube and the mindless drones that can't help but soak in the disinformation.

Unfortunately I have seen more videos of things that are not safe or legal being posted on You tube. It is scary to see people being duped into thinking that what someone does on a couple of videos is ok without first doing a little more hard research on a topic.

Understanding a technology and learning all you can about it requires a little more work then what the typical person will invest their time because of the way society has turned to needing instant gratification and knowledge. It is easier for them to believe in a TV show or you tube video then to read a book.

I am not saying everything that is posted on you tube is false. I am just saying that if you can believe a video just because it looks good then you can be easily swayed into believing just about anything which can cost you or hurt you at worse.

[J.P.M.]

I'm still not understanding this disdain for youtube. You guys speak of the solar stuff on there as this general abstraction that the audience is incapable of filtering. There are people on there filming real world home/commercial installs, thousands of them. How is it possible that the bulk of them are all full of ****? That doesn't make much sense to me. As with anything, there is good and bad you just have to look for the good and as I am learning it's easier to spot.

I respect your opinions on solar as it seems like you guys know what you are talking about, but i think the youtube hate is irrational... ahhh everyone is different.

I'm still a n00b, maybe in a couple of years i'll be poking fun of youtube and the mindless drones that can't help but soak in the disinformation.

Perhaps thinking of it this way may help: Take something you know a lot and care a lot about, want to see succeed and have spent a good part of a lifetime trying to inform people about the strengths and limitations about Now watch it misrepresented and treated dishonestly by people who know little about what you care about in ways you know to be dumb beyond reason and in more than a few cases, dangerous, with no method that's effective to get rid of the crap or stop more or worse crap from showing up. Now, make what could be defended as a reasonable assume that there's no reason to believe the situation is any different for subjects you are not well versed in, and consider how much you hear about how great u-tube is. Finally, connect the dots. Voila ! another example of and reason why we're becoming a nation and planet of nitwits.

Tell you what: Get all your info for everything you need from u-tube and see how you do.