Crossy

There's a handy-dandy website and App to help you size and point your antenna. Website https://dttservicearea.nbtc.go.th/webapp Put your GPS coordinates into the search box top left and the app will point you to the best transmitter.

It's about 40mm from the top of the roof "hump" to the underside of the panel surround. This is my prototype mount. Panels sit directly on the top piece.

The "real" mounting kits put 2-3 inches (50-75mm) between the panels and the roof. Some air flow is good, it helps keep the panels and roof cool, but too big a space could cause issues in a big wind.

Yeah, I realised that ???? It's just fine wired as it is. Do note that since you will be sending energy out that you should set the upper voltage limit rather higher than you would usually, say around 240V as a start point.

I'd be more worried that I don't see any setting for lithium batteries (unless I missed it).

That is how I would interpret the description in the manual. They only way to find out if it really does work like that would be to test it.

It looks OK. Don't worry about the power monitor thingy, with a grid-tie inverter the energy goes both ways anyway. Do check the sex of your MC4 in and out connectors, it's not totally clear in the photo but the IN end should be the opposite sex to the OUT end.

Next is the feeling of relief when it all lights up and doesn't go bang. Check your panel connection polarity with a meter before plugging them into the inverter (NOT after it fails to start up), then check them again! Do be aware that your panel strings get up to full voltage with a surprisingly small amount of light, there's not much actual power but they can bite pretty hard! Then the feeling of money flowing into your beer fund as the meter starts creeping backwards

Sort of. The spec. you show says that if you run your inverter between 110% and 150% full load it will shut down after 10 seconds. Exceed 150% full load and it shuts down after 5 seconds. The idea being that it can support brief overloads such as motor stating surges. What happens between 100% and 110% is indeterminate, it may or may not shut down after 10 seconds, this "gap" is to ensure that it WILL run at 100% indefinitely regardless of manufacturing tolerances. Your 5.5kW unit running at 6kW is running at 109% and is in the "unknown" area, it may run ok, it may shut down after 10 seconds or 10 minutes (more likely on overheat). It is generally accepted as "unwise" to design your system to run the inverter at maximum power regularly or for extended periods anyway. If you actually have the above loading pattern you need a bigger inverter or a gas water heater.

And, importantly in my case, so is Madam as she authorised shelling XXXXXX baht on my pet project. ????

I'm afraid I have no idea about education visas, although it does seem that they have become harder to get due to abuse ???? You could get married ???? A Thailand Elite visa might be a little more attractive https://www.thailandelite.com/

Difficult. I would say the actual DC=>AC "inverter" itself, is going to be the most highly stressed area, certainly any mains charger should see little use, with the MPPT controller being sort of in the middle. The only way to be reasonably sure would be to follow the online user groups and see what failures other users are seeing. but with an off-brand unit that may not actually be much of a user base.

OK, so the boundary probably isn't going to creep any more and you couldn't actually use the bit of land on "his" side anyway. I know many will tell you to "grow a pair" but discretion is definitely the better part of valour.

How much inside your property is his new "boundary"? It might pay to cut your losses and build an immovable (other than with a backhoe) boundary wall and eat the loss of property. Having a Thai enemy, particularly one with a government position, as a neighbour is not something you want.

This is going to be your problem I'm afraid. It is illegal to destroy / move / interfere with the official boundary markers but ...

IF you plan on going for an off-brand inverter (which will likely be just fine) and IF you may want to expand in future then I would get two inverters now, then they are guaranteed to work together. For Growatt I would be less worried but even they will change the design sometimes likely with no guarantee of backwards compatibility. EDIT Yes, I know I sound like a broken record, but Thai Contractors and Asean Now members can be like computers. You have to punch information into both of them (very, very, very old joke).

When you come back make sure that the immigration officer knows that you want to use your re-entry permit. Sometimes they want to be "helpful" and stamp you for 30 days which really can cause you headaches.

No I'm using Sofar units, @Bandersnatchis a Growatt man, he should be able to answer any queries.

I wonder what this setting actually allows you to set?

Is there a downloadable manual, that will could might throw some light on exactly what this inverter can and cannot actually do. The data page certainly indicates bi-directional grid connection. But ...

My understanding is that the Growatt CAN "blend" as you say, up to the maximum rating of the inverter. The whole area of "hybrid" inverters is incredibly muddy and careful reading of specs and manuals is required. Some units which are described as "hybrid" do indeed simply switch to bypass, rather than running in a grid-supplemented mode.

Sadly, you have to stick with the 20A rating as it has to protect the cable. If you still need the full rating of both circuits you will have to find where the circuits join, split them then run a new neutral for the now isolated circuit.

It's an off-grid hybrid (it can't export to the grid).

I reckon you're good to go, hopefully I've not missed the fatal flaw. It always takes me a few minutes to interpret these "graphical" diagrams, I can interpret an ISO standard drawing quickly but the graphics suffer from "too much information" which confuses my aging and pre-programmed brain.