Sophon

Anything I am missing?

I couldn't find any PC or mobile apps named "Solaman", did you mean "Solarman" (which makes more sense)? I can find a "Solarman Smart" app in Google Playstore, but nothing under either name in Microsofts app store.

Yes, I understand that but there is always a point where the power from PEA is first connected to your system. If we take my not yet finished plans for my solar installation: There is a MCB breaker on the incoming line from PEA (small blue box). If for instance the surge protector for the grid input blows, I can turn that breaker off to change to a new surge protection device. But if the incoming MCB breaker develops a fault, there is no way to change that breaker without having to work with live wires (other than getting the PEA to pull the wires at the meter). And there is nothing I can do in the inverter settings to change that. That's why I want to move the MCB to the main box, and install a bulletproof isolation switch at the small box at the power pole. Something like the good old Chang knife switch: But I am open to better suggestions.

So what do you guys use to isolate your system from the grid, so you can work safely without having to have the wires pulled at the meter? I could use a MCB, but then I would have the same problem if the MCB developed a fault, so I would like something bulletproof. The old fashioned Chang knife switch would do the job, but I wouldn't mind something a little less medieval looking. Edit: The knife switch or whatever would be followed by a MCB, so it's not essential to have overcurrent protection in the device.

Yeah, I already asked the seller by email and just 7 minutes later I received this reply: These settings were not in the user manual they sent me, so there must be a second set-up manuel as well. I have asked them to send me that one too. I am pretty sure that I have been communicating with someone in China, and I must say that I am very impressed. They really seem to know what they are talking about and reply very quickly. I am very tempted to go for this inverter. Update: Just 10 minutes after sending my second email, I received the user manual with the additional settings.

Yes, it does but I don't see how that would help: So, if I set the grid charging max. to 0A to prevent PEA from filling up my battery, then my load will be powered by grid power. From reading the description of the different modes, I get the impression that they are going for maximum supply security rather than autonomy and cost savings. I will try to ask the seller, but the English ability of Lazada sellers can be a bit hit and miss and I doubt that the autotranslate will help.

So, the seller was nice enough to email me the manual for the Powland hybrid inverter and it definitely does export to the grid: This is what the manual says about the Inverters different modes: AC mode (default): In this mode it sounds like the PVs and battery are only used as a back-up system, and the grid is used day to day to power your load. This would provide very little in the way of savings on your PEA bill. Solar mode: Sounds like the mode to be in, and it all sounds fine until the last paragraph: "When solar energy and batteries are insufficient or solar energy is unavailable, AC power to the loads and charge the battery at the same time." If this is to be taken litterally, then at night or when it's raining your load will be powered by the grid, and the grid will also charge your batteries (if not full). That is not what I would want. In the absence of solar, what I would want is for the load to be powered by the batteries for as long as they hold sufficient charge, and only when the batteries are expended would I want the grid to power my load. And I would also not want the grid to charge the batteries, that would result in them being full when the sun comes up, and there would be nowhere for excess energy from the PV panels to be stored. Battery mode: No mention of PV panels in this mode, and I don't really understand the point of this mode. AC+PV mode: No mention of batteries in this mode. According to the manual, this is the mode you have to be in, if you want to export excess energy to the grid. Sounds like a mode for a system without batteries, where you use the grid for storage. I understand from what I have read that in a utility company authorized system with export to the grid, you will not have power when the grid is down even if your PV panels are producing energy, so maybe it makes sense not to have batteries. Are these modes (especially the Solar mode) normal? The Solar mode doesn't make much sense to me, but maybe something has been lost in translation.

Thanks, so it sounds like even on a fairly bad day I could expect something like 5-6 kWh from my planned 4.1 kW of panels. That's about half of my average daily consumption, so not too bad.

A question for those who already have solar panels. On days like we have had this week, where it is overcast and raining the whole day, do you get any production at all from your panels? If you do, how much compared to the maximum capacity of your panels?

Even though it claims to be an hybrid on-grid (actually off/on-grid) inverter, it doesn't seem to have to load split into essential/non-essential. I can only see one set of out-put ports: So it would essentially be wired up like an hybrid off-grid inverter, which is good for me.

Any thoughts on this supposedly Hybrid on-grid inverter: The product description specifically claims that the inverter can export to the grid. I still think that I will probably start out with an off-grid hybrid inverter, but for the price it's tempting. I know the sellers history is questionable, only on Lazada for four months and only a few sales (none of this item). But the same seller has also been on Shopee for 20 months, the description of the inverter is just better on the Lazada link. There are also other sellers on Shopee of the same inverter but under a different brand, such as this one:

I don't actually have an inverter yet, but the most likely candidates I have been looking at have a max. PV array Voc of 500VDC.

That makes it even harder to find a suitable suppressor. 95% of what I find on AliExpress is rated for 500V plus. With my two strings of six panels the voltage will be in the 230V region. I did find this suppressor: But that is rated for 250V, which would be below your recommended plus 15-30% range. And as most, it's only 20-40KA. How effective (or not) would a 500V rated suppressor be in protecting your solar panels running at around 230V? Would it not be worth it to install it?

I have been trawling AliExpress and can find loads of 20KA-40KA DC surge arrestors and some 30KA-60KA but nothing bigger. Do you have any links from earlier purchases to some of the "meatier" ones? Many of the surge arrestors come with different rated voltages 500V/600V/800V/1000V, normally at the same price. Is this one of those situations where bigger is better, or should I buy a smaller one?

Great, that means I qualify ????

From what I understand, if panels are connected in series and one panel is underperforming (partially shaded, lower quality, slightly faulty) then every panel in the string will as a result be similarly underperforming. That would be one reason why it could make sense to split your panels into strings, even if your inverter can support more in series. But I could have misunderstood the above.

Thanks, that's a relief. The Jinyuan panels from Global are rated at 8.94A so two strings should just sneak in under the limit anyway, if the inverter has a maximum input current of 18A. I still can't see this stat mentioned anywhere though.

OK, so in addition to the PV input voltage having to be in the inverters MPPT range, the current also has to be below the inverters maximum input. Where do you see what that limit is, In the specs for the inverter I linked to above I can see no mention of this?

So in my set-up 4/6 sq.mm. cables. 4 sq.mm. will probably do as the inverter will be located right under the panels, so the longest cable run will be around 6 m. Breaker 25A or 32A? An inverter such as this one from Lazada: with these specs: would fit nicely with my approx. 229V input voltage, but it would be right on the limit if I arranged by twelve panels in series (which i am not going to do). Still a ways to go, but I feel like I am getting a grasp on how this is going to work, and am almost certain that I will end up going for it.

I'm sure that the above is correct, but can someone help me understand how you arrive at 10A? Taking this panel from Global as an example: Wired up in two strings of six panels, I make it a total of 6x38.2V = 229V. As the maximum the inverter will support is 5kW, that would make a theoretical maximum current of 5kW/229V = 21.8A. In reality a bit less than that, as the panels at the rated 340W would only produce about 4.1kW. Where am I going wrong?

With what BritManToo wrote about the battery cables needing to be able to handle 100A, the Taxnele one in the link would be undersized (only goes up to 63A). But I found this other Taxnele DC breaker, that can handle bigger currents: And this one is actually described as a "battery switch". Would you go for the 100A or the 125A version (same price).

All the solar equipment (panels, battery, inverter) will be very close together, the 50 m run is AC from the inverter to the house and we already have buried 16 sq.mm. cable in place for that.

Will do. What kind of cable size will I need for connecting the AC and DC surge suppressors?

A couple of general questions, not directly solar related. I used a Schneider consumer unit when building the house, so I am not familiar with DIN boxes. Would a "double decker| box such as this one make connecting everything easier? In my head it seems like it would. The above box (unlike my Schneider) doesn't come with an earth bus bar. So would you buy and mount a normal bus bar such as these?: Or would you use something like this, that can be easily mounted on the DIN rail?

Thanks, I will watch that.