What would happen if Anern 6.5k inverter went down?

[atpeace]

I was reading aother thread recently and a person was having trouble with his 2 inverter setup.  I only have my one Anern inverter and was wondering if anybody had any experience with their inveter going down.  I can't find the documentation in the manual but was hoping it would still pass through AC current from the grid which many inverters seem to do.  After going solar, my electric usage has sky rocketed and a sytem shutdown would be a major pain in the butt with all the new wells, water pumps, pool, ice bath, exercise room ... Never imagined I would ever need more than 6.5 kw at my small home but I will soon enough and would rather only buy one new 10kw inverter.

 

Another option would be a on/off switch before the inverter so the grid would be used exclusively if the inverter failed.  Has anyone installed such a switch?

[Muhendis]

1 hour ago, atpeace said:

Another option would be a on/off switch before the inverter so the grid would be used exclusively if the inverter failed.  Has anyone installed such a switch?

 

Your asking about something called an ATS (automatic transfer switch)

 

These are readily available on internet shopping sites.

 

https://www.feeo-solar.com/uploads/20189088/2p-automatic-transfer-switch-ats30403028864.jpg

[BritManToo]

My option is a large knife switch, grid one side, inverter other side, and house on the output (middle).

About 200bht from Lazada ...........

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/durable-and-practical-two-way-knife-switch-home-220v-dual-power-switch-switch-switch-2p100a-double-throw-reversing-conversion-knife-switch-i4804839581-s19869969798.html

 

[atpeace]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

My option is a large knife switch, grid one side, inverter other side, and house on the output (middle).

About 200bht from Lazada ...........

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/durable-and-practical-two-way-knife-switch-home-220v-dual-power-switch-switch-switch-2p100a-double-throw-reversing-conversion-knife-switch-i4804839581-s19869969798.html

 

That would be a easy for my electrician to hook up but would it work in hybrid mode because the connection to the grid would be turned off.  I have rarely used hybrid (been months) so maybe still would be a good solution.  If the handle is verticle would both the inverter and the grid be usable?

 

Is the hookup order correct in my drawing?

[Crossy]

3 hours ago, atpeace said:

That would be a easy for my electrician to hook up but would it work in hybrid mode because the connection to the grid would be turned off.  I have rarely used hybrid (been months) so maybe still would be a good solution.  If the handle is verticle would both the inverter and the grid be usable?

 

Is the hookup order correct in my drawing?

 

You need to add another breaker between the grid and the inverter Grid input (it should actually already be there) then you can completely bypass the inverter and isolate the inverter input so you can safely work on/replace the beast.

 

We are using a big automatic transfer switch wired so that if the inverter output fails, we switch to grid if available (or starts the genset if it's not). It means Madam doesn't need to do anything if it goes belly-up whilst I'm away.

 

EDIT If the handle is straight up both inverter output and grid are OFF.

 

[atpeace]

2 hours ago, Crossy said:

 

You need to add another breaker between the grid and the inverter Grid input (it should actually already be there) then you can completely bypass the inverter and isolate the inverter input so you can safely work on/replace the beast.

 

We are using a big automatic transfer switch wired so that if the inverter output fails, we switch to grid if available (or starts the genset if it's not). It means Madam doesn't need to do anything if it goes belly-up whilst I'm away.

 

EDIT If the handle is straight up both inverter output and grid are OFF.

 

I think I understand what you are describing and I don't have a breaker now.  Could you look at the drawing update.  Put my solar sytem together with a guy that installs solar for pond pumps.  It has been working great but we probably missed some safety components.  All I would need to do is add the breaker and I could use the knife switch to switch to grid? Thanks!

 

[carlyai]

My thoughts are to go with an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) as mentioned.

I don't have solar yet (this year I hope) but I do have the grid supplying power and a diesel genset for when the grid fails.

My ATS senses a power failure and before the house fans have stopped rotating switches to the desiel genset.

I suppose you could call it seamless and you forget the ATS and genset are there until a power fail.

If we go away and there is a power fail, we don't come back to defrosted fridges and worst of all 'hot beer'. Pumps and irrigation systems keep working.

Also if it is hot and we have our air-conditioning on in the night time, you don't have to get out off bed to throw a knife switch in the dark.

I went a bit over-the-top with out ATS and bought an industrial grade one that has a small manual crank handle if needed.

An ATS is better than a knife switch for changing over power in my opinion. 🙂

[Crossy]

11 hours ago, atpeace said:

I think I understand what you are describing and I don't have a breaker now.  Could you look at the drawing update.  Put my solar sytem together with a guy that installs solar for pond pumps.  It has been working great but we probably missed some safety components.  All I would need to do is add the breaker and I could use the knife switch to switch to grid? Thanks!

 

 

Not there!

 

Your hybrid inverter will have a Grid input that goes to your meter (hopefully via a breaker) and a Load output that goes to your distribution board/consumer unit.

 

Before we go too far down this rabbit hole please let us know exactly which inverter you have (post a photo of the rating plate on the side), We should be able to find a manual online.

 

Whilst you're at it post some photos of your existing system so we can see what's what and what's not 🙂

 

This is from the Deye manual, but you should have something similar.

EDIT Inserted a better drawing.

 

 

[atpeace]

23 minutes ago, Crossy said:

 

Not there!

 

Your hybrid inverter will have a Grid input that goes to your meter (hopefully via a breaker) and a Load output that goes to your distribution board/consumer unit.

 

Before we go too far down this rabbit hole please let us know exactly which inverter you have (post a photo of the rating plate on the side), We should be able to find a manual online.

 

Whilst you're at it post some photos of your existing system so we can see what's what and what's not 🙂

 

This is from the Deye manual, but you should have something similar.

 

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to help! Below is a picture of my setup that I have outside in the shade. It is a 6.2 kw watt Anern inverter and a 48v 280ah battery. I over panelled and have about 8 kw of solar but am well under the PV max open circuit voltage of 500.  Actually debating adding a couple more panels.

 

Anerne Inverter manual: https://www.anern.com/uploads/file/offon-grid-hybrid-solar-inverter-user-manual.pdf

 

I'm definately open to purchasing an auto transfer switch instead of the knife switch.  I just need to know where the switch should be installed.  I travel often and worry something will go wrong with the solar setup and it would be great if it switched back to the grid if needed without the wife getting involved.

 

[carlyai]

@Crossy In this picture, is the box 'Home Loads' water heaters only connected to the grid?

[Crossy]

4 minutes ago, carlyai said:

@Crossy In this picture, is the box 'Home Loads' water heaters only connected to the grid?

 

Yes, that's how we are connected so when there's no grid we have no water heaters, but when there's grid the water heaters run from the inverters unless I  actually turn off the grid-inverter breaker.

 

I've also got a couple of outlets on the grid in the car-port for the welder etc.

[Crossy]

Edited drawing from earlier to show transfer switch.

 

[atpeace]

33 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Edited drawing from earlier to show transfer switch.

 

OK, I think I get it.  What automatic tranfer switch did you purchase in your setup?  What does "CT" in the above diagram?  

[Crossy]

"CT" is the Current Transformer that an on-grid hybrid uses to prevent energy export to the grid. From the manual it looks like your inverter doesn't do "grid-sync" so it doesn't have/need a CT.

 

We have 20kW of inverter (soon to be 25kW) so for our ATS we got a "big-bu99er" https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ats-4p-100a-250a-400v-dual-power-ats-automatic-transfer-switch-3s-i2082390437-s6849512715.html?

It's actually a 3-phase unit but wired for single-phase so good for 200A if you believe the blurb.

 

Note that you wire the ATS so the "grid" terminals go to your inverter and the "generator" terminals to the mains, so it works in the opposite manner to what you would use if it's switching a genset.

 

Here he is in his home, there's extra salad-dressing in there, an energy meter and relays to operate a change-over contactor and trigger the genset auto-start. Genset runs when both grid and inverter are off. It's never happened except when I was testing!

 

 

 

 

[atpeace]

12 minutes ago, Crossy said:

"CT" is the Current Transformer that an on-grid hybrid uses to prevent every export to the grid. From the manual it looks like your inverter doesn't do "grid-sync" so it doesn't have/need a CT.

 

We have 20kW of inverter (soon to be 25kW) so for our ATS we got a "big-bu99er" https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ats-4p-100a-250a-400v-dual-power-ats-automatic-transfer-switch-3s-i2082390437-s6849512715.html?

It's actually a 3-phase unit but wired for single-phase so good for 200A if you believe the blurb.

 

Note that you wire the ATS so the "grid" terminals go to your inverter and the "generator" terminals to the mains, so it works in the opposite manner to what you would use if it's switching a genset.

 

Here he is in his home, there's extra salad-dressing in there, an energy meter and relays to operate a change-over contactor and trigger the genset auto-start. Genset runs when both grid and inverter are off. It's never happened except when I was testing!

 

 

 

 

OK, so what size do you recomend for my inverter.  I will need to find an electrician to put it in because I'm not grasping your setup.  I'm learning slowly but I knew nothing abouit electric setups before going solar. Thanks for your patience.

[Crossy]

Assuming you may install a 10kW inverter then that's about 45A.

 

I would go for a switch rated for double that, the ratings of these things are often somewhat optimistic and you really don't want anything getting hot.

 

I would worry that a local sparks wouldn't understand what he's doing 😞 

[carlyai]

12 minutes ago, atpeace said:

OK, so what size do you recomend for my inverter.  I will need to find an electrician to put it in because I'm not grasping your setup.  I'm learning slowly but I knew nothing abouit electric setups before going solar. Thanks for your patience.

@atpeace if you are in Isaan I have a Thai electrician/solar friend who who has done some electrical/alarm work for me before. Also given me a quote for solar installation.

He lives in Udon but does work in Pattaya and around Thailand.

I can give you his contact if you want. Also installed Solar systems.

You have to get an electrician who has done these things, not someone who says they can do it. 🙂

 

[atpeace]

13 minutes ago, Crossy said:

Assuming you may install a 10kW inverter then that's about 45A.

 

I would go for a switch rated for double that, the ratings of these things are often somewhat optimistic and you really don't want anything getting hot.

 

I would worry that a local sparks wouldn't understand what he's doing 😞 

Yep, my worry also but I lack your knowledge and 220v is not something to mess with.  I decided about 6 months ago to just do it in regards to solar. Worrying about all the possibilities of failure was stressing me out.  My approach has worked well so far and I see no other choice considering where I live in nowhere NE Thailand.

 

I do my best to listen to other advice on this forum.  For example britmantoo advised installing much more capacity then I needed.  Thought the advice was probably wrong but in the end I doubled what I thought I would need.  Wish I would have tripled it.

 

I'll order the switch and find someone to install it.  Hope it ends well 🙂

[atpeace]

16 minutes ago, carlyai said:

@atpeace if you are in Isaan I have a Thai electrician/solar friend who who has done some electrical/alarm work for me before. Also given me a quote for solar installation.

He lives in Udon but does work in Pattaya and around Thailand.

I can give you his contact if you want. Also installed Solar systems.

You have to get an electrician who has done these things, not someone who says they can do it. 🙂

 

That would be great.  I live about 1 hour from the city of Ubon on the Mekhong river.  I have a guy also but have my doubts he is that knowledgeable.  Great guy but young and inexperienced.  It would be great to get another installer to look at my setup.

[Pink7]

On 3/2/2025 at 9:08 AM, atpeace said:

I was reading aother thread recently and a person was having trouble with his 2 inverter setup.  I only have my one Anern inverter and was wondering if anybody had any experience with their inveter going down.  I can't find the documentation in the manual but was hoping it would still pass through AC current from the grid which many inverters seem to do.  After going solar, my electric usage has sky rocketed and a sytem shutdown would be a major pain in the butt with all the new wells, water pumps, pool, ice bath, exercise room ... Never imagined I would ever need more than 6.5 kw at my small home but I will soon enough and would rather only buy one new 10kw inverter.

 

Another option would be a on/off switch before the inverter so the grid would be used exclusively if the inverter failed.  Has anyone installed such a switch?

In my setup I use a ATS. I dont want to depend on inverter to handle  grid power. So if by any reason i dont have solar power the ATS just switch from my solar to grid.

 

Pink

[carlyai]

@atpeace My electrician friend is on Facebook. Speaks good English, named Sompan.

Give him a call. Can say Carl recommended him.

 

 

 

[carlyai]

Woopps forgot this.