Solaredge HD inverters with EV charging

[ButchDeal]

I thought that in phase one, I could start with the S face mostly occupied by PV panels (~30-35 panels, 9.6-11.5 Kw). If I started with 32 panels (10.56 Kw), I could start with one SE7600H, if I placed an 8 panel string on the W face and a 24 panel string on S face. (Do I recall correctly that the min/max SE string sizes are 8/25?)

Do you have an installer? Installers are really good at designing. They also know the rules and requirements.


So the answer to your question is NO. The minimum is 6 with some optimizers and 8 with others.
The maximum varies and is primarily based on wattage. with a max per string of 5700 watts or 6kw on the SE7600h.
There is also no reason to limit a string to a roof face so you can have two strings of 16 with one string having 8 on the west face and 8 on the south face.
https://www.solaredge.com/sites/defa...tasheet-na.pdf
https://www.solaredge.com/sites/defa...tasheet-na.pdf

After seeing how much my W panels generate and what my loads amount to, phase two would add the desired amounts of extra PV panels and 2nd inverter.

You should be able to easily model the production of the west as well as south arrays and get a very accurate prediction of production.

I don't know where this home is located but often a second build out or expansion can get quite tricky with paperwork and sometime punitive results to the homeowner in that the older array that might have been grandfathered into better rates gets bumped into current rate structure. This is on top of new permit, inspections, interconnect and construction minimum costs.

[JSchnee21]

Hi Steeler.Fan,

It looks like your plans are starting to shape up. Yes, as long as you consider the min and max optimizer string lengths, balancing and placing a one Southern string and one Western string on each inverter will work and prevent clipping. Max DC connected load is 11,800W per 7600W inverter so given 13W and 17S (30*330W=9900W) you should be good from a warranty perspective.

I also have the Panasonic N330's. You might also look at the new LG Neon R 360's -- but these are physically slightly larger (and more expensive) -- so you may not fit as many per face.

Filing for the largest possible array with your PoCo and then installing less may be an option if your HOA, local code enforcement, and PoCo agree, You'll need to size all of your wiring, conduit, breakers, etc. for the maximal size, so all you really save on is the panels and inverters.

Your PoCo will likely want to keep your array to ~90-105% of expected use, so they may not permit a 19.8kW residential array. Additionally some may limit you to 10kW or so and may require a commercial application and/or liability insurance above that. Every Poco and local jurisdiction is different.

I'm not sure where you live or how much you plan to heat your sizable swimming pool, but you're likely to save more money from the SHW than from the PV if your other option would be natural gas. So, as you suggesting, you may want to prioritize some of that southern face for the SHW.

-Jonathan

[Steeler.Fan]

If I eventually installed a total of 60x.33=19.8 Kw. Would it be best to have 26 W and 34 S panels with 2 SE7600H inverters each with a 13 W and 17 S string? I think that would minimize clipping.

[Steeler.Fan]

Thanks for the comments so far, especially JSchnee21, for a more detailed response.
We tried to maximize my S facing roof but my HOA insisted that the roof be more broken up and this roof design was a compromise with the design committee. I have attached my latest proposed layout but am reconsidering the location of my solar thermal panels. I will need to use some of the non S facing (bottom facing) roof pitches for panels no matter what.
My current thought is to put 1 solar thermal panel each on both the E and W pitches. The SHW controller that I will use is able to control 2 separate pumps. Splitting the SHW panels between the E & W faces will allow me to begin generating SHW earlier in the day and continue until later in the day and lessen the mid day SHW peak.
If I moved the SHW panels off the S pitch, I can probably fit 35 panels on the 2 S pitches (sized with Panasonic 330w HIT panel footprints) depending upon which panel I finally decide upon. Even with 1 SHW panel on the W face, I could probably still put 25 PV panels on the W pitch, as well. That could give me 60x.33=19.8Kw but 25/60 would be on the less efficient W facing panels. W facing panels are not so bad because if I decide to go with TOU (with 5-10p peak), they will give me production later in the day than S facing panels. The W pitch faces the ocean and many days we get a blinding reflection off the water when the sun is low. That will probably add some more generated power to the W panels but I won't know how much more until I actually have some located there and connected. (I know that even with the reflected light, the W facing panels won't beat the S facing panels.)
I thought that in phase one, I could start with the S face mostly occupied by PV panels (~30-35 panels, 9.6-11.5 Kw). If I started with 32 panels (10.56 Kw), I could start with one SE7600H, if I placed an 8 panel string on the W face and a 24 panel string on S face. (Do I recall correctly that the min/max SE string sizes are 8/25?) With 25% on W and 75% on S face, I would have less clipping using one SE7600H inverter. After seeing how much my W panels generate and what my loads amount to, phase two would add the desired amounts of extra PV panels and 2nd inverter. (My roof is standing seam metal to minimize penetrations and simplify adding racks and panels.) I think that I should submit a initial design with 60 panels (19.8 Kw). There would be less problems with installing less PV than initially planned than more.
My inverters will be in my garage where the EVs would be parked and charged. The 1st SE7600H-US would be installed in the middle so it could charge either car.
The quoted $500/40a EVSE above doesn't include installation costs and the need for more breakers in my panel. The integrated EV charging in the SE HD inverters avoids those problems and would be much cheaper especially if I could install an alternate 40a cord with J1772 plug.
Other thoughts and comments?

[jflorey2]

1. I read that I can also connect a EV charger kit to the SE3800H-US inverter. With 2 EV cars, would it be better to install both a SE7600H and SE3800H than one SE11400H, so that I can charge 2 EVs at once with solar boost?

Do whatever makes the most sense economically for solar, then install 2 40 amp EVSE's. They are about $500 ea.

[JSchnee21]

Hello Steeler.Fan,

Hopefully you've identified a reputable solar installer to design and install your PV system. I doubt they'll be very keen to used a used inverter and if they do, are unlikely to warranty it. While adding panels after the fact is certainly possible, it generally requires a repeat of most/all of the application, inspection processes. So most people decided it's not really cost effective. Given all of the loads you've indicated, it's unlikely your 11kW array will be big enough. My 12kW array doesn't fully offset a load anywhere near what you are suggesting. There are numerous software tools you can use to estimation the productivity of an array (in annual MWh) based on your location, roof orientation and angle, and system size. For example SolarEdge Site Designer which is free on their website. But, you should be in the 15-20 MWh per year ballpark if you have good sun, and your roof faces due South, and it's pitch is 25-35 degrees.

While the "HD" series of inverter software seems to have been improving as of late, as a relatively new product line, it seems to have had a number of issues over the past couple years. Even though the HD series in theory supports a higher DC to AV ratio than the older series, if you live in a sunny location, have little or no shade, and your roof is fairly well oriented / laid out for solar, this won't really help you. The HD series is still just as subject to clipping (in some cases more so) than the older series when a high DC to AC ratio is used. If you are planning to grow the array in the future -- or for a more accurate reflection of the size of the system you'd need -- you'd be closer to 2 x 7,600W or even 2 x 10,000W. HVAC, Pool Pumps, and especially EV can use a lot of electricity -- if you drive a lot.

Will your inverters be installed in your garage (or wherever your EV's are located)? If not, then they won't help you very much for charging. There's nothing magical about the SE combo inverter/L2 charger. Personally, I'd steer clear and just get separate EV chargers installed in or near my garage with dedicated 240V circuits (2x30 or 40amps). EV charging standards are changing pretty rapidly so I won't want to be tied into the technology in the SE offering. For example, Tesla uses their own standard, and the L1/L2 current capabilities keep changing.

If you have multiple inverters, they would be wired in parallel to your main panel. But depending on how this is done (e.g line side versus load side) there can be limitations depending on the size of your load center.

Once again, I strong suggest finding a reputable installer to plan this out. Based on the specs of your new home's HVAC, pool pump, how much you drive your EV's, the location, and how cool you like your home, you should be able to get a fairly good estimated usage. Or, just wait a year to install the solar so you know for sure.

-Jonathan

[Steeler.Fan]

I purchased a used SE7600H-US inverter. I plan to use it with a new solar array (>11 kw) and do EV charging. My all electric home (under construction) will be > 3300 sq ft with AC in a very sunny but warm location (with very expensive electricity rates), with heated swimming pool (10x58') and 2 EVs with > 50 kwh batteries. I am not sure what my usage will be, so I will start with an oversized array and the SE7600H and add more panels if needed
I have a few questions:
1. I read that I can also connect a EV charger kit to the SE3800H-US inverter. With 2 EV cars, would it be better to install both a SE7600H and SE3800H than one SE11400H, so that I can charge 2 EVs at once with solar boost? (The EVs that I am looking at can charge at 40 amps).

2. Do I need to buy the SE EV charger kits, which are rather expensive, or can I connect a cable with appropriate size wire and connector such as:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/J-Plug-J177....c100011.m1850

3. What is the SE part number for the EV charger and does anyone have an installation manual for the EV charger kit?

4. How much power, greater than load demand, do I need to generate from my arrays to enable the solar boost mode in these inverters?

5. If I go to a 2 inverter system, how are the house loads connected to them? I presume in series (one main panel) rather than parallel (2 separate panels).