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  • solar grid tie hybrid questions

    ok so here is a rundown of what I have in my system now.

    7 fennel 24V 250w panels + a damaged panel that will only put out a max of 140W
    1 AIMs 24V off grid inverter rated at 6k
    small 24v battery bank

    Now what I want to do is take my panels and run them to a grid tie inverter to bring down my power bill.
    I have been looking at the SUN grid tie inverter. I wanted an opinion of any one who has dealt with Sun grid tie inverters?
    How much will a 2k bring my electric bill down by my average usage last month 1383 Kwh my high peak for daily was 98.62Kwh and the peak hourly usage was 8.45Kwh.



    I know it sound high it is we are having some other issue like I had to heat my house with a electric stove, sump pump keeps getting stuck on and I have 2 1500W heaters people just won't leave off.

  • #2
    Mate your all over the place,

    My issue is when we set up this system it ran my home by itself no problem now I can't even run a little 600 watt heater
    This is from one from your early posts saying you could run your whole house from your off grid system, now you are saying you are using up to 100kwh a day and over 8kwh in one hr at times.

    Then
    I went with a off grid system because we get snowed in and lose power for a month at a time in winter. This is why it is so important for me to get this system backup and running correctly.
    Now you want to turn it into grid tie, which is not likely to happen.

    You need to work out where your power is getting used and spend money, time, on reducing the usage rather than trying top make power to compensate for the excessive consumption.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by charles2,david000k View Post
      Now what I want to do is take my panels and run them to a grid tie inverter to bring down my power bill.
      I have been looking at the SUN grid tie inverter. I wanted an opinion of any one who has dealt with Sun grid tie inverters?
      Based on your previous posts, the only responsible advice to give you is to find a competent solar installer, get a quote and go with him if you like the price.
      I know it sound high it is we are having some other issue like I had to heat my house with a electric stove, sump pump keeps getting stuck on and I have 2 1500W heaters people just won't leave off.
      OK. So you can spend tens of thousands on a solar power system or turn off the heaters. If you are independently wealthy, go for the former. If not, get rid of the heaters.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Bala View Post
        Mate your all over the place,



        This is from one from your early posts saying you could run your whole house from your off grid system, now you are saying you are using up to 100kwh a day and over 8kwh in one hr at times.

        Then

        Now you want to turn it into grid tie, which is not likely to happen.

        You need to work out where your power is getting used and spend money, time, on reducing the usage rather than trying top make power to compensate for the excessive consumption.

        water heater which I am trying to figure out how to convert to DC, a sump pump with a bad pressure switch a friend let me barrow which I have a separate panel and shurflo water pump to take its place and heating my home the wood stove is going now and I hid the space heaters from the wife and kids. an the power is there it is just not being used correctly I need to get mppt to charge the bank there was a voltage leak at the combiner box and a bad connection between the bank and the inverter. believe me I am trying to fix thing as fast as I can figure them out with plenty of help from you guy on the info and I do appreciate it.

        my inverter eats 90 watt no matter what. so if I can turn it off and take a 2k sun grid tie and run it to 1750W worth of panels there should be a difference. I should be able to get back down to 17 Kwh a day most of this was caused by running a oven at 450F all day. Summer with a window shaker running we topped out in june at 17 Kwh a day max. my hourly high for june was 1.26Kwh so I figure if I can squeeze 1.5K from the system I will do some good.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by jflorey2 View Post
          Based on your previous posts, the only responsible advice to give you is to find a competent solar installer, get a quote and go with him if you like the price.

          OK. So you can spend tens of thousands on a solar power system or turn off the heaters. If you are independently wealthy, go for the former. If not, get rid of the heaters.
          What do you do for work?

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by charles2,david000k View Post
            water heater which I am trying to figure out how to convert to DC, a sump pump with a bad pressure switch a friend let me barrow which I have a separate panel and shurflo water pump to take its place and heating my home the wood stove is going now and I hid the space heaters from the wife and kids. an the power is there it is just not being used correctly I need to get mppt to charge the bank there was a voltage leak at the combiner box and a bad connection between the bank and the inverter. believe me I am trying to fix thing as fast as I can figure them out with plenty of help from you guy on the info and I do appreciate it.

            my inverter eats 90 watt no matter what. so if I can turn it off and take a 2k sun grid tie and run it to 1750W worth of panels there should be a difference. I should be able to get back down to 17 Kwh a day most of this was caused by running a oven at 450F all day. Summer with a window shaker running we topped out in june at 17 Kwh a day max. my hourly high for june was 1.26Kwh so I figure if I can squeeze 1.5K from the system I will do some good.
            You have threads going all over the place. I have not seen where you have sorted out your off grid system, yet you want to run a heating element off it and then in the next breath you want to use the panels to run a grid tie system.

            You have pretty much burnt everyone out that has tried to help you. Your best hope is to to try one new thread starting over, did you get the off grid system working or not?

            But I fear it may be to late.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by charles2,david000k View Post
              What do you do for work?
              I'm an electrical engineer; why do you ask?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by jflorey2 View Post
                I'm an electrical engineer; why do you ask?

                Because you just seem really aggravated with me and it is not my intention. But knowing what you do now makes sense. most of this would seem like common sense to you probably.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by charles2,david000k View Post
                  Because you just seem really aggravated with me and it is not my intention.
                  I am aggravated by your approach to this which seems to be:
                  Charles: So I have this problem; I am seeing X Y and Z.
                  Everyone else: OK, so here are your problems. You need to do A, B and C.
                  Charles: Yeah, well that sounds hard and expensive, so I am going to keep doing X Y and Z. But now I have this other problem - P Q and R.
                  Everyone else: OK, so you have a few more problems. Here's what you need to do.
                  Charles: Yeah, that sounds hard too, so I'm not going to do any of it, since I don't really have any money. But hey! I have this other problem! Can you help me with this?

                  After a while people may stop trying to help you, because it seems to be wasted effort. You will ignore what people say and do whatever you want to in the end. If so, then save yourself (and us) all the typing.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Bala View Post
                    You have threads going all over the place. I have not seen where you have sorted out your off grid system, yet you want to run a heating element off it and then in the next breath you want to use the panels to run a grid tie system.

                    You have pretty much burnt everyone out that has tried to help you. Your best hope is to to try one new thread starting over, did you get the off grid system working or not?

                    But I fear it may be to late.
                    I must not have finish up that thread but yes I got 7 out of 8 panels back up 2000w dropped to 1750w. I understand now a 250w panel in all reality only will put out 210w in real world conditions. there was a few problems along the way I had a voltage leak at the combiner box on the backside hidden I resealed it with silicon, fuse was too small and cased a issue there which I just replaced today. system ran fine all day with light clouds as long as I keep the sump pump and water heater breaker off. the issue with the fuse was bad contact a little bit of sandpaper and a upgrade from 250A to 300A which is what should have came with the inverter and I am back up as long as I don't overload the inverter with the water heater.

                    I wrote SES today to see what they had to say about the heating element and found a video on their web page about the thing but am still unsure and don't want to die of electrocution.

                    The sump pump is going to be replaced with a surflo dc pump as soon as I rig up a mount and battery box setup and get a kill switch and cc. So it will be set up by itself. It will go panel to cc to battery to killswitch to fuse to pump. I got the panel, box and one battery I just need to pick up a cheap cc, kill switch, and fuse I asked about the pump in another thread because I was unsure about using the busted panel for that set up. It was the 8th panel to 2000W system but was damaged in shipping and now only puts out 23 to 24 volts with no load and wanted to know if I could use it for a 12v water pump since it's was a 24V panel but was told it would burn out the pump first thing in the morning when volts and amp started to build the motor would just sit there and burn up.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by charles2,david000k View Post
                      I must not have finish up that thread but yes I got 7 out of 8 panels back up 2000w dropped to 1750w. I understand now a 250w panel in all reality only will put out 210w in real world conditions. there was a few problems along the way I had a voltage leak at the combiner box on the backside hidden I resealed it with silicon, fuse was too small and cased a issue there which I just replaced today. system ran fine all day with light clouds as long as I keep the sump pump and water heater breaker off. the issue with the fuse was bad contact a little bit of sandpaper and a upgrade from 250A to 300A which is what should have came with the inverter and I am back up as long as I don't overload the inverter with the water heater.

                      I wrote SES today to see what they had to say about the heating element and found a video on their web page about the thing but am still unsure and don't want to die of electrocution.

                      The sump pump is going to be replaced with a surflo dc pump as soon as I rig up a mount and battery box setup and get a kill switch and cc. So it will be set up by itself. It will go panel to cc to battery to killswitch to fuse to pump. I got the panel, box and one battery I just need to pick up a cheap cc, kill switch, and fuse I asked about the pump in another thread because I was unsure about using the busted panel for that set up. It was the 8th panel to 2000W system but was damaged in shipping and now only puts out 23 to 24 volts with no load and wanted to know if I could use it for a 12v water pump since it's was a 24V panel but was told it would burn out the pump first thing in the morning when volts and amp started to build the motor would just sit there and burn up.
                      So are you saying you had a voltage leak and were able to fix it by sealing it up with silicon?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by jflorey2 View Post
                        I am aggravated by your approach to this which seems to be:
                        Charles: So I have this problem; I am seeing X Y and Z.
                        Everyone else: OK, so here are your problems. You need to do A, B and C.
                        Charles: Yeah, well that sounds hard and expensive, so I am going to keep doing X Y and Z. But now I have this other problem - P Q and R.
                        Everyone else: OK, so you have a few more problems. Here's what you need to do.
                        Charles: Yeah, that sounds hard too, so I'm not going to do any of it, since I don't really have any money. But hey! I have this other problem! Can you help me with this?

                        After a while people may stop trying to help you, because it seems to be wasted effort. You will ignore what people say and do whatever you want to in the end. If so, then save yourself (and us) all the typing.
                        I don't know about that. I went out and bought two new meters not my fault the clam meter did not work I bought a good brand and everything. We figured out that the most if not all the problem was located at the combiner box and fuse holder. bcrow nailed it when I said the wire between the inverter and fuse heated up. I replaced and upgraded that. yes the bank needs to be bigger but the amount of batteries is what kills prices with system which is why people go grid tie and I have plastered every cork board I can find with flyers in three cities offering money on batteries. Now I did find a leed on forklift batteries but they are new and up there in price. but buying used batteries and refurbishing them was almac ideal though and I am working on it I can't force people to sell me their batteries I got $100 set aside just for it in case someone does call. my energy production is up and now I am dealing with what I can with what's on hand.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Bala View Post
                          So are you saying you had a voltage leak and were able to fix it by sealing it up with silicon?

                          the back side of the combiner box was never properly sealed and moisture built up between the bus bar mounting screws and the wood post causing a voltage leak to ground so yes it's fixed now.

                          I was also sold the wrong fuse setup which is why when sensij said the thermostat was only for AC I was not surprised. I have really been trying my best not to use the company's name who designed and sold me this set up.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Consider heating your hot water with evacuated tubes or gas. It makes no sense at all to run inductive loads like electric heaters from solar/battery. If you were to grid tie your system, consider a critical load sub panel, it allows you to isolate and shed heavy loads during power outages. Wood or pellet stove for heat?
                            4X Suniva 250 watt, 8X t-105, OB Fx80, dc4812vrf

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by charles2,david000k View Post
                              I don't know about that. I went out and bought two new meters not my fault the clam meter did not work I bought a good brand and everything.
                              If this is the incorrect Isc issue you described in your first posts, it was because you were using the meter incorrectly. There are two ways for you to handle an issue like that:

                              1. Blame the meter, ignore advice and claim it's not your fault
                              2. Learn from the mistake and use it correctly next time

                              If you want to go with 2) then great; you can learn a lot here. If you want to go with 1) then there are much better boards out there - boards that will tell you how smart you are and not try to correct you.

                              Comment

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