Hey All,
I wanted to get a little feedback about a hybrid solar system design.
I just moved into a home and I know I want solar but I don't have a full years worth of data yet for power consumption.
As for data, we only 1/2 month (Dec) billed (507 kWh) + our current best estimate for this month (1080 kWh)
We're in the winter months so power usage is definitely lower than summer time. In the summer time with the AC going I could easily see us hitting closer to 1400-1500 kWh/mo
Winter
1100 kWh/mo * 6 mo = 6600 kWh
Summer
1500 kWh/mo * 6 mo = 9000 kWh
Yearly average
(6600 kWh + 9000 kWh) / 12 mo = 1300 kWh/mo
With that usage I'm estimating a 10kW solar system at least.
We have a pool and with the pump running all the time it makes the payback for solar that much better.
Goals for my project are:
I don't need to do anything with peak shaving or anything like that.
I'm located in Southern CA with SCE so we have net metering 2.0
Option 1:
DC coupled hybrid inverter such as the Outback Radian GS8048A or Schneider XW+ 6848
With these I can plug the mains into the inverter and they have a second input for the genset.
My biggest concern (possibly unwarranted?) with this setup is that it's DC coupled. When the grid goes down and the genset kicks in what happens to all that 10kW of solar? Does it go into the batteries? If so I probably will need a pretty large bank of batteries (which I don't really want or need)
Option 2:
This option is me getting more creative. I have a little background in electronics but definitely not on the power side.
Instead, get a vanilla grid tie system that feeds into an automatic transfer switch that the genset connects to.
I then feed a large 10kVA? UPS (this is the battery backup part) which then feeds the home.
More parts and components for sure but I think? it should work out.
My understanding of this system is that when the POCO goes down so does my grid tie solar.
The ATS signals the genset to start and in the mean time the UPS picks up the load of the house.
Genset starts and the ATS flips over and the UPS + home are now powered by the genset.
Option 3:
??? You guys tell me if there is another way
Lastly, and I know a few will remark on this. "Why do you need uninterrupted power to the whole house?"
It's something that I want and I'm tired of having to manage 15 different smaller UPS backups for all the electronics I have in the house.
Besides, lets keep this as a fun design exercise for now.
I wanted to get a little feedback about a hybrid solar system design.
I just moved into a home and I know I want solar but I don't have a full years worth of data yet for power consumption.
As for data, we only 1/2 month (Dec) billed (507 kWh) + our current best estimate for this month (1080 kWh)
We're in the winter months so power usage is definitely lower than summer time. In the summer time with the AC going I could easily see us hitting closer to 1400-1500 kWh/mo
Winter
1100 kWh/mo * 6 mo = 6600 kWh
Summer
1500 kWh/mo * 6 mo = 9000 kWh
Yearly average
(6600 kWh + 9000 kWh) / 12 mo = 1300 kWh/mo
With that usage I'm estimating a 10kW solar system at least.
We have a pool and with the pump running all the time it makes the payback for solar that much better.
Goals for my project are:
- 100% offset of power usage
- Grid Tied
- Uninterrupted power in the event of an outage, supplemented with an onsite natural gas backup generator
I don't need to do anything with peak shaving or anything like that.
I'm located in Southern CA with SCE so we have net metering 2.0
Option 1:
DC coupled hybrid inverter such as the Outback Radian GS8048A or Schneider XW+ 6848
With these I can plug the mains into the inverter and they have a second input for the genset.
My biggest concern (possibly unwarranted?) with this setup is that it's DC coupled. When the grid goes down and the genset kicks in what happens to all that 10kW of solar? Does it go into the batteries? If so I probably will need a pretty large bank of batteries (which I don't really want or need)
Option 2:
This option is me getting more creative. I have a little background in electronics but definitely not on the power side.
Instead, get a vanilla grid tie system that feeds into an automatic transfer switch that the genset connects to.
I then feed a large 10kVA? UPS (this is the battery backup part) which then feeds the home.
More parts and components for sure but I think? it should work out.
My understanding of this system is that when the POCO goes down so does my grid tie solar.
The ATS signals the genset to start and in the mean time the UPS picks up the load of the house.
Genset starts and the ATS flips over and the UPS + home are now powered by the genset.
Option 3:
??? You guys tell me if there is another way
Lastly, and I know a few will remark on this. "Why do you need uninterrupted power to the whole house?"
It's something that I want and I'm tired of having to manage 15 different smaller UPS backups for all the electronics I have in the house.
Besides, lets keep this as a fun design exercise for now.
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