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  • Originally posted by mudhole View Post

    i guess the how much solar answer is ,the most bang for my buck, i guess that would be 10 more 275 panels, that would get me around 7KW. ?
    Oh... that's perfect! And honestly the additional cost of a 7kW inverter vs 5kW would barely be worth it with ~7kW of Solar. Yes, you can logistically add solar with micros but it wouldn't be worth the additional cost vs just adding more solar to your 5kW string inverter. 7kW on 5kW is only oversized by 40%. I have two systems that are oversized by ~50%.

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    • Originally posted by mudhole View Post
      ........... if i got micro inverters, how would i tie that into my current set up?, can i just tap the AC out line from my sunnyboy 5.0 inverter?
      No you would tie them into a separate breaker on your breaker panel. They need their own circuit. If you want to measure the output of both use a CT around both circuits. There are lots of devices that can do that starting with Sense, which is one of the most expensive but is feature rich.
      9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

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      • so i am expanding my solar array to overclock the inverter, however the company i got the great deal on the solar panels are out of those, but can get the same manufacturer but the solar panel is 5 watts less than the 3 i have left over to make a new string of 8, will this just cause the 3 panels to perform at 5 watts less? not that big of a deal?

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        • Originally posted by mudhole View Post
          so i am expanding my solar array to overclock the inverter, however the company i got the great deal on the solar panels are out of those, but can get the same manufacturer but the solar panel is 5 watts less than the 3 i have left over to make a new string of 8, will this just cause the 3 panels to perform at 5 watts less? not that big of a deal?
          It really depends on how you plan on wiring those panels to the inverter. If they are less than a 5% Vmp or Imp difference they can draw down the higher output panels.

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          • so its a 2% difference for 3 panels, so not that big of a deal i guess, if it reduces those panels to the lower panel voltage/current, then i lose less than 1% over the entire string.

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            • Originally posted by mudhole View Post
              so its a 2% difference for 3 panels, so not that big of a deal i guess, if it reduces those panels to the lower panel voltage/current, then i lose less than 1% over the entire string.
              To mix panels in series (with the mixed string on its own MPPT input) you want the Imp to be within 5%. The Vmp of the panels can be very different.
              To mix panels in parallel you need the Vmp to be within 5%. The Imp of the panels can be very different.
              SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

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              • thanks, it is under 1% difference in amps, so should work well in series, thanks

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                • Originally posted by mudhole View Post
                  thanks, it is under 1% difference in amps, so should work well in series, thanks
                  Yep; I added 2 310s into a string of 295s. Worked fine. The current was almost identical the 310s just had a slightly higher operating voltage.

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                  • we lost power last night for a short period, today i was looking at the inverter kw being produced and at mid day with full sun it was 3200, normally about 4100 kw , so i opened up the inverter and checked the voltage from the panels, much lower than they should have been, 220, 180 volts (roughly), so i decided to turn off and back on , turned off the AC breaker, disconnected the dc at the inverter, then reconnected the dc at the inverter and then turned on the AC breaker, (and also logged in , set up a password and all that stuff). when the reboot was over, i had zero dc input on the lcd, so i checked the dc voltage and it was now 280 and 245, which is what it should be for the panels strings of 8 and 7 panels.

                    so the panels are creating power, the dc disconnect is connected, the ac breaker is on, but i am not getting any Kw being created...during the reboot it goes through all the mppt strings attached, they all say 0 watts.

                    any thoughts???

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                    • well it is just bad luck for me i guess, the dc cut off is bad, they are sending a complete new unit.

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                      • Did you check the event log after reboot to see if there is an Event Message? Good job on getting a replacement unit on the way only two days after failure.

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                        • Originally posted by mudhole View Post
                          i have the sunny boy 5.0 -41, i am confused with the installation book, is the multi function relay necessary to compete the install?
                          I came across this searching for info on the multi-function relay (MFR) and I'm pretty sure the answer to your question is "no".

                          I am curious though, how do people here normally use the MFR ? It looks to me like the "fault indication" mode is the one that is applicable to vanilla grid-tie installations. Apparently you supply your own power source (30vdc max) and bulb, and can use the MFR to either light the bulb up when there is trouble-free operation, or when there's a fault (depending upon which two of the three MFR terminals you use); the former makes more sense to me, because it'd also let you know if the battery, connection, or bulb is at fault (because the "trouble-free" bulb would not illuminate). But this mode seems silly, because surely the LED display and the network interface will let you know if there's a problem, right ?


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                          • quick update and question, my solar array has been working GREAT, my question is this, I am a grid tie system, sunny boy 5.0-41, in the event of a catastrophe, can i AC couple this with simply a small solar array into a battery then into an inverter to input into the main inverter at 240 AC? (if the actual Power line input goes out?) if so is there a minimum amps needed?

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                            • Since you have SMA equipment, you can look at Sunny Boy Storage 6.0. This step to add AC couple the SMA battery inverter battery storage/backup power for catastrophes is much more involved than your DIY solar panel installation. My guess is that it would be at least twice the cost of your solar panel install.

                              Take a look at the SMA sunny boy storage brochure for backup power solutions. That will give you a start. If you really want to get serious, pretend your power is off for two weeks.

                              In my case, I bought a generator and transfer switch instead of using my SMA 7.7 inverter with battery inverter & batteries. My catastrophes typically have NO sun so solar power plus batteries wouldn't work.

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                              • thanks!, my scenario is power outage for a year or something, i also have generator and fuel source that would last "awhile", also i have the emergency outlet on this inverter, i think the max is 2kw output, but was curious how to "trick" the inverter to think it was still grid tie

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