Reviews/thoughts on Generac PWRCell for UPS with hybrid solar?

[cc54]

Much appreciated, I will do that today.

[DIYKindaGuy]

Maybe I had a bad install. You have solar panels as well as the Pwrcell system and all?

I used 6 Renogy 320 Watt panels, for 1.92 Kw. Got them from Amazon. Mainly wanted the batteries for standby, but had to add solar for the tax credit.
Reddit has a Pwrcell owners group that is occasionally monitored by Generac employee. https://www.reddit.com/r/PwrCellOwners/.
Not sure if I can help, but I've picked up quite a bit of experience this past year and I'd be glad to tell you about my install. If you're interested sign up at Reddit and post in the PwrCellOwners group and I'll dm you.

[cc54]

Maybe I had a bad install. You have solar panels as well as the Pwrcell system and all?

[DIYKindaGuy]

Probably what he was talking about. If anyone else has one of these complete systems I would be interested in hearing their experience.

I self installed a Pwrcell system a little over a year ago. I'm very happy with it. I've charged it with a generator with no problems.

[cc54]

Probably what he was talking about. If anyone else has one of these complete systems I would be interested in hearing their experience.

[PVAndy]

Hello everyone, I just joined when I saw this thread. I have installed the complete Generac system with 3 of their backup batteries (lithium), inverter, 18 panels and all the parts and pieces that goes with it. Grid connected, I live in Kalispell MT. So we do have a long cloudy winter but a very bright and sunny Summer. My experience is the system buggy. I am constantly getting "unknown state" errors that they need to correct. The good part of course is they can, easily. The bad part is what happens if we experience a true emergency.
My installer says they are on it, realize there is an issue and sending out parts here and there to correct it so I am hoping this all irons out as I am just going on my first month.

I might not have gone this route if I had known but I didnt. However from what I have read now here and other places is once you connect to the grid, you give up a lot.

Oh my installer has offered to add a generator later if I want. He says its quite doable.

Generac has released KW DC Generator

[cc54]

Hello everyone, I just joined when I saw this thread. I have installed the complete Generac system with 3 of their backup batteries (lithium), inverter, 18 panels and all the parts and pieces that goes with it. Grid connected, I live in Kalispell MT. So we do have a long cloudy winter but a very bright and sunny Summer. My experience is the system buggy. I am constantly getting "unknown state" errors that they need to correct. The good part of course is they can, easily. The bad part is what happens if we experience a true emergency.
My installer says they are on it, realize there is an issue and sending out parts here and there to correct it so I am hoping this all irons out as I am just going on my first month.

I might not have gone this route if I had known but I didnt. However from what I have read now here and other places is once you connect to the grid, you give up a lot.

Oh my installer has offered to add a generator later if I want. He says its quite doable.

[heimdm]

What I heard is the same as Burningislove. The generac solution is a complete solution/architecture. That being said, I don't know if you could use a generac inverter just coupled to batteries. When I looked at the generac solution is was relative expensive, and would have resulted in being coupled at the hip to the dealer. Coupled tighter to the dealer than I am comfortable with.

[Burningislove]

Most ppl agree that Generac makes a terrific generator, no one is bashing that. I'd even concede that if you were installing a net new PV solar system it is probably a good solution.

My criticism was simply that their inverter cannot interoperate with a PV system that is not of their own design and installation, which seems to be limiting. I'm just repeating what Generac told me directly.

[solardreamer]

Thanks for the information Andy. I have a Generac system with a full battery cabinet. Works great. But like everyone else, I would like a way to charge it with a generator.

I have a 15kW portable Generac generator, and not long after the system was installed I added a feed circuit for it, and flipped the grid disconnect. The batteries took over, and never even had to reset the clocks. Heck, the internet stayed up too which was a real surprise. So anyway I fired up the generator and flipped the breaker for the generator feed circuit and then the breaker on the generator. Did it work? Well if it had, I wouldn't still be looking for a solution. The grid icon was X'd out.

Months pass and I read your post about firmware update, and requested it yesterday. Woke up today to an email from Generac saying it was complete. Sure enough I had to reset all the Inverter Mods.

Tried the generator again today, and the grid icon is normal and it shows power being fed from the grid (In this case the generator) to the house. Inverter display shows Waiting … AC Power 0 Watts, AC Voltage 253V. Set the main panel to Priority Backup. Wait for the 5 minute delay, but get no charging, and inverter shows same Waiting … status

Would appreciate any help you can offer, and I'm sure others would be interested as well.
Thanks,
Gary

Not sure if it's your issue but few non-inverter portable generators can meet the frequency stability (+/- 2Hz) requirement mentioned earlier in the thread.

[PVAndy]

Thanks for the information Andy. I have a Generac system with a full battery cabinet. Works great. But like everyone else, I would like a way to charge it with a generator.

I have a 15kW portable Generac generator, and not long after the system was installed I added a feed circuit for it, and flipped the grid disconnect. The batteries took over, and never even had to reset the clocks. Heck, the internet stayed up too which was a real surprise. So anyway I fired up the generator and flipped the breaker for the generator feed circuit and then the breaker on the generator. Did it work? Well if it had, I wouldn't still be looking for a solution. The grid icon was X'd out.

Months pass and I read your post about firmware update, and requested it yesterday. Woke up today to an email from Generac saying it was complete. Sure enough I had to reset all the Inverter Mods.

Tried the generator again today, and the grid icon is normal and it shows power being fed from the grid (In this case the generator) to the house. Inverter display shows Waiting … AC Power 0 Watts, AC Voltage 253V. Set the main panel to Priority Backup. Wait for the 5 minute delay, but get no charging, and inverter shows same Waiting … status

Would appreciate any help you can offer, and I'm sure others would be interested as well.
Thanks,
Gary

Sorry I can't be of help yet. I only know of Generator support from the product manager in the working group. We haven't integrated a generator yet. I'll reach out out to Generac and see if I can get any more information.

Andy

[solardreamer]

A larger generator may have to do with it's ability to provide the correct frequency and charging amps that the battery likes.

Inverter generators can easily meet the 60+/-2Hz frequency stability requirement. If charging amps is a real reason then I suspect the battery system charger design is likely not very good (e.g. no PFC or soft start, etc.)

[SunEagle]

It's odd that the home battery system vendors seem slow/reluctant to support generator for battery charging. It's something that old school hybrid inverter providers (e.g. Schneider, Outback, etc.) have supported for years so it's not some ground breaking technology. Why would a 17KWh battery require a 14KW generator to charge?

A larger generator may have to do with it's ability to provide the correct frequency and charging amps that the battery likes.

[solardreamer]

It's odd that the home battery system vendors seem slow/reluctant to support generator for battery charging. It's something that old school hybrid inverter providers (e.g. Schneider, Outback, etc.) have supported for years so it's not some ground breaking technology. Why would a 17KWh battery require a 14KW generator to charge?

[PVAndy]

I would seem PVAndy's statement about the 14kW generator to be wrong. I downloaded the PwrCell manual and there is no provision for any non-grid AC input into the inverter system.

The proper answer would be "No, it can not accept a portable generator".

I looked up the specs for the inverter and the frequency limitations are +/- 2 hz... that alone would rule out all consumer type generator sets.

My neighbor is looking at the PwrCell system for his home, and being in Michigan, generator input to charge batteries is almost mandatory. Going to have to talk him out of the Generac system because it doesn't have any flexibility.

That info may not have made it to the literature yet. I sit on Generac's product advisory board and it does/will support a generator via firmware upgrade

Andy