Interesting item. Although it is just a big UPS system with external batteries that can be dedicated to a single or a couple of small electric loads.
I didn't see a cost but it might be worth while as a small backup system for a "critical load" if it is matched to a decent battery system. At least you could use good Deep Cycle batteries instead of the normal AGM batteries found inside most UPS boxes.
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Neat product from Meanwell. I'd have to look more closely at the battery capacity, but it appears to compete favorably with something like SMA's SPS, which only supplies power when the sun is out. For those who refuse to consider a generator, but want to access power from their grid-tied panels in the event of a grid failure, something like this could fit more easily into a budget than other options. Not compatible with a SolarEdge or Enphase system, though.Leave a comment:
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The Xantrex / Schneider XW series does most of that. It acts like a giant UPS for your house (well, it's transfer switches are good for 60Amps, your house is likely wired for 100A or more) It just needs batteries, and will charge them from the grid, when the grid goes down, the relay clicks and you are on inverter power for as long as the batteries last.
You can add PV panels & solar charge controller, or any other method you devise to keep the batteries charged.Leave a comment:
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Samlex America makes a small device that does all of that. http://www.samlexamerica.com/product...l.aspx?pid=101
It has a small solar charge controller, an AC charger, a 1500W inverter, and an auto transfer switch. So it can act as a self powering UPS.
It won't run much, but it will handle a few items.Leave a comment:
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A Hybrid system that can switch between using power from Solar panels and the Grid
A Grid Assisted Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) that can use the power from a wall socket as it's alternative power supply.
A Solar system that can provide power to run a device, but automatically switch between using power from a wall socket. This is for when the Solar power is insufficient and could be a cheaper option than spending about $5,000 to install a Grid-Tied system.
There are systems called Plug and Play solar panels, but these sound too risky. I don't want to fry a worker in case the power goes out. Instead, I want to try making a Grid-Assisted system that would automatically switch between Solar and Grid.
I think I have an idea on how it could work:
A Solar panel is connected to a Charge Controller (Solar Controller), which supplies the correct amount of current to a Battery.
An Inverter also connects to the battery and uses its current to produce AC (The higher Voltages and Amps required) for the device. When the battery is fully charged, it can be used as part of a circuit. Because any excess energy will be passed through to another 'Load'.
The charging source needs to provide a Voltage that's greater than the batteries, so the current can effectively flow through it. If the Solar panel doesn't produce enough power, then we'll need a way for the circuit to automatically switch over to the Mains (The Grid) and back again. If the battery drops below 50% of its total charge, it'll become damaged.
To counter this, perhaps the Solar energy could be passed through an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), which may be able to detect whether the battery has 51% of its charge left. At this point, it'll provide an alternative power source, being the wall socket (The Grid).
For the UPS to switch back into using Solar power, it'll need to also detect when the battery has regained a specific amount of its charge (98% for example). This amount would be a balance between how many times it needs to recharge and the loss of efficiency this causes.
A UPS provides emergency power to a load when the first input power source fails. The goal here is to make the battery into the primary source of power and use the Wall Socket as the alternative.
This only works if the cost is less than what it would be if you were to install a Grid Tied system to your Fusebox. In Australia, this would be about $5,000. A typical UPS includes an Inverter, Battery and Charger Controller. However, there are UPS's that use external Batteries. http://www.powerstream.com/inFAQ.htm
When the battery is supplies the electricity, the UPS will need to convert that current into AC with a correct amount of Amps. To do this, the UPS will need a Transformer (I think). http://wikitravel.org/en/Electrical_systems
What would I need for such a system?
I've heard that an AC Transfer Switch can switch between the Inverter and Grid.
Examples of such a system:
1. http://josh.com/Solar/
2. http://www.mro-tek.com/energy_products/charger1.html
3. http://www.jaycar.com.au/products_up..._Flier_JAU.pdf
4. http://avi-products.com/AviSolarInverters.aspx
Forum threads that talk about this topic:
1. http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1736320
2. http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...d-installation
Website pages I've come across:
1. http://www.wholesalesolar.com/grid-assist.html
2. http://www.solargreen.net.au/blog/gr...ed-electricity
3. http://www.renewablesinternational.n...150/452/72715/
4. http://fylz.com/grid-assisted-electricity
5. MPPT vs PWM: http://enerdrive.com.au/mppt-vs-pwm-solar-controllers/
6. What is a Charge Controller?: http://www.blueskyenergyinc.com/revi...rge_controller
7. AC to DC calculator: http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/tools...-inverter.html
8. About Batteries: http://www.mkbattery.com/content_con...-reference-faq
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