Thank you again for your valuable insight.
Are you talking about the magenta line? The disconnect separates the grid from the inverter? It does so automatically by PG&E protocol? In other words, is there already some common built-in equipment at one end or the other of the magenta line? "To protect linemen" seems reasonable.
This is exactly one of the capabilities I'm trying to understand. I was thinking that if it's NOT automatic, being that a sub panel for distribution is normally not part of common configuration and the inverter+battery might be safe enough when the grid goes down, then a manual disconnect switch (magenta color again) would be necessary.
diagram.jpg
My understanding, given some clarification, is as follows, referring to diagram:
Three rectangles. One is the grid. Two is the hybrid inverter with connected big battery. Three is the sub panel that distributes to homes. Charging station is nice but adds complexity and can be left out for now.
When the grid is up, the inverter is fully connected. Solar power can flow from the inverter to the grid when the sun is shining. When the sun goes down, nothing happens in the inverter (correct me if wrong) while the grid powers the homes. The grid, in fact, is always powering the homes even when the sun is shining. Remember that NEMV only allows financial benefits because solar power adds to grid power. The big battery (green) might gain some energy, while some homes have PowerWall (smaller green) always adding energy. EV charging is only done inside private garages.
When the grid goes down, assuming there's an automatic disconnect at the magenta line, solar power gets stored in the big battery at a much higher rate. Somebody will have to manually throw the main switch (magenta) to power the sub panel — unless some equipment can make this automatic but NOT fancy expensive micro-grid technology? Or can some switch simultaneously disconnect from grid AND flip to subpanel? Power then comes from the inverter at day and from the big battery at night, going to special sets of circuit breakers at each building. This is where my confusion continues...
The question then becomes how easy or tricky each building manages power from two different sources. This, combined with the cost of trenching cables to each building (green lines), is the reason for the brainstorming.
If such equipment is possible, we homeowners then look at rough prelim costs. However, if such infrastructure costs totally break the deal, then we settle for NEMV only, scratch the sub panel rectangle, and maybe look at adjacent charging stations as the only direct solar benefits in times of blackout.
Having only NEMV ain't bad, but not having any direct solar power during a blackout kinda sucks. Might suck enough to ruin consensus on getting solar altogether.
Are you talking about the magenta line? The disconnect separates the grid from the inverter? It does so automatically by PG&E protocol? In other words, is there already some common built-in equipment at one end or the other of the magenta line? "To protect linemen" seems reasonable.
This is exactly one of the capabilities I'm trying to understand. I was thinking that if it's NOT automatic, being that a sub panel for distribution is normally not part of common configuration and the inverter+battery might be safe enough when the grid goes down, then a manual disconnect switch (magenta color again) would be necessary.
diagram.jpg
My understanding, given some clarification, is as follows, referring to diagram:
Three rectangles. One is the grid. Two is the hybrid inverter with connected big battery. Three is the sub panel that distributes to homes. Charging station is nice but adds complexity and can be left out for now.
When the grid is up, the inverter is fully connected. Solar power can flow from the inverter to the grid when the sun is shining. When the sun goes down, nothing happens in the inverter (correct me if wrong) while the grid powers the homes. The grid, in fact, is always powering the homes even when the sun is shining. Remember that NEMV only allows financial benefits because solar power adds to grid power. The big battery (green) might gain some energy, while some homes have PowerWall (smaller green) always adding energy. EV charging is only done inside private garages.
When the grid goes down, assuming there's an automatic disconnect at the magenta line, solar power gets stored in the big battery at a much higher rate. Somebody will have to manually throw the main switch (magenta) to power the sub panel — unless some equipment can make this automatic but NOT fancy expensive micro-grid technology? Or can some switch simultaneously disconnect from grid AND flip to subpanel? Power then comes from the inverter at day and from the big battery at night, going to special sets of circuit breakers at each building. This is where my confusion continues...
The question then becomes how easy or tricky each building manages power from two different sources. This, combined with the cost of trenching cables to each building (green lines), is the reason for the brainstorming.
If such equipment is possible, we homeowners then look at rough prelim costs. However, if such infrastructure costs totally break the deal, then we settle for NEMV only, scratch the sub panel rectangle, and maybe look at adjacent charging stations as the only direct solar benefits in times of blackout.
Having only NEMV ain't bad, but not having any direct solar power during a blackout kinda sucks. Might suck enough to ruin consensus on getting solar altogether.
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