Loadshedding solutions

[DJuice]

@fanievb

Thank you for the assistance.

Do not have all the info with me, will get tonight.

This is wat I have:

SOC settings and few other pics. The dashboard is taken on similar time frames and weather.

The panels have the capacity to perform better, but it does not, If I Understand your post correct our priority is perhaps not on battery. 

 

 

 

[fanievb]

19 minutes ago, DJuice said:

@fanievb

Thank you for the assistance.

Do not have all the info with me, will get tonight.

This is wat I have:

SOC settings and few other pics. The dashboard is taken on similar time frames and weather.

The panels have the capacity to perform better, but it does not, If I Understand your post correct our priority is perhaps not on battery. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why are you charging from the grid??? by ticking the grid box, you are telling your system to charge batteries from both solar and the grid, which means it's 50/50 split. And you use the grid to charge your batteries at night. 

Suggest you;

1. untick the grid box (you can change that when you have overcast days and need to supplement in the event of loadshedding)
2. check you load priority setting
3. change your SOC requirements according to usage (see mine as an example) very experimental and you need to adjust to your needs.

Remember when you have grid power and battery (no loadshedding) the system only uses battery up the selected SOC and then switches over to grid only (unless there is something coming in from the PV, which you are blocking by charging from the grid)

the load priority setting is on the same screen, just select the "system 2" tab at the top

 

Edited July 20, 2022 by fanievb
I'm no expert, but happy to help you with the changes. If you have the sunsynk logger & app I can help you set up remotely.

[DJuice]

8 minutes ago, fanievb said:

 

Why are you charging from the grid??? by ticking the grid box, you are telling your system to charge batteries from both solar and the grid, which means it's 50/50 split. And you use the grid to charge your batteries at night. 

Suggest you;

1. untick the grid box (you can change that when you have overcast days and need to supplement in the event of loadshedding)
2. check you load priority setting
3. change your SOC requirements according to usage (see mine as an example) very experimental and you need to adjust to your needs.

Remember when you have grid power and battery (no loadshedding) the system only uses battery up the selected SOC and then switches over to grid only (unless there is something coming in from the PV, which you are blocking by charging from the grid)

the load priority setting is on the same screen, just select the "system 2" tab at the top

 

Thank you @fanievb, indebted to you!

Will make the adjustments and as soon as I can share the data logger.

They have setup my wife when I was away, but she could not share with me last night, some permission restriction popped up.

 

[117]

Anyone here in the know to assist with a Mecer 5kva inverter (I presume) settings? 

When running on utility and the cooling fans on the inverter kick in, the lights flicker as if its a major current draw (once only and every time the fan kicks in which is a random time span). Ive made sure nothing else is running in the house, not even the fridge. The only current draw is the garage light or a single bulb in the passage 

Any ideas what I can check? 

 

 

[TheoG]

Just now, 117 said:

Anyone here in the know to assist with a Mecer 5kva inverter (I presume) settings? 

When running on utility and the cooling fans on the inverter kick in, the lights flicker as if its a major current draw (once only and every time the fan kicks in which is a random time span). Ive made sure nothing else is running in the house, not even the fridge. The only current draw is the garage light or a single bulb in the passage 

Any ideas what I can check? 

 

 

M, I'm starting to think that inverter is "faulty".  With that low load and a 5kVA inverter, there is no way that there should be any "power dips".  The source of this must be the inverter.

Get the installer to check & replace, me thinks ...

[117]

Waiting patiently for them to contact me again.... 

[Frosty]

1 hour ago, DJuice said:

@fanievb

Thank you for the assistance.

Do not have all the info with me, will get tonight.

This is wat I have:

SOC settings and few other pics. The dashboard is taken on similar time frames and weather.

The panels have the capacity to perform better, but it does not, If I Understand your post correct our priority is perhaps not on battery. 

Lots to unpack, but you certainly haven't made a bad decision. A little tweaking here and there and you'll be okay.

I'll send my phone number by PM if you want to go through the settings by WhatsApp. You have more battery capacity than me, but less PV capacity.

[ChrisF]

2 hours ago, Eddy Gordo said:

Solar geysers are best during summer. I have 2 now for a good few years, around the time the rebate was offered we installed. 

During winter the best time for hot water is during the afternoon or not at all if the weather is bad.

I am wanting to install a gas geyser for winter, as the load shedding at 6am does not help too have hot water to shower. I know a few people who have done this and it wors brilliantly. If I had to redo the solar, I would just install a gas geyser. But looking at the times, who knows where we gonna be with gas in the future.

 

Eddy what is your experiences with the gas geyser during load shedding ?

 

Apparently some units needs electricity to ignite the gas .... 

[shaper]

11 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

 

Eddy what is your experiences with the gas geyser during load shedding ?

 

Apparently some units needs electricity to ignite the gas .... 

A lot of the newer gas geysers have batteries, no electrical connection, install 2 Duracell that last about a year.  have a look at the Dewhot geysers

Edited July 20, 2022 by shaper

[DJuice]

34 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Lots to unpack, but you certainly haven't made a bad decision. A little tweaking here and there and you'll be okay.

I'll send my phone number by PM if you want to go through the settings by WhatsApp. You have more battery capacity than me, but less PV capacity.

Thank you @Frosty

[Frosty]

22 minutes ago, ChrisF said:

Eddy what is your experiences with the gas geyser during load shedding ?

Apparently some units needs electricity to ignite the gas .... 

11 minutes ago, shaper said:

A lot of the newer gas geysers have batteries, no electrical connection, install 2 Duracell that last about a year.  have a look at the Dewhot geysers

In my days working for a well-known gas appliance company, they started bringing in a range of gas heaters (think back to the load shedding days around 2014-2016). Almost all the major players during their research period had batteries as the power source for the piezo (ignitor). Now a standard feature.

Gas ovens and hobs, on the other hand connect to the mains. My SMEG oven/hob plugs into the wall, but that's also to power the fan and light too.

[TheoG]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

In my days working for a well-known gas appliance company, they started bringing in a range of gas heaters (think back to the load shedding days around 2014-2016). Almost all the major players during their research period had batteries as the power source for the piezo (ignitor). Now a standard feature.

Gas ovens and hobs, on the other hand connect to the mains. My SMEG oven/hob plugs into the wall, but that's also to power the fan and light too.

Yes my gas plate hob sparks to ignite is also from mains.  I keep a bic braai lighter permanently at the gas plates for incase the power goes off to ignite them, work 100%.

[The Ouzo]

59 minutes ago, TheoG said:

Yes my gas plate hob sparks to ignite is also from mains.  I keep a bic braai lighter permanently at the gas plates for incase the power goes off to ignite them, work 100%.

+1 , my wifes long nozzle candle lighter was repurposed for this use when we got a gas oven.

[Eddy Gordo]

5 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

Eddy what is your experiences with the gas geyser during load shedding ?

 

Apparently some units needs electricity to ignite the gas .... 

We had one many years ago, so currently I dont know. I know when we stay at the overnight hikers cabins, those gas geysers use d cell batteries for the ignitor. Hopefully one would be able to use a lighter.

[patches]

Sorry if I missed this in previous posts, but are instant hot water heaters a viable option for those on the Eskom Exodus?

Something like the Rinnai Infinity series.

Here they're the go to for many households as they have LPG or natural gas options, take up very little space, and don't have the risks and issues associaed with geysers (like bursts and water damaged ceilings etc.

My home uses the middle ground solution. a on outdoor gas geyser like this:

Not Exactly a thing of beauty, but it's tucked round the side of the house, where it's accessible but not an eyesore. It runs on mains gas and the 160L capacity offers that buffer under high demand.

[MORNE]

7 hours ago, patches said:

Sorry if I missed this in previous posts, but are instant hot water heaters a viable option for those on the Eskom Exodus?

Something like the Rinnai Infinity series.

Here they're the go to for many households as they have LPG or natural gas options, take up very little space, and don't have the risks and issues associaed with geysers (like bursts and water damaged ceilings etc.

My home uses the middle ground solution. a on outdoor gas geyser like this:

Not Exactly a thing of beauty, but it's tucked round the side of the house, where it's accessible but not an eyesore. It runs on mains gas and the 160L capacity offers that buffer under high demand.

Those are two completely different things though…the top one all too familiar to anyone who has had to take a sub 1-2 min shower (you never knew) at a (gl)camping site, farm or granny’s holiday home haha. I hate those things.

Edited July 22, 2022 by MORNE