Loadshedding solutions

[Frosty]

Having a 4kW element in the geyser is fine, with a 5kW inverter. Manage who uses what, at certain times and everything is fine.

this was today at 11:45, with the maid doing multiple wash load, ironing plus the normal daily runners (geyser, pool, water feature, etc.).

[TheoG]

11 hours ago, Frosty said:

Having a 4kW element in the geyser is fine, with a 5kW inverter. Manage who uses what, at certain times and everything is fine.

this was today at 11:45, with the maid doing multiple wash load, ironing plus the normal daily runners (geyser, pool, water feature, etc.).

Look like the graphing of data on yours is much better than on my Lux-Power .... 😞

[Frosty]

55 minutes ago, TheoG said:

Look like the graphing of data on yours is much better than on my Lux-Power .... 😞

It’s the Sunsynk app, which is much better than the Solarman app that was around prior to Sunsynk bringing out their own dongle.

[mazambaan]

As a toddling infant in this "loadshedding solutions" a simple (stupid) question please. Is there any way a properly configured solar system (say 5kW) can be damaged by the "overloading" mentioned i.e. when someone turns on oven+kettle+?

[TheoG]

Just now, mazambaan said:

As a toddling infant in this "loadshedding solutions" a simple (stupid) question please. Is there any way a properly configured solar system (say 5kW) can be damaged by the "overloading" mentioned i.e. when someone turns on oven+kettle+?

It depend on the inverter, if its a cheap chinese make, it will probably pop.  If its a reliable brand it would "trip" before the inverter is damaged.

Hope that answer your question.

[-cK-]

18 minutes ago, TheoG said:

It depend on the inverter, if its a cheap chinese make, it will probably pop.  If its a reliable brand it would "trip" before the inverter is damaged.

Hope that answer your question.

☝️

 

[Schnavel]

32 minutes ago, mazambaan said:

As a toddling infant in this "loadshedding solutions" a simple (stupid) question please. Is there any way a properly configured solar system (say 5kW) can be damaged by the "overloading" mentioned i.e. when someone turns on oven+kettle+?

As mentioned, good inverters won't have any issue - the are designed to be able to provide excess power for surges (normally double the rated capacity) for a short period of time. Following this, it should then switch off and reboot.

As with everything however, if you continually push your equipment on the upper end of its design capacity, it will eventually give in. 

[dave303e]

30 minutes ago, TheoG said:

It depend on the inverter, if its a cheap chinese make, it will probably pop.  If its a reliable brand it would "trip" before the inverter is damaged.

Hope that answer your question.

This.

Also note I was nervous about the safety shutoff based on SOC and not damaging the battery on my setup, so I adjusted the safety shutoff to kill the system when the battery hits 50% and it worked and killed the system. So that is also worth knowing works well on proper inverters. I have since set it back to what the battery recommends but if you are going to run lead acid or gel batteries, a better inverter will save your batteries.

[MongooseMan]

Just now, dave303e said:

This.

Also note I was nervous about the safety shutoff based on SOC and not damaging the battery on my setup, so I adjusted the safety shutoff to kill the system when the battery hits 50% and it worked and killed the system. So that is also worth knowing works well on proper inverters. I have since set it back to what the battery recommends but if you are going to run lead acid or gel batteries, a better inverter will save your batteries.

But please, please (please) don't run lead acid batteries.

They're just not worth it.

Save up, get lithium.

[-cK-]

Just now, Schnavel said:

As mentioned, good inverters won't have any issue - the are designed to be able to provide excess power for surges (normally double the rated capacity) for a short period of time. Following this, it should then switch off and reboot.

As with everything however, if you continually push your equipment on the upper end of its design capacity, it will eventually give in. 

Also if the install was done right I believe there should be breakers to catch this as well.  I know my 5Kw system has two 40A breaker (AC In and AC Out) and if I understand the placement of it this should catch anything that the inverter might miss to safeguard it as well.  Can correct me if I'm wrong but that is how it looks to me.

[dave303e]

3 minutes ago, MongooseMan said:

But please, please (please) don't run lead acid batteries.

They're just not worth it.

Save up, get lithium.

This as well

Just now, -cK- said:

Also if the install was done right I believe there should be breakers to catch this as well.  I know my 5Kw system has two 40A breaker (AC In and AC Out) and if I understand the placement of it this should catch anything that the inverter might miss to safeguard it as well.  Can correct me if I'm wrong but that is how it looks to me.

Ya our set up has so many fuses and breakers it is ridiculous

[Schnavel]

Just now, -cK- said:

Also if the install was done right I believe there should be breakers to catch this as well.  I know my 5Kw system has two 40A breaker (AC In and AC Out) and if I understand the placement of it this should catch anything that the inverter might miss to safeguard it as well.  Can correct me if I'm wrong but that is how it looks to me.

Agreed, but 40A is too large for a 5kW install! 40A breakers will only trip in excess of 9kW (40 x 230) - you should rather go with 25A breakers.

I have an 8kW unit and have installed 40A breakers (AC in and out).

[Pure Savage]

D Day has arrived, I did a little prep for the install. 

I ran 2x25mm conduits from the house to the garage so that I could route it how I liked them. 

As the inverter is going on a vibracrete wall that gets some afternoon sun we are spacing it off the wall with the wooden blocks and using a solid piece of ply to mount all the breakers, inverters etc. 

Used some vapour barrier with a heat shield on it on the wall just to provide a little more insulation from radiant heat.

 

[Frosty]

5 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

D Day has arrived, I did a little prep for the install. 

I ran 2x25mm conduits from the house to the garage so that I could route it how I liked them. 

As the inverter is going on a vibracrete wall that gets some afternoon sun we are spacing it off the wall with the wooden blocks and using a solid piece of ply to mount all the breakers, inverters etc. 

Used some vapour barrier with a heat shield on it on the wall just to provide a little more insulation from radiant heat.

 

Most people say, “welcome to the dark side”, but this really is the opposite.

[dave303e]

5 minutes ago, Pure Savage said:

D Day has arrived, I did a little prep for the install. 

I ran 2x25mm conduits from the house to the garage so that I could route it how I liked them. 

As the inverter is going on a vibracrete wall that gets some afternoon sun we are spacing it off the wall with the wooden blocks and using a solid piece of ply to mount all the breakers, inverters etc. 

Used some vapour barrier with a heat shield on it on the wall just to provide a little more insulation from radiant heat.

 

awesome, just a quick one. I take it they will bolt the invertor onto the ply and then attach the ply to the blocking/wall or that you will put T-nuts in the ply. Ours is also mounted on ply and battery and inverter were bolted in with 10mm bolts through the ply with a nut and washer on the back. Also check the installer brings the bolts, ours rocked up with standard expansion bolts but luckily I had normal bolts and big washers for the back side. 

[Frosty]

59 minutes ago, mazambaan said:

As a toddling infant in this "loadshedding solutions" a simple (stupid) question please. Is there any way a properly configured solar system (say 5kW) can be damaged by the "overloading" mentioned i.e. when someone turns on oven+kettle+?

I have a 5kW Sunsynk.

It can handle double the load for about 30-seconds before it will trip.

However, when the grid is connected, there is a pass-through function that allows up to 7.5kW without tripping. The energy meter I have sounds when the power is at 5kW or greater, and the household knows something needs to be switched off. It took a while to get everyone used to it, but now it’s habit… check what’s running and switch off where necessary.