Loadshedding solutions

[ChrisF]

4 minutes ago, LazyTrailRider said:

**** off Eskom.

It remains to be seen if 3 days of rain in the middle of winter will force me to retract this, but here’s 28.6kWh (cabling still needs to be neatened up) of overkill from a financial perspective, but YOLO.

 

NICE 👍👍

 

 

Way off topic ... that looks like a small DCP fire extinguisher ?  

 

DCP (dry chemical powder) extinguishers are good general purpose fire extinguishers.  And is the correct item for a "materials fire" in the room.

 

HOWEVER ... that powder is BAD for the electronic components !!

 

A CO2 extinguisher is much better for electrical fires. 

 

Sadly, very heavy, and much more expensive.  Though nothing compared to the equipment it protects. 

 

The small 2kg CO2 unit gives less than 10 seconds use at full blast .... if the electrical fire is inside a box you may well need the 5kg unit, about 15kg actual unit weight.

 

 

Consider:

1. Potential fire area ...

2. Your route of access ...

 

Now place your fire extinguisher 👍

[VeloRacer]

https://suntrix.co.za/product/lifelynk-4000w-all-in-one-solar-inverter-and-battery/

 

Hi guys, can I get your advice on this product please?

[NickGM]

I notice my Sunsynk inverter has a Wind Turbine input channel. Curious if anyone has tinkered with connecting a dynamo up to rollers or an indoor trainer and feeding that in instead.

[ACM]

Doea anyone perhaps know hoe you can obtain remote control of a Deye inverter (to change settings remotely)?

I’m using the Deye Cloud app.

[MORNE]

On 1/31/2023 at 8:14 AM, Hairy said:

Might I suggest you also then ensure that you buy a property large enough to be able to orientate your house optimally to allow for the ideal placement of the house ...... 

also, don't forget to blame your architect when your R4mil Pinterest designed, You magazine inspired, pseudo-Bali-Tuscan-french-provincial style house’s identity crises manifested in broken up roof volumes that aren't conducive to installing other crap on it. Crap that was probably never in the brief to start with.
You know, because the porte-cochère, walk in double shower with Led’s and mirror ceiling was a priority.🤷🏻‍♂️

 

If you know, you know i guess.😅

[Hairy]

48 minutes ago, MORNE said:

also, don't forget to blame your architect when your R4mil Pinterest designed, You magazine inspired, pseudo-Bali-Tuscan-french-provincial style house’s identity crises manifested in broken up roof volumes that aren't conducive to installing other crap on it. Crap that was probably never in the brief to start with.
You know, because the porte-cochère, walk in double shower with Led’s and mirror ceiling was a priority.🤷🏻‍♂️

 

If you know, you know i guess.😅

Out of all of that, the only thing I can dig is the mirror ceiling!

That brings back memories to a certain hotel in town that I did a refurb on, back in the day when our digital cameras were saving pics to stiffies ....

There was an "Executive" suite that had a rather elaborate en-suite bathroom ..... finished to a particular taste ... we talking red tiles or black and red tiles, lots of `chrome everywhere and most importantly, a MIRROR CEILING IN THE BATHROOM.

[ChrisF]

6 hours ago, MORNE said:

also, don't forget to blame your architect when your R4mil Pinterest designed, You magazine inspired, pseudo-Bali-Tuscan-french-provincial style house’s identity crises manifested in broken up roof volumes that aren't conducive to installing other crap on it. Crap that was probably never in the brief to start with.
You know, because the porte-cochère, walk in double shower with Led’s and mirror ceiling was a priority.🤷🏻‍♂️

 

If you know, you know i guess.😅

 

So it is the interior desicrator's fault then .... 

[M L]

On 1/27/2023 at 8:41 AM, Frosty said:

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.

What type of energy meter is this? 

We have a 3-phase Synsunk and need to get a proper electrician to Stellenbosch as we are often overloading the inverter and then it trips.

Something like this sounds like a good safeguard.

[117]

18 hours ago, Schnavel said:

You problem is setting 27 - float charge voltage. You need to drop this to 51.2V (nominal voltage).

As it presently stands, the bulk and float voltages are the same, meaning that the inverter "thinks" the battery is fully charged, even though it isn't.

In addition to this, why are you allowing the inverter to control the system? Plug both the battery communication cable and the inverter USB cable into the Raspberri Pi and let Solar Assistant tell the inverter what to do.

Ok, I'm now listening properly: 

Would you mind telling me how to connect a raspberry pi (or in my case it will be a Mi-Box - same thing really) to the Mecer unit? And I presume you just load the solar assistant to the Mi-box? Then? 

I run normal gel batteries so I cant connect the comms from these. 

But, I do like the idea of the app controlling the inverter. As mine stands, the thing is constantly running (fan unit). 

I'll also check setting #27 and change to 51.2v as you suggest

Edited February 2, 2023 by 117
spelling - the chaps in the east will be happier now

[Eddy Gordo]

1 hour ago, 117 said:

Ok, I'm now listening properly: 

Would you mind telling me how to connect a raspberry pi (or in my case it will be a WiBox - same thing really) to the Mecer unit? And I presume you just load the solar assistant to the Wibox? Then? 

I run normal gel batteries so I cant connect the comms from these. 

But, I do like the idea of the app controlling the inverter. As mine stands, the thing is constantly running (fan unit). 

I'll also check setting #27 and change to 51.2v as you suggest

I have a similar mercer unit and would also like to know if I connect a solar panel, do I need a charge controller? and how many batteries can one ad to this system?

[Frosty]

1 hour ago, M L said:

What type of energy meter is this? 

We have a 3-phase Synsunk and need to get a proper electrician to Stellenbosch as we are often overloading the inverter and then it trips.

Something like this sounds like a good safeguard.

I replied a few pages back.

https://forum.bikehub.co.za/topic/192132-loadshedding-solutions/#comments

I’m not sure if it would work on all three phases.

[Swift01]

1 hour ago, 117 said:

Ok, I'm now listening properly: 

Would you mind telling me how to connect a raspberry pi (or in my case it will be a Mi-Box - same thing really) to the Mecer unit? And I presume you just load the solar assistant to the Mi-box? Then? 

I run normal gel batteries so I cant connect the comms from these. 

But, I do like the idea of the app controlling the inverter. As mine stands, the thing is constantly running (fan unit). 

I'll also check setting #27 and change to 51.2v as you suggest

Hi,

I can only talk about the raspberry pi connection. Solar Assistant, you can buy the Pi + software already installed, or just the software alone which you would then flash onto the Pi. If Gel batteries, then you would just have the USB from Pi to USB on Inverter (square USB type). This gives coms between pi and inverter. You would rely on the inverter to give you battery information. If you have panels then the SA software can manage the panels instead of the inverter. Much better solution.

With Lithium batteries you just buy the correct cable (Solar assistant has various cables depending on your battery make/model). This gives you communication from the battery to Pi and you can let the software manage that. Kind of a MUST when running Lithium batteries on the Mecer Inverter as it actually keeps thinking your batteries are low, but in reality, they are not, the pi/software manages this.

Setting the Battery connection on the SA software to BMS which means the software is now managing the settings and not the inverter, the battery is now 100% 

[Comrade J]

Just going to add a bit o the thread, my son is a Firefighter with Fire Ops SA, from January this year about 70% of the structural fires have been indirectly caused by Inverter and Lithium Battery issues.

The early summer lightning storms, saw may houses being indirectly struck via Palm Trees, Vibracrete Walls, and into the batteries (If COJ get to house first and they water on hand they do not assess the cause of the fire and are intent on putting the "Wet Stuff" on the "Red Stuff". We all know how Lithium reacts to water.......(now the whole house catches alight, Fourways in December)

Beware of the cheap Chinese batteries

Use a proper electrician (yesterday’s fire the wires were under spec) 

DO NOT PUT THE BATTERIES IN YOUR HOUSE

Place a highly visible sign on your property that you have Lithium batteries, and indicate the Type, as each chemical mixture reacts differently, and requires a different response.

When the batteries burn (which they are going to do at some point) they emit a highly toxic gas, that will scorch your thought and lungs. My son has been burnt twice now)

Forget about trying to use your Fire Extinguisher, just get out

[TheoG]

1 hour ago, Swift01 said:

Hi,

I can only talk about the raspberry pi connection. Solar Assistant, you can buy the Pi + software already installed, or just the software alone which you would then flash onto the Pi. If Gel batteries, then you would just have the USB from Pi to USB on Inverter (square USB type). This gives coms between pi and inverter. You would rely on the inverter to give you battery information. If you have panels then the SA software can manage the panels instead of the inverter. Much better solution.

With Lithium batteries you just buy the correct cable (Solar assistant has various cables depending on your battery make/model). This gives you communication from the battery to Pi and you can let the software manage that. Kind of a MUST when running Lithium batteries on the Mecer Inverter as it actually keeps thinking your batteries are low, but in reality, they are not, the pi/software manages this.

Setting the Battery connection on the SA software to BMS which means the software is now managing the settings and not the inverter, the battery is now 100% 

I just ordered an Orange Pi with SA.  I'm not clear however on the communication with the batteries.

I have a Lux-Power inverter and Mecer M3000 (Dyness B3) batteries.  The inverter and batteries are connected with a LAN cable and the BMS on the master battery tell the inverter how it want to be charged/discharged.

How does this work with the Pi & SA?  As far as I know the current cable between the batteries and inverter is replaced with one between the PI and the batteries, is this correct?

If correct, how does that work then?  The BMS communicate with the PI and it then tell the inverter what to do?

Sorry for all the questions, SA is very slow to respond to emails and that seems to be the ONLY means of coms with them.

Edited February 2, 2023 by TheoG

[ChrisF]

53 minutes ago, Comrade J said:

Just going to add a bit o the thread, my son is a Firefighter with Fire Ops SA, from January this year about 70% of the structural fires have been indirectly caused by Inverter and Lithium Battery issues.

The early summer lightning storms, saw may houses being indirectly struck via Palm Trees, Vibracrete Walls, and into the batteries (If COJ get to house first and they water on hand they do not assess the cause of the fire and are intent on putting the "Wet Stuff" on the "Red Stuff". We all know how Lithium reacts to water.......(now the whole house catches alight, Fourways in December)

Beware of the cheap Chinese batteries

Use a proper electrician (yesterday’s fire the wires were under spec) 

DO NOT PUT THE BATTERIES IN YOUR HOUSE

Place a highly visible sign on your property that you have Lithium batteries, and indicate the Type, as each chemical mixture reacts differently, and requires a different response.

When the batteries burn (which they are going to do at some point) they emit a highly toxic gas, that will scorch your thought and lungs. My son has been burnt twice now)

Forget about trying to use your Fire Extinguisher, just get out

 

This topic is getting more and more time at each fire design conference.

 

Annual fire statistics started making specific mention of PV and battery system fires when publishing the 2021 annual data.  LOTS of issues around this, especially as only the Western Cape seems to enforce some rules on these installations.  These systems pose a real life risk to fire fighters !!

 

In comparison - a generator is required a "firemans switch" in SOME MUNICIPAL areas, in order to ensure there is no live electrical systems when the wet stuff goes on the red stuff.  Very few solar systems provides an external shut point for the fire services ....

 

Will be interesting to see how the 2022 annual data deals with this topic.

 

And then to see how the National building regulations and/or By-Laws are amended to address the safety issues for fire services.  In the Western Cape it is currently only Stellenbosch that already cover this in their By-Laws, and on building projects they DO check that external fireman's switches are provided.

 

PS - the 2020/21 PV regs did introduce a requirement for signage and a switch "available to the local authority".   Yet to see the Pr Eng for the solar installation actually enforcing this on their new installations.

[Frosty]

    
For the RPi and inverter, there’s a PCB that can be installed (Sunsynk) and connected to the WiFi.

It then allows integration to the home-assistant app. There’s a lot to read up on, on the interwebs.