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AlienArmy

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Everything posted by AlienArmy

  1. Thanks @hoohloc it's also the way I'm leaning. From what I can see and what I know about the inverters, it "should" work. I'm no expert in any way so should work can also blow the inverter. But the 16 350watt panels will be within the DC input limits of the inverter, and 8 595watt panels the same for the other one
  2. @phidz yes, the batteries are fully charged in the afternoon. Just the normal things. We're 3 adults and 2 children, so couple of TV's on until around 10pm and the fridges and the normal stuff that is on/on standby. We've got a gas geyser, so it's not that. Both inverters use about 250-300watt during the time we're sleeping, and I know these inverters use about 70-80watt on standby. @FixAMess we generally use about the same as you, 3 - 4kWh during the morning hours. I have the last couple of weeks started to switch the inverters over to Eskom around 10pm and then switch back to battery/solar when I get up. As when Eskom charges the batteries during the morning, it uses easily double that. Reason to add panels, is also to have enough usable capacity to use things like air cons etc during the day and have enough charging capacity to charge the batteries. At the moment I have to switch the pool filter off around 2pm, otherwise the batteries does not have enough time to fill up
  3. Hi all, So after an absolute nightmare since my installation was done 4 months ago, I have to expand my setup to get what I needed and wanted from the get go. But that's a different story entirely. Current setup is the following: 2 X Growatt 5000 ES inverters, in parallel (Each inverter can take a load of 6000+ watt) 16 X CSun 350 watt panels (2 strings of 8 panels each) 2 X Shoto 5.1kw Lithium batteries The problem is that the batteries does not take us through the evening/morning until the sun starts shining again, so Eskom kicks in around 2am to charge the batteries. My aim for the system was to be 99% off grid, and for that I now need to expand it, as the installer messed up the energy requirements. I have done quite a bit of research on it, but I need some assistance to be sure I'm doing the right thing and that what I want to do, will work. I'd like to add additional panels and was looking at the 595w Canadian Solar Mono panels. I'd like high output panels, as I'm running out of roof space facing North. So, can I add the higher output and different make panels to the current strings, so an additional 4 panels to each string? Or should I put the current 16 panels on one string going to one inverter, and the new additional 8 panels on a string going to the other inverter? As far as storage goes, one option is of course just to add another lithium battery, but another suggestion that was made to me to as the upfront cost is much less, is to use gel batteries. So affectively, getting 3 gel batteries, which will then charge the 2 lithium batteries when they start to run low? I'm not 100% sure how this will work and also a bit hesitant about the idea, as although the upfront cost is less, gel batteries doesn't last as long, charge as well or are as efficient as lithium. I'd really appreciate some ideas and assistance with this. Thanks!
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