kombiman

Thanks Scorp, so, my sum means I used 166.66 Watts every hour, for 12 hours? The idea is to help guide me on batt backup etc.

Hey guys, been chatting with a mate over the usual discussion relating to loadshedding, power usage, etc. The question came up, could one work out how much power you're using in a certain time frame, based on the Kw numbers shown on the meter. The confusion is the different measurements of power. Watts, Kw, and kwh, etc. I'm trying work out how many watts I used between a specific time? Example: If the meter says I have 10 units at 6:00 at night, and then next morning at 6:00 am, it shows 8 units, what is this telling me? Did I use 2 thousand watts of electricity over 12 hours? or 2 thousand watts each hour? thanks gents.

Where can I source them from if I may ask?

Thanks all, and is this a 12 or 24 volt, Isolator? regards

Hi all, Been going well for the past 10 months with a small 3 Kw Home Setup, consisting of an entry-level RCT Axpert 3Kw 24 Volt Inverter, which is fed by 4 x Lithium Halo 1.2 Kw batteries. This Inverter however only support a 600 Watt PV supply, but thats fine for now, the circuits I've moved to my essential DB is completed, and my draw is seldom above 2400 Watts in total. Soon I intend getting the slightly bigger 3Kva Inverter which can support up to 4000 Watts of PV, but my question is, can any of the guru's pls assist in what size isolator breaker and fusing I need for this setup? Its 4 x 1.2 Kw Lithium 12 v batts connected 2 in series, then parallel to give 24 volts. Thanks.

Item: Mecer 2400 VA, 24 Volt Inverter for sale Age: 3 years Price: R 1 500-00 Payment Method Accepted: EFT\Cash Warranty: None Packaging: Possibly, must check. Condition: AS new, working 100%. Location: Parklands, Cape Town Reason: RCT Wall Mount upgrade Shipping: Via Postnet if needed Collection: Yes please Link: IVR-2400LBKS Mecer 2400VA, 1440W, 24V DC-AC Inverter. Compare prices. Supplier 1 / 2 suppliers | Mecer PC regards Alan (Price adjusted to go. )

Item Wanted: 1 x 100 or 120 Watt MAX Solar Panel - Voc = 45 V) Packaging Essential: no Desired Age: Not nb Location: Tableview\Parklands\Cape Town Willing to accept a shipped item: no Ballpark/Budget Amount: 1000 I'm almost at my small inverter ceiling as far os Solar PV power goes. cannot go higher than 120 Watt, but, the Voc is nb to match my two existing panels. thanks Alan

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Hi guys, Ok, need some assistance please. Originally, I've used a Mecer Lobo 24 Volver Inverter, 2 Lithium Bats, and 1 x 200 watta solar panel connected to it with a Victron Bluepower PWN Solar controller. This all worked for about 2 years. The reason for the Solar charge controller was to help recharge the batteries, and to offer the dusk till dawn "switch" to which I bought and connected up a 24 volt external flood light that came on automatically and went off on it's own. Then I ugraded, and purchased a 3Kva RCT Pure Sinewave Inverter in Jan. Decided to do this properly, and its all in and configured as best I know how\understand from the booklet, and it's all good, HOWEVER, I've lost the use of the floodlight with this inverter. So, I wanted to use the Victron charge controller again. I wired to all up together with the RCT, (so both Soler feed is in Parallel, and 24 volt batt feed.) The lighte came on as it usually does, and I went to bed. Woke up with this remote beeping sound, and, in my head, I thought it was a neighbour's alarm or whatever, but then realized i'ts my RCT int he workshop. so, came through, and it had an error code 03 flashing, according to the booklet, this is Batteries overcharged. Voltmeter on each showed them at 13.4 to 13.6 across all 4. So, no option how to clear error codes, stop beeping, so put selector breaker into bypass, and quickly disconnected pv supply and batt supply. RCT went off, and then reconnected the batts and PV alone, ie: without the parallel Victron charge controller. It all came up and is running as normal. So, how do I do this? Obviously the charge controller AND the RCT started recharging the same batteries, or there was a loop-back somehow, whatever, I don't know. How do I use a charge controller as the nighttime "switch" without giving it a PV feed, (which wouldn't work then as the controller wouldn't know the sun had gone down.. I dunno if there's a way around this, or how to wire up the 24 volt floodlight to the RCT with it having the switch? IREALLY hope this all made sense to you guys. Any thoughts, ideas welcome. Al

Ok, not to put too much into this, we're wiring the lighting contactors to the genset feed for now, which should alleviate most issues. Just to deal with the blackout for 20 or so seconds.

Hi guys, Trying to find the solution to what seems to be a smallish challenge. I am wanting a solution to keep all Office lights on during Load-shedding. I have capacity on our Genset. So the "gap" between shedding and genset run, is what we need the answer to? Its 3 floors of lighting, all wired on different phases. Loads vary between 2000 watts and 4500 watts on each floor, 8 to 18 amps. So, Do we go a single phase Inverter on each floor, with it's own Batt Backup? Do we go with a monster 3 phase Inverter and monster Batt Backup installed on 1 floor? Reaching out to the Industry experts here for your expert opinions please? tks.

Yep, Got you. Thanks for the feedback. I'm limited by design here, and my demand is small, so just trying to understand what would be the better move to make down the line, now that I finally have an Inverter and can see consumption numbers, and so on. It helps to see things vs trying to work them out. Right now, I'm not wanting to get off the grid, I've got 4 x 12V lithiums, and limited roofspace, so, I have to work within these boundaries. But at least it's working, and doing what it should do. regards Al

Thanks, I think maybe I'm mis-communicating my question, or requirements here. It's more about USING more PV for internal use, as well as charging? Then I believe the answer is, the Inverter I have is a little under-sized, being limited to only manage 600 watts of incoming PV, is that how I understand this? For now it's all good and I'm happy with the current operation, just want to know what to consider when I start planning for "phase B". 😉 cheers gents. regards AL

Thank you gents. For now, I'm happy, it seems to be doing what it's supposed to do. I've changed the default source to PV and it's pulling around 385 watts in sunny conditions.. SO, for the first time I'm harnessing this free energy. Good one. @Coulomb, how would the connection of the above look like, simply move batts to MPPT controller, ? How do you then connect the controller to the Inverter? Cheers. Al

Hi, So, off the back of the recommendations in the opinions channel, I decided to pull the trigger and migrate from my existing, works perfectly setup of a Mecer 24 volt Lobo inverter and 2 Lithiums, to a Pure Sinewave jobbie. Got a decent price on the RCT Axpert 3 Kva, and after a 2.5K shopping spree to local Electric wholesaler, it's all in and working, seems to be pretty much perfectly. Newly added fridge plug runs, and, with all existing plug and lighting circuits on, my Max power is sitting around 650 Watts, So, pleased with the result. I had 2 x 200 Watt PV panels on the roof, which I used with PWM Solar charge controllers to help recharge the Lithiums. So, have also added one of them onto the Axpert for now. I have a question if someone can assist. The manual for this boy says it's MAX wattage is 600 Watts in PV form. That seems daft considering it's a 3 Kva Inverter. But, is that it, the most I can connect PV wise is equivilent to 600 Watts? No more? eg: 2 x 300 Watt panels. For now, or the next maybe year or two, this should suffice, but, am learning as I go along, and, would like to then reduce the Utility consumption later on by upgrading to an Inverter that can support the 3 to 5 Kw's range, which should cover all my needs during daytime. Look forward to your constructive suggestions and feedback. Al

Thanks, so, rather choose a MPPT charger. got it. 👍

Good Morning Gentlemen, So, I come begging for guidance, opinions. I currently own 2 Mecer Lobo 24 Volt Inverters, which actually have me covered pretty much 100%. Each unit has 2 Hubble\Halo 120's on it. I'm happy, and life goes on. Now, the fact one of these machines is only covering house lighting, so I'm probably at 300 to 400 watts total load, the idea was to hook up my smallish 90W fridge. I was told this is not a good idea as the Modified Sinewave signal will stuff the fridge compressor up in no time. Bladdy heck, having JUST bought this second Lobo, I'll try resell it, but am looking at "upgrading" my setup to a wall-mounted Pure Sinewave Inverter. So, my demand isn't much over 1500 watts, if I consider whats all currently plugged in. I have 4 Lithiums, all under 12 months old. So I'm looking at this Inverter as my upgrade. I'm only doing this because I want to have pure sinewave supply on the existing tech equipment, as well as the fridge, and, it might be remotely possible to run my air-fryer now and then, based on thew wattage. I also want to be able to connect up a few panels possibly, to then help reduce the eskom usage when I can. Is this Inverter cool and will it do the job? Or am I going to be short? https://www.firstshop.co.za/products/mecer-axpert-v-3000va-3000w-pure-sine-wave-inverter-sol-i-ax-3vp-154129?_pos=16&_sid=c14443afc&_ss=r Opinions and suggestions welcome. regards Alan

Gents, I'm sure 70% or 80% of this forum's membership are probably owners of the bigger 48V wall-mounted setups, but I'm certain there are still thousands of us desperately looking for 12 V Lithiums, and, every site you contact you're told no stock. Why are the Importers not bringing in more stock is the obvious question, because for sure, they'll sell the stock as it falls off the ship. I have it on first-hand knowledge that Mustek sold 3500 Mecer Lobo 24 volt Inverters in 5 days! How do we use them if there are no Batteries? ALSO, Powerforum astounds me. Website is now showing S100 Halo's with a price. Email to enquire why, or where are the S120's as Jason said stock was coming soon, and the response is no stock of anything, and only in March. Jeez.. the left hand and the right hand you know. vent off. Alan

You would need to have a small Solar charge controller, which you would then connect the panel to, and the battery you're using on the UPS to. The panel would then help to recharge that battery much quicker than the UPS does.

Thanks for the response @Energy-Jason, Please do keep me\us updated. I have a wok collegue who needs two urgently. thanks so much Alan

Hi, Just wondering, why are the 12 Volt Battery's (Hubble\Halo S120's) no longer listed on the site? What has happened to that solution? regards Alan

yeah I'm sure that batts are solid, just found it weird the ups blacked out for a parsec.

Yes, I have two setups, the Hubble S120's on my Mecer running entertainment and PC's, and thats been faultless, but these new "Halo's" and RCT are running a max of about 300 watts worth of lights, there' NO load. Last nite, they lights went off, and back on immediately afterward. With the Deltecs, I'd just have a subtle "flick" of the lights, and I'd lknow we're shedding, not completely off and on.. So, no idea. If I go to the breaker the UPS is on and drop it, it functions flawlessly.. So, maybe it was like a "brownout" and not a clean shed shutdown, I dunno. it was just a weird one. Al

Hi guys, I emailed this to the sales guys but have no reply. I recently bought my 2nd pair of Hubble S120's, which are now called HALO's.. These went onto a UPS that had two Deltec 105's, so, the same usual "drop-in" replacements. Interestingly, this UPS, when load shedding happens, there's like a delay before it "detects" the Battery voltage, I don't know enough about it, but, I'm sure they have some sort of internal BMS system, but, could that, or something else, cause a significant delay to happen, moreso than the LA's, as, the lights go out, and then back on , and I drop my router and one or two other devices.. Never did this with the LA batts? Batt's voltmeter says 26.2 , so they plenty charged.. Any ideas? I mean, at this rate, I need a power backup for my router, because my bigger UPS doesn't like the Halos.. it's getting ridiculous.

@PRP, Yes, this I can do, and can get my numbers, or an average for 24 hours, but, what is that telling me? 3 units in 24 hours means, what was my usage?