MakoShark

Thanks all, I ended up ordering what I needed from ACDC

Thanks guys! Appreciate the responses, I will check them out and see who I'd like to pay a visit, I see there is an ACDC Express about 4km away so might pop in there today

Hi Guys, Just looking for suggestions on where I can go to a physical shop and ask qurestions and collect stuff Id like to purchase. Actually looking for mounting rails and bracksts for some new panels but struggling to find anywher I can physically go to. Thanks Marco

No hassles, thanks anyways

Thanks for the reply, I have a Sunsynk 5kw inverter and have 2 strings, one has 5 panels and the other 6, I'm going to make them even at 7 panels each. I have JA 455w panels and have bought the same to add in. Cool I will shut it down before I start making changes. Any suggestions on where to buy the mounting hardware from? I have the attached currently and looking for the same but don't seem to find the rails anywhere online

Hi Guys, Im purchasing 3 more panels to add into my exisiting 5kw setup to max it out at just under 6.4kw and would like to add these into the strings myself, Id just like to find out is there anything I need to take into account to not damage myself or the inverter? I assume I need to turn off the PV input on the inverter and then I can make changes to the strings such as unplugging and plugging in the new panels and that should do it? Does the inverter need to be turned off when I turn the PV switch back on at the inverter or should it not matter? Also any recomendations on where to buy the mounting brackets and rails in JHB for a tiled roof? Thanks Marco

I ended up sorting this out by adding a slightly bigger breaker, went from a 25a to a 32a...maybe the original was on its way out. As Murphey would have it... Now the spa leaks 🙄

OK so there is a max inverter W you can set under the work mode 2 settings page. Default is 5000w but if the inverter is rated to 5500w then why not set that? Anyone tried that or will it reduce the life of the inverter if it frequently provides over 5000w of ac?

Thanks! Yeah I have it set as that, I have seen it get close to that so will leave it as that

Whoops I see I wasnt very clear with my post, I meant that setting is how much power can be pulled and wasnt asking how much could be pulled...but seeing as we are on the subject 🙂 I have an Alpha ESS 10.1kw battery

Never mind this setting is for the battery and not inverter... So how much battery power can be pulled

Has anyone set thier Synsynk 5kw to run at 5.5kw under work mode settings? Wondering if its safe to run it over 5kw or should it not be put under so much stress? or is the max of the UPS output (essential loads) 5kw?

There's a pro sign up which says business but that's not the one, you need to sign up as solarman business... They seem to have 3 sections, home, pro and business. I couldn't find my pro business but after signing up for business I found it

I'm not sure if I did it right but I just went into solarman home and went to the 3 dots at the top and selected authorize, then you search for the name of your business that you used when signing up for solarman business... That was it

Having a look back at the stats of the string production on a sunnier day there is about a 20% performance differance in the string that gets shaded compared to around midday: Differance at 12:40 - 17.04% Differance at 16:20 (420 is a coincidence 😉) - 38.13% See pics attached, maybe its worth moving that one panel after all...but will check on a full sun day, I dont think ive had one yet!

Yeah I was a little disappointed I hadn't taken this into account... I was trying to avoid shading from a neighbors tree and neglected that. It's a chimney but it only shades that first panel from about 15:30 and I think in winter the angle of the sun will be such that it won't shade it at all, so maybe it's OK. I have checked the stats and havnt noticed too much of a drop around that time but will post here on a sunny day with the strings output around 4pm and let's see. Worst case I will move that panel to the next row at the other end of the roof

Yeah space for another 12 panels on this roof 😀

Hi All, The solar bug has bitten and am also hopeful that in the long run this will get us away from Eskoms increases and obviously loadshedding as well. I had 11 x JA 455w panels installed along with a 5kw Sunsynk inverter and 10.1kw Alpha ESS battery. Very happy with the performance so far! My roof the panels are installed on faces exactly north which is awesome 🙂 Ive seen the solar production go up to 5650w which is really impressive for panels that are supposed to be a combined output of 5005w

I didn't come right with this, I signed up for the business account and was able to authorize my plant to that business name but I am not able to change settings on the system... It just says it's not available, what a shame they limit you with the software, if I was someone that needed to monitor and change settings at a really remote site this inverter / solarman combo would be out of the question

Thanks for the info! Some answers \ info: The PV panels should have that 1.2m copper rod as close as possible to the panles, preferably at a gutter downpipe where the ground is more likely to be wet - This was done The inverter AC side should be earthed throught the municipal supply - no earth rod required, or is it? - Not sure if this was done \ required as you said Batteries must be earthed to the inverter (using the "small earth" as the installer called it) - Not sure if this was done but will check I see in the manual it says its mandatory to earth the inverter but mine definately doesnt have any wire connected to that currently

Another thing my installer did wrong... The inverter is in my garage, I'm not sure what I should earth it to, does it need to be one of those rods in the ground?

I noticed my inverter had 2 ground points on it but my installer didn't ground it but ground the panels, is this correct or should the inverter also be grounded? I assume so as it has the points for it Also the inverter is rated to 5500w but set as max 5000w, can this be set higher safely or should it be left at 5000w

Thanks will check it out 😀