Red Rubber Gloves

Hello folks. Also just following through on this process, so I'd like to clarify some points if poss... There are two fields I'm not exactly sure how to fill, paranoid, and I want to get it right, they are: "Reference Picture" "*System configuration and system images" So for "Reference..." what do you all use there? And for *System Config (which looks starred thus required field) what do you attach there? What about the settings information such as Charge Voltage Limit, Charge/Discharge Current Limit, etc? (which I reckon must be important too) Thanks. RRG

I'm having a bit of trouble, and all the information I consume, opinions I hear and advice I get conflicts into two camps. Busy with an assisted installation, doing some on my own. But first, my basic set up (in sequence): DC-Side - PV. DC Combiner box with fuses (fuse holders), noark and surge protect (+ve/-ve/earth), going to MPPT. KETO device connecting MPPT, Inverter/Charger and Battery. AC-Side - DB/House Mains, flowing through AC Combiner box with Changeover switch, breakers, into/out of Inverter/charger back through C/O switch to DB. Now to the earth... When I asked, of my advisor, "The earth connected to surge-protect in DC box, coming from green/yellow earth cable from PV. Is that right?" He says "And from supply earth." (which I understand as AC, right? and which would thus bond AC and DC earthing together, right?) Whilst many others, all who know better of course, say "DC must have a ground spike...separate earthing to AC...never together" And yet after I watched the hilarious video on "Grounding and Bonding" by Mike Holt I'm convinced my advisor is correct, not to mention that Victron says "one earth and earth only" Am I mistaken? Are there really two schools of thought? What's the what-what?

Good day all. So a nice stupid question, but still, it's easy to botch. My JA Solar Panel has two black leads, one with a Male (+ve) MC4, and one with a Female (-ve) MC4 attached. Now, does this mean the Male/+ve connector is on the +ve lead, and the Female/-ve on the -ve lead? & Do I then attach a Female/-ve MC4 onto my Red/+ve PV-Cable? & Off course, it seems to me that inside the MC4 the Male has a Female metal sheath for crimping, is this right? Is it solar, gender studies or wire-porn?

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From the spec sheet: My fridge is rated A. It's a combi-fridge, 230L (157L/73L- fridge/freezer) It's energy consumption (EN153) per 24hr (A/A+) 0.857 Energy consumption per year 313 I'm guessing those are kWh. It clicks on for about 15min every 30min or so. These graphs posted by @system32 make sense to me, I mean, if i divide those figures (857W) into the day and consider the on/off periods it kinda adds up. Of course an actual test would be accurate. Still, I doubted my understanding till i saw those graphs. Thanks @system32. Fridge is only about 2yrs old.

Thanks @Scorp007 This is quite instructive, actual results. Seeing as I'm in my "planning/research" phase - which has been enlightening, absorbing and at times highly irritating - most of what I have to go on are calculations, which for all their beauty are still largely abstract, excellent tutorial YouTube goggles and lastly, sales blabber and hidden details. So this graph shows something. And I'm in G'teng too. It has dawned on me that if you're to kiss the grid goodbye you in effect become a little grid yourself with all it's little managements and engineerings going on. If only I could milk the state for funds I'd be set. 😂 Regards RRG

Hi @iiznh Thanks for the full response, some good tips there, and apologies for my own tardiness. With regards to to your question, I'm looking at one of the Victron inverters, Multiplus, Phoenix or such. Though I have been swaying about quite a bit. Still looking and in planning phase.

That is so nifty, thanks!!!

Hi @Ian Thanks for responding. So my comparison was not intended to be about 24 vs 48V per se, those were just the first two datasheets I pulled up. It was more of a ramble about the nature of spec sheets and their clever figures...to be honest, I thought of scrapping the post as it was one of those things someone blurts out as they discover a new fact that alters the fantastical claim they just read, or were just told by a smiling man with a eco-beard. I've only been studying up on solar/electricity/etc for about two weeks now so it's a bit of roller coaster ride of "hooray I've found something" to "damn them precious, they'z thiefses".

Looking with my magnifying glass I've noticed the following... There appear to be little differences between figures, for example: Dyness LiFePo4 B3. Max. continuous charge/discharge current: 50A Calendar life 6000cycles. Recommended C rating 0.5C (small print [for calendar life] - 0.2C Charge/discharge @25*C, 80%Dod) LBSA LiFePo4 24V(25.6V) 210Ah Smart Battery Max Charge/Discharge Current (A): 100A Nominal Power (Wh) >5.2kWh @ 0.4c (tested) Cycle life ≥80% capacity state after 4800 cycles @ 100A, 25*C, 100% Dod So I don't know, my brain hurts, but there seems to be claims of what it can do and is based on a test that does reflect what it will do. I feel a bit like I'm being sold a hot dog without the hot. Am I missing some arcane dog detail? Please help..

Hello again. Admittedly, this is a very easy topic to obsess over. So many numbers. So much kit. Such magic. I have some designs and ideas in the pipeline but it did occur to me to throw out a request for ideas to the forum, before I lay out my scheme with specs and lunacy attached. Now, we have small needs and reasons for not investing in a major installation. So imagine this setup: A little shed. Roofs in variable shade. One has good sun 10am to sundown. Another decent 8am to midday. We need 1.3-1.8kWh per day...(laptop/wifi/modem/fridge) And we'll need it for days on end, ie this is off-grid. At present my idea, roughly, is to approach it like this... 24V system 1 x LBSA battery (5.2kWh) 1 x Victron Phoenix inverter (1200w) 1 x Victron Smart Solar MPPT 100|50 2 x Canadian Solar 380W panels, in series. (with the option of adding 2 more "2 x Canadian Solar 380W later, in series but in parallel with 1st two attached to same MPPT) (I also have the idea to add a battery charger to the mix, in case my solar setup goes squiffy) Does it seem I'm overdoing it? I've calculated for days autonomy and catastrophe as well as room for growth. Still, it's not a cheap exercise. Anything anybody would alter? Thanks. RRG

Good day all. So I've been studying up like a ferret, my head's jam packed - numbers going up, numbers going down. And now my noggin's turned into 'slap-pap'. I have a few very basic (read dof) questions, hoping someone can set me straight... How does one calculate the 'surge draw' from a fridge? (Spec sheet only tells me consumption per annum and 24hr-period) Can I literally attach (plug) a cable from the wall socket into the inverter to charge my battery? (when I want, and this to avoid wiring into DB) Can I also feed out a cable from the inverter to an adaptor off of which I'm to run a laptop, fridge? And does this cable have to be of certain spec or can "normal" extension lead do? I came across this statement from "Solar Shop" website Re: Pylontech batteries: "Transformer based inverters or Victron Inverters specifically specify a 100% continuous discharge current from the batteries. As an example for a 5kva Victron which is 4kW the battery requirement would be 4000W/48V = 83A continuous discharge from the batteries. In this case a full 3x US3000 or 4x US2000 batteries would be required." The webpage also started by saying with 'high frequency inverters' the 'batteries supported continuous discharge current can be 70% of the inverters capacity', eg "5000W/48V = 105A...the supported continuous battery discharge current can be 73.5A" (ie 105-30%) With this in mind and having seen comments here and there across many platforms of "Inverters destroying batteries" or "sucking them dry" could someone please explain this? What's going on here? I mean, does it mean your batteries/pack always have to be massive? (Meaning you cannot initially invest in a larger inverter?). And where on the various data-sheets is this nugget of info hidden? Or perhaps a link to an explanation. My Goggle searches are proving fruitless. As I said, not the brightest questions but thanks nonetheless. Regards.