Kalahari Cruiser

ORIGIS: Too many red herrings already. HPeter being one of them. Address resolves to rainbow chickens / RCL foods in sasolberg. 
“fully ensured shipments” …..”In the event of a claim, we will immediately send the new item/s to you” 🤗

It was certainly R500 less last night still, now gone up to R2760. Trust the price was correct at the time, albeit PFS quotes prices on request, it's not an online purchase at a displayed price. 

When you disconnect the load there is a much lower chance of DC jumping gaps. The fuse holders are also designed for the input to be at the top so less chance of fingers touching a live fuse. 

Sorry for butting in here. What you say makes sense; however my SS inverter setting is priority battery and when I have PV available, the house loads get fed first, and any surplus PV charges the batteries, not vice versa with battery first etc. This is obviously the way I want it. In similar scenario, if I’m already at my preset minimum SOC, with grid present, then PV goes to house loads first, but if there’s insufficient PV it draws the shortfall from the grid. No battery recharge prioritization over load/house ever. Does this make sense? 
 
In terms of limiting grid usage per the OP, the two most critical things for me were to shift loads to a little later in day and try to stagger (and have a sufficiently low SOC setting for daytime to accommodate the swings of power usage), and having the „limit to house“ setting permanently enabled (with a bit of battery SOC setting intervention) so that non-essentials benefit from the sun during the day. All assuming CT coil etc are correct obviously. 


 

I stand corrected: I've tested this all day and you're 100% spot-on, the Power Limit is not an Inverter Limit but rather just a Battery Limit - which is even more perfect for OP's purposes. I've subsequently set my own limits during daytime as well; my battery sends its thanks to you for probably extending its life!
 
Yes exactly: I was referring to the “Discharge Amps” setting on the "Battery Type" screen which applies across the board (Grid Up + Grid Down) unlike Sytem Mode-System1 which is Grid-Up only if I'm not mistaken;
 
 
Yeah it's perfect for your scenario; and as @ZaydS mentions, there's no harm in having it specified throughout the day since it doesn't impact PV/solar production.
 
 
 

Mine is set to 20W. I thought it was mainly for frequency synchronisation, but not sure. 
 
Check my post here:
 

Hi all.

So the "Load" figure on the graphs shows all the load that your Inverter is configured to support. When you set "Limit to Load" then "Load" only shows essential load - because that's what you asked for. When you set "Limit to Home" then "Load" includes non-essential load - again because that's what you asked for.

But I understand your frustration - It would be great to be able to see the essential AND non-essential load shown separately, rather than just lumped together.

Look at this post where I explained my solution using a custom graph inthe Sunsynk monitoring system.  

TLDR: look at the values for P-L1. That is the power flowing across the Inverter's "GRID" port.  Positive means power from grid entering the inverter. Negative means the Inverter is pushing power out to the non-essential loads.

I have a common battery busbar inside the trunking above the batteries as well. That way I can do 3 or 4 batteries in the future, should I want to in the future. A common busbar is a better solution in my opinion than to daisy chain the batteries.

You can set the synchronisation updates to 60 seconds (via sunsynk.net login). Less sore thumbs on the app refresh! 

In fact,the only places I can find even talking about this are obscure tiny sites referencing The Debrief. Like really brah
Only one falling for Chinese propaganda is you

Like..."The Debrief" is now Mainstream Media?
Modina you need a psychiatrist...or an exorcist

Just wanted to show case a small Powerwall I build using 18650's
Built this bank on 2020, been running for 3yrs, and so far only had only pack have an issue with 1 x 18650 self discharging which I changed out.

Summary:
3360 x 18650's
3 x 9.5kwh banks = 28.5kwh 
DIYBMS Monitoring

 

Thanks!!! 
This forum is great! A real brotherhood where we learn tons like you can end up actually charging yourself for the electricity you spent 100s of 000s to produce 🙈🤦‍♂️😭
 
Thanks to both of you @GreenFields @Kalahari Cruiserfor your helpful reply. I now have that little bit more insight into all this. 👏🙏🏼

That is ONLY the meter reading fee ( AMI Fee ) that is being reduced.
There are other fixed monthly fees as well. I have a previous post somewhere with those costs, If I remember correctly it is over R500pm
They use fancy clever words to bamboozle clients to entice more people to apply to feed-in.
"This is a massive, 94% reduction from the current R96.20 “AMI Access Charge” fee (see clarifying note at the end of the article)."
Also look at all the articles they are pushing out in the media to make it sound like it's a good ( profitable ) thing to feed-in to their grid.
It's just a way for them to get cheap power from solar clients to then on-sell at good profits to everyone else.
I am not against feeding in to the grid, but with the average size of solar installs and the crazy fixed costs, it simply is not worth the effort going the feed-in route for most residential sites, especially if these sites are 1st using power and then left with a tiny bit of excess to sell back.
As I have previously said, in my opinion it is better to find more creative ways to self consume the excess power you produce.
If you have massive spare roof-space and some extra cash then go for it, sell back and do your bit to save the politicians 🤣
 

Yes the SunSynk website is sorely lacking in this regard. There are at least 3 "5KWH batteries". I actually called SS support about this and they were unable to assist (albeit I was specifically enquiring about the IP67 battery - which late last year was still new). Someone at Herholdts however was able to tell me that the IP65 version battery is BYD.
My understanding is that the earlier models use CATL cells and the latest ones are using BYD cells. 
i.e. 5.12 KWH in the outdoor IP65 housing - round edges and button at bottom (I have two of these): BYD cells
10.6 KWH battery (I understand is also BYD)
5.32 KWH battery (I've been told BYD)
Non-IP65 5.12 KWH battery: (I've been told CATL). 
I believe the two types can't/shouldn't be mixed. 
Take none of the above as fact, just where my enquiries and research led me at the time. 

SS 5KW inverter specs:
Solar Input
Max power input – 6500W
Max V DC input – 370V (100V~500V)
Max current input – 13A + 13A
MPPTs – 2
MPPT Range – 125~425V
The 500V max input should not be exceeded under any circumstances, and considering safety margins, aim for max 450V for planning purposes.
Divide 450V by the VoC spec of your panels if connected in series  = 8 panels per string should be good and safe (450/52.24). In fact 7 versus 6 panels per string already brings you closer to what I understand is the 370V sweet spot. 9 panels might even be possible but perhaps sailing a bit close to the wind then. 

Herewith dimensions of the SS 8KW and SS 5kwh batteries - boxed - in case the OP @p_i still requires this. 
I assume it's the box dimensions, given it's on the outside 🤪. 
 

I also can’t find this online - the CS3W series only up to 455W, but not 550. There have been stories of fake CS panels being sold…were they sourced from a reputable supplier (not if they were bought from SunPower)? Another clue might be their size - my 550w panels measure about 115(w) x 227 (h). 

Read my post to a similar question you posed yesterday
In your scenario, those 8 panels seem like the perfect pairing, assuming they’ll be connected in one string in series, facing one direction. Again, just divide the inverter’s max volt input by the panel’s VoC spec (or multiply your 8 strings by the VoC of a panel), and you have what seems like a great pairing well within the inverter’s spec. 
 
Regarding the amps, should you go slightly over (per spec), then the inverter clips the current. I don’t think the panel spec poses any issue for your inverter but perhaps others can confirm. 
 

SS 5KW inverter specs:
Solar Input
Max power input – 6500W
Max V DC input – 370V (100V~500V)
Max current input – 13A + 13A
MPPTs – 2
MPPT Range – 125~425V
The 500V max input should not be exceeded under any circumstances, and considering safety margins, aim for max 450V for planning purposes.
Divide 450V by the VoC spec of your panels if connected in series  = 8 panels per string should be good and safe (450/52.24). In fact 7 versus 6 panels per string already brings you closer to what I understand is the 370V sweet spot. 9 panels might even be possible but perhaps sailing a bit close to the wind then. 

SS 5KW inverter specs:
Solar Input
Max power input – 6500W
Max V DC input – 370V (100V~500V)
Max current input – 13A + 13A
MPPTs – 2
MPPT Range – 125~425V
The 500V max input should not be exceeded under any circumstances, and considering safety margins, aim for max 450V for planning purposes.
Divide 450V by the VoC spec of your panels if connected in series  = 8 panels per string should be good and safe (450/52.24). In fact 7 versus 6 panels per string already brings you closer to what I understand is the 370V sweet spot. 9 panels might even be possible but perhaps sailing a bit close to the wind then. 

Ah right, I did a cursory google and found various sites saying the Voc for that panel is 49.9V ( online vendors as well as solardesigntool.com).
But just read the specs off the C Solar website product sheet and indeed, the Voc is quite low and 10 panels in series no problem. 👍🏻

I can't give you specific advice about strategies for the deye/sunsynk because I have a different brand of inverter. But we all face these problems, and so describing my situation might offer some insights.

You can see my system in my signature. 

Situation: Before converting to PV, the meter showed about 13 to 14 kWh per day. Two geysers
1) Main geyser. 200l. Heated by a heat pump which draws around 1.4kW. Lots of added insulation.
2) Guest geyser. 150l. Heated by an element. We don't use this often with just two of us in the house.

(1) runs twice a day on a timer. Early morning (this moves around a bit with load shedding schedules), and midday. It is given 1 hour in the morning, rarely takes more at midday. This is backed up. I can do this because of a general strategy which is to do as much as possible in the sunlit hours. This usually leaves me with a fully charged battery at about 16:00, and because we don't run any appliances at night (just the kettle a couple of times), because the geysers are on timers, because we have got into the habit of keeping our consumption low after 16:00, there is usually better than 60% of the battery available in the morning, and so I have enough in hand to run the heat pump. By midday I will almost always have PV or grid, and will still have juice in the battery.

The key thing here is that when you use anything with the word "solar" in the name, you have to make it work when the sun shines. Solar geyser? Same thing. And this means you may have to modify your own routines. When we had a solar geyser at our previous home, we tried to do everything involving hot water in the afternoons and early evening. 

The second geyser is not backed up. It is on a timer so that it doesn't run the same time as the heat pump. It is run in the early afternoon. The element has been downgraded and the thermostat is set to 55. On a sunny summer day this geyser heats up in 2 hours without alarming Eskom. So once a day, in the early afternoon. Not great, but better than a kick in the pants. And it costs me very little.

I move the timing on the heat pump around out of cautiousness. I can run it early in the morning, but I like to run it when the grid is up. Just in case. If my inverter trips (is overloaded) then it will restart given the presence of PV or grid. So that informs my cautiousness.

I think I've seen this sort of thinking quite a lot on this forum, and I see it with friends who have recently installed solar (our system is 4 years old now). Especially with the current stages and regularity of load shedding and, as I said, to maximise the benefit, you have to make some compromises. We don't run our dishwasher over night any more. We try to do everything involving more than a TV set or a light bulb during the sunlit hours. The main geyser seems to retain heat until well into the evening - my wife sometimes showers at 21:00 - and I am guessing that this is helped by the insulation on the geyser itself and on the hot water pipes. We also take care to not have (for EG) the kettle, the microwave, the heat pump, the toaster all running at the same time (I also have a ... principle more than a rule that when we replace anything, the replacement may not use more energy, preferably uses less). 

Anyway, PV households have to modify their routines. The trade off is always having the WiFi up, the fridges running, the TV and the lights and the security on, etc. Four years ago this was sometimes a hard concept to sell. Right now it is much easier.

Yup. I can do the same with timer settings on the Sunsynk.
 If you want to use battery for essential load only, you must set “zero export” and “limit to load”.
if you want to use battery for non-essential too, then set “zero export”, but do NOT set “limit to load”.
 And all of the above are subject to the minimum SoC that is set in your timer. So even when you allow battery to be used for non essential load, it will stop doing so when your minimum SoC is reached. This allows you to preserve capacity for load shedding.
Edit: these rules apply very similarly to the PV production when the Sun is shining. If the battery is above minimum SoC, PV production will be used first for essential load, then non-essential load, then to top up the battery. Often it is doing all three simultaneously.

Hello everyone.  For those of you like me who are looking to compare the various panel spec sheets, here is one i have put together from the data sheets for the panel manufacturers and size range that I am interested in.  Feel free to add to it if you have additional info.  THe sheet has info for Canadian Solar, JA Solar and Jinko Solar panels from 570 to 630 watts.
 
 
Solar Panel Comparison -Canadian-JA-Jinko.xlsx