TimG

So I purchased one of these Elon Smart Water Heaters, pretty easy to install and have it connected to 4 x 330W panels all in Series. Yesterday was the first full day of Solar being delivered to the device and it did it's job. Heated the water temp from 39 degrees to about 64 degrees by about 14h00, so overall happy so far. Definitely slower then conventional AC power. Now to organise CoC.

Good morning Forum, I did a quick search but couldn't find anything on the Elon Smart Water Heater, although it seems similar to the Elon100. This product: The Elon Smart Water Heating Unit | Kwikot Has anyone worked with it and have any experience with it? I am thinking of connecting it to 6 x 330W panels which I currently have no use for: Although ideally, 3 would be for my 1 geyser and the other 3 would be for other geyser. Thanks.

Panels are: 2 x Canadian Solar 330W Panels 4 x Mecer 330W Panels

Looks to me like a 3kw (Geyser 1) and 4kw (Geyser 2). Attached are images of Geyser 1 (mounted outside) and Geyser 2 (which has the Kwikot 600 Dual sticker on it). Geyser 1: Geyser 2

Hey Scoobs, Unfortunately no. :(

Nope, this is the only time they run. I don’t have them set to run over night.

On average, geyser one draws about 5kw a day and geyser 2 about 4kw.

Hey Hennie, I’m not 100% sure, but by viewing the draw on the inverter. Geyser one is 3kw and geyser 2 would be 4kw. Panels face north at 21degrees. Max power I’m currently getting from the panels is about 3-3.2kw. I have a feeling the batteries are just never catching up, so they charge but don’t ever seem to hit the 100% mark. So when the geysers kick on, the 3kw draw and 3.5-4kw draw from the geysers take battery power. I’m hoping for a relatively inexpensive way to assist the geysers heating so the dar isn’t as long when they run through the inverter.

I guess what could add as well is average usage is between 400-500W. But additional items that run daily: toaster (2slice) Washing machine (1-2 loads)

Hey Hennie, Current Inverter: Mecer SOL-I-AX-5P Panels: 8x545W connected in 4P2S GEYSER 1 1 geyser is for showers and it’s used at night from about 18:00 by three users (this is the 150l geyser) GEYSER 2 1 geyser is for the kitchen and is purely for washing and occasionally a guest in the guest bathroom (this is the 200l geyser) Geyser 1 runs via the inverter from 11:30 to 13:00. Geyser 2 runs via the inverter from 13:30 to 14:30. Hope this helps. Unfortunately I don’t have much further info with the older style inverter. Batteries are 2 x EasyPower Elithium 51.2V100Ah (5120W) connected in parallel so 200Ah in battery. Utility kicks in at 51V and turns off at 54V on the battery.

Good afternoon Forum, I'm looking for a solution to heating water. I have 6 330W panels that are currently collectiong dust but I would like to use them to assist in the heating of water for 2 geysers (they are 150l and 200l kwivot geysers) at my home. Currently both geysers run on a timer through a 5kw inverter, but they're killing the batteries (2 x 51.2V100Ah lithium batteries in parrallel) and I'm wondering if there is something I could do to assist with warming the geysers before the geysers have to run through the inverter that would help stop them running the batteries down. Thoughts?

If you could, that would be greatly appreciated. Or let me know what the formula is and I can do it myself.

So, ideally, my wiring should look similar to this? Wouldn't running two strings into 1 neg have the same effect of running my old setup? i.e. too many amps through the cable?

Hmmm, but that would mean I would need to run 6mm for each string before paralleling them in the box. A fair amount more to spend in on cable In that case.

Thank you Youda, lets see what others have to say and take it from there.

Hey @TaliaB and @Youda , Thank you for the replies. On that information, I have reconfigured the system. See attached wiring diagram. Thanks.

Hey Guys, I currently have 8 545W panels connected in a 4P2S setup, this then runs into a single 6mm positive and 6mm negative solar cable via a MC4 4in1 Y connector to the inverter via the breaker box. Question I have is, should I rather run two 6mm cables and connect 4 panels to each cable. Just wondering if the cable may be limiting the current I am getting from the panels? Thanks.

Very interesting. Appreciate it. My results won't be much different. I'm in Johannesburg. What app is that?

Ah right.

Good morning, Sorry, replying via mobile seemed daunting last night. So now in front of a PC, reply via that. Thank you for all the comments; it has been highly informative. To answer some of the questions: @HennieL - are you pulling a load of more than the 2200W that your panels are producing? - If no, then switch on your stove plates, oven,, heater, hair dryer, etc. one after the other around 12:00 when you have bright sunshine, and see if the power produced increases. My geysers start pulling around this time so pulling up to 3000-3500 Watts over that period. So, the demand is there. Just thought I would be closer to 3000 watts over that period. And my batteries are never full, so they should theoretically always be pulling at max amps. Think my current max charging current is 60 amps. A third matter to consider: The rated capacity op all PV panels are greatly exaggerated, being based on a theoretical maximum production under perfect, laboratory solar intensity. In real world, one should be happy to achieve only 75% of this rated capacity- most often even considerably less than that. As an example, my Canadian Solar 575W panels are rated at 435W nominal (real world) capacity by the manufacturers... So then theoretically i'm looking at about a 3270 Watts as a "normal". @Scorp007 Then the 21 degrees in winter will also negatively affect the production. If the panels were at 35+ degrees the output will be quite a bit more. I always assumed panels worked more efficiently in cooler weather. But you say 35+ degrees will result in more energy production. That is quite interesting. @TaliaB Just out of interest, in your calcualtion you x watts by 0.8, is this to factor in the inefficiency of the panels? i.e. 4360w x 0.8/48v Appreciate the comments.

Just to add. I get some shading over all panels until about 08h00 and slowly the panels become unshaded, so by 11 I have no shading until about 16h00

Good afternoon, I have a question for all you fundi's. I have 8 x 545W Solar Panels connected in 4P2S (4 Parallel with 2 in series). The panels sit on my roof and are at a slight disadvantage of only sitting at about 21 degrees but are north facing. My question though is, even at midday sun with no shading effect I only seem to be generating 2300 to 2400 watts. Why do the panels just not seem to be producing? Am I being unrealistic to think I would get closer to 3200/3500 watts or even 4000 watts? Therotically, the panels could product up to 4360 watts if in perfect conditions. Or is the angle really not playing nicely? Btw, connected to a Mecer SOL-I-AX-5P. Thanks in advance.

And if I add more panels? Say add another 4 panels? Would I be risking it with the 4000w max solar input rated on the inverter?

Good afternoon, I need some input. Currently running 8 x 545Watt solar panels into a Mecer SOL-I-AX-5P. Currently I have the in pairs, so two panels in series to create 1 unit then the 4 units run to the inverter in parallel. But is this the best setup or should I be looking at a different setup? Panel specs: - Power selection; 0-+5W - Peak power [Pmax]; 545W - Max power current [IMP]; 13.1A - Max power voltage [Vmp]; 41.8V - Short circuit current [ISC]; 13.9A - Maximum voltage system; 1500V - Open circuit voltage [Voc]; 49.75V - Maximum overcurrent protection rating; 20A Inverter or MPPT specs: Rated Current: 80A System Voltage: 48VDC Min Solar Charge Voltage: 40VDC Max Solar Voltage (VOC): 145VDC Thank you

Good morning Forum, I'm looking for a wifi dongle for the Mecer SOL-I-AX-5P. Would something along these lines for Axpert System work on the mecer? - Voltronic Axpert Wi-Fi Module - RCT-AXPERT WIFI Or does anyone have another option they would recommend? Thank you.