Againstthegrains

I am reviving the thread, as I have the same inverter with the same F55 DC_volthigh_fault that occurs randomly during the day (11h00 - 15h00), once a week or so. On one MPPT I have 9 panels (Japan Solar 330W, Voc 46.4V), in series facing NE. On the other MPPT I have 8 of the same in series facing NW. This gives me a max voltage of 417.6V on one string and 371.2V on the other string. The panels are a few years old and a bit dirty, so the voltage output is considerably lower. What I have noticed, is the error seems to occur in the middle of the day on cloudy days, where it is overcast, and suddenly the sun comes out. Is it possible that the inverter glitches and cannot handle the sudden jump in voltage? Or is something else wrong?

If you are doing the work yourself, just do it at night when there is no change on the panels🤪 4mm solar cable is perfect for most applications. Unless you have a huge number of panels that require a higher Amperage. Just make sure the different brands of connectors are compatible with each other. They should be. You can easily confirm the outside clip is ok, but inside is more important. There should be no loose internal connections that can ark and melt the plastic connector.

For your power tools, if they don't pull too much current, you can get a three phase emulator, which will then convert the single phase 220V back into three phase 380V. Another option for the tools, would be to run the 12KW inverter off the batteries as an island, and then use solar to charge them.

I am installing a Sunsynk 12k 3phase inverter with 4x5k BSL batteries, on a DB that has a PE coming in from the municipality. There seems to be a lot of debate as to what the requirements are for earthing different components of my system, most of which concern the use of an additional earth spike. I am approaching it the following way, but there are a few questions: Non Essentials : DB to sunsynk - use municipal PE bar on DB Load: Sunsynkto DB - use municipal PE bar on DB Earth Neutral Bond connector in Island mode - I am assuming the PE remains functional even during load shedding so I can connect to the PE bar on DB? or should I create a separate earth Spike for this? BSL batteries case - use municipal PE bar on DB? or should I create a separate earth Spike for this? Unlikely that there should be a fault, but I'm not sure if a surge of DC down the PE will do any damage to the inverter or DB? PV Array surge protector - use municipal PE bar on DB? or should I create a separate earth Spike for this? I'm not sure if a surge of DC down the PE will do any damage? Solar panels frames - I know this should be on a separate earth spike. I live in a low lightning area, and the panels are on a metal roof with lots of downpipes, one of which goes into the pool. So I would assume this acts as a earth for a possible strike.

Great Idea, but in South Africa it is illegal to transfer power over a property boundary. So a microgrid would be illegal.

https://www.explorist.life/how-to-fuse-a-solar-panel-array-and-why-you-may-not-need-to/#:~:text=Each solar panel has a,What is this%3F&text=Since the Maximum Series Fuse,handle a max of 15A. https://pqrs.co.za/solar-pv-fuse-considerations/ Upon further reading, based on these two references, where in my case, my panels are all in series on a single string. I actually don't need a fuse. A fuse is only of value when you have number of strings in parallel, and IS based on the short circuit rating of the panel, and the number of strings in parallel.

So then does it work like so? PV cable diameter amp rating PV fuse (amperage less 25%) 4mm 55A ~40A 6mm 70A ~50A 10mm 98A ~75A

I need to choose a fuse to use on my PV strings of 330W Japan Solar panels @ STC Short circuit current is 9.28A Max Power current is 8.77A @ NOCT Short circuit current is 7.4A Max Power current is 6.97A Which value do I base my fuse requirements on? STC or NOCT values, and short circuit current or Max Power current? If fuses are meant to be the current plus 25% it would be either a 12A or 10A, depending on which values I use?

Thanks for the reply, I'm off to go shopping for Mr Z.J. Beny and friends. Wish me luck in finding someone with stock🙄

I have 9x 330w Japan Solar panels on the NE facing roof and 8x 330W panels on a NW facing roof. Max open circuit voltage (STC) for each panel is 46V and max power 8.7A. My old/current inverter is an old mecer, that used 3x3Pv and 2x4PV strings in parallel on a combiner box. And as I found out the inverter has only 1 MPPT and because the strings are on different roof angles but all on the same combiner box, the system doesn't work very well (yes, there are bad installers out there.) I'm upgrading to a sunsynk 12k 3p and so I need to up the input voltage to the new inverter to make it compatible: My plan is to put the 9x NE panels in series and connect to one MPPT and the other 8 xNW panels on one string in series going to the other MPPT. This will give me a voltage of around 400v on each string which is what the Sunsynk likes (Input range 200-650V). Please tell me if I'm wrong here, so I don't blow my inverter up). The chase from PV's to inverter is about 16-20m. I have a number of questions relating to the wiring and isolaters and fuses/surge protectors: What gage solar wire is minimum for this load and distance to go from PV to inverter? 4, 6, 10mm? What else do I need to put between the PV panels and the inverter? Cut off switch/isolater ? One per string? A fuse? If any, at what rating? On pos and neg cables? A surge protector? We live in George, so there is not much lightning? 3. If I can reuse some of the old cable, and I need to join pieces together, is it ok to use a high amp chocolate block connector, or solder a join plus tape/heat shrink, if the the joins are not exposed to the elements?

If I understand the SunSynk 12k 3p manual correctly, I would put essentials (lighting internet TV) on the generator/auxilary connection, and the rest to run as non-essential. I can then control these using the battery percentage or voltage. In other words, run everything, including geysers during load shedding, until the batteries drop to say 50%, and then run the essentials down to say 40%, and then use candles and smoke signals when I get to <25%. Is this right? The next question, is then how do I rig a 3 phase DB so that the inverter does not cut off the essentials on one of the phases? Am I correct that all I need to do is put the essentials on 1 phase and then separate these with an isolator on the DB?

My first post on this forum. I have a 3 phase DB, and a few years back I had an installer put my essential loads on a single phase 5k Mecer inverter with a 5k battery backup , and a few PVs. I have now decided to upgrade the system myself (I'll get a sparky to do the AC work) and I'll do the battery and PV connections. I'm putting in a 12k 3phase sunsynk with 20k of batteries, and 5000w worth of panels. My concern is that 20Kva / 400A of batteries is not going to be enough to get me through 4 hours of load shedding between 6-10pm, if the 2 geysers are on, and my teenagers are using all the hot water. Is there a way to switch off my geysers during loadshedding, so that they don't draw on the batteries ? I was thinking of putting them on a relay, so that if the grid power goes, the relay switches off the geyser? Is such a thing possible? or are there other ways of doing it?