CCC Energy

good luck wiring 2P with 16mm on a 36MU-45MU load control and isolator panel, it is a lot easier to specify 40A continuous at 10mm with C50 MCB

Anyone got any thoughts on the best way to get 4mm or 6mm solar cable to the panel, lets assume you have 20mm BOSAL conduit in the roof, then I guess you have two choices 1. Connect Kopex to the end of the Bosal and come around the roof edge eves to the panel where a nylon cable gland is on the end of the Kopex 2. Drill through the tile and put a Dektite lead panel (needs replacing after 8 years) to a Bosal upright in the roof 3. Other ?

Most of their SSEG policy seems aimed at maintaining or improving revenue at the expense of everyone else, hence I have taken the approach that current and future installations will have a standard hardware install with various electrical interlocks that can do both and that the choice of Category B = grid tied Hybrid SSEG either with "uncompensated" feed-in or with the "customer makes a loss" "pay for the privilege" SSEG tariff Category C = Type1: Passive standby UPS utilised as Off-Grid Hybrid SSEG where I just throw the switch and go OFF-Grid during the entire solar day Becomes a software configuration issue and not a wiring and installation issue, if the Municipality makes it expensive and painful people will remain off grid

The item I am still unclear on is Category B = Grid Tied Hybrid SSEG which is a new category, I was going fine until I got to item 5 which says "If essential loads are interconnected with the grid, the Compulsory Isolation Change Over Switch ...", do you have any idea what they are getting at, it is grid tied, so of course the essential loads are interconnected with the grid, so in effect they are saying there is "a compulsory isolation change over switch required" without a hint of how they expect it to operate So I guess they saying the following: A changeover switch is required to disconnect the SSEG Outputs from the load DB board and connect the main DB Board directly to the CoCT grid without using SSEG passthru, the changeover switch must simultaneously disconnect the CoCT grid from the SSEG AC Input thereby bypassing and isolating the SSEG from the CoCT grid and the DB Board

The question comes down to what the CoCT envision is being switched with CoCT power by the transfer switch, the SSEG AC INPUT, the SSEG AC OUTPUT or BOTH and what they permit in an application that makes your system fit into this category INPUT implies that Passthru is OK and Charging is OK, the input to the SSEG is switched between CoCT Power and a Generator, the output is the load DB Board with two sections sacrificial loads and protected loads, Normal ATS functionality applies here, they are probably thinking to only use the SSEG on power failure only and that anything else is classified as a grid tied SSEG, but the user is thinking to disconnect the CoCT power every solar day to operate Off-Grid and resume CoCT power at Night OUTPUT is the way they normally think, where the entire DB Board is switched between the SSEG Output and CoCT Power, and that the SSEG acts as backup power supply in passive UPS mode to the CoCT Grid in case of power failure, I am not sure what their thoughts will be on deliberately disconnecting CoCT power to operate OFF Grid all day BOTH implies that CoCT expect their grid to be disconnected from both the SSEG AC Input and load DB Board when the SSEG is operational using a 4 pole ATS for single phase power (i.e. 8 input wires and 4 output wires to switch CoCT power on and off from the SSEG input and the Load DB Board simultaneously), feed-in is impossible when disconnected and that when connected they expect the load DB Board to be directly powered by CoCT power and that any SSEG input is for battery charging only So if anyone can shed any light on what the CoCT thinks a "Type1: Passive standby UPS utilised as an off grid hybrid SSEG" is and how it connects and disconnects, because it all seems to be a bit hit and miss to me, you put your application in and if your project engineer thinks it isn't possible for there to be any grid feed-in you are good to go, if anyone has been refused this Type1 classification because they are not switching the OUTPUT with an external switch, or they have had their application refused because they intend to deliberately disconnect CoCT every day and not on power failure, that would be useful information

WHAT IS a Type 1: Passive standby UPS utilised as off-grid hybrid SSEG: ======================================================= Implication is that the SSEG has an Off-Grid Mode and a Passive UPS mode, the requirement is to have a transfer switch but the documentation does not say what the transfer switch must do What States are allowed in this type of system and what activities are allowed in which State ? STATE 1 = OFF GRID Nothing/Genset ——>Input to SSEG—> Output from SSEG—>E.L.—>MCB—> Load .AND. GRID—>Nothing or Unprotected / High Power Loads Only invert BATTERY—————————>| SSEG can do what it wants as it is Off-Grid STATE 2 = Passive Standby UPS, Charging Allowed and Passthru Allowed, Inverting Not Allowed >> must switch to State 1 GRID——> Input to SSEG—> Output from SSEG—>E.L.—>MCB—> Load charge BATTERY<———| Same as a load shedding system when it is in charge mode with Passthru STATE 3 = Passive Standby UPS (charging allowed but No passthru allowed,... SSEG is a.n.other load that charges the battery... grid connects directly to all loads) GRID——> Input to SSEG—> Output from SSEG—>NOT Connected to Any Load .AND. GRID——>E.L.——>MCB——>All Loads charge BATTERY<————| Implication = No load = No demand for power = No Inverter activity = No Feed-In = Electrical Safety STATE 4 = No Charging allowed and No Passthru Allowed Nothing/Genset ——> Input to SSEG—> Output from SSEG—>NOT Connected to Load .AND. GRID——>E.L.——>MCB——>All Loads charge BATTERY<———————| Implication = SSEG Must charge with its own resources, Solar or Generator, it remains Off-Grid permanently When the transfer switch detects loss of Grid or the SSEG starts the solar day it initiates STATE 1 When the SSEG reaches the end of the solar day or a Dark Day depletes the battery it initiates STATE 2 or 3 or 4 (whichever is allowed) Assuming State 1 is allowed Q) Which of states 2,3,4 are allowed and what are the conditions for allowing them (N.B. State 2 is how all Existing Load Shedding Systems are connected, so if this is not allowed then all Load shedding systems in CoCT are illegal)

OK, so lets be a bit more specific 5kW rated PV Inverter (AC Output) - Fully panelled 5kW rated Inverter Charger (to convert between AC and DC) rated at 70Amps DC Charging 4 kW rated PV Charger (DC output) - Fully Panelled To qualify for Grid Tied SSEG, this system would have to be software limited to 15Amps AC Charging = around 60 Amps DC (after losses) Charging and 3.5kW Feed-In and have a maximum inverter capacity of 13.8kW (in this case it is 10kW if you add the two AC sources), all of this can be done fairly easily BUT maybe the feed-in requires a technical knowledge of using Modbus TCP to set the register that limits feed-in on the venus or cerbo, I would have to check the latest menu software for the Venus/Cerbo to see how easy that will be, otherwise their are two other options get a 3.5kW PV Inverter instead and prevent PV Charger feed in (that is a menu option) or go for a non-grid Tied solution as follows:............ =Type 1: Passive standby UPS utilised as off-grid hybrid SSEG: I still am not sure what one of these actually is and what the rules are around connecting it, I am assuming that there are a ton of rules about this not in the document, not sure what the interlock rules are here around the connections allowed for the transfer switch, because the document does not explain them. IS it 1. Input to hybrid SSEG = Grid AND Output from hybrid SSEG = load (Condition = No Inverting takes place, locked by software, system is in Passthru mode) --- Or is GRID PASSTHRU just not allowed at all with a type 1 system (this is how every load shedding system is installed today which means they are all non compliant) OR IS it State A = OFF-GRID where 1. Input to Hybrid SSEG = Alternate Power source (Generator) or Nothing AND 2. Output from hybrid SSEG = load (GRID not involved at all) State B = Passive Standby UPS where 2. Input to Hybrid SSEG = GRID AND 2. Output from hybrid SSEG = Disconnected AND 3. GRID = Input to Load (no passthru allowed) The Make-Break-Make switch either manually or automatically switches between state A and State B above where state B has the hybrid SSEG as just another load able to use charging, or is using the GRID as a hybrid SSEG battery charger also not allowed?

Please accept my apologies for making the above statement, it is not possible to interlock the MultiPlus II (any hardware version) because Victron changed the way the remote on/off switch works from the original MultiGrid/MultiPlus system, it now is a pure 2 contact on/off switch and does not have the 3rd Charger Only Mode pin, not all of the documents on-line reflect this change and maybe this is where the CoCT got their original clause (b) in Appendix 4 from. The MultiPlus II can be put into charger only mode, but this is with the on/off switch at startup, so a hardware interlock in case contacts jam is much more difficult than I previously thought, hence my thinking is that if you have 2 transfer switches (one internal to the MultiPlus II and one an external ATS) then maybe clause (b) goes away?

Perhaps @plonkster or one of the other people experienced with the cape town application process could confirm if they allow a PV Inverter power of higher than 3.5kW to be used in this manner

Hi, for those who have experience of the CoCT and the draft CoT regulations, I would like to ask the following for a 60Amp Single Phase Residential Supply with a conventional meter: If I have a Fronius 5.0-1 (5kW) PV Inverter AC Coupled on AC Out and a 250/85 PV Charger (4.08kW) DC Coupled with 9kWp of actual panels (rating) which can produce a maximum of 8kWp of power due to west facing azimuth of some of the panels and I use the feed-in register of the SCADA system (Cerbo) to limit feed-in (set it to 34 =3.4 kW), I have 22.2 kWh of lithium storage, does this qualify for SSEG ? My actual feed-in will be negligible, I worked out that the maximum feed-in using SPU-1 tariff has a return on investment of 14 years which is longer than the RoI of the rest of the system so, it is not worth doing under any circumstances, hence the best approach here would be to give my excess power away to the city for free, the CoCT document states that you have to use the SPU-1 tariff but contradicts itself later when it says that you can SSEG connect and give the power away for free using a prepaid meter and your existing tariff, Which is it ? Next lets look at going off grid / Passive UPS, neither of the stated cases apply to what I want to do which is use it as a Passive UPS at night (Using Grid Passthru on the input AC input through to the Output AC) and "OFF-Grid" during the day, I am not generating or self consuming at night, I can even interlock it to the remote power function on of the Multiplus II 5000 to put it into charging only mode to prevent it inverting, this also prevents the Fronius from inverting if the ATS jams during load shedding (Annex 4 item b), during the day I can completely disconnect from the Grid and reconnect switch back to Passive UPS mode with the ATS if the battery becomes too low on a dark day (using the relays and battery level monitor), here I can set Fronius zero feed in and set the Multiples to not feed-in (invert) Solarcharger power when the battery is full. During the day, the system is effectively "Off-Grid" and during the night it is in "Passive UPS Mode", is this allowed and does it pass the Municipality "Smell test" because I am doing both "Off-Grid" and "Passive UPS" at different times of the day and not one or the other ? Technically I can generate 5kW from the battery using the MultiPlus II and 5 kW from the Fronius at the same time, also the spec of the Fronius is above the 3.5 kWp, but it is not being used on AC Input, (traditional Grid Tie), rather it is on AC Output and is Software controlled, I want to use a Fronius 5.0-1 (5kW) due to high domestic power consumption Technically I am using the ATS to switch the AC Input to the Multiplus from Grid to nothing (or diesel generator) and not the loads, is this allowed because that would not switch the loads between SSEG output and Grid? I could switch both the inputs and the outputs using the 4 pole ATS, but then I loose the remote interlock, need to think about how to use only 1 common pole or will need a 5 pole ATS SO in TSHWANE, I understand that the regulations are informal in Tshwane and that any SSEG application results in a forced meter change when the final regulations are not promulgated and may still change, this tells me that making an application is a bad idea as it could cause a double spend on meters and clearance certificates and consultants, and that no one gets the SSEG tariff anyway which I didn't even see in the 2021 tariff table (it was R0.1 last year) Thats quite a lot, have I got things about right ?

I installed a Hagar single phase SFH225 (25A) switch for my PowerStar IR 4000W/24V Batery Inverter (Loadshed system), used it 250 times no problem whatsoever Now I am moving to my new home which is 3 phase (every appliance is single phase), so I guess the cheap approach to conversion is going to require some thought, two things are in play, 1 = DB board work and 2 = If I also install solar panels, which got me thinking about using a 3-phase Fronius Symo during the solar hours. DB board work is urgent so I guess, lets start there, could replace the 2-pole 25A Hagar SFH225 switch with a 4-pole 40A switch SFT440 to start with, going to need to split off the heavy 4kW loads = cooker and geyser and think about the 1kW loads = Kettle, Air conditioner, Pool, Air Fryer, Iron all over again. I can just wire the output of the single phase inverter to all three phases of the SFT440 and move my single phase 25A Earth Leakage and Overload Protection device to between the inverter and the Hagar instead of between the hagar and the loads on the single phase system, in effect convert the house to single phase when load shedding occurs. Because I already bought my system once already and don't feel like buying it all over again just because I am moving house, or spending a lot on DB board work. I have a second inverter available Outback 3048E, so I am thinking about putting that in as well to up my inverter power to 7kW, so one phase gets the outback and the other 2 phases get the PowerStar IR, would need a second earth leakage device for that and group the neutral bus bars correctly if not already done in the DB board. I am going to have a long think about the Fronius symo and how or if it should/could be deployed in this configuration vs DC MPPT panels and going off grid with 7kW inverter power where the existing inverters can become the primary source of power with the HAGAR switch being used to revert to eskom power on dark days. I think I might post a separate question about that.