markus_m2

YES, love your work @Kilowatt Power, that's brilliant!

Because the pool pump is, unfortunately, on the same circuit as some outside essentials...but I'm not too worried about that, it's a very efficient "multi-speed" pump (around 300w continuous) and will obviously run only during the day - obviously a cloudy day will call for it to be switched off.

Hey guys, What have the clever okes out there done to be notified when there's load shedding? A decent hybrid setup automatically kicks over to battery when grid supply fails, which is brilliant! However, only the non-essential loads get kicked off, most of which we never monitor... My issue with this is: You'll happily continue running the pool pump and other appliances which drain the battery unnecessarily. More importantly, the maid unknowingly plugs in the iron for example, which is beyond the current rating of the battery. So, I'm thinking a 2 stage warning system: An audible alarm, similar to a UPS, but which one can "push button" deactivate until the grid is back. ("yes, I hear you, grid is gone, thank you, be quiet now") An indication lamp, which comes on and stays on permanently during load shedding. Even after the audible "acknowledgement" one still sees whether grid is supplying or not. No 2. should be very easy, using a relay you connect the light on inverter power onto the NC portion of a relay, and connect the relay "coil" to grid supply. When grid is present, the relay is switched to NO position, meaning no light, when grid fails the relay flicks back to its standard NC position, voila, the light circuit is closed... No 1. however, similar to No 2. above, but how to wire in a push button deactivate switch? Any other clever solutions you guys have come up with? Cheers, Markus

Hey guys, Just a quick update on the above: I had an old pre-paid meter lying around which I re-commissioned and wired into my panel for 2 weeks for testing. End result: Goodwe Smartmeter with CT-clamp is about as accurate as can be! Efergy Engage CT-clamp meter is completely unreliable - I could live with 5%, maybe 10% out, but the Efergy over-reads by anything between 10% up to 100%! Municipal Meter reading slightly high, may get them out to replace at some point...

Hi Plonkster, What you say about both circuits needing a light makes sense, but that's in contradiction to your original post further up? Your one light on essentials also won't warn the electrician to grid power when he switches off the inverter supply... Anyways, I can have the Goodwe SmartMeters' light act as my "Grid power live" light. Just need to install a "inverter live" light...

@plonkster, to expand on your SOP, what about putting in a single light, difference being that it's mostly off and only comes ON when the grid is disconnected? My reason behind this would be to have some visual warning that there's load shedding, and of course it will double up as an indicator light in case the electrician cuts the grid. A simple relay would do the trick... An additional audible warning would be first prize - load shedding creates an annoying buzzer that you have to acknowledge to switch it off. Anyone know how best to design such a audible warning system? (I presume a more complex relay setup)

Mine is just a single battery, produced Jan this year, so ya I guess it'd be fair to expect that sort of 10% drop since then...

Wow. Interesting, would've thought higher...thx for the info...

Hey guys, Just finished our Pylontech US3000 install on a Goodwe inverter. What SOC do these batteries ship with? Ours was at 50% - would've thought for extended "storage" (or shipping from factory) one wants it charged up to a higher SOC?

Hello all, Goodwe system now running since three months - very happy. Finally took the plunge and bought a Pylontech battery yesterday - a single US3000. The optional brackets are quite pricey and to my mind don't serve much purpose unless you're paralleling a few batteries... For a single Pylon: Is such a bracket necessary? Possibly for cooling, but surely same could be achieved by appropriate placement (mounting) of the battery? A certain supplier tried to sell me a cabinet, saying that the battery warranty is void if not mounted in the cabinet. I walked straight out of that store, but that got me thinking Pylon may actually void the warranty if you cannot prove that the battery was mounted either in a cabinet or with the optional brackets? Thanks in advance... Markus

Hey guys, So this lockdown has given me time to closely monitor the energy of the newly installed PV system. Straight to the point, I've got three energy meters measuring the municipal power usage: 1. Goodwe smartmeter as part of the Goodwe install. 2. Efergy Engage (basic ct clip) 3. Municipal meter (old rotary type). Comparing 1 to 2: The near instantaneous readings are out by a large margin, and more confusing is that the difference isn't constant - Efergy reads anything between 0% and 80% higher than the Goodwe. Typical reading when house is sleeping: Goodwe: 170W / Efergy: 245W Comparing 1 to 3: Municipal meter reading over time around 10% higher than Goodwe (comparing exact same time frame 20 days). So my question is, which of these meters is the most accurate? Goodwe smartmeter measures usage based on accurate voltage reading and ct clip amp reading. How accurate are such ct clip measurements? Municipal meter - would have expected this one to be accurate, but who knows? Old rotary type, could this be "off" by 10%? I don't expect the efergy meter to make top accuracy list 😉 For one it only measures amps (assumes 240v)...but still, one wouldn't expect it to be that far off (up to around 80% higher than goodwe). Maybe ct clips don't measure power factor "lost power" compared to the municipal meter? Goodwe ct clip correctly installed (correct orientation and also directly onto mains feeding into house) - is there any further "best practice" when installing the ct clip? Example: keep as far as possible from other cables, if possible let cable run through the middle (rather than just hanging the clip on the cable), etc? Or does it suffice to simply just clip around the cable, even if the negative or other cables run right next to it? Thanks guys, appreciate any input from those in the know...

I am enjoying the outcome of the answers so far, thanks guys...looks like "out of sight"" she goes 😉

We have 8 panels in one string. I've found a lot of earthing info on this site, but can't find a specific answer to this question: Does one really need to earth each individual panel, or is it OK to earth just one and have the mounting structure effectively earth the rest (aluminium / Renusol rails), or maybe earth even second or third one (in which case you may as well just do each one). Many thanks - for future answer to this and also all the other good info you guys have posted, this is one of the best sites I've found in ages and I find myself checking "new posts" every time I have a free minute

Hey guys, Our DIY solar install is coming along very nicely! Goodwe 4.6 2.5kwp on the roof Pylontech 3000 (unfortunately didn't get it before the country ran out of stock, but installing everything so as to make this a quick add once we get one). Goodwe and sub-DBs are being installed in the garage - from the garage it's a double brick drill straight into the kitchen cupboard of a flatlet. Flatlet is not being used / kitchen cupboards are empty. I would like to do it this way so as to keep the expensive battery out of sight and safer (the garage itself isn't particularly secure, already bit worried about the inverter being stolen). Questions - How much of a fire hazard do these batteries pose? (Pylontech or similar) Obviously many install these indoors, but would you prefer an "outdoor" (garage without flammable materials) install if possible? (weigh up fire hazard vs. battery theft hazard) And how hot do they run? Logic tells me they should be installed in a ventilated space (could install small fan in cupboard door) but then if I look at the Pylontech cases there's not much ventilation going on there between two stacked batteries?

Can one lay the EzMeter cable (between Smartmeter and inverter) in the same conduit as the AC cable, or should one rather separate? Fact that the Ezmeter is generally installed inside an AC DB-Board makes me think it should be fine, but I remember someone saying one could lay such comms cables together with DC cables (thereby inferring that they shouldn't be mixed with AC cables?)

I'm also after one in Pretoria / Jo'burg? 😎

Hi all, With the recent shortage of batteries, I would like to still go ahead and install a Goodwe ES and PV on the roof, and then add the batteries at a later stage when they become available. This wouldn't be an issue, would it? Surely there's no restriction or reason which says this inverter HAS to have batteries connected?

My last deciding factor in CB vs fuse - I know one shouldn't mix AC and DC cables in the same trunking or DB, what about two pairs of DC cables with different voltages? In this example, can one install into one single sub-DB the cables and circuit breakers for the PV (350VDC) AND for the battery (48VDC)?

Guys, please indulge my ignorance and learning process: Looking for a CB between Pylontech batteries and goodwe inverter. Comparing the following two: Single Pole and Neutral MCB 100A (230 VAC - 60 VDC) Double Pole MCB 100A (400 VAC - 125 VDC) What's the difference between 1P+N compared to 2P? I suspect this point alone will sway it towards the more expensive option 2? Also, does 60V DC leave enough "room" (I suspect it should), or would you rather overspec with 125V of option 2?

The past few weeks spent reading posts here have been invaluable - learnt a bucket load!!! Thanks to all the knowledgable guys for your contributions! This is an amazing forum...

Appreciate @plonkster Sho, that ABB breaker is indeed a bank-breaker 😂 What about something like Hager - Says it is "Compatible with DC Voltage Application", although it doesn't give much more detail on it's DC compatibility - it's rated voltage is 230V AC, considering the battery will be call it 55V max DC (Pylontechs) I'd think this breaker should be good? Schneider Electric C120N series - specifically mentions rated operating voltage <= 250V DC Lovato - rated 60V DC. Not sure of the brand Lovato though? (last thing I want to do is install some cheap crap)

Thanks Plonkster, so it really only comes down to cost? The space saving, reduced complexity and ease of troubleshooting capability the CB has over the fuses may just justify the added costs Any recommendations on DC circuit breakers? Looking for a 100A Battery "disconnect" CB (correctly DC rated)

Hi guys, Everybody seems to protect the DC side of their installations (battery to inverter and PV to inverter) with fuses rather than circuit breakers... I know fuses generally interrupt the flow of power quicker than a CB - is this a requirement / preferred on the DC side? Any other reason why fuses are preferred over CB's? Cheers, Markus

Another one for you clever okes out there So one has a hybrid setup...wanting to have an "alarm" of sorts to tell me when there is load shedding. Most basic solutions I guess would be a relay of sorts with an indicator light - only lights up when Eskom does what it does best. Even better would be a combo light as above PLUS an audible alarm of sorts - something that beeps quite loud when power first goes off, and subsequently beeps at half volume every 10 seconds or so - with a push-button to "confirm" / stop the beeping. Any ideas / any standard products out there that offer this functionality?

@Fazil Actually, they were recently added to the CoCT approved inverter list (latest list here) Link indeed doesn't work, I cannot seem to edit my original posting to update the link - here link to the inverter's general website...