Louisvdw

Oh, I agree with that. My panels are also larger than the MPPTs, and my next set will also be even bigger, but with half looking east and half looking west. I'm just saying that because of my shady location I took it even further.

To mix and match panels, angles and orientation is the reason I decided to rather go for a few smaller MPPTs instead of one large one. So instead of one large SmartSolar MPPT 150/100, I have opted for the SmartSolar MPPT 100/20(48V) match to 4 panels. The SmartSolar MPPT 100/20 is about the cost on 1 solar panel. It does not have all the extra features like the current clamp of the more expensive models, but it does mean that I have a MPPT tracker for each 4 panels. As I have a bit more shade to contend with that was higher on my priorities.

That would be in the specs of the contactor. Look for something referring to the switching current.

I had a system like that in my previous home. Works very well for a solar geyser for 4 people with a 150L tank. In summer the temp could go to 80deg, while in winter it was more around the 50 deg avg. Normal solar stuff. If someone showered in the evening the water is cold in the morning, so your element needs to heat up the water. We saved about 40% of the electricity bill with this upgrade compared to the normal geyser. The GeyserWise is a great controller. If you take the slightly more expensive option that has the 12V pump with a solar panel for circulation it is worth it with the loadshedding we do have. Now I have a heat pump. Saving are the same but no more cold water in the mornings

I assume you mean Lithium batteries. (They're not specific to solar only)? This inverter is a bit basic, but should work well for what you want to do. If that battery is still fine I would stick to it until you need to replace it. If you do need to replace it Lithium battery will be better as it has longer lifespan (but more expensive up front). Now if that inverter has an option where you can disable the charger, then it will work fine. The SmartSolar will do the charging and the nice thing about the SmartSolar is that you can change the battery type and charge settings, so it will do your Lead Acid now or Lithium in future. Victron batteries are nice, but expensive. For solar panels I would go with a good Type A manufacturer. Those panels are large, so make sure you have space for the panel you select (72 cells are normally about 1m x 2m while 60 cell panels are around 1m x 1.7m). Art Solar is a local manufacturer with good reviews. I have their panels on my roof. With the SmartSolar 75/10 you can go up to about 300W panel. With the 75/15 up to 440W.

This would be your own preference. If you like things neat, then go with option b) You are constraint with the lengths of the wires, then a) is your only option. If you are going to cover this up in the case and never look at it, then neither will matter. I was constrained by the wire length during my workbench testing, so a) bird nest was my only option But by changing my battery to sit on it's side and moving the BMS a bit I do have to option of b) and as I like things to be neat I will be doing a cleanup there in the near future. My plan is to use small cable ties, so it will be easy to remove if I need to work on something.

That is what the AC relay does, so yes this will work. A contactor is just a heavy-duty relay with higher current ratings (more used in electric motors) As long as the power required to switch the contactor is within the limits of the Sonoff (plus some margin) you will be fine.

The problem with any normal suggestion is the move next year. That's why I suggest the portable option. I'd even not do the Flexopower with panels, but just get a Flexo as a UPS only. Or just get something very small like those DC UPS for a router only and only do the full inverter setup after the move. They are only R1000. (Not sure what is all included in the 350W usage)

You will need to get at least 2x US2000 Pylontech batteries for the King (Might need 3x) Each battery is 10cm think. The interver is 53cm high. The cabinet is 69cm high, so it does seem there will be space for it. You just need to make some brakets to hold the batteries, make sure there is enough ventilation to get rid of the heat and then hope no one steels it. So it can work.

The 3kVA Axpert type inverters are normally not able to parallel. And the cheaper 5kVA also not, just the more expensive versions. You will need 2 in series to get to 24V for the 24V inverter. Lithiums all have a BMS (Battery Management System) circuit and this must be able to handle the series or parallel connections. If the BMS stop the one battery the other one that is in parallel will take the full brunt of the power draw and this will be double what it normally can do, so not the best way to do this. If you don't want issues get a battery that is matched to your inverter. You also need some breakers, fuses and thick battery & solar cables to handle the amps these devices push at low voltages. This is going to push you over your limit before you even get an installer. Perhaps look at something portable like the FlexoPower like this

This wiring will trip on 50A. To make it work the positive will have to go to all 3 input terminals and all 3 output terminals, and the negative will bypass the breaker. Or use fuses

One forum member created a calculator for ROI and that has a bit of a list of the SSEG areas.

Thanks Jaaks There is a way to fix the SOC value if it concerns you, but it is a manual way. You can use a terminal client to log into the VenusOS device using SSH and then run dbus-spy. Go to the Multi and search for the SOC and edit it to the correct value. I had a similar issue (but don't have a BMV).

My 2c worth: If I understand it correctly, then the fuses are more to protect against the Amps that is going through the cables. Too much amps will melt your cables and you want the fuse to melt first, saving the cable and not starting a fire. The fuse is not really there to protect against too high a voltage. So long as the fuse is rated more that the voltage that you are using you will be fine. To protect against Voltage spikes like in the event of a lightning strike you will need a surge protection device, rather than a fuse.

Thanks for the update @plonkster I have played a bit more now during today's bake-off (skuimpies & brood). It does seem to be a bit better if I put the Grid Setpoint to 600W. This gives it a much larger buffer in which to reduce before the meter trips. Skuimpies (not sure what that is in English??) are baked at only 100Deg C, so the oven element switch on/off much more that say for instance with break which is baked at a higher temp. so the element does not switch off that often. It will be a pain to switch the Grid Setpoint each time there is a bake-off. Perhaps I should get a hack going on the Pi to do that automatically for me Oh, I have the ET112 meter, so that will be 750ms refresh.