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I think one could get away not installing one (technically) in Cape Town. Lightning is a rare sight this side. Having lived most my life in JHB though, I can't see how anybody WOULDN'T have one installed in JHB and surrounds. Electrical storms there are apocalyptic at times.

Thanks for the honest reply, same here hobbyist DIYer 🙂

Well they selling their SunSynk 5.5k under or close to cost, so unless they running a loss xmas deal then be careful.
Calling or emailing does not help to find out if a company is legit.
Rather stick with the suppliers that are well known to the community and if possible get referrals from reliable sources

Very Simple Python script to send loadshedding status to influxdb for use in grafana on raspberry pi
Tip: If not already installed add the nano editor to your system, its just easier to use
Now Create file called loadsheddingcheck.py
You can do this i your home directory or anywhere you like to load your scripts, just be sure to change/edit the cron according to your preference.
touch loadsheddingcheck.py Then
sudo nano loadsheddingcheck.py
Add (copy paste) the following code to the file and save (ctrl x y)
from urllib.request import urlopen import json from influxdb import InfluxDBClient import datetime url = "https://loadshedding.eskom.co.za/LoadShedding/GetStatus" response = urlopen(url) data_json = json.loads(response.read()) print(data_json) theLoadsheddingChecker = [{"measurement":"Loadshedding", "tags": { "Country": "South Africa", "Utility": "Eskom" }, "fields": { "Stage":data_json } } ] influxdbClient = InfluxDBClient( host = 'HOST', port = PORT, username = 'INFLUXUSERNAME', password = 'INFLUXPASSWORD', database = 'INFLUXDATABASENAME' ) influxdbClient.write_points(theLoadsheddingChecker) Then add a cron to run every 30 minutes to check loadshedding status (or whichever check interval you prefer
open cron editor (will ask which editor, use nano as its the easiest)
crontab -e Then add the following line to the bottom at the last open line and edit to suit your requirements (the example below is for every hour).
* */1 * * * /usr/bin/env python3 /home/pi/loadsheddingcheck.py > /home/pi/loadsheddingcheck.log 2>&1 ctrl x y to save
Now in grafana add a Stat card and edit the settings and add some value mappings to show the correct stages.

End result

Sure.
First you will need an account with solcast for the forecast. The free account works fine for this, you get 50 api calls I think for free.
Once you have an account, set up a site with your panels total kW capacity and the angle they mounted as well as the direction. Mine is 3900w mounted directly north at around 45 degree angle.
Once done, grab your site as resource_id and the api key.
Then add this to your yaml somewhere (configuration.yaml): Mine is at https://github.com/tinuva/home-assistant-config/blob/master/packages/goodwe_dod.yaml
rest: - resource: !secret solcast_forecast_resource #resource: https://api.solcast.com.au/rooftop_sites/RESOURCE_ID/forecasts?format=json&api_key=API_KEY&hours=72 scan_interval: '00:30:00' # RATE LIMIT! sensor: - name: "Solcast Forecast Data" force_update: true value_template: "{{ value_json.forecasts[0].pv_estimate|round(2) }}" json_attributes: - forecasts - name: "Solcast Forecast 10" force_update: true value_template: "{{ value_json.forecasts[0].pv_estimate10|round(2) }}" - name: "Solcast Forecast 90" force_update: true value_template: "{{ value_json.forecasts[0].pv_estimate90|round(2) }}" Then in the the UI, create a card with the following yaml code to get the graph. Replace the sensor.goodwe_ppv with your own actual solar/pv sensor.
type: custom:apexcharts-card graph_span: 36h span: start: day offset: '-6h' header: show: true title: Solar Production vs. forecast show_states: true now: show: true label: now apex_config: legend: show: true series: - entity: sensor.goodwe_ppv stroke_width: 2 show: extremas: false color: '#FFF700' name: Actual unit: W fill_raw: last extend_to_end: false group_by: func: avg duration: 30min - entity: sensor.solcast_forecast_data stroke_width: 2 show: extremas: false color: '#3498DB' transform: return x * 1000; name: Forecast History unit: W fill_raw: last extend_to_end: false - entity: sensor.solcast_forecast_10 stroke_width: 2 show: extremas: false in_header: false color: '#797D7F' transform: return x * 1000; name: Forecast 10 History unit: W fill_raw: last extend_to_end: false opacity: 0.4 - entity: sensor.solcast_forecast_90 stroke_width: 2 show: extremas: false in_header: false color: '#797D7F' transform: return x * 1000; name: Forecast 90 History unit: W fill_raw: last extend_to_end: false opacity: 0.4 - entity: sensor.solcast_forecast_data stroke_width: 2 show: extremas: false in_header: false color: '#E74C3C' name: Forecast type: line extend_to_end: false unit: W data_generator: | return entity.attributes.forecasts.map((entry) => { return [new Date(entry.period_end), entry.pv_estimate*1000]; }); - entity: sensor.solcast_forecast_data stroke_width: 2 show: extremas: false in_header: false color: '#797D7F' name: Forecast 10 type: line extend_to_end: false unit: W opacity: 0.4 data_generator: | return entity.attributes.forecasts.map((entry) => { return [new Date(entry.period_end), entry.pv_estimate10*1000]; }); - entity: sensor.solcast_forecast_data stroke_width: 2 show: extremas: false in_header: false color: '#797D7F' name: Forecast 90 type: line extend_to_end: false unit: W opacity: 0.4 data_generator: | return entity.attributes.forecasts.map((entry) => { return [new Date(entry.period_end), entry.pv_estimate90*1000]; });  
All of this is based on testing and ideas from https://community.home-assistant.io/t/rest-api-command-platform-fails-on-post-to-external-url-solcast/143238/141

I also prefer the power distribution card. However my favorite card is the apex bar chart I set up to show actual vs forecasted solar production.
 

The above is what is shows now in the morning.
Yesterday some time during the day it looked like this:

with the latest firmware   SUB mode still feeds to the grid if PV wattage reaches 2000w and more sometime not I've had 2600w of pv with no feed to grid
just wish the had something in the firmware to turn Grid feed in off (SUB mode)


only Utility mode and SBU mode  never feeds into grid
utility mode will charge the battery and send surplus energy to the loads   but once battery is full the MPPT goes into standby  only to be woken up if you switch to SBU

so  i only run SBU now   have 2X Pylon US3000C batteries   and 2 strings  with a total PV of around  4000kw so  SBU mode works fine for me
I only use SUB if the load is high and pv low due to rain etc.
then if there's high load but partly cloudy  i use utility mode if i want to charge the batteries and prevent prepaid meter trips.

then SBU mode as much as possible the rest of the time (90%)
 

 

SYNAPSE-3.55KWH-48V-RM - R 17 950,11

You are absolutely right. Each house hold has its own needs never argued that.  All I am trying to show people that you can get going for less work to a good system. My friend choose Tesla het spend R230K a year later batteries are giving problems and he is back paying "normal" electricity.

Expensive systems scares many away where the cost defective people can see and start the sooner the COCT's and Esdoms will start feeling the crunch.

Esdom is expecting a loss of revenue of R2B on solar.  If people understand you can start with 4 panels an inverter then that R2B will become R4B quickly.
I am not anti systems or batteries or what ever. I am only trying to show people there is a more economical way.  Thus far I am successful in helping others to get independent. I do not do it for an income I simply want the ANC, DA, EFF to get less $ in their coffins. 
Not about technical best or ...  There are not "that" many that can start with a batt, 8Kw inverter and panels.  But there are many that can start with 4 panels and a 2Kw inverter and experience the change.
 

We on Eskom direct and have had a fixed charge for years which has been steadily increasing, about R1800/mth at present before we switch anything on  - will be off grid later this year

All I can see is this accelerating migration to off-grid, which will just make their situation worse.
They are in such a mess:(

Or, it's the extra stability due to the 2.5x capacity. Or some combination of both.

54.2 means 54.2/15 = 3.613 VPC average. This isn't great for the cells, but not bad either. The small charges and discharges are inevitable, and would not be hurting, in my opinion.
However, it would be better for the cells to stay around 3.5 VPC once fully charged, or around 52.5 V total. It would be great if one of you Pylontech guys figured out the commands to send to the Pylontech BMS (via the console port, an RS-232 port different to the main RS-485 data port) to change the float voltage to that 52.5 V. I think that then the inverter-cable-to-BMS system would work well, with good cell longevity, and few if any panic disconnects from the BMS due to the Axpert overshoots.

Hello, had the same thing & flashed 71.94 that resolved the PV bypass issue for me when the battery SOC reached 100%
related posted earlier by myself:

Is my Axpert King destroying my Pylontech battery? - Batteries - Power Forum - Renewable Energy Discussion

That is a dealer price, I've asked for their US2000 price if you are interested & will revert back. Don't mind reselling as is for science 🙂 
Rubicon Partner Portal (rubiconsa.com)

It will work, just make it the master battery all will be good. 

Ha! I wish I could just buy more batteries and let the smaller unit go. These toys empty the ol bank account too fast! Mind you if I get the +1 and find out it does not work you'll find me lurking this forum trying to sell it I'll keep you in mind  
Ps:tonight will be cycle 31, so it's still new

Hi Hagu13.

I have been running Pylon us2000b(x4) + us3000b (x2) for around 20 months now and my battery bank currently reports a 98% state of health (SOH).
If this rate of degradation remains linear then after 10 years, theoretically the battery bank should retain 80 to 90% SOH.

For the 3 months of winter I drain my battery bank down to 30% state of charge (SOC).
I stop at 30% as I cannot fully charge the battery bank from PV the next day if I go any lower.
If I had more panel power I would be comfortable taking the battery bank down to 20% daily for the 3 months of winter.
During summer the battery bank typically only drops to around 60% SOC by the time the sun rises and then is back at 100% by around 12h00 on a sunny day.
Summer plot

Winter plot (24% SOC on this day and just missed getting back to 100%)

I run the entire house (2x geysers, pool pump, fish pond pump, cooking (no gas), air conditioning units for heating & cooling the home (30000BTU total)) off of the PV and battery storage.
 

Ok so i flashed to latest firmware from https://www.ostrovni-elektrarny.cz/support/Axpert/FW/
 
MAX7200_Main_CNTL_DSP_90.11 and  MAX7200_RemotePanel_Reflash_MCU(12.03)
and since the update SUB (line mode) no longer feeds power into grid.
will monitor but seems that the issue was fixed with a firmware update 

A post yesterday reminded me to check the linked site for recent firmware files. I had not looked for over a year, and found 3 recent firmwares there.
One of them is removable display firmware 02.60: https://www.ostrovni-elektrarny.cz/support/Axpert/FW/RemotePanel_Reflash_MCU(02.60).rar
This is listed as an Axpert King firmware, but I'm guessing that it would also work with Axpert VM III main firmware version 91.20, also on that site: https://www.ostrovni-elektrarny.cz/support/Axpert/FW/VMIII_Ver91.20.7z
The removable display firmware adds another BMS type, LIC. There was for a long time type LIB, which I thought might have stood for LIBrary, but now  it looks like it stands for LIthium type B and LIthium type C.
There is also an Axpert Max 7200 W main firmware version 90.11 there: https://www.ostrovni-elektrarny.cz/support/Axpert/FW/MAX7200_Main_CNTL_DSP_90.11.7z .

Solved this issue  right is the Battery  left inverter 
so battery pin 8  to inverter pin 3  and battery pin 7 to inverter pin 5 


 

There's some good info on Lithium battery degradation available at https://batterytestcentre.com.au.  Here's their Pylontech US2000 testing over the past 3 years:

The manufacturer claims 6000 cycles at 80% DOD, which would take almost 20 years to achieve assuming a full 80% discharge every day.  We don't really know how these batteries will age, but I would be (pleasantly) surprised if they will last anything close to 20 years.

Looks like eventually a step in the right direction no licenses hopefully also means no bribes need to be paid. There is mention of a “roadmap for our energy sector for the next decade” 
Looks like we won’t be packing our inverters away soon🙂

Had some time today to add the battery charge/discharge info.
Also moved things around a bit to make sense for me
See updated Grafana JSON and new Solar Sketch with added battery charge discharge code.

Power Monitor-1600266455741.json rev1_02_amps_volts_temp__hum_batdisscharge_charge.ino