daniemare

I do not have 4kw PV yet. Will have from this Saturday. Currently only have 2.4kw. I use 20-22kwh per day of which I generate 50%. (Use to be 16-18 before my heatpump went) But you make a good point. I am first going to see hiw my system performs when I have 4.2kw PV. Then make the call.

Base Load - 500W. SoC starts at 30%, but I can't get it currently to 100% (see below regarding to small PV). But I get to 90% when PV rpduction stops at 17:30-18:00. (This includes an 1/2 hour of geyser heating and 1 hour of kitchen undercounter geyser heating). Reach 30% at 00:00 - 02:00 depending on evening activity. Problem is, I do not have good data on my Self Consumption ratio for the last while due to the changes in my system planned and unplanned. Summer months 2023: Heatpump YES with 7.2kw Battery, 2.4kw PV 50:50 Summer months 2024: Heatpump NO with 10.8 kw Battery, 2.4kw PV still 50:50 Winter months 2023: Heatpump YES with 7.2kw Battery, 2.4kw PV 30:70 The PV is low yes. Due to me upgrading as I got good deals on batteries, it lagged, but this saturday I am adding another 1,8 to get to 4.2kw PV. Expect the Summer months to improve to 60:40, but winter, with my limited knowledge, that is a guess at best, but hopefully I maintain 30:70. So I see my scenarions as 1 - I can have Batteries 10.8kwh and PV 4.2kw PLUS Heatpump 2 - I can have Battries 14.4kwh and PV 6.2kw NO Heatpump 3 - Save the money, Batteries 10.8kw and 4.2kw PV NO Heatpump Maybe 3 is the way to go untill I have some winter data.

Thanks Bobster. I know we have the same Goodwe Inverter. My current use is 5-6kwh (measured average) a day on the Geyser since loosing my heatpump. 1kwh is covered by solar currently. My experience on my old heatpump is 1:3 COP in practice. So I can save 66%. Call it 70% for newer tech. That is a saving of 3.5kwh per day (summer experience) or R10 a day, R3,650 a year. @R20k quoted cost that is 5,5 year payback. So initially my thinking was exactly as you explained, just replace the thing. But then I started wondering. If I still spend the R20k, but on solar expansion. (R10k on used battery I can get and am comfortable with, rest on 2kw panels and maybe a new smaller rated geyser element). My thinking is I can still save on the heating bill, maybe 40% and not 70%, BUT I have more excess solar for cloudy days, or summer running the aircon. My savings might actually be better. Hence why I am fishing for opinions

Hi All - Need opinions My heatpump of 8 years have packed up in Decemebr. Will cost R17,000 before installation. Currently running element. Some facts. My heatpump used +- 1.5 kw/h My geyser now use +- 4kw/h I run the geyser for an hour before solar production I run the geyser for 30 min at 12:00 My current system 1x5kw Inverter (geyser not on essentials) 10.8kwh batteries 4kwh PV Now my options. 1 - Replace Heatpump 2 - Buy another battery (3.6 kw @ R10k used) plus 2kw of panels for difference. I am based i Stellenbosch. During summer I had a positive experience with element. But winter will drop ambient lower and I will struggle loading my batteries during the day. I do not have any battery capacity left when my geyser turns on for morning heating, so that is at R3/kw. Can’t decide. Your opinions welcomed.

From your graphs your loads never go above 3kw. How is your system wired? The Goodwe will assist loads from your non-essential loads of the geyser and oven/heating sources (I am assuming you have traditional ones) From a settings point of view, are you in General Mode?

Not directly responding to the topic of this thread. But for years I have been running in either General mode (Stage 3 or less) and Eco Mode (stage 4 up) with no issues. Then Goodwe began to “enhance” their SEMS platform, stop PV Master app and switchbto SolarGo app. And for the last 6 months nothing works as expected on a constant basis

Yes I know. Therefore the post. I want to understand how I can add a generrator as I cannot do it through the inverter

Hi All Considering what can happen this winter. How would one go about incorporating a small generator with the Goodwe ES inverter. This inverter does not have a logical inverter input from what I understand or can identify. Thanks in advance for your advice Danie

To be honest, for me SEMS is for reporting And in emergency make changes. PV master is to make changes. But I must say, recently both have been bad. Inhave logged tickets but no joy.

Hi. I use PV Master to make these changes. Use SEMS and off site only to switch to Backup mode if its an emergency. I also use my Unifi Router VPN to use my PV master app when not in my house. This is helpfull for more detailed changes

Hi I am helping a friend install a system at his new house. The DB board is in a cupboard in the kitchen. So we are debating where to put the inverter and battery. One option is to just install the Inverter /battery back to back with the wall the DB is in. But this will then be outside. Based on some forum members’ experience, is this advisable? And what enclosures did you guys use? Thanks in advance.

Yes sure, some days you might still be idle. I am idle but another 3,6 battery will solve that for me if I really want to make ise of my spare solar - definitely better payback than the proposed export t&c and a 10k meter (even a 5k meter) But if you have so much spare capacity that an additional typical 3-5 kW battery can’t absorb that (takinf into account winter and loadshedding) how many panels did you go with

If you have idle, and resucing yiur bill further is your aim - Buy another battery and get R3 / kWh guaranteed (and with escalations). Yes a sub R2k meter might change the sums. But even at R5k, with monthly fees and no guarantee, why????? What I also foresee when having this new meters is that a fixed energy availability fee is not to far off. A change that will be implemented last for traditional pre-paid meters. So there is these ifs and buts to consider too. I will bet good money, that once you are on that new meter, you cannot revert back to you old billing setup.

Fully offgrid people aside Why would you invest in a 10-12k meter and R100 plus per month fixed fee to get R1 per kWh, WITHOUT a long term contract protecting the R1? If you can buy another battery (in my case 3.6kWh @ R20k) and save your extra energy for use when they charge you R3 per kWh and climbing? I will consider this if the meter is free and the fixed fee is part of the current fixed fees. I am still trying to wrap my head around a smart meter at R12k that needs a R100 pm meter reading fee. How smart is that meter?

Thanks Jaco But no luck. It just appears that the inverter is behaving like an off grid inverter, with the solar only supplying the backup load.

Hi All. My basic setting on my Goodwe: - Grid Tied mode - Battery depth allowed to 20% This gives me my best payback. With stage 4 and 6 I set this 20% to 40% for stage 4 and 50% for stage 6 in order to handle 2 boats of load shedding after the sun has set. Offcourse we do not always have a second session and then I start loosing payback. So here is my question. Is it possible to tell the system to use the Grid to charge my battery back to 40% at night. I can then set the DOD lower, knowing that the system will top up the battery if needed ready for a second load shedding event at night?

Hi Bobster I managed to do this via SEMS app on iPhone. It looks like a Beta function, but it works. I have attached screenshots 1 - Click on devices 2 - Click on Configure 3 - Accept disclaimer 4 - Screen similar to PV Master options

Hi All My neighbour has a Deye inverter and came to me for help as his installer is just shrugging his shoulders. I self installed a Goodwe, so familiar with concepts, but unfamiliar with Deye. He just installed solar panels - 3kW. Problem: It appears that his panels are only supplying his backup load - even when Eskom is on. He has hardly hit more than 500w from his panels, whilst I have output of above 2kW. We plugged in a kettle in a backup plug, then the Panels go up 2kW, but when I plug it into a non-backup plug, the panels do nothing. CT clamp is installed, but unlike my Goodwe I can’t find a meter test anywhere to check if it works. Any help with the settings will be greatly appreciated.

I have 2. Idea is to have 1 (current string) face north, and the other face west Thanks. See the spec sheet is great at stating the Current as 11 / 11 Amp (meaning 11 amp on string 1 and 11 ampt on string 2) But the Start Up Voltage 125V and MPPT Range 215 - 500V is not stated in the same way. So with "Accross Both strings" I mean 1 - Is this the start up voltage of each MPPT individually OR 2 - Is this the start up voltage of the system, meaning if 1 string gives you 80V and the other string 60V it is 140V and the system will start? Conversely, if 1 String gives you 250V and the other string gives you 300V the system voltage is 550V and this outside of the MPPT range. But you did awnser me, those to are per string. Just do not know why, (like for current) can't they go Start Up Voltage 125V / 125V MPPT Range 215 - 500V / 215 - 500V So bottom line, if I want to do a west panel string, it must be a full string that meet the 125V and 215-500V requirements.

I explored this myself. Pumps were much more then. But then realised that going solar with a hybrid inverter for your house gets you there plus the benefits of having solar for the rest of your house. I run my pool 4 times a week. From 10:00. My 2,4kw panels is then enough to charge my batteries and run my pool pump. Bottom line, could not justify the expense only for a pool pump. From your link it is R10k. I know that is much less than a R100k system but can only do pool.

Hi All, I currently have 6 (400W) Panels in Series. Under NOCT these do about 38V max, and thus 228V total The Start Up volrage of my inverter is 125V. Now my understanding was that this voltage output must first be reached before the Inverter start using the power produced by the panels. The MPPT Range is 215 - 500V. This, as I understand it, is when the MPPT does its magic. So up to now all work as intended and my system with it's 7.2kWh battery is running at a balance I like. Yes there are still some days, especially in summer, that the panels are idle, but I cannot do another battery now. My question however is regarding the Start Up Voltage In the mornings, I can see that my panels start producing 60W or so as soon as the sun peaks above the mountain (and from the East, my panels are North). I can see it is not the MPPT that is working, because within 15 minutes or so, the production jumps (and not like the typical curve for the rest of the day) So is the panels actually procuding before it reaches the 125Vstart up voltage? (For this assume Eskom is on) Follow up question If I were to put 3 panels (additional) west, to extend my production during the day (and delay using the batteries). Will this work if 114 (38V x 3) is less than the start up voltage. Or does start up voltage consider both strings in aggregation? Does the MPPT voltage range of 215 - 500V also work per string or accross both strings? Thanks in advance Danie

Part of the issue. The guys at Lumax Energy from where I bought my KlipLok roof Brackets and Clamps from will work with me and consider the wind. Might need to do a thin wire cable from the top at an angle.

Standard practice but illegal! Even if B2B

Thanks. I forgot about this site. I normally ignore sites that advertise ex-Vat. If they ignore things like the VAT act that prohibits this, I often wonder what else they ignore - like shipping your online orders 😜 As to why. I am researching and considering the vertical installation of these panels in a West (good side) / East (back side) orientation. https://www.ee.co.za/article/bifacial-solar-pv-modules-give-increased-power-output-potential.html#.XncAKyWxUlR I have attached 2 articles as to why I am exploring this. I have limited space and my 6 north facing panels over produce during peak midday times, but I get nothing after 17:00. So I am moddeling my 3 options. - exporting - another battery - late afternoon and early morning production to better match load. So I needed to know the price ofthese things to do the math.

Hi all, I am looking for BiFacial Panels. I want to buy 4 or so (400Watt/11Amp) but can’t find any at the usual online suspects. Plan is to put them vertically an orient them West / East. Any contacts? Thanks