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daniemare

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  1. Haha
    daniemare reacted to GreenFields in CofCT feed in tariff appears to be R1.04/kWh.   
    Can't speak for CoCT, but NMBM uses a bi-directional meter with SIM card and GPRS antenna regularly sending your data to the municipality's data centre.
    As a side note, around 2 years ago NMBM suddenly stopped billing its solar users, and it turned out some admin oke at the muni seemingly couldn't understand why these SIM cards needed to be paid every month, so he stopped paying it, and the service provider duly cancelled all the SIM cards.
  2. Like
    daniemare reacted to JacoG in Deye Inverter Settings.   
    I would say you have to tick time of use at the top. Also play around with the battery percentage to get the most out of your batteries.

  3. Like
    daniemare reacted to wolfandy in Start Up Voltage   
    Cool. Then the 2 different directions will work
    Correct
    But the west-facing string would not be my first priority. I am also in CPT and at one point I also added a west-facing string with the same idea as you have.
    Here is my production data from yesterday. Orange is my total production across all strings, Yellow is my North string (4.5kW), and Blue is my West string (2.2kW). Each Grey horizontal line represents 1kW of production.

    At 18h20 both strings were still producing around 1.4kW. At 18h45 the North string produced 0.9kW while the West was at 1.1kW. At 19h30 it was 160W vs 435W. So a bit more, but not that significantly. And in winter it is even worse because the sun is not that strong anymore that time of day...
    I get much more from my East string (also 2.2kW) than from my West. East in Blue and North in Yellow (each Grey line is 0.5kW production):
     
    You can see how the sun comes up over the mountain to hit my panels on the East string
    So if you want to add a 2nd string, I would rather recommend East than West
     
  4. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from wolfandy in Start Up Voltage   
    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.
  5. Thanks
    daniemare reacted to wolfandy in Start Up Voltage   
    Yes, I have seen on both my Sunsynk as well as my previous Victron MPPT that the MPPT often starts producing before it gets to the 'official' start-up voltage.
    How many MPPTs does your inverter have? If you 2 MPPT in your inverter, then you can put panels into a different direction that your current string (if I understand correctly that is what you want to do). If you only have 1 MPPT, then I would advise against putting panels in different directions into 1 string.
    You might get a bit of production out of the string, but not nearly as much as the rated capacity. I would advise against this.
    If you have 2 MPPT, then the start-up voltage is for each MPPT individually
    What do you mean by 'across both strings'? Do you mean paralleling 2 strings on 1 MPPT? I would only do that if you have the same voltage across both strings. Otherwise you will end up with a complete mess
    On a side note here: I would advise against this. I have 3 separate strings (each in a different direction and on it's own MPPT) and the panels towards the evening sun are giving me the lowest production out of all.
    If you want to add panels, I would add them in your current (I assume main) direction and beef up your string voltage. You will also get a bit more production out of it in the evenings as your MPPT will not shut down as early as it currently does (due to higher panel voltage). Not an extra hour or so, but a bit. And it will start up earlier in the mornings due to the higher voltage.
  6. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from ___ in Central UPS in sectional title apartment building   
    Here is some problems. 
     
    Firstly you said “some owners” are gatvol. Guarantee this will bring your first problem. Whilst everyone is gatvol, these communal systems seem like a great idea. Like you said, scale etc. But then, loadshedding subsides for a while. Some owners are landlords and want to keep their investment incheck. Other sell after only a year of getting value. Or some start realising that they use power sparingly, whilst your neighbours don’t and you start wondering why did you pay the same. And before you know it you have issues at every AGM. Been there done that.
    2 - how you charge, especially when it’s done monthly must be done in such a way that it is not construed as selling electricity, something an HOA cannot do without regulatory approval. 
    3 - (on this I only speculate), the legality on wiring another grid on premises, but as you said, your problem. 
    4 - 200W per unit (did I read it right)? What are you going to do with that? Good LED TVs can be up to that alone.  What about DSTV, wifi and some lights, although small it adds up. Put at least 600W per Flat and do your calc again.
    5 - Liability. This damn plug that the HOA supplied surged and killed my R70,000 OLED TV I bought last week. Please replace. 

    If it was me I will do 2 things:
    1 - Spec a good 3kW inverter, 2.4kW/h battery package. An “approved by HOA” of some sorts. 1 Consult, 1 Electrician etc. Then use the bulk buying power of the group of individuals who are truely gatvol to secure these items as 1 purchase. 
     
    2 - Find a fairsish way where indiciduals can use common space to errect 1 or 2 panels of their own that feeds their individual inverter to charge the battery and carry some of the backup off grid load. 
     
    in closing, I just cannot see how a Grid Tried communal backup system will be worth the hassle and regulatory effort
  7. Sad
    daniemare reacted to ___ in Central UPS in sectional title apartment building   
    Your point 1 is actually a good one too. I can just see someone wire up his 5kVA gennie (because that's quite a common size at your hardware stores), and grabbing the nearest 10A cabtyre to wire up his connection... 🙂
     
  8. Thanks
    daniemare reacted to Louisvdw in Same or Separate DB   
    You can put it all in the one DB, but it needs to be separated and clearly marked.
  9. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from Fuenkli in Victron Quattro Grid back-feed.   
    They also didn’t know. But I got the Conlog guy and the Municipality guy to talk to one another. A light went on for the electricity department (because he personally was scratching his head because of 3 tripping case complaints he was dealing with) as he got his answer for the tripping and a way to check to see who applied or not 
  10. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from Fuenkli in Victron Quattro Grid back-feed.   
    Didn’t read through all the technical replies. But I spoke to the technical people at Conlog (the pre-paid meter supplier for S’Bosch). Whilst the tripping of the meter is due to the various anti tampering measures in the meter, this specific issue is easily disabled by a meter specific code generated by Conlog. 

    They need a written request and authorisation from the Municipality. Which is now treating this as a practical double check to check if you got your solar installation approved. No approval no code. 

    Funny thing is that the reputable solar installers did not know the cause of this tripping, or the solution when I enquired into this phenomenon as part of my ongoing system research. To such an extent that my neighbour’s system is set to 500W (as opposed to 0) export limit. His power bill is R200 less than my no solar system R1,200 per month bill, after a R210k 14kWh battery investment. 
  11. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from ___ in Victron Quattro Grid back-feed.   
    They also didn’t know. But I got the Conlog guy and the Municipality guy to talk to one another. A light went on for the electricity department (because he personally was scratching his head because of 3 tripping case complaints he was dealing with) as he got his answer for the tripping and a way to check to see who applied or not 
  12. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from ___ in Victron Quattro Grid back-feed.   
    Didn’t read through all the technical replies. But I spoke to the technical people at Conlog (the pre-paid meter supplier for S’Bosch). Whilst the tripping of the meter is due to the various anti tampering measures in the meter, this specific issue is easily disabled by a meter specific code generated by Conlog. 

    They need a written request and authorisation from the Municipality. Which is now treating this as a practical double check to check if you got your solar installation approved. No approval no code. 

    Funny thing is that the reputable solar installers did not know the cause of this tripping, or the solution when I enquired into this phenomenon as part of my ongoing system research. To such an extent that my neighbour’s system is set to 500W (as opposed to 0) export limit. His power bill is R200 less than my no solar system R1,200 per month bill, after a R210k 14kWh battery investment. 
  13. Thanks
    daniemare got a reaction from midnightcaller in Heat pump reviews   
    I have one of these
    https://www.enerflow.co.za
    6 years. No problems. Set and forget
    and from my research at the time, most efficient
  14. Like
    daniemare reacted to ___ in Indicator Light Good Practice   
    I prefer that someone who knows that stuff better does that 🙂
     
  15. Thanks
    daniemare reacted to ___ in Indicator Light Good Practice   
    This is a safety thing, so what you want is for it to be super simple, less chance of failure.
    There is also the danger that someone doesn't know this DB (where the light is in) is also supplied by the grid, and then he turns off the inverter and thinks it should be dead. When there are two sources, there needs to be a light on if the thing is hot.
    If you want to see the status of the grid, I suggest using two lamps, one wired to the grid and one to the inverter. Both of them would be on during "normal" operation then. Then there is no confusion, ans both lights need to be dead before you can work on it.
  16. Thanks
    daniemare reacted to ___ in Indicator Light Good Practice   
    The important thing is that there must be at least one light on if there is power present. So you can fit two lights (so it also serves as an indication which source is active), or you can fit just one (which is what I've always done). This lamp is wired simply to the output of the inverter (top of the main breaker on the essentials DB), so that this lamp is on if the essentials are supplied.
    The point is that the electrician switches off the main breaker... and then notices there is a red light that did not go out. This alerts him to the fact that more needs to be done. That is the bare minimum you need.
  17. Sad
    daniemare got a reaction from Richard Mackay in Looking for inverter installer - Western Cape   
    Your problem is not how busy they are, but that you are in the Western Cape. 
     
    At the risk of gross generalisation and offending the handful of great Western Cape service providers (no matter the industry) I have never struggled so much doing anything at my house since moving the the fair cape. 
     
    Not to mention the rates. 
  18. Like
    daniemare reacted to ___ in Solar quote   
    Maybe it's an old quote that was adapted and some things slipped through? Maybe the spec was 19.5kWh and the hour bit got left off.... who knows.
    Me... I cannot imagine spending 70k on batteries and then going with the cheap Axpert inverter. That's like fitting a PVC bullbar to your Hilux... 🙂
     
  19. Like
    daniemare reacted to ___ in Similar Inverters   
    I find it useful to actually start with the English language and think about what the word "hybrid" means. It means it is a combination of two or more things. What things? In this context, it means that it combines features from a battery inverter with other features from a "grid tied" inverter. So it's like a fat man sitting on two barstools 🙂
    Victron terminology is to refer to the battery-less kind as a "PV inverter". This is done to avoid the confusion coming from grid tied... since not all grid-tied inverters are necessarily solar inverters (you get wind too), nor are they all battery-less (eg Tesla powerwall is grid-tied from a high voltage battery).
    A hybrid inverter also doesn't have to have a separate input and output. It could have just one connection to the grid too (like a PV-inverter). In this case, it would disconnect itself from the grid to avoid forming an island, just like a PV-inverter would.
    The Goodwe, Infinisolar and Victron units are however the same in this regard, in that they also incorporate a transfer switch (it can disconnect the grid). For this reason it usually ends up with two connections (input/output)... the important thing to note is just that this is not what makes them hybrid.
    Now... when the inverter closes that transfer switch (Victron calls it the backfeed relay), then the inverter is capable of pushing power backwards into the grid. In other words, it can push power to loads that are NOT connected to its output. You can then connect a modbus energy meter elsewhere in the installation, and the system will attempt to balance the amount of energy that it feeds into the grid with whatever that meter reads. In other words, it acts like a PV-inverter with a grid limiter.
    When you have such a hybrid with the grid-limiting modbus meter... then you technically don't need AC-out-2.
  20. Like
    daniemare reacted to Krokkedil in Online Prices vs Installer Prices   
    @Danie. Eskom is till cheaper than solar and will probably be for a while.
    I decided i will not look at payback, yes we all want to save and pay back in 5 years. I installed a small system 2 panels 4 batteries and a 3kva inverter 2 years ago. I used my bonus because loadshedding started and it was school holidays.
    3 month later I added 2 more panels. 
    last week i bought 5 more panels. 
    There are only 2 houses in our street with solar. the rest run on generators. My neighbour across the street uses R200 per day in fuel to run the generator. Durng tha last 2 weeks she spend R2800 on fuel and she bought the generator for about R9k. There are no returns on her investment
    I have spend so far about R50k on my solar system. I have not monitored the power generation or anything but when the power goes off like 1am this morning all my fans kept running, my security lights stayed on and i did not even realise the power was off until i walked down the hallway and noticed the red light on my db is off that show when eskom is on.
    That is worth the R50k i have spend.
  21. Like
    daniemare reacted to mmacleod in Online Prices vs Installer Prices   
    Exactly this.
    If installers think they are providing value for what they provide then fine, put that value on the quote and charge for it - nobody is suggesting they shouldn't make a profit.
    Placing huge markups on things like batteries instead is shady behaviour or comes across as shady behaviour, even if you can justify the end price with "well I have to handle future callouts" or whatever other reasoning - put it on the quote/invoice then.

    And don't justify this with "the building industry does it" - its just as shady when they do it, and they too should stop.
  22. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from Mike in Online Prices vs Installer Prices   
    Exactly what you said. 
    Either bond interest rate if you borrow or investment return if you have the cash. 
    But for ease of calculation, I also do high level assumption that the electricity increase washes the opportunity cost. 

    I guess I was only so surprised that marketing wise, savings and ROI is toted all the time, yet it is not there. 
  23. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from Fuenkli in Online Prices vs Installer Prices   
    I am, I deduct the equivalent of a 1200v victron inverter charger and 1 Pylon 2.4 battery and basic installation as my “convenience” cost before seeing of the rest gives me payback. 
    (And this basic setup can even be cheaper with different Inverter and Lead Acid Battery)
     
    Still struggle
  24. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from Fuenkli in Online Prices vs Installer Prices   
    Exactly what you said. 
    Either bond interest rate if you borrow or investment return if you have the cash. 
    But for ease of calculation, I also do high level assumption that the electricity increase washes the opportunity cost. 

    I guess I was only so surprised that marketing wise, savings and ROI is toted all the time, yet it is not there. 
  25. Like
    daniemare got a reaction from ___ in Online Prices vs Installer Prices   
    Exactly what you said. 
    Either bond interest rate if you borrow or investment return if you have the cash. 
    But for ease of calculation, I also do high level assumption that the electricity increase washes the opportunity cost. 

    I guess I was only so surprised that marketing wise, savings and ROI is toted all the time, yet it is not there. 
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