Zapnologics

Are there any power limitations when doing this? if its a 12kw syn sync can I have a 15kw ac coupled pv? I assume the inverter will just charge with what ever it needs.

Where would the control of the pv coupled inverter be? Do I still use the Energy meter that the solid has? Would this go before the sync? If so then what stops the solid pushing up when there is mains fail? I assume some more complex control system would be needed to ensure its not pushed into the sunsync when there is mains fail and the battery is full? Is there any synsync documentation on how ac coupled pv works?

Good day, I currently have a site that has a 3phase 12kw Solis gridtie inveter at the premises. They want to add a 12kw sunsync hybrid inveter with battery backup. Is it possible to wire in the Solis after the sunsync, on its load side? This way it will operate even during loadshedding. Will the sunsync be able to charge its batteries with the Solis power should it detect power flowing upstream?

Do you know where or how I can go about doing the cancelation?

Good day all, Does anyone know if it's possible to cancel your municipal water connection as well as your sewage connection? Long and the short is that we just want to go off-grid with borehole & french drain system.

Thanks for this. Well it's with eskom directly, so im sure pushing back would not be allowed. Im not sure what thier policy is on it. So what other options do i have? Would i have to look at going for a hybrid inverter? Like the sunsync 12kw 3 phase?

Oh serious? So if I understand you, it will adapt to the lowest phase useage? So if the load looks like: L1 = 10A L2 = 1A L3 = 8A all well under the 15kw ability, then this inverter would only push 1A * 230V = (230W) into the ac system? Even though there is more than enough solar and more than enough inveter capacity?

Good day, I am wanting to install a solis 3 phase inverter on a large household im looking at the 15kw. However I cannot find any specs that say what the max load is per phase? Use case I am trying to cover: They have several geysers 4kw on multiple phases (some could even be on the same phase). This is the main load. What I want to find out is that if I get a 15kw 3 phase inverter. And lets say there is 10kw of solar available. Will it be able to direct 8kw to phase 1 with the two geyers on, and then 1kw to L2 and 1kw to L3 ? I have attached the data sheet, but I cannot see any info relating to the max power per phase. Datasheet_S5_GR3P(3_20)K.pdf

To add to this, I recently converted from account / post paid to pre-paid. Was it an absolure mission? yes 4 or 5 trips to the city centre, systems offline, loadshedding etc. But once I paid, (it was quite abit like 2 or 3k)(lord knows what for, cause they just used the same meter). Then some contractor rocked up at the house about week later to re-program the meter. and bam it was done. However I am sure they are soon going to change this rule as they are going to start feeling the affect of no connection fees. I still beleive the connection fee should be charged like a transport tax on every kwh delivered. If its upstream or downstream. Eskom should just charge for the transport of electricity. While all the energy providers charge for the actual kwh. Eskom can then even bill the energy providers. (Sort of like how fibre works). Eskom = Vumatell. Then I can choose some energy provider. Anyhow, we can moan online, its just a pitty that while our country is falling appaart due to now power, there isnt a very simple option to push back...

I have a prepaid meter installed, and i am 80% sure it will have bi direction ability. Wheastehr the munciaplity knows how to use it or not. Pretty much every power meter I have ever worked with has import and export power. I truely dont beleive the meter is the problem here. if you have an old metal dial meter, then yes sure.

Update on this, Turns out replacing the computer PSU solved the problem, the victron does have a fairly slow switch in time, but my pc even died with a UPS inline as well.

Has no one in Joburg actually gotten this right? There must be 100s of thousands of private solar systems on houses throughout JHB, how on earth can they not just allow us to push back, I am even happy to do it for free. The whole net zero rule makes absolutly no senes, that is why we have loadshedding. Why would the city not just take cheap ( or free) power and sell it)." They could pass the rule tomororw, and in a week have 1000s of people pushing back, at least we could be 1 stage of load shedding down midday, or in my mind each house could power a traffic lite. I know its a drop in the ocean compared to what they actually need, But its quick and easy to enable.

Any update on this topic in 2022? Surely there haver been some changes to legistration around this? its just madness.

I seem to be having the exact same issue. My desktop pc, with a fairly old Corsair VX650 PSU also randomly dies when there is loadshedding, or if we are on loadshedding and the geyser kicks in. I am even running a small UPS after the victron as well, it has not helped my case, It never happens when the grid comes back on. Only when it drops away. I looked today and new computer PSUs are very expensvie. Im cocidering maybe building some sort of capacitior bank to put before the Pc.

Good day peeps, So I am sitting here in the office, it is absolute anarchy, but my house is fully off grid at home. I suddently realised im living in a bubble. The office has no power, the internet and the cell towers are down, its anarchy out here. But at the same time I feel like I could be doing something. My solar is probably gonna be fully charged by 11am. Why dont they just let me push back into the grid? I dont want money, I dont want credits, I just want to help. If each house could push back 3-5kw in the day, that is another cell tower that could be working, or another traffic light? What are the implications of just logging into Victron and enabling the push back feature? I am currently on a smart pre-paid meter with City Power based in JHB. Am I the only one feeling this way, if we can help why not let us?

Yea, @Rogan I am running at 100V. So the closer your votlage is to the battery votlage. The more effecient the mppt. It's very marginal, but it essentially has to convert less. But with a grid tied solar inverter you would typically see much higher string votlages. Because it's converting directly 230vac Hope that makes sense.

Yup just like cars saying there is no replacement for displacement, I think its the same for solar. You gotta catch more rays if you want more power... I just have very limited non shaded roof space.. I have a small stream below my house, very tempted to do a small hydro generator, but wow I think realword it will just be endless maintaince and issues, river flooding, rubbish blocking it. I dono. If I changed the panels to all be in series, would I no longer need the blocking diodes, cause each panel as a bypass diode?

Thank you for pointing this out, I donot have blocking diodes in, and the main reason I did the strings in this way was to be as shade resistant as possible. But after reading up on the topic it's a tricky one to decide on. I have decent sun, I think the only way would be to test in real world and compare total consumption over a week or so. I did read that some panels have blocking diodes build into thier construction? I'm not sure if this is true, but I cannot find any info on the ja solar data sheet regarding the diodes. I have tested putting my hand over the ones and the half cut cell technology really works soo much better. I don't loose a whole panel, if just drops 50w or so. But definitely something to add to the mix. Further question. If I had two victron mppt chargers, will they have blocking diodes in them so that one which is stronger won't push current up into the other array?

That is quite interesting, I was under the impression that winter gives you better yields, less clouds and good clear consistent days. That said my previous house was true north and panels where angled steeply optimsied for winter. But thanks for confirming, I was worried I had a fault in one of the panels, I measured all 3 strings individually and their votlage was identical. I guess it's time to fork out for another 6 panels then.

Good day, I have a victron 3 phase power meter at the mains input. I then run L1 to the Victron Mp2 and back tot he house. What I would like to know is the following: 1: How do I set the victron ESS to NOT push back above the grid, it must only push back upstream to geyser installed between Energy meter => geyser => AC IN On MP2 2: what are south Africa's rules on pushing back? Must the net total of all phases be 0, or must each phases total be 0? Ie can I push back 1kw on phase 1 and use 2kw on phase 2?

Good day, I recently got my solar array up and running, much excitement and happiness with the plans to go off grid. I have done solar in my previous house, so the idea on this install was just improving on everything I learnt before. Trying to do things the right way, not the cheap / quick way. I have some questions around the realistic/real-world output of the solar array. First of all I was severely limited with space and I only had one roof which would not have complete shade from the trees. This roof also had very little space. I have installed 6 * 460W JA Solar Half Cell Mono Crystal panels. https://thepowerstore.co.za/products/ja-solar-460w-mono-mbb-percium-half-cell-silver-frame-short-frame-mc4?variant=32680305459262&currency=ZAR&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&utm_campaign=gs-2018-09-19&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=CjwKCAjwy_aUBhACEiwA2IHHQOlYnuAPXmnXDxx6pVbKWLV4BxaM8IpMxGiVpYeYx67jA2uCnaI1OhoC7SUQAvD_BwE Image of install: We have run 3 pairs of solar cables to the inverter, all 6mm2 proper solar cable about 20M long. The idea here was reduce voltage drop on the cables and rather run more cable than what is needed. (space is limited so we want to maximize output). We gonna run 2 panels per pair of cables. The string is setup as 2 in series * 3 parallel: 50v voc per panel @ 10A per panel. So 100V 10A per pair of cables. We have then fused each + and each - and put it through a 40A DC circuit breaker ( which also acts an isolator) along with DC surge protection. Now keeping in mind that the panels are quite flat, and are NOT facing true north. They do seem to have full sun most of the day with some shadowing from a tree in the late afternoon. Theoretical total watts: 460w * 6 = 2760W peak. Now I am quite far off from this, even at midday with no shadows and full sunlight. My peak output is currently 1965W which is 795W off from the theoretical max. My previous houses panels often got very close to their theoretical maxes. (and they had far from ideal cables) So long and the short, I know there are many variables, but is the output I am getting from my array adequate. I feel it is slightly underperforming given the cost & size of the install. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and responses.

Thanks for this info, I think I am going to go with two change over switches, so that I can individually control the ac input, You could direct the output load to use mains, while still having the input load charge the batteries or do firmware upgrade on the Mp2?. So essential 1 2P change over on ACIN and another 2P change over on ACOUT

Ok so long and the short, Solar DC Cables do not need metal trunking? How do I know for sure> My solar installer has quoted for plastic trunking when I specifically asked for metal? Do I fight them to change it to metal or is this not necessary? Cable run is 20 to 30m MAX.

The double insulation makes sense to me. Tbh this weekend I went and swapped out thier individually run cabele for twin flat earth. I dono why they didn't just use it in the first place. It's so much easier to work with and run. Then did redid all the joins in a pvc box. One thing that is still not clear to me is the correct method of joining cables in the box/enclosure. Is strip and twist allowed? Can you use chocolate blocks? I found some really nice Waco 3 way clip terminals which I ended up using. And then I remembered seeing porcelain twist caps in my mother's house. What is the correct way to join two wires this day and age?

Can one not put a victron power meter between the Solis and the multiplus and then just use the power meter as the integration instead of a fronuis?