If you had to change your inverter & batteries. What would go for?

I had the unfortunate of a lighting surge. Took out inverter and batteries.

What I learned is to have a changeover for when the inverter does fail. Any recommendations? Second look at a surge protection on the grid in DB. Saving grace grounding solar and have a Surge protection. The combiner box saved my panels. 

A major weakness is the BMS. How does one protect the Batteries? My batteries were taken out through the BMS. Has anyone tried a to bridge BMS with fibre Adapters?
 

 

As a rule we always put our mains off (both of them in lightning weather)

the what to change to is largely based on your power requirements, but without any info at all, I'd say sunsynk and pylontech, size to match your needs.

it is possible your equipment can be repaired, unless its an insurance claim, in which case its a mute point.

10 hours ago, Iss said:

If you had to change your inverter & batteries. What would go for?

I had the unfortunate of a lighting surge. Took out inverter and batteries.

What I learned is to have a changeover for when the inverter does fail. Any recommendations? Second look at a surge protection on the grid in DB. Saving grace grounding solar and have a Surge protection. The combiner box saved my panels. 

A major weakness is the BMS. How does one protect the Batteries? My batteries were taken out through the BMS. Has anyone tried a to bridge BMS with fibre Adapters?
 

 

I think most professionally done installations will have a changeover switch as well as surge protection installed. So, no, its nothing new to be learned, just best practice.

On the other hand, I doubt if any installation will survive a direct lightning strike.

Every year for the past 4 years we would have our router/PC fried by lightning. The culprit turned out to be the telephone cable (ADSL), it would hit the router, the laptop and printer...Anything connected to the router. The telephone pole was not wood, aka Telkom std pole. It was an old steel pole. 

Eventually went fiber and problem disappeared but I cringe whenever we have lightning in JHB, that and hail and with the high winds lately I'm always surprised to see that the panels are still there in the morning! 

Thank you for your advice. Pearls of wisdom. Lightening was a direct hit. Took out my 4 x PylonTech US3000 and Growatt 5 Kw inverter, Geyser wise control box, stove hob &  3 routers etc.  Once I have my new kit up I’m definitely going to give it a try to run BMS over fibre adapters. I’ve connected Clearline network surge protector to my routers and earthed it. 

10 minutes ago, Iss said:

Once I have my new kit up I’m definitely going to give it a try to run BMS over fibre adapters. I’ve connected Clearline network surge protector to my routers and earthed it.

One thing I believe in is to have a decent earth rod or even rod’s to get that lightning into the ground through the shortest route. If you have a decent earth wire 6mm2 or thicker from your panels to the earth rod with some decent SPD’s. Even keep the earth rod area as wet as possible for a good earth soil resistance normally <4 ohm if possible, rocky areas in koppies is a big problem I have seen readings of above 80 ohm and took thousands to get it lower and could not get it below 25 ohm. Earth as much conductive parts as possible. Water pipes, sink roofs, gutters, panels and rails, carports and anything that can create a steel cage around your inverter and electronics that is what I normally try to do. My house had some serious lightning strikes the last few months where my nerves were tested as I don’t switch off anything and touch wood all went ok except for a earth leakage that dropped two weeks ago in a lightning strike.

On 2021/12/12 at 9:56 PM, Iss said:

If you had to change your inverter & batteries. What would go for

 

An inverter that would allow a 3rd string. I have N and E facing strings. If I could have a W facing string as well I'd have a lot more generation.

A different brand of battery, probably pylontech. The batteries I have offer sufficient capacity, but the inverter just doesn't get on with them, and the work around the installer implemented results in improved reliability but also unreliable tracking of SOC.

7 minutes ago, Bobster said:

An inverter that would allow a 3rd string. I have N and E facing strings. If I could have a W facing string as well I'd have a lot more generation.

A different brand of battery, probably pylontech. The batteries I have offer sufficient capacity, but the inverter just doesn't get on with them, and the work around the installer implemented results in improved reliability but also unreliable tracking of SOC.

Was thinking Sunsynk. Still not sure what batteries.