Hello,

 

Excuse my rough sketch but I'm trying to get my head around wiring my planned solar setup:

 

1) It is a micro inverter system, but in principal its the same as any solar system

2) AC coming from the roof micro inverters

3) I've run 4mm2 two core surfix with an earth (the earth is not illustrated in my drawing) from the mico inverters

4) As per my drawing, forget the other breakers eg. lights, geyser, stove etc. I just want to power the plugs circuit with Eskom + solar 

5) No batteries installed, this is only used during the day to reduce Eskom load

6) Is my wiring idea roughly correct? And if so how does my plugs circuit know to use my inverters / panels first and then Eskom if they need more? 

7) If my neutral bar wiring is wrong I guess I could take a direct neutral line from the earth leakage to the 63amp DP isolator on my new DB board?

 

Thanks in advance 

 

1 hour ago, Rch1 said:

Hello,

 

Excuse my rough sketch but I'm trying to get my head around wiring my planned solar setup:

 

1) It is a micro inverter system, but in principal its the same as any solar system

2) AC coming from the roof micro inverters

3) I've run 4mm2 two core surfix with an earth (the earth is not illustrated in my drawing) from the mico inverters

4) As per my drawing, forget the other breakers eg. lights, geyser, stove etc. I just want to power the plugs circuit with Eskom + solar 

5) No batteries installed, this is only used during the day to reduce Eskom load

6) Is my wiring idea roughly correct? And if so how does my plugs circuit know to use my inverters / panels first and then Eskom if they need more? 

7) If my neutral bar wiring is wrong I guess I could take a direct neutral line from the earth leakage to the 63amp DP isolator on my new DB board?

 

Thanks in advance 

 

Your wiring is spot on but for the most important thing. The new DB does not need the 63A isolator as you have the 20A MCB.

The power from the micro inverter will help to supply power to anything that is connected and switched on in the house DB. You cannot tell it to only supply the lights and plugs. As lights is used mostly when no sun not much saving there but for geyser, stove,  other day time loads.  This is the great thing about grid tied.

The micro inverter generates power at a slightly higher voltage so that its power is used 1st before drawing from the grid.

Edited August 15, 20223 yr by Scorp007

1 hour ago, Rch1 said:

Hello,

 

Excuse my rough sketch but I'm trying to get my head around wiring my planned solar setup:

 

1) It is a micro inverter system, but in principal its the same as any solar system

2) AC coming from the roof micro inverters

3) I've run 4mm2 two core surfix with an earth (the earth is not illustrated in my drawing) from the mico inverters

4) As per my drawing, forget the other breakers eg. lights, geyser, stove etc. I just want to power the plugs circuit with Eskom + solar 

5) No batteries installed, this is only used during the day to reduce Eskom load

6) Is my wiring idea roughly correct? And if so how does my plugs circuit know to use my inverters / panels first and then Eskom if they need more? 

7) If my neutral bar wiring is wrong I guess I could take a direct neutral line from the earth leakage to the 63amp DP isolator on my new DB board?

 

Thanks in advance 

 

Your wiring is spot on.

The power from the micro inverter will help to supply power to anything that is connected and switched on in the house DB. You cannot tell it to only supply the lights and plugs. This is the great thing about grid tied.

The micro inverter generates power at a slightly higher voltage and is used before the grid.

I thought the isolator was so I could kill everything if I needed to work on the panels. But as you say the CB does the same since its a DP, if I turn that off it will kill the live and neutral  ah well it's now a double double protection! lol 

Thanks for the info with regards to the micro inverter and the slightly higher voltage, was wondering how on earth they get used first, thanks  

I might be wrong but AFAIK, you are not allowed to go bottom to top through isolators/breakers anymore, input has to be at the top.

wait how can you go from top to top on an isolator? then you are bypassing the isolator... the current has to flow through it. Do you have a photo to show me what you mean?

 

ok great all works 100%  and my meter spins backwards and the numbers get smaller (did that as a test with no house load)

not sure why one panel isn't working hmmm.. pain in the ass to get to that panel, it would be in the middle! It picks up voltage etc but no amps, weird. Will have to lift it up and reclick the MC4 connectors, maybe one is lose or wasn't done properly..

L

21 minutes ago, Rch1 said:

wait how can you go from top to top on an isolator? then you are bypassing the isolator... the current has to flow through it. Do you have a photo to show me what you mean?

P1000 means the power must flow from the top to the bottom. There are some designs that indicate power in at the bottom or top. This will be shown with an arrow.

This is a general rule. This is why we normally have to use the bottom connections on a main switch to take it to the top of the E/Leakage. From the E/L bottom to the top bus of the various loads.

5 hours ago, Rch1 said:

I thought the isolator was so I could kill everything if I needed to work on the panels. But as you say the CB does the same since its a DP, if I turn that off it will kill the live and neutral  ah well it's now a double double protection! lol 

Thanks for the info with regards to the micro inverter and the slightly higher voltage, was wondering how on earth they get used first, thanks  

If you don't have any load on then the power is normally exported to the grid unless there is a device to prevent this. This is then also why some prepaid meters trip and thinking there is tampering.