Hi. My current system is a 48v with 4.8KW pylon tech lithium ion batteries, 6 x 270w solar panels and 1 x Mecer Axpert inverter (5KVA which is still going strong almost 8 years later). This set up runs my house with no problem (I am totally off-grid with no Eskom and no generator) and Jaco de Jongh did an excellent job helping me getting it in order. Jaco is unavailable at the moment due to personal circumstance to assist or advise me so I am looking for someone in the Hoedspruit/Phalaborwa that can perhaps help? We are running a ministry conference at my farm for 13 days in September and I concerned the system will not cope with 20 people. I have two options: 

Either add on additional solar panels to the existing set-up (but they would need to be 270w ones hey?) as I have space for 6 more and try to add another pylon tech battery and then run an underground cable about 25 - 30m to the campsite ministry area to provide power there too. Or

Give the campsite area its own setup and take advantage of the larger solar panels (4 x 600w) being not that more expensive than the 270 w ones, invest in a new 3000kva axpert and one 2000 pylon tech for now. This is a lot more expensive I think but in the long run may be the more practical solution because then the camp usage of power does not drain my home power system which I have obviously looked after very meticulously. 

Can anyone please advise if either of these options are better? And if there is anyone in the area that can assist with a quote? Or a better option is welcome. Another question, can I get higher watt solar panels (like 540w) to add to the existing setup with the 270 w panels? 

How often will this happen? Would it be an option to just get a generator for the duration(s) of the conference(s), that can even be wired in as a backup for your household needs for the odd occasion you don't get by? Lower upfront costs versus higher running costs, but for an annual two-week conference a dedicated solar setup sounds overboard.

@Steve87 can you assist?

33 minutes ago, GreenFields said:

How often will this happen? Would it be an option to just get a generator for the duration(s) of the conference(s), that can even be wired in as a backup for your household needs for the odd occasion you don't get by? Lower upfront costs versus higher running costs, but for an annual two-week conference a dedicated solar setup sounds overboard.

Thank you for your input. It will probably become more than two weeks a year as even though I live there we run the ministry there. We have a run some weekend courses and the power has coped but this is the first time there will be this many people. The generator is an option and I have now news from friends that they will lend me one for the duration of the conference. But it is a 6.5 Kva one and I don't know how to set my system up so that it can feed into the system. I would also prefer long term to avoid a generator if at all possible and then rather found out if enlarging my system and perhaps having a cut off switch and feeding a cable to the camp section might be better. 

Hi Hannah, I think you have coped well with a small type of power requirement & looked after it well too. However, your assessment is quite correct in that, that many ppl will cause power trips to take place. 

On face value, this is what I see as 2 options ahead of you:

Replace the 5kW Mecer with its larger 10kW Voltronics same family inverter (MAX2 10kW). The advantages are two fold. You get double your power output & also you have 2 strings of MPPTs. That means you can leave the 1 string as the 270w panels & add the larger 550W panels onto the other MPPT string. Makes best of use of old & new. Also the 10kW MAX 2 can blend power much more efficiently than the older Mecer you have. 

However, it leaves you with a decision to make with your Pylontechs & Mecer machine. The Pylontechs are 0.5C capable batteries. Meaning you need to stack double the amount of capacity to unlock the full potential of 200A (10kW). The addition of another Pylontech is actually misleading because it will not allow you to withdraw 1C which is 200A available. At 100A the battery will allow that & any higher it will trip after a period of time. 

I am still a fan of 1C Lithium batteries & unfortunately Pylontech, falls way short on that & it doesn't pretend to be anything different. It just needs ppl to be aware of the discharge limitations. My go to solution for this is the Livoltek 5.1kWh lithium battery. 2 of these batteries unlocks the 200A required by the 10kW inverter. That leaves you at 10.2kWh of Lithium Iron Phosphate battery capacity. 

The answers to the above will lead you to the correct decision. 

Last but not least, get a Generator in the short term. 

I work in the Gauteng area, but can definitely assist you with a quotation on the equipment & installation I have mentioned above. 

The great thing you have done is opened this up to the community, more minds can lead to answers you & I don't see. 

 

 

6 hours ago, Steve87 said:

Hi Hannah, I think you have coped well with a small type of power requirement & looked after it well too. However, your assessment is quite correct in that, that many ppl will cause power trips to take place. 

On face value, this is what I see as 2 options ahead of you:

Replace the 5kW Mecer with its larger 10kW Voltronics same family inverter (MAX2 10kW). The advantages are two fold. You get double your power output & also you have 2 strings of MPPTs. That means you can leave the 1 string as the 270w panels & add the larger 550W panels onto the other MPPT string. Makes best of use of old & new. Also the 10kW MAX 2 can blend power much more efficiently than the older Mecer you have. 

However, it leaves you with a decision to make with your Pylontechs & Mecer machine. The Pylontechs are 0.5C capable batteries. Meaning you need to stack double the amount of capacity to unlock the full potential of 200A (10kW). The addition of another Pylontech is actually misleading because it will not allow you to withdraw 1C which is 200A available. At 100A the battery will allow that & any higher it will trip after a period of time. 

I am still a fan of 1C Lithium batteries & unfortunately Pylontech, falls way short on that & it doesn't pretend to be anything different. It just needs ppl to be aware of the discharge limitations. My go to solution for this is the Livoltek 5.1kWh lithium battery. 2 of these batteries unlocks the 200A required by the 10kW inverter. That leaves you at 10.2kWh of Lithium Iron Phosphate battery capacity. 

The answers to the above will lead you to the correct decision. 

Last but not least, get a Generator in the short term. 

I work in the Gauteng area, but can definitely assist you with a quotation on the equipment & installation I have mentioned above. 

The great thing you have done is opened this up to the community, more minds can lead to answers you & I don't see. 

 

 

Thank you so much Steve for the input. I had not thought of such an upgrade and I suspect it would be one I would need to work towards over a long term in terms of cost. Just a question with relation to this. I have nothing in my house that draws alot of power. As I was off-grid from the start all my appliances are geared for solar. The largest power drawer is my electric borehole pump (1.5kw) which I only pump when there is full sun. All my heating runs off gas and the rest is mainly the television and dvd player we use for the ministry as well as charing phones, laptops etc. and lights. That is why I have never gone for a big system. I already feel like mine is big enough, even for our weekend courses with 10 people, unless we hit 3 or 4 days of rain, which is very rare in Hoedspruit. It even handles my mom's oxygen machine running through the night and a fan when necessary. I also run a twin tub washing machine often with no issues. My biggest challenge is probably when there are 3 overcast days in winter but perhaps one more pylon tech and a few more solar panels (6 maybe) can sort that? I have in 7 years only been without power once (after we had 10 people there for the weekend and had to use the pressure pump for showering). Now I have a tank stand so the water is gravity fed and I have not ever again been without power. I have not had an alarm go off or changed a setting since Jaco did his magic and I don't have a battery monitor so I fly a bit blind feeling my way through on the voltage reading (which I know has its shortcomings but so far its been okay). 

So my question is, what would the benefit be to enlarging my system at a large cost in comparison to just installing another smaller system (3KW) at the ministry camp area to cope with a fridge, perhaps a freezer and some charging of phones, lights and other such equipment? I have an IBR roof at the ministry camp to mount solar panels on the outside kitchen and that could also be the central charging station for phones etc. as we pitch tents for the ministry. If I did then need to enlarge my home system at a later stage, could I not just put another 5Kva inverter in there that would allow me to run a series so higher watt solar panels? 

I am thinking that distributing the equipment also means not everything goes down if there is an issue with the main system. And it means that the cost is distributed in smaller doable amounts. 

Is there a scientific solar advantage to having it all in one? I am just curious. 

For now I will go with the generator but is there someone who could assist me then with the settings I will need to change on my inverter to charge the pylontechs via the generator if need be? I used to have good old golf cart batteries for 5 years and then I knew what settings to change but with the pylontechs I have not touched anything since Jaco installed them and did the settings in 2020 so I am nervous to mess with it all working so well. 

Edited August 31, 20223 yr by Hannah Barnes

Hi again, Hannah, there is no real advantage for Keeping everything in one system, in fact I think splitting between 2 systems is a major advantage. However, what I will add is that especially in the works we carry out, the smallest capacity inverter we I stall is 5kW & one with the High Voltage Solar Charge controller. We arrived at this specification for a lot of reasons namely, the ease of installation of the high Voltage Solar Charge controller. The PV can accept long strings up to 500v. This type of machine can run batteryless & use Solar direct from panels, no grid required & no battery required. The 3kW systems just don't have these types of advantages & the quality & pricing is such that the 5kW system makes a lot of cents so to speak 😂.

Jaco is a seriously good operator from what I have heard. I am also of the opinion that user settings set up with someone that really understands the concepts can really go a long way. The Voltronics is a very safe platform even for Lithium batteries running in user settings, the charger whether grid or solar just works in such a predictable & safe manner. 

A gene it is, but running batteryless to start off until you get some funds is a great idea to charge your way forward. So a 5kW inverter & some large panels & you already have power available by day. The night is a long stretch, but as the sun rises you start to get some power flowing from the humble Voltronics inverter. 

Many think it's a myth, do the research, it's on You tube & I personally ran my MKS2 like this for 8 months whilst Saving for a battery & it just worked like clockwork. Thing to note, it's the high voltage Solar input machines that can pull of this feat. Unfortunately, your older model cannot do this. 

 

15 hours ago, Steve87 said:

I am still a fan of 1C Lithium batteries & unfortunately Pylontech, falls way short on that & it doesn't pretend to be anything different. It just needs ppl to be aware of the discharge limitations.

I wish you were here when we were having this debate a while ago😁

I know it's crazy, but the marketing & hype can leave you high & dry so to speak. Also people become emotional about brands & things get heated. 

Buy what works for you, the Pylontechs seem popular & good value but they are what they are. 1C they definitely are not. Good to see local manufacturers like Hubble start to excel & get good traction after some turbulent times. 

They also have a new LFP pack I vaguely saw on here by a member. FreedomWon mostly sold out until November. All looking pretty good in our market.

The DIY route seems very under represented. Lack of cells in SA probably the main reason. 

Sorry I missed the Rodeo, but I tend to steer clear of such heated debates if that's what it was.