May 25, 201511 yr Hi to everyone, I would really appreciate everyone's comment or view regarding the quality of the Axpert 5kva inverter systems. Are they reliable and trustworthy? Warranty period and aftersales support in the P.E area Pricing of the MKS 5KVA - 48V unit as there are such a difference in pricing for example R15 000 - R10 972 exl vat
May 25, 201511 yr I don't know who sells them in PE, but there are various "importers / resellers" hence the vairience in pricing... The product is stable and safe. The manufacturer is a company called Voltronic in Taiwan - they are an OEM manufacturer, so you will find the Axpert under various names.the MKS model has built in MPPT controller
May 27, 201511 yr Author Mike thank you for the information. I have decided to go for the Victron rather as the Axpert have no sales or warrantee support in the EC.
May 29, 201511 yr well i am in kzn and battling to find suppliers of hybrid inverters, i wont even mind travelling to cape town to get them , but would really like a few hints as to where i can get a good supply of infini and axpert inverters at wholesale prices for retail here. wouldn't mind prices on pv panels and batteries either Thanks
June 21, 201511 yr Hi, I have an Axpert MKS 5 K Inverter, twelve 250W 10A 48V DC Solar panels and twelve 100Ah Deep cycle batteries installed. The system works extremely well. Sometimes the display panel on my inverter says "BYPASS" while no Eskom power is used at these times. (I have checked this fact on my Smart Meter account.) Does anybody know why this "bypass" sign is there at times? Regards Mart-Mari
June 21, 201511 yr Thank you so much, Chris Hobson. (Being a female in this energy world is not always easy.) I appreciate your reply. Clearly nothing was wrong with my system but the new "bypass" sign worked on my nerves.
June 22, 201510 yr I still wonder why the "bypass" sign is visible only at times? It is not there all the time.
June 22, 201510 yr The "Output source priority" setting on your inverter will determine the exact reason why BYPASS is displayed. If you look at Mode Operation Information in the manual you will see that BYPASS indicates that the load is supplied by utility power - that means that the inverter is not running at that moment, in other words, no battery power and no solar power is used to supply the load (all the appliances connected to the output of the inverter), but utility power (ESKOM) power supplies the load directly - power comes in from ESKOM, BYPASSES the inverter and supplies the LOAD. In other words, I cannot give you a straight answer why BYPASS is only visible at times - it all depends on the "Output source priority" setting on your inverter and the current state of the battery and PV availability. It is maybe a good idea to consult the person who did your installation - these inverters have so many configuration options and if you just install the system without configuring anything, the system should work, but usually not at optimum level.
June 22, 201510 yr The "Output source priority" setting on your inverter will determine the exact reason why BYPASS is displayed. If you look at Mode Operation Information in the manual you will see that BYPASS indicates that the load is supplied by utility power - that means that the inverter is not running at that moment, in other words, no battery power and no solar power is used to supply the load (all the appliances connected to the output of the inverter), but utility power (ESKOM) power supplies the load directly - power comes in from ESKOM, BYPASSES the inverter and supplies the LOAD. In other words, I cannot give you a straight answer why BYPASS is only visible at times - it all depends on the "Output source priority" setting on your inverter and the current state of the battery and PV availability. It is maybe a good idea to consult the person who did your installation - these inverters have so many configuration options and if you just install the system without configuring anything, the system should work, but usually not at optimum level. Hi and thank you. Thing is that Eskom did not supply the power while the "bypass" sign was on. I checked that on my Smart Meter account. I think Chris Hobson is correct. He says: "Bypass is enabled meaning that if overload occurs in battery mode the inverter will allow grid to bypass inverter. Page 19 program option 23 in the manual. May not be currently bypassing but the mode is enabled." Thanks again.
June 22, 201510 yr Hi Mart-Marie What did this system cost and what are you powering with it? Does it run the TV and lights with/without fridge? Thanks. Hi Noel, it was R100K in total and everything in my whole 450m2 house plus my irrigation system and borehole pump work on my system. No problem at all. I can really recommend the system. When we have bad weather, I "borrow" from Eskom and this costs me R3/day.
June 22, 201510 yr Noel, have a look at an appropriate article that was written in Beeld newspaper on Saturday. You will see how I did it. It was written in Afrikaans. Please follow the link: http://www.netwerk24.com/stemme/2015-06-20-n-lewe-sonder-beurtkrag
June 22, 201510 yr Hi Mart-Marie .... when you see "BYPASS" on the display either PV power is insufficient and/or the battery voltage dropped to the low-level warning voltage/set point and the combination cannot supply the LOAD - the inverter (DC power to AC power) is then bypassed (hence BYPASS) and Utility power is used to supply the LOAD. Hi superdiy, Here's the thing: No Eskom power was used during the time that "BYPASS" was displayed.
June 24, 201510 yr HI Mart-Marie Dankie vir die info - sal maar antwoord vir almal - dalk chip iemand ook nog in. I"m about to install a similar sized system: MKS 5K, 9x 300W panels and 4x 250Ah batteries. The max current the unit can handle is 4000W (Think it can spike to 10000W - but not sure for how long) - I'm also putting the "whole house" on it - and the reseller suggested I might be over that limit at times. I confirmed this by running an "energy monitor" for a while (the Ellies one that Builders sell) - My average usage is well within the range - around 1.5kWh during peek times - but there are some instances where I spike over the 4000W - sometimes 5000W - even as high as 8000W (Think we were testing so switched everything on!). According to the reseller when you exceed the 4000W you will hear an alarm, and the unit will eventually trip. The easy fix is adding another unit in parallel - which will double the load it can take to 8000W - more than enough for my usage. What I think might be happening is that your draw exceeds what the panels and batteries combined can supply (if the settings are configure that way - to combine PV + batteries) and then switches over to Eskom - this might be for a short few minutes only - which gets you to the R5 /day You should however see usage on the meter - stupid question but is it clamped on the input - between eskom and inverter or perhaps not measuring at the correct place? Adding the 2nd unit also allows for adding more panels - perhaps to add a bit more power when the sun shines. Which batteries are you using and to what sort of levels are you discharging? It would be the Voltage for batteries - between 42V and 48V I think.. B
June 24, 201510 yr Hi Igubu Are you not perhaps talking about an energy monitor when you are referring to a smart meter. A smart meter is a type of KWh meter installed by some municipalities - not something you buy at Builders - you don't want to get even close to a smart meter or have it installed in your home - that thing is like a cell-tower in your home.
June 25, 201510 yr Hi The Solar first and SBU option (program 1) of the Axpert Manual is very confusing. What is the difference. I tried to post a screenshot to save people having to look up what I am getting at but being a farmer I am at my technical limitations trying to post it. A friend has always said being a farmer is like a cross between being unemployed and sheltered employment
June 25, 201510 yr HI Mart-Marie ... What I think might be happening is that your draw exceeds what the panels and batteries combined can supply (if the settings are configure that way - to combine PV + batteries) and then switches over to Eskom - this might be for a short few minutes only - which gets you to the R5 /day You should however see usage on the meter - stupid question but is it clamped on the input - between eskom and inverter or perhaps not measuring at the correct place? Adding the 2nd unit also allows for adding more panels - perhaps to add a bit more power when the sun shines. Which batteries are you using and to what sort of levels are you discharging? It would be the Voltage for batteries - between 42V and 48V I think.. B Hi there, I have checked my Eskom Smart Meter portal for a few days now. The amount per day is still between R3 and R5. So, even when the '' BYPASS'' sign is on, I do not use Eskom power. Regarding your question about the batteries etc., here is a list of my goodies: 12 X 100AH Deep cycle batteries (I had 4 batteries, then 8 batteries and now 12 batteries) 12 X Yingli 250W 10A 48V DC solar panels Axpert MKS Plus 5K Inverter AC & DC boards etc.
June 25, 201510 yr Here is a catalogue for the batteries that I have had installed. http://www.rectifier.co.za/Catalogue/Batteries/Royal/Royal%20Batteries.pdf
June 25, 201510 yr HI Mart-Marie Which batteries are you using and to what sort of levels are you discharging? It would be the Voltage for batteries - between 42V and 48V I think.. Jammer Ibugu, ek sien nou eers jou baie spesifieke vraag. Wat ons in ag moet neem is dat ons nie hier met 'n lini
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