Hello Newbie here. Trying to figure out how to arrange proposed strings into an 8kw Sunsynk.  The Sunsynk manual gives a maximum of 10400w total for solar input power. Is that split across the two MPPTs as in 10400/2 = 5200W each or can all the power go into one MPPT?
The reason I'm asking is that I am basically forced to put two strings of 460Wx6 ( = max 5520W) into 1 MPPT (coming from the NW direction) and have the other East facing string use the other MPPT. Will it matter, as in damage the inverter? Even if I were to combine the two strings in parallel the situation would be the same.

Thanks in advance.

As long as you are within the voltage and current specs, it can handle what you throw at it.

Thanks! Much appreciated.

@TestTube  10400W is not a limit to the number of panels / wattage of panels that you can connect. 

It is a limit to the amount of DC power that the inverter will take.

The inverter will not convert more than 8kw of DC power to AC. 

Main reason to install more than 10.4kw of panels is to allow for production on marginal days. 

I have 12.4kw of panels on my 8kw Sunsynk and even on overcast days it is still making good power.  

18 minutes ago, Sc00bs said:

@TestTube  10400W is not a limit to the number of panels / wattage of panels that you can connect. 

It is a limit to the amount of DC power that the inverter will take.

The inverter will not convert more than 8kw of DC power to AC. 

Main reason to install more than 10.4kw of panels is to allow for production on marginal days. 

I have 12.4kw of panels on my 8kw Sunsynk and even on overcast days it is still making good power.  

There will always be the question do you install enough panels for the 15 bad days in summer and have them idling the rest of the year. ROI has a place. 

10 hours ago, Scorp007 said:

There will always be the question do you install enough panels for the 15 bad days in summer and have them idling the rest of the year. ROI has a place. 

Agree 100%, panels are however relatively cheap and the more you add the less efficient the whole thing becomes. 

It is however relatively easy, once you have a system in place, to extrapolate the production records and calculate the ROI. 

Much better ROI on panels than batteries by a long stretch. 

10 hours ago, Sc00bs said:

 

The inverter will not convert more than 8kw of DC power to AC. 

 

I am still learning myself.  My system (14 x 545W panels) peak at 9kW pv production which is a limit set by the installer.  Does that mean that it can't convert it directly to AC in the sense that whilst charging the battery some of it goes to the battery and some (less than 8kW) goes to direct use via AC conversion.  Therefor if the battery were full and I have a load of 9kW, then the PV will only deliver 8kW with grid backup for the balance?

@PearlJam 545W x 14 = 7630W, you are never going to get 9kw of power, max you will get is 7.6kw under perfect conditions. 

You inverter will only take the power that it has someplace to put. Assuming that you are not feeding back into the grid,  if you are able to generate 7kw from the panels at the time and your house load is 3kw, if there is space in the battery it will send the other 4kw to charging the battery (if the battery needs charging).

If the battery is full it will throttle the panels down to 3kw. 

19 minutes ago, Sc00bs said:

@PearlJam 545W x 14 = 7630W, you are never going to get 9kw of power, max you will get is 7.6kw under perfect conditions. 

You inverter will only take the power that it has someplace to put. Assuming that you are not feeding back into the grid,  if you are able to generate 7kw from the panels at the time and your house load is 3kw, if there is space in the battery it will send the other 4kw to charging the battery (if the battery needs charging).

If the battery is full it will throttle the panels down to 3kw. 

I agree with your calculations, however my experience is different, hence why I am asking the question.  Here is a view from SA showing the 9kW.  When it is very hot days with no clouds I get max about 6.9kW, when it is cloudy and the panels aren't that hot, I easily get mid 8kW's peaking at 9kW

Sorry to OP for hijack, but potentially could add value to this thread

@PearlJam What does your Solarman/Sunsynk dongle say? 

Can you post the readings for Volts & Amps as well? 

7 hours ago, Sc00bs said:

@PearlJam What does your Solarman/Sunsynk dongle say? 

Can you post the readings for Volts & Amps as well? 

I am not sure how to go into history of the Sunsynk dongle (I basically don't use their app)

 

Ok, figured out how to get to their app info:

45 minutes ago, PearlJam said:

I am not sure how to go into history of the Sunsynk dongle (I basically don't use their app)

 

What panels are these? This is what i have observed aswell in regards to current drawn from 550+-w canadian solar panels . They regularly do 16A and i have even seen a peak of 18A recently. This is why i recommend people dont put these size panels on the 5kw Sunsynk as you are losing quite a bit of power with the 13A MPPT's.

38 minutes ago, Nexuss said:

What panels are these? This is what i have observed aswell in regards to current drawn from 550+-w canadian solar panels . They regularly do 16A and i have even seen a peak of 18A recently. This is why i recommend people dont put these size panels on the 5kw Sunsynk as you are losing quite a bit of power with the 13A MPPT's.

It is the Canadian Solar 545W - CS6W-545MS.  I were wondering at the time whether they rate their panels conservatively.

Maybe a mod can split out the panel rating vs production into a separate thread as it has taken over from the OP?

What make 545W panels are they?

Are the readings from Solarman the same as from Solar Assistant over the same time period?

 If your panels are similar specs the voltage looks pretty on spec but the amperage looks way over

JA Solar panels specs are:

 

19 minutes ago, Sc00bs said:

What make 545W panels are they?

Are the readings from Solarman the same as from Solar Assistant over the same time period?

 If your panels are similar specs the voltage looks pretty on spec but the amperage looks way over

JA Solar panels specs are:

 

Ok, I am starting to learn how to navigate the Sunsynk data too

There are 7 panels per mppt.

Edited March 10, 20233 yr by PearlJam

4 minutes ago, PearlJam said:

Ok, I am starting to learn how to navigate the Sunsynk data too

There are 7 panels per mppt.

Based on the graphs to get 17.5AX38V=664W from 545W panels just seems quite a bit high. Some verification needed from real measurements than what the APP indicates. 

Are those graphs from a cloudy day? 

 

1 minute ago, Scorp007 said:

Based on the graphs to get 17.5AX38V=664W from 545W panels just seems quite a bit high. Some verification needed from real measurements than what the APP indicates. 

Well over spec

1 minute ago, Sc00bs said:

Are those graphs from a cloudy day? 

 

Yes, as mentioned previously, on very hot days I max about 6.9kW.  On cloudy days when the panels don't get so hot, I get those numbers when the sun comes through.  The general production then is low to mid 8kW, with peaks to 9kW

19 hours ago, PearlJam said:

I agree with your calculations, however my experience is different, hence why I am asking the question.  Here is a view from SA showing the 9kW.  When it is very hot days with no clouds I get max about 6.9kW, when it is cloudy and the panels aren't that hot, I easily get mid 8kW's peaking at 9kW

Sorry to OP for hijack, but potentially could add value to this thread

Is this for a single MPPT, or combined across the two?

3 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

Based on the graphs to get 17.5AX38V=664W from 545W panels just seems quite a bit high. Some verification needed from real measurements than what the APP indicates. 

I have no idea how to verify the numbers otherwise.  Not sure if @Steve87 has a view on this, but I can only relay what I see as I am only a user

Just now, Speedster said:

Is this for a single MPPT, or combined across the two?

Combined

6 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

Based on the graphs to get 17.5AX38V=664W from 545W panels just seems quite a bit high. Some verification needed from real measurements than what the APP indicates. 

I have seen the exact same numbers from these panels ...