Hi, 

I got a Luxpower SNA5000 inverter around a month ago and have been struggling ever since to find a good example of setting to achieve what I want to thought I would share what works for me here. 

My setup: Luxpower SNA5000, 5.12KW Dynness battery, ~1800w solar panels. 

What I wanted: This is mainly a backup solar system but I also dont see the use wasting sun when it is there shining on my panels anyway so here is what I did. 

 8:30AM - 4 PM :  My system will only use Solar+Battery during sunny hours
5PM - 9PM              :  I will allow AC (ESKOM/GRID) to charge batteries if Solar did not charge fully during the day (has never happened, battery usually back to 100% at around 2PM). I also leave it on AC during this time since it involves lots of consumption as we prepare dinner here. 
9PM - ~8:30AM:     :  I let it run on battery only since its light load (I switch over to AC if it dips past 40% for some redundancy for Load Shedding). And by time it gets around 50% in the morning after coffee etc. The solar starts charging it up again. 

So in a perfect day I only use AC from 5 - 9PM

This works great for me to get some extra use out of the panels and not let them just idle during the day. 

This works great but would be better if I had more batteries and panels, but for now its worked great, here is my settings below to get an idea of how I achieved this. feel free to criticize or ask questions. 




Neil

 

Edited August 22, 20232 yr by ZackAfro

Hi @ZackAfro

 

This seems great and I'm glad your setup is working. I am looking at a SNA 5000 myself. Can you help with a question that would help me decide?

I need to know whether this inverter is able to blend input power sources. So, if for instance my current load or demand is 3kW and my panels are only generating 2kW (during sunny hours when priority is set to solar and battery), would the inverter still give me the total 2kW from my panels and get the rest/balance of 1kW from the grid? Or would it see that there is not enough production from the panels to meet the demand and switch the input entirely to the grid for the full 3kW? (Apparently, this is an issue if the inverter cannot sync the solar inverted AC frequency to the grid's)

I'm struggling to get an answer for this, as this would be proper blending and ensure that the sun power is always used and not just in the event when production is more than demand.

 

Another, less important question. Does the inverter have an AUX output port where a secondary DB can be placed to feed non-essentials when the essentials load have already been satisfied? This would be a form of export or backfeeding of power that is generated which I am not sure if it can do that. (I know the Luxpower LXP series can do that)

 

Thank you for the help

58 minutes ago, EmileA said:

Hi @ZackAfro

 

This seems great and I'm glad your setup is working. I am looking at a SNA 5000 myself. Can you help with a question that would help me decide?

I need to know whether this inverter is able to blend input power sources. So, if for instance my current load or demand is 3kW and my panels are only generating 2kW (during sunny hours when priority is set to solar and battery), would the inverter still give me the total 2kW from my panels and get the rest/balance of 1kW from the grid? Or would it see that there is not enough production from the panels to meet the demand and switch the input entirely to the grid for the full 3kW? (Apparently, this is an issue if the inverter cannot sync the solar inverted AC frequency to the grid's)

I'm struggling to get an answer for this, as this would be proper blending and ensure that the sun power is always used and not just in the event when production is more than demand.

 

Another, less important question. Does the inverter have an AUX output port where a secondary DB can be placed to feed non-essentials when the essentials load have already been satisfied? This would be a form of export or backfeeding of power that is generated which I am not sure if it can do that. (I know the Luxpower LXP series can do that)

 

Thank you for the help

Hi the blending it does very well as you can see on the screenshot.  It is overcast here so to avoid having to charge from grid i just set the inverters to use grid all day.  But as you see on the screen solar charged the battery and is powering everything. 

Edited August 25, 20232 yr by Buyeye

Thank you for the response @Buyeye. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the LuxPower monitoring App so I am not too sure whether I understand it all correctly.

From the screenshot I can see that you are currently using/consuming 152W and your panels are producing 230W so all your consumption is being supplied by your solar panels. You say this inverter (The Luxpower SNA 5000) will be able to blend the power as well? With that I specifically mean that

a) If your batteries weren't full, the remainder of the solar power (230 - 152 = 78W) would go towards battery charging and,

b) If your consumption was more than your solar production (i.e. more than 230W in this case), you would only need the additional requirement from the grid, whilst still using the 230W produced, or would it then switch to grid supply to provide the full consumption demand?

Thank you, this really helps me!

9 minutes ago, EmileA said:

Thank you for the response @Buyeye. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the LuxPower monitoring App so I am not too sure whether I understand it all correctly.

From the screenshot I can see that you are currently using/consuming 152W and your panels are producing 230W so all your consumption is being supplied by your solar panels. You say this inverter (The Luxpower SNA 5000) will be able to blend the power as well? With that I specifically mean that

a) If your batteries weren't full, the remainder of the solar power (230 - 152 = 78W) would go towards battery charging and,

b) If your consumption was more than your solar production (i.e. more than 230W in this case), you would only need the additional requirement from the grid, whilst still using the 230W produced, or would it then switch to grid supply to provide the full consumption demand?

Thank you, this really helps me!

 

So I do not have any battery connected to my system yet. The Luxpower SNA5000 blends the PV well with Grid.

For example, earlier I was producing 4KW from PV and my total load was 6KW, therefore I was pulling 2KW from the grid. If my load dropped to 4KW and my PV was producing 4KW I would not be drawing any power from the grid and be running on PV alone.

If I had a battery, I would then have the option of blending the PV with battery or I could blend PV with the grid (like I am currently doing).

 

The Luxpower SNA5000 does NOT have a aux port for non-essential loads. You would need to look at the Luxpower LXP range for this (double check, but I am quite sure it does have an output for non-essential) - otherwise you could look at a SunSynk/Deye inverter otherwise the Solis S6 is looking like a very nice choice which also has an aux for non-essential loads. All of these inverters seem to start at around double the price of the SNA5000 though (R22k+) so whether you'd be willing to spend that much more for an aux out for non-essentials is up to you.

7 minutes ago, EmileA said:

Thank you for the response @Buyeye. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the LuxPower monitoring App so I am not too sure whether I understand it all correctly.

From the screenshot I can see that you are currently using/consuming 152W and your panels are producing 230W so all your consumption is being supplied by your solar panels. You say this inverter (The Luxpower SNA 5000) will be able to blend the power as well? With that I specifically mean that

a) If your batteries weren't full, the remainder of the solar power (230 - 152 = 78W) would go towards battery charging and,

b) If your consumption was more than your solar production (i.e. more than 230W in this case), you would only need the additional requirement from the grid, whilst still using the 230W produced, or would it then switch to grid supply to provide the full consumption demand?

Thank you, this really helps me!

a) yes.

b) it takes the difference from the grid, it doesn't switch over completely. 

Since the sun did come out a little what would actually happens is the solar production would increase to cover the load but if it didn't yes it would take the difference from the grid.

This is my second system and I'm thoroughly impressed with the cheaper luxpower inverter. I literally have no loads before the inverter so for even the current prices on sunsynk inverters I would be getting a 4x4 with no plans to go offroad.

Having said that the  prices are very good currently so you can get higher spec equipment for less money than 6 months ago.

Here is another screenshot with a today's graph. The red is grid usage and you can see the inverter used some grid in addition to what it was already producing from solar.

Thanks for the help @Buyeye and @PsyCLown. Great news that the SNA5000 can blend. It is then a very attractive inverter for its price.

I take it if it doesn't have an aux port for non-essentials, then it also can't back feed or export back into the grid (extra PV)?

Do you know of a 'cheaper' unit that can do that?

4 minutes ago, EmileA said:

Thanks for the help @Buyeye and @PsyCLown. Great news that the SNA5000 can blend. It is then a very attractive inverter for its price.

I take it if it doesn't have an aux port for non-essentials, then it also can't back feed or export back into the grid (extra PV)?

Do you know of a 'cheaper' unit that can do that?

I have not looked into it, but I see there is an option in the Luxpower SNA5000 settings to export back to grid but have not tested it and cannot confirm whether it works or how well it works.

 

https://luxpowertek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ECOHybridSetting.pdf

 

The manual (page 5) states it can export to grid and I see that setting for my SNA5000 inverters and this is what it says when I hover over the question mark:

5 minutes ago, EmileA said:

Thanks for the help @Buyeye and @PsyCLown. Great news that the SNA5000 can blend. It is then a very attractive inverter for its price.

I take it if it doesn't have an aux port for non-essentials, then it also can't back feed or export back into the grid (extra PV)?

Do you know of a 'cheaper' unit that can do that?

It has no CT coil but it does have a setting to export which I imagine would be managed by a net metering meter from the utility/municipality. Voltronics makes infinisolar inverters which are bidirectional. I'll use my 4x4 example again if you really need a 4x4 you can get a landcruiser with all the bells and whistles at great prices currently. 

9 minutes ago, Buyeye said:

It has no CT coil but it does have a setting to export which I imagine would be managed by a net metering meter from the utility/municipality. Voltronics makes infinisolar inverters which are bidirectional. I'll use my 4x4 example again if you really need a 4x4 you can get a landcruiser with all the bells and whistles at great prices currently. 

From what I have seen you set the % export when in hybrid mode. 

30 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

From what I have seen you set the % export when in hybrid mode. 

I hadn't seen the enable CT coil setting before today.

1 hour ago, Buyeye said:

I hadn't seen the enable CT coil setting before today.

They don't use a CT or a meter. It is one of the 1st settings under the settings section. 

It seems that one would expert it to work like a Kodak/Mecer but it is a on or off grid inverter. 

Edited August 25, 20232 yr by Scorp007

1 hour ago, Scorp007 said:

They don't use a CT or a meter. It is one of the 1st settings under the settings section. 

It seems that one would expert it to work like a Kodak/Mecer but it is a on or off grid inverter. 

It's different on the app. It's still doesn't show it on mine.

4 minutes ago, Buyeye said:

It's different on the app. It's still doesn't show it on mine.

Your export to grid is off and thus no % export selected. It seems you have it on the APP right at the bottom. 

Edited August 25, 20232 yr by Scorp007

12 minutes ago, Scorp007 said:

Your export to grid is off and thus no % export selected. It seems you have it on the APP right at the bottom. 

There was a picture showing you can enable CT coil which I don't where to find it.

 

 

So I do not have any battery connected to my system yet. The Luxpower SNA5000 blends the PV well with Grid.

For example, earlier I was producing 4KW from PV and my total load was 6KW, therefore I was pulling 2KW from the grid. If my load dropped to 4KW and my PV was producing 4KW I would not be drawing any power from the grid and be running on PV alone.

If I had a battery, I would then have the option of blending the PV with battery or I could blend PV with the grid (like I am currently doing).

 

The Luxpower SNA5000 does NOT have a aux port for non-essential loads. You would need to look at the Luxpower LXP range for this (double check, but I am quite sure it does have an output for non-essential) - otherwise you could look at a SunSynk/Deye inverter otherwise the Solis S6 is looking like a very nice choice which also has an aux for non-essential loads. All of these inverters seem to start at around double the price of the SNA5000 though (R22k+) so whether you'd be willing to spend that much more for an aux out for non-essentials is up to you.

@PsyCLown surely you would need 2 inverters to carry the suggested 6kw as the SNA5000 is rated at 5kw. Or was that just a random example. I don't see how you can run 6kw by splitting 4kw from the inveter and the 2kw from eskom. You will still have 6kw going through the inverter. 

 

@PsyCLown surely you would need 2 inverters to carry the suggested 6kw as the SNA5000 is rated at 5kw. Or was that just a random example. I don't see how you can run 6kw by splitting 4kw from the inveter and the 2kw from eskom. You will still have 6kw going through the inverter. 

I have 2x Luxpower SNA5000 in parallel.

You are correct, with a single SNA5000 you would not be able to exceed 5KW from the inverter.

I just bought the Luxpower SNA5000 with 6 450w solar panels, any ideas as to how best to wire up the panels, i.e. all 6 in series, or in parallel, or two strings in series or 2 strings in parallel?

I live on a remote farm farm from technical people, i.e. electricians and installers so will have to go about doing this myself.