May 20, 20242 yr I had a quotation from a solar installer who does not want to install 6x 550w panels but is happy to install up to 7x 460w JA solar panels in a single string? The solar panels will be connected to a Sunsynk 5kw Hybrid single phase inverter and a Sunsynk 5.32kwh LiFeP04 battery. His reason is that the 6 x 550W solar panels is too close to maximum capacity for a single string? Panels would be true North Facing if installed at 29Degree angles. Your expert views please?
May 20, 20242 yr I'm no expert, but this is how I understand it. The Sunsynk 5Kw Hybrid as a 13A limit per MPPT. The JA460W Panels are in the 11A range. The JA550W panels are just over the 13A limit of the inverter. So I suspect this would be the logic behind his suggestion. Inverter 460W 550W
May 20, 20242 yr 46 minutes ago, Gooney Bird said: I had a quotation from a solar installer who does not want to install 6x 550w panels but is happy to install up to 7x 460w JA solar panels in a single string? The solar panels will be connected to a Sunsynk 5kw Hybrid single phase inverter and a Sunsynk 5.32kwh LiFeP04 battery. His reason is that the 6 x 550W solar panels is too close to maximum capacity for a single string? Panels would be true North Facing if installed at 29Degree angles. Your expert views please? What @Spysis saying is all correct but some installers are not always interpreting all the parameters correctly. The Sunsynk inverters can accommodate the slight over current and wattage. The 6 x 550w panels will be slightly overclocking the inverter mppt1 max by 50w that would not be a problem. The Voc would be well below max so can't see any reason not to go for 6 x 550w panels on 1 string. In some of my Sunsynk installs i have overclocked the max power input by 1.25 and never had any comebacks just ensure for a better yield during winter and overcast days and in summer peak the inverter will clip the excess wattage but have earlier startup and later pv shutdown. Edited May 20, 20242 yr by TaliaB
May 20, 20242 yr 110 mA over the Inverter Max Current limit should not be a worry. I have yet to see a panel deliver Imp continually , except during cloud edge effect, and then only briefly. I would rather worry that Voc calcs are done, taking temp. into account. So at STC (25 deg?) that's 300V. Even on a very cold day, one will not get nowhere close to max. PV Input (which I would scale down to 450V max).
May 20, 20242 yr Author Thanks to everyone above for the feedback, I am by no means even remotely schooled on Electricity nor PV and to tell the honest truth I am more afraid of electricity than for the Devil himself. I ask these questions for several reasons as I need to know that there will be no danger or surprises nor comebacks of any sort especially from my insurance company and most importantly for the safety of my Loved Ones. Based on my needs analysis and my power consumption I require a 5KW system as I am using 550kwh per month on average over a 3 year period with the highest per year being 622kwh per year and the lowest being 439kwh per year of which the latter being last year 2023. My calculations revealed that my pay back period for my proposed solar system would equate to almost 5 years or 56 months and hence I am still in two minds as to whether I should go for a Load shedding option only as it is almost half the price of a full solar system as I was also never really that keen on drilling multiple holes in a perfectly sealed IBR Roof. 🫣 Am I being absolutely mad by thinking electricity costs and loadshedding would eventually be controlled?🤔 What to do? Your views please?
May 20, 20242 yr Had my 3kw panels for almost 10 years and have paid for themselves yeeaaarrs ago! I would make the same decision again every time 😎. Now going to upgrade by adding more panels. For me Solar = roi battery = load shedding convenience
May 22, 20242 yr Given the current price of panels I would say solar pv install =panels +inverter will pay for themselves mostly in +-a few years say 3-5 if sized right for most homes. Batteries are the most expensive component currently and those are also mostly for convenience. Battery - the decision to buy a nice luxury car over a car that works. Some might pay for themselves but I take it there is no ROI needed when you spoil yourself. I don’t think electricity price will be controlled anytime soon - this is not unique to South Africa it’s a global phenomenon. Renewable is the way to go. Loadshedding, well I don’t know according to eskom and ANC it is already under control who knows?
May 31, 20242 yr Off topic a little ,Electromann has 550w panels for R1625. Stock up before the loadsheding
May 31, 20242 yr I get the feeling that @Gooney Bird may also be looking at the fact that in the event of an issue, will "this particular installer" not want to have a 'cop-out' of why system isn't working if @Gooney Bird insisted on getting the configuration of 6x 550w panels installed. The answers provided here are all correct, my only question would be have you also got quotes from other installers willing to install (6x 550w panels). Sometimes you don't want an installer wanting to then find a loophole of why his/her installation isn't working on the basis that "customer insisted" on this way of installation, yet reason for issues could be unrelated to number of panels. Food for thought.
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