My Views on the Imeon 3.6 testing 1st Nov till 1st Jan

[Mike]

I thought i would share my thoughts on the Imeon Hybrid 3.6kw Inverter with you folks. I had installed one to test at my home on the 1st November. The test environment is:

Imeon 3.6 Inverter allowing 3kw of PV according to the manual through one MPPT controller......" I don' think so" as per the same with the Infinisolar......

 

The Imeon manual states nominal input of 3kw of pv with a max of 450vdc at a max of 18amps....... so here goes Mike,

I connected 6490w of pv in two strings of 11 in parallel allowing 3245w at 8.69a and approx 411vdc spread across a spectrum of ENE to NNW

 

And guess what it works as i thought the Infini would in the early days, as long as you stay within the parameters of the controller.

For two months i have run the unit like this, November gave me a generation figure 982kwh  and December has given a little over 1150kwh, not bad for a "3kw" unit hey?

 

I believe with my testing that the limitation lies with the Net metering side, where it is limited to a max of 3kw out, as when it is generating at 4kw as an example, it sends to load first, then the balance to battery charger to a max of 25A and the balance to the grid.

 

The unit is similar to the Infini with regards to the fans running constantly during the day - i suppose due to it running hard with generation, but at night when it switches over to battery, very quite. the home uses very little battery overnight, we start at 56.7vdc and in the am we sit at 51 - 50.5vdc. The bank is a gel bank of 8 x 250ah.

All in all i am very happy with the Imeon 3.6 - NOW just to find the next unit to run for a few months.....

 

All the best for 2016 everyone

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike]

i can't seem to get any pics up at the moment....

[Mike]

has not arrived in the country yet, that is the Infinisolar unit. most of the importers are stuck with massive amounts of stock of the Axperts and rebranded units and won't bring in until stock levels drop....I wish they would hurry up as i want to play with one.

[cvzyl]

Mike

What does the international pricing look like on the larger Infinisolar units? I heard prices of around R50k for the 5/6kW units which for me is way too high considering the prices of e.g. Imeon.

In the Imeon 3.6, I understand that it can deliver 6kW AC of which 3kW can be solar and balance grid. If no solar is available, can it still deliver the full 6kW from grid?

Are you planning on selling the Imeon test unit? If so, please let me know, I'm looking for something like that.

Cobus

[Mike]

I have mailed to check on the international price, but it will be the airfreight that is going to hurt. How many folks will be interested if i personally get some in?

As soon as they reply i will post the prices quoted.

[Mike]

Mike

What does the international pricing look like on the larger Infinisolar units? I heard prices of around R50k for the 5/6kW units which for me is way too high considering the prices of e.g. Imeon. I am checking

In the Imeon 3.6, I understand that it can deliver 6kW AC of which 3kW can be solar and balance grid. If no solar is available, can it still deliver the full 6kW from grid? have not tried this, but will and reply

Are you planning on selling the Imeon test unit? If so, please let me know, I'm looking for something like that. maybe, will advise

Cobus

[Mike]

right Voltronic is only supplying a 5kw hybrid unit but it can be paralleled  giving you a 10kw hybrid single phase unit........ but at $1680 each excl  shipping, vat on arrival would it be worth it?

They have decided against the 8kw unit. i might bring in a pair for myself

would you want to carry your own warranty?

[cvzyl]

Mike

Is that a 5kW Infinisolar unit? That is probably how they get to the R50k mark. It is a shame, not really competitive with other equipment at that price.

I think most people would prefer the Imeon 3.6 as an alternative.

Cobus

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Mike]

Mike

Is that a 5kW Infinisolar unit? That is probably how they get to the R50k mark. It is a shame, not really competitive with other equipment at that price.

I think most people would prefer the Imeon 3.6 as an alternative.

Cobus

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

i think that price you are referring to might only be for one unit. i do think that this is actually just a clone of the Imeon as they do assemble them for Imeon, so stolen technology me thinks

[Mike]

Is this a grid tied inverter? Can you push into the grid like the infini?

Yep it is an Infini just slightly larger unit at 5kw and can parallel another to 10kw single phase

[Mike]

But that is what I need then. If I can nit get a 8 kw the 2 5 kw will work. Mmmm OK now I need to find out if I can hook up to the grid using them.

My brother brings in stuff from China all the time. I could ask him if I could ship with him.

maybe i can also get a share of the container for a fee?

[SOLARWIND]

I use my IMEON 3.6 since June 6, 2015 and very happy thus far!

 

[Wetkit]

Guys, I have a question.

I am constantly fighting with guys here at work regarding Hybrid invertors.

 

Some guys here have heard the you can "draw" 6kw from the Imeon.

Now they all trying to put their complete house on the battery backup side of the unit.

So far I know and understand, you can go max 3kw on the output side.

You can however also have 3kw on the input side of the Imeon.

 

Do I understand this correctly or am I wrong in this regard?

 

I know you can have a peak overload for startup of 6kw on the output, but that is only for like 15s max.

[Guest]

You are correct Wetkit. The max power is there for peak output, momentarily, to not blow the inverter.

 

If at night, they have the stove on, the Microwave, dishwasher and dryer, and Eskom is off, and the inverters is not rated for all of that on at the same time, it will be dark very quick.

 

The new people MUST understand, you buy the inverter for your max continuous load that you want to power. Needs versus wants.

 

Electricity, she is a very cruel and expensive mistress.

[superdiy]

Wetkit, The Imeon 3.6 can supply up to 6KW combined power when mains is avaiable:

 

Doubled Output
In the presence of the grid, IMEON can supply double it

[Wetkit]

Doubled Output - So what happens when it is night and your mains goes out? Will you then be dead in the water?

 

Also, if this was true, why is it still called an "Imeon Hybrid 3.6kw Inverter"???

Should it not be called a 6kw inv?

[___]

Well, at night you will be limited to about 4kw I think. 3 from the grid, 1 from batteries. When the grid goes out too, I would suspect you'll be limited to 1kw. That's just taking the text at face value :-)

1kw isn't bad for essential stuff.

Same thing really with my Victron when I use PowerAssist (I sometimes do this at night). When the grid is there... you can handle almost any load (and add some from the batteries if you want). When the grid isn't there... you are limited to the rating of the inverter.

 

Watching a Multiplus/Quatro do PowerAssist is something beautiful... to me anyway.

[Willem]

How does the software compare between the infini and the imeon?

Can both be accessed over the internet? And do they both properly log data?

[superdiy]

Doubled Output - So what happens when it is night and your mains goes out? Will you then be dead in the water?

 

Also, if this was true, why is it still called an "Imeon Hybrid 3.6kw Inverter"???

Should it not be called a 6kw inv?

 

It is called an Imeon 3.6, not Imeon 3.6KW. I assume the 3 indicates that it is a 3KW inverter and the 6 indicates the doubled output (6KW) feature. 

 

Well, at night you will be limited to about 4kw I think. 3 from the grid, 1 from batteries. When the grid goes out too, I would suspect you'll be limited to 1kw. That's just taking the text at face value :-)

1kw isn't bad for essential stuff.

 

The 2KW PV, 1KW battery, 3KW grid is just an example.

 

According to the manual, the Imeon 3.6 contains a 3KW internal inverter, but being a true hybrid it can combine battery, PV and GRID to output a total of 6KW. When the grid fails the inverter will go into overload mode if the total load at that time is more than 3KW. Mike (or others), please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Mike]

It is called an Imeon 3.6, not Imeon 3.6KW. I assume the 3 indicates that it is a 3KW inverter and the 6 indicates the doubled output (6KW) feature. 

 

 

The 2KW PV, 1KW battery, 3KW grid is just an example.

 

According to the manual, the Imeon 3.6 contains a 3KW internal inverter, but being a true hybrid it can combine battery, PV and GRID to output a total of 6KW. When the grid fails the inverter will go into overload mode if the total load at that time is more than 3KW. Mike (or others), please correct me if I'm wrong.

Spot on, without grid  3kw max output or she trips, the unit actually works pretty darn well if i may say so...

[Guest]

Question: Why would one want to power 2kw PV, 1kw battery and 3kw from grid via the same inverter?

 

What is the logic?

[Willem]

TTT I think the logic for that one was an example to explain what the inverter can do.

 

But If you run 2 kw off your solar, and you switch on something that's using a lot more current for a short period of time, it just means it can back it up with drawing another kw from the batteries to use the full 3kw capacity from the inverter, and then when you need more it can pull in another 3 kw from the grid.

Obviously you would never size your system to bargain on this, but it's a feature that puts the inverter in a higher class than a standard 3kw one because of the ability to combine inputs and double the output, given you have enough solar and batt power available, the periods you use this feature will probably be very short, but the inverter is able to do that where a normal 3kw would have tripped.

[Guest]

Ok, if I understand you correct: I run 2kw off solar and switch on a 1kw device, inverter then powers 3kw as long as there is solar and battery power?

 

What I don't get:

Why not get a 3kw inverter with 3kw panels and not use batteries until there is insufficient sun?

Why would I connect devices to a Inverter that when Eskom is off, the devices will be off?

 

Imeons are beautiful inverters, good quality, very nice free software but a wee bit expensive.

 

Apologies if my questions sound stupid, but I cannot get to the logic of 3.6 (2+1.6).

[cvzyl]

TTT

 

I don't think you should think of the 3.6 as a power rating (2+1.6). The way I understand their naming convention is that it is a 3kW DC/AC inverter but that the unit has a maximum AC capacity of 6kW, the balance being from grid. Therefore the 3 refers to the inverter size and the 6 to the AC capacity.

 

C

[superdiy]

Ok, if I understand you correct: I run 2kw off solar and switch on a 1kw device, inverter then powers 3kw as long as there is solar and battery power?

 

What I don't get:

Why not get a 3kw inverter with 3kw panels and not use batteries until there is insufficient sun?

Why would I connect devices to a Inverter that when Eskom is off, the devices will be off?

 

Imeons are beautiful inverters, good quality, very nice free software but a wee bit expensive.

 

Apologies if my questions sound stupid, but I cannot get to the logic of 3.6 (2+1.6).

 

Hi TTT

 

You are staring yourself blind at 2KW + 1KW - as already said, that is just an example. 

 

Let me try again...

 

The Imeon is a true hybrid, like the infini (maybe I should have left that part out for now).  Being a true hybrid it simply means that the inverter can combine input sources to supply the load. The actual internal inverter is capable of supplying 3KW, that is in any combination e.g. 3KW PV + 0KW BATT OR 2.87KW PV and 0.13KW BATT OR 1.13KW PV and 1.87KW BATT - 3KW in total (ignoring losses and effeciency for now). Now, most other 3KW inverters will trip after a certain period (e.g. 30 seconds) when the total load is above 3KW. In the case of the Imeon 3.6, the inverter can supply a load of up to 6KW indefinitely if the GRID is available. This is a nice to have feature and I'll try to explain why below.

 

In my installation I've got the 3KW infini, which can only supply a load of up to 3KW and will trip if the load is higher than 3KW for a certain amount of time. I've rewired my entire house to have plug outlets on the inverter output as well as normal eskom/grid supplied outlets in every room in the house, simply because you have things like a hairdryer / electric kettle / deep fryer / induction stove etc. which are used for short periods of times, but which draws a lot of power for those short periods of times. If I had the money and installed an Imeon 3.6, I could have left the entire installation as-is and supply all the plug outlets from the inverter output, because we have the GRID available 99% of the time and that simply means that the Imeon would be able to supply power to the kettle and hairdryer and all the other small load simultaneously 99% of the time since it can deliver up to 6KW to a load while the GRID is available. Hope it makes more sense now?