Hi everyone, (this is my first post)

I want to install a Hoymiles grid tie micro-inverter setup at home to supplement my usage with solar.  I have prepaid electricity with a Landis Gyr meter and i do NOT want to push back any excess into the grid.  

The information online on the setup required to achieve this is incomplete, scarce and  chinglish ect.   I need a DTU with Zero export capability (or anti reflux as Hoymiles calls it).  Then I need a power meter to measure the load of my house.   The current meter is suppose to connect to the DTU via RS485.

So I spoke to the ellies consultant and I put together my order.  I collected it today but things don't match up.  Ellies only has 1 type of DTU on their price list and it is specified as a Zero Export GSM DTU.

The DTU I received does not have a GSM module (no sim slot) and does not have an RS485 port. It has a RS232 port.  The power meter has a RS485 port.  These wont talk to each other.   The config settings on the DTU does have a check box for "no export", but an input field with an ID.  ID for what?  the value in there at the moment is a 6 characted hex value, not a single digit ID i would expect from RS485 comms.

I suspect the DTU they gave me is a newer version that wirelessly talks to Efergy current sensors.  But those have a minimum 6 second polling interval.  Surely this is not sufficient to stop exporting to the grid.  Worst case scenario you will export max array capacity for 6 seconds.  While this is illegal, I also understand that I will be charged by my prepaid meter for this electricity that i pushed back.

Any advice from anyone that have installed one of these systems would be greatly appreciated.

Francois

Hi Francois

You need:-

FBIADTUAR	DTU with grid tie limiting.
FBIAM1RS	Chint power meter

You don't want the DTU that works with the Efergy transmitters.

You also don't want the GSM DTU - FBIADTUGU.

 You need the FBIADTUAR.

Hey Francois,

 

In order to get zeroexport working, their are 2 options, from your explanation as I understand it is seems they have supplied half of each option.

Ellie's sells 3 versions on the DTU 1 x single Phase and 2 x 3 Phase.

Likely what they have supplied is a single phase unit which requires the efergy solo to clamp to your mains power line to feed back to the DTU this you can tell by the fact that the DTU has 2 anttena 1 white and 1 black.

If you had the 3 Phase DTU meter which does work with single phase installations this unit has a RS485 port and will connect to the current power meter.

Also the 3 phase DTU's are a couple R100 cheaper.

 

 

On 2019/10/16 at 9:46 PM, FrancoisVN said:

I want to install a Hoymiles grid tie micro-inverter setup at home to supplement my usage with solar.

Please tell me where you are planning on buying this, I have a client that is interested in this technology, but I dont have a supplier for them. 

I bought them at Ellies in JHB.   Just make triple sure you get the right stuff, I went back about 4 times before I had want I needed.

Hi all ,does anyone have a wiring digram for the rs485 port, from the Chint meter to the rs 485 to the holymiles,batteling to find any wiring diagram, any help would be apriciated 

Hi

I believe my HOYMILES GRID TIE MICROINVERTER 1200W are shutting down the panels as there is not enough power being used?

       2 examples attached

Could you very clever people please guide me as to how to adjust my geysers (i have lots) to turn on when there is excess power? 

I currently have them on timers, so you can see the dramatic swings in the power production.

If i am unable to heat the water to use the excess power, i assume the next best is to buy a battery?

Comments and advice on either please? 

Thank you

Barry

Hi Barry

This does look a bit strange, there was no clouds passing over at that time(a little bit of shade on the panels makes a huge difference)? Do you have the zero export function enabled?

Stef

On 2020/02/10 at 3:57 PM, WayneS said:

Hi all ,does anyone have a wiring digram for the rs485 port, from the Chint meter to the rs 485 to the holymiles,batteling to find any wiring diagram, any help would be apriciated 

User manual DTU-GPRS-Three phase.pdf

Hi Stef

Under settings - it says phase 1 - Zero export

BUT

under VIEW Sub tab Zero export it says MI state OFF for 1 inverter and ON for the other inverter

 

I have attached the 2 screen shots

 

So

Does that mean i have 1 inverter with Zero export ON and 1 with Zero Export OFF?

Is it a global setting on the DTU or is it set per inverter?

Where do I change it please?

Thanks

Barry

 

Hi

 

I think it is only a DTU setting as you can only activate it on the station when you login to the world.hoymiles website. Maybe contact one of the R&D guys at Ellies. Just phone Ellies contact number and ask for R&D working on Hoymiles inverters.

 

Regards.

Hi BTFD

I have one of these systems installed, but I only have 1 1200w inverter currently and looking to add another one soon with another 4 panels. Looking at the above it does look like you have one inverter set to zero export and the other to allow all. I am going to try help with this but can only help. i think you have to login with an "installer login" on http://world.hoymiles.com/#/user/login  once you have logged in you will know if you have the correct login, if you do it goes to the page like this below. The instructions I was given, was

1) click on this line that shows your station information, it will take you to a page which shows your module layout

2) Look along the top menu for "Electrical Phase Seperation", click on that then look for the button which says Phase network on the far right.

3) It should say command complete or completed, then click on Solar Station on the left hand side menu

4)On that line, look for the little icon which is a circle with 3 little dots in click on that

5)a menu opens down, click on the little door icon which says enable zero export.

 

That's all I did for mine. (these were the instructions given to me by the Ellies)

 

Hi

I want to start building a system using these Micro inverters. What is the minimum to start with? Note that LTE access on the farm is non existent. So I would have to get a monitoring unit that can send data via the cellular network. I have 3 phase power. Can I install the first unit on the first phase and then add to the other two later on?

My current 3 Phase APSystems got hit by lightning, and am wanting to go over to 3 separate Hoymiles 1200 per phase. My Solar panels are 405w each, and the recommended is max 380w. Is it possible to connect 3 X 405w to the Hoymiles 1200? and if so, does it matter/is there any preference as to which of the DC input conectors I connect the 3 panels to?

 

Hi Charl

While waiting for my new inverter and 12 panels to be installed I connected a 425W panel to a single Hoymiles 1200 input and it worked well.

I had a 4 way combiner unit so connected 4 x 425W panels to a single input Hoymiles 1200  - also worked well.

So then I went big and attached 2 panels per DC input for 3 inputs and 4 panels on a single input.  It continued to generate power and worked well.  No problems.  

The comment from Hoymiles support was it is a waste of power but nice to know IF I had extra panels to use?

The Hoymiles 1200 appears very well built!

Barry

 

Brilliant, thanx Barry.

Would the Hoymiles not get excessively hot or possibly burn out if such high Wattage is fed into the Micro Inverter, eg 2000w pannels into a 1200w inverter - what happens to the excess 800w being generated at peak daytime sunlight?

 

I watched the P-Grid and at no time did it approach the MAX

The temperature stayed low (compared to the normal hot day where they an go to over 80)

You taking about 3 X 405w -  connect them and watch the data, going into winter you not going to have a problem, but please do contact technical support to share your concerns / get their suggestions.

I have found a dramatic reduction in power generated over the last few weeks as the sun weakens.

Please let me know what you find?

Brilliant, thanx Barry.

Would the Hoymiles not get excessively hot or possibly burn out if such high Wattage is fed into the Micro Inverter, eg 2000w pannels into a 1200w inverter - what happens to the excess 800w being generated at peak daytime sunlight?

 

Your a true source of knowledge! Thanx

 

I was also wondering?, the panels are never 100% clean the entire period either, so doubt very much will reach the 405w stated - am really tempted to connect all 4X 405w - Have not purchased the Hoymiles 1200 to replace the APSystems yet - thought of waiting for the 1500w to land in SA and play safe - but that might be many months!! Will let you know what the outcome of connecting 4 X 405w (with the current very light "dust" on the panels....!). 

Thanx a million, I was not aware the Micro Inverter would "downscale". My biggest concern was during peak of day when the panels are on "Max Production".

Would that mean if one had eg 2000w panels feeding a 1200w inverter, the Inverter would simply discard the excess the panels produce, i.e. does the Inverter "draw" only as much power from the panels as it needs?

As with overcast days, having more panels would one then not also get "better production" earlier in the morning and later afternoon as well? 

I'm still new to the workings and on a learning curve! I was thinking of putting eg 405w panel on East roof and 405w panel on west and the 800w on the North facing to get a "longer peak production" curve (have capacity of 10kW roof space - first doing a bit of experimenting). Does this make sense?

Barry, I was looking at an earlier post of yours re "Geysers/hot water".

I found it considerably more effective to heat water with Heat collectors rather than with PV's - I have a combination of 1200L geysers, and in process of adding another 500L-800L (we use ALOT of hot water being a Birthing Centre) and don't even want to imagine the number of PV's needed to heat so much water.

Correct me if I am wrong, but calculated each 200L stores +- 12kW-16kW of energy. Batteries or Super Caps are not the "only" way of storing "household" energy! Should be a drive to install bigger geysers, rather than small geysers which "warm faster"....almost like saying we should not build bigger dams so that they can fill faster!!!

BRILLIANT, will keep that formulae for sure - so my "rule of thumb was slightly out!!!! Thanx, was seriously also considering Heat Pump - unfortunately more working parts and possible problems. Combining Heat Pump (possibly even gas) WITH the Solar heat collectors by far best way to go agreed!!

I managed to buy 40 X 2m2 flat panel Heat collectors (on auction for R1000/m2!!) so made full sense to use those initially, and even oversizing slightly - only run out of hot water when overcast/rainy for 3 days or more, only then go over to good old Eskom!!

Hi guys. Can someone please help. I bought the Hoymiles inverters, DTU-Pro and Chint Meter. I have connected the Chint meter to the DTU and selected my export as 0. For some reason the system does not limit the solar. It does not look like the DTU and Chint meter is seeing each other . I did connect it correctly according to the manual. Am I missing a setting? Thanks

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P5_I-eZ5zFT1-BianW5yZaF_0Y3tlbn9/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lzii32hOWgZVKUxoEbvRLuDogF_31baT/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iGU8xLEiWXjbKdRlWKHa3FQfI1ZshTfW/view?usp=sharing

On 2021/06/17 at 9:33 PM, Jordaan Botha said:

Hi guys. Can someone please help. I bought the Hoymiles inverters, DTU-Pro and Chint Meter. I have connected the Chint meter to the DTU and selected my export as 0. For some reason the system does not limit the solar. It does not look like the DTU and Chint meter is seeing each other . I did connect it correctly according to the manual. Am I missing a setting? Thanks

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P5_I-eZ5zFT1-BianW5yZaF_0Y3tlbn9/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Lzii32hOWgZVKUxoEbvRLuDogF_31baT/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iGU8xLEiWXjbKdRlWKHa3FQfI1ZshTfW/view?usp=sharing

 

10 hours ago, PeanuTG said:

 

Perhaps try selecting A (Load Side)