Hallo everybody. This is my first time posting on the Power Forum. 

I have the following setup:

1) 24X 250W Renewsys solar panels. 4 panels connected in series and 3 of these arrays in parallel for my string (don't know if my understanding of string vs array is correct). Anyway, according to my definition I then have 12 panels in a string meaning. 

2) 2x 5kW Microcare MPPT's. 12 panels connected to each MPPT. 

3) 10kW MicroCare inverter. 

4) At this stage 1x 7.4kW LiFePo4 battery soon to become 2x batteries. 

Will the below generator 6.5kVa be sufficient to charge 2x batteries on rainy days? I want to move completely off-grid. 

Edited November 3, 20195 yr by LouisT
Some text missing

3 hours ago, LouisT said:

Will the below generator 6.5kVa be sufficient to charge 2x batteries on rainy days? I want to move completely off-grid. 

Welcome Louis,

Firstly, I dont understand how you plan to charge your batteries using the generator with the equipment you currently have? Does the MicroCare inverter have charging capabilities? 

If so, the charging current will be limited to the charging current rating of the Inverter. Lets pretend there is no limits, your 4.8kw generator will be able to give approximately 90Amp @ 53 volt. 

It is not that simple though, because if you are drawing load at that specific time, there will be less current available for charging the battery. 

 

13 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said:

Welcome Louis,

Firstly, I dont understand how you plan to charge your batteries using the generator with the equipment you currently have? Does the MicroCare inverter have charging capabilities? 

If so, the charging current will be limited to the charging current rating of the Inverter. Lets pretend there is no limits, your 4.8kw generator will be able to give approximately 90Amp @ 53 volt. 

It is not that simple though, because if you are drawing load at that specific time, there will be less current available for charging the battery. 

 

2) 2x 5kW Microcare MPPT's. 12 panels connected to each MPPT. 

6 minutes ago, Dex_ said:

2) 2x 5kW Microcare MPPT's. 12 panels connected to each MPPT. 

Yes @Dex_  I saw that, but the OP wants to charge his battery's using a 220VAC Generator.  

39 minutes ago, Jaco de Jongh said:

Yes @Dex_  I saw that, but the OP wants to charge his battery's using a 220VAC Generator.  

ah ok I got you 

That generator’s output is 19 amps at 230v. 

So it can charge the batteries even though it will be at 50% charging rate which will take longer to get to 100%.

The one thing that gets ignored is the much faster charging time for lithium batteries. I’ll hate it to use a generator to charge flat normal solar batteries. That will take forever. And gen sets are very thirsty.

If your budget stretches that far look at inverter generators. They are rumored to be a lot less thirsty. That’s apart from delivering sine wave output.

3 hours ago, Jaco de Jongh said:

Welcome Louis,

Firstly, I dont understand how you plan to charge your batteries using the generator with the equipment you currently have? Does the MicroCare inverter have charging capabilities? 

If so, the charging current will be limited to the charging current rating of the Inverter. Lets pretend there is no limits, your 4.8kw generator will be able to give approximately 90Amp @ 53 volt. 

It is not that simple though, because if you are drawing load at that specific time, there will be less current available for charging the battery. 

 

Yes Jaco. The invertor can charge as well. I have a change over switch between Eskom and the generator (which I don't have......yet). When the battery reach 49.2 V the inverter change over to Eskom/generator. It then first supply the load and the excess goes to the battery. 

18 hours ago, Johandup said:

That generator’s output is 19 amps at 230v. 

So it can charge the batteries even though it will be at 50% charging rate which will take longer to get to 100%.

The one thing that gets ignored is the much faster charging time for lithium batteries. I’ll hate it to use a generator to charge flat normal solar batteries. That will take forever. And gen sets are very thirsty.

If your budget stretches that far look at inverter generators. They are rumored to be a lot less thirsty. That’s apart from delivering sine wave output.

Diesel generators are less thirsty than petrol, and are most efficient when running at close to maximum load. I borrowed a petrol generator to do some work with power tools on the farm, and that thing sucked up 20l of petrol in about six hours, with just intermittant power tool use. My Lister will run for 20 hours on 20l of diesel and produce a constant output.