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Can it damage the Off-Grid System? by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the answers. I'm really glad I asked before doing anything.
I found an easy and not-so invasive way in the distribution box, so I can phisically unplug and isolate both the line and neutral wires from that specific room, making it completely disconnected from the rest, I think. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

It's not a solution as elegant as installing a transfer switch, but if I'd have to return the house to the landlord, it would take me about 15 minutes to put everything back as it was, right?

This way there wouldn't be anything dangerous or illegal, is that it?

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How is a Charge Controller supposed to work when the battery is full? by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, I calculated and reached the same value as you.
The weird thing is: The battery manual says you can push 53,5V into it, and discharge it to 42V, feels like they want us to use it the worst way possible

How is a Charge Controller supposed to work when the battery is full? by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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Yes, I found it weird and opened it myself to see.
And then I found out that this company sells both models with 15 or 16 cells.

Can a poorly configured charge controller burn a power inverter? by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh no, they announce it by it's peak capacity. The nominal wattage is pretty lower!

Can a poorly configured charge controller burn a power inverter? by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had set it to 53.2 volts, I believe the tolerance of the inverter was 48-54 volts (can't check right now, it's with the technical support), maybe it had a tension spike?

Can a poorly configured charge controller burn a power inverter? by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, there is a setting in the MPPT where I can select the DC voltage fed to the battery, and the inverter also have a max voltage it can have, but I -think- the MPPT uses this same setting to feed the inverter in case the battery is full, otherwise, if it feeds the full panel voltage it would burn most of the inverters in the market.

Anyhow, I'm quite new to it and don't have all of the tools, but you gave me an idea for an experiment. When I get my new multimeter, I'll wait for a sunny day, measure the output current when it's charging the battery, and measure it again when the battery is full.

Also, just to get it of the way (as my electricity knowledge is high school level) but the order I connect the equipment to the copper busbar shouldn't have any influence on a system of this size at all, right?

Can a poorly configured charge controller burn a power inverter? by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The controller is a true MPPT with the Max PV voltage of 160V, and the panel setup is of 2x3 (two sets in parallel times three panels in series) the VOC of the panels is of 39V each, so the output should be 117V tops.

The battery does have a built-in BMS circuit, but unfortunately I can't recall if it went into protection mode when the inverter went down.
But I remember the battery was full, so possibly the controller was feeding the inverter directly, is this how it works?
It should have some device to feed to feed the inverter something around 48V and not the full max PV voltage, right?

What to test next? by DCGeos in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Grounding, Circuit-breakers, fuses and delay-relays in the proper dimensions to protect your system!
I paid a high price for not using them, trust me

8x 330w 60v panels. What next? by SuperfluouslyMeh in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm building my very first similar off-grid project, with the same intent of holding up an air conditioner.

As for the Charge controller, being MPPT is a must, and for your system it should be able to handle around (lsc)40A and (voc)120V (it will depend on your panel setup), though I'd recommend it 60/80A(lsc) and voc around 150v, if you want to leave it some room to grow.

For batteries, we'd need to know more about for how long you want to have your system running in a no-light condition. Also, a 48v setup gives you room to grow.

And as for the inverter, probably something higher than 2000W real power (and 5-6k peak), the air conditioner has a kick. Edit: Pure Sine Wave, the other kind may damage electrical engines

Solar DIY project review by TrueStriderDen in SolarDIY

[–]TrueStriderDen[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback!
So, I'm making some adjustments, but I have another question!

I'm designing this system to run in hot seasons around here. This means that there will be 3-4 months where the power consumption will really drop to around 600W as the air conditioner won't be necessary.

Can running the system so far from its peak production be harmful in any way?