Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

It's just for the longevity of the AC coupled inverter. I can see the temperature - and it's never goen above 60c, but with the fan it keeps it under 50. My main production inverters are mounted under the panels - not much I can do to cool them.

I'd have thought production hit is more about the panel getting hot, and less efficient, than the inverter.
 
Bug One said:
It's just for the longevity of the AC coupled inverter. I can see the temperature - and it's never goen above 60c, but with the fan it keeps it under 50. My main production inverters are mounted under the panels - not much I can do to cool them.

I'd have thought production hit is more about the panel getting hot, and less efficient, than the inverter.
Click to expand...
yeh my inverter is currently showing 55 degrees..... which is pretty hot to be fair lol
 
If I lived in a rental with space to add some external panels - then something like this could be pretty useful to help lower bills. Not sure how much you'd get from a pair of small panels mounted at an inefficient angle on a balcony though. It's rather pricey - so I doubt you'd ever see a meaningful ROI.

Not sure about the electrical safety/legality aspect. Electrical fires in towerblocks are pretty harmless anyway. :o
 
Yeah they have been brought up before.

Its hard to work out exactly how they work, but it appears you need to plug in special plugs for anything that you want to use from the literature.
Edit, in regards using power when there is grid outage I mean.

There is a minimum you don't need to report in regards solar installs in the UK, its something like 900w.
 
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Armageus said:
That's not how it looks though -

DrBUKfk.mp4
Click to expand...
not everything is how it looks, but having seen a video of how it works, it doesnt go in via the plug......this system has been discussed before
 
Welshman said:
not everything is how it looks, but having seen a video of how it works, it doesnt go in via the plug......this system has been discussed before
Click to expand...

Discussed, but not actually explained - in fact the last time you "explained" it, @Bug One seemed to be left just as confused

Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

Sexy
forums.overclockers.co.uk forums.overclockers.co.uk


Edit:
Manual is here: https://websiteoss.ecoflow.com/cms/...erter User Manual V1.1 (EN)_1686293304065.pdf

and seems to show it connected only via plug (the app shows options to prioritise either prioritizing power supply or power storage)
 
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Armageus said:
Discussed, but not actually explained - in fact the last time you "explained" it, @Bug One seemed to be left just as confused

Solar panels and battery - any real world reccomendations?

Sexy
forums.overclockers.co.uk forums.overclockers.co.uk


Edit:
Manual is here: https://websiteoss.ecoflow.com/cms/upload/2023/6/9/EcoFlow PowerStream Microinverter User Manual V1.1 (EN)_1686293304065.pdf

and seems to show it connected only via plug (the app shows options to prioritise either prioritizing power supply or power storage)
Click to expand...
but i showed you a picture of the grey box on the wall....thats a micro inverter, so its doing the same thing as the inverter in your attic or the enphase micro inverters on panels. Its also a special charging socket and plug, that links to your fuse panel



i mean your current inverter is connected to the grid via an ac cable into your fuse panel. This is connecting the microinverter to a special ac plug and cable, via an ac socket to your fuse panel.

Whats the difference???
 
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Welshman said:
but i showed you a picture of the grey box on the wall....
Click to expand...
I can see a grey box on the wall - in fact have some more pictures of it
q5v0Y8R.png


Welshman said:
thats a micro inverter, so its doing the same thing as the inverter in your attic or the enphase micro inverters on panels. Its also a special charging socket and plug, that links to your fuse panel
Click to expand...
Where in their documentation is this mentioned, or are you just assuming? A special socket is not mentioned, nor any special connection to the fuse box, beyond that provided by a normal socket.

Welshman said:
i mean your current inverter is connected to the grid via an ac cable into your fuse panel.
Click to expand...
I don't have a current inverter or solar at home, hence the interest in such a diy option, that as apparently advertised doesn't need an electrician to install

Welshman said:
This is connecting the microinverter to a special ac plug and cable, via an ac socket to your fuse panel.

Whats the difference???
Click to expand...

The cable goes direct from the AC OUTPUT in the above picture, into a standard wall socket? There is no special connection to my fuse box beyond the standard ring main back to the fuse box???
Db7eWim.png
 
Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Its hard to work out exactly how they work, but it appears you need to plug in special plugs for anything that you want to use from the literature.
Edit, in regards using power when there is grid outage I mean.

There is a minimum you don't need to report in regards solar installs in the UK, its something like 900w.
Click to expand...
From the little time I've spend looking at this so far, below 800w doesn't require you to notify the DNO.

The inverter turns off during an outage, to prevent backfeeding and the potential risk to the DNO if they aren't expecting power to be there e.g. when doing maintenance.
 
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Armageus said:
I can see a grey box on the wall - in fact have some more pictures of it
q5v0Y8R.png



Where in their documentation is this mentioned, or are you just assuming? A special socket is not mentioned, nor any special connection to the fuse box, beyond that provided by a normal socket.


I don't have a current inverter or solar at home, hence the interest in such a diy option, that as apparently advertised doesn't need an electrician to install



The cable goes direct from the AC OUTPUT in the above picture, into a standard wall socket? There is no special connection to my fuse box beyond the standard ring main back to the fuse box???
Db7eWim.png
Click to expand...
no assumptions being made...the documents call it a micro inverter....thats needed to turn the dc from the panels to ac for the battery and other ac outlets. Thats what inverters do.

The documents also ref smart plugs, they could be just standard smart plugs, but who knows, but they are ref: multiple times in the sections.

Even if it is connecting to standard ac socket in your wall....in a way thats the same as a solar inverter in the attic, but that would have its own fuse within your panel. if it is a plug and play option, then yes no special wiring is required. I would just question why it needs smart plugs and what smart plugs it requires
 
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