On-grid domestic battery storage

Solarchaser

Starfrog said:

strange I thought I had posted the reply.  I think that the Powerlux AC ESS 3.6kW only allows to to draw 3.6KW ? as I notice that when I look at the enphase monitor it always looks like the solar panels peaks at 3.5 in production  having said that the enphase monitor says 15.9kWh of production for today via solar but the powerlux monitor says 13.6kWh in yield ? which one to believe!! Anyway im thinking that the if my house has a demand for 8kwh due to shower or cooker or whatever and my inverter can only max at 3.6 then isn't that the limit I can give the house and the rest is a straight pull from the grid ? regardless of how much I have in my Battery or what the solar panels is giving out ? I think the situation will change when I move over to the air source heat pump and using underfloor heating as well as the hot water cylinder should be much less electrical use by getting rid of the electric shower, also getting new cooker which will move away from the very old cooker the is in there with a newer induction cooker with fan assist oven, let time cooking and hob more efficient than old style coil. 

There's a few things in there.
I have the same lux inverter, I just have the parallel version, and have 2.
If you have 3 or more batteries it can potentially charge and discharge at 3.6kw, but as you only have 2 batteries, you are limited  to charge and discharge of 2.4kw.

Your enphase is your actual monitor of solar production, so that's the one to believe, the lux works with current clamps around your positive wire,  so will never be 100% accurate, usually 90% accuracy is expected. 
The lux clamps will monitor whatever is going on, bit will in your case only react to 2.4kw of draw or supply.

You are doing well to get 3.5kw in these dark days, I'm lucky to peak 2kw just now.

So if you had 3.5kw coming out of your solar, and your shower draws 8kw, then you will draw 4.5kw from the grid, but if your batteries have charge, then they will also supply 2.4kw to the shower reducing your import to 2.1kw.

In terms of cooking, induction hobs and lux inverters are not best pals.
Induction hobs work by switching on for a few seconds, and then back off, on again for a few seconds and back off etc etc.
Problem there is the lux sees the draw and ramps up to meet demand, but is too late as induction has switched off, so it exports for a few seconds, then ramps down... just as the induction hob switches on again, rinse and repeat.

So ye olde cooker will probably work better with the lux tbh.
I say that as someone who has induction hobs, but can't get rid as the wife loves the cleanability of them

Starfrog

Solarchaser thank you so much you really made it very clear for me to understand, huge thanks I suspect my clamps are a little off as it keeps telling me im producing solar power on my Lux monitor when the sun is gone and its pitch black outside ! around 30/40w all the time ! and when it states its drawing power for the house demand say 100w then the grid import says 70w and the pv says 30w !! go figure !! so I think id benefit from getting another possible two batteries, giving me 9.6kW as the electric showers will be replaced then he cooker really would be the last major draw on my power use. how do you think induction affects your costs of use from the grid ? I could go for a nice ceramic one which is basically a coil under glass but nice and easy to wipe down. During the day wouldn't the solar just give it the power it would need for the induction hob without a problem, not sure how much power hubs take to be honest ? 

Starfrog

forget to ask but is there a more effective "Clamp" method to get a more accurate data read ? although I'll read the enphase as the proper power provided

Solarchaser

I'd maybe ask jake or Michael to get the latest update for the lux,  I think that was the cause of a few of us seeing apparent solar generation in the dead of night. 
I also recall a setting about reactive power,  but EVandPV will remember that one better than me.

Truthfully I'm not sure how induction affects my costs, if induction was 50% more efficient than coil heating, then I'd say its probably break even, but really that a pure guess. 

For the clamp, id just make sure it's definitely in the right place and the arrow is pointing to the solar panels and not to the grid, also I've used a couple of tie wraps above and below my clamps to hold them in the middle of the cable to lessen any crosstalk they could potentially pick up being near Junction boxes etc.... but that was more a makes sense in my head rather than any evidence based thing 

Starfrog

I thought the Lux just updated over the air ? automatically .... Jake ? Michael ? induction v ceramic is about 12% more effective so on the grand scheme of things I might just go with the induction ? fan assisted oven is more effective and you can cook at about 10% less heat and quicker so more beneficial.

Starfrog

why of why does my battery still feed into he grid when it clearly has dont feed grid on my settings page. its just wasting the battery by pumping energy into he grid when  I dont get any benefit from it what so every at present due to not having a smart meter and not on a tariff that lets me export right now. the annoying thing is the battery is supplying the house and then sending 1066w to the grid when it shouldn't need to ? why cant it just feed the house ? what setting is wrong ? 

mickyduck55

I have a couple of settings different from yours... I export about 0.1 kW a day when I dont thiink I should export any... when its sunny I quite rightly export more as my batteries are full I cannot really tell you for sure what to do but mine works as it should

Good generation there .. I have 0.8 kW today so far

Starfrog

wouldn't feed in grid power not feed into the grid ? or is that just for Solar ? 

mickyduck55

Starfrog said:

wouldn't feed in grid power not feed into the grid ? or is that just for Solar ? 

I take it to mean "feed in when I dont need it"  BTBH there is no manual for this... maybe try fast grid switching and try different  reactive power setting?  This is mine ATM

Starfrog

ive set it to zero fast export enable and set reactive power type to 5 over reactive and a reactive power percent to 50 ? hopefully it doesn't blow up ! haha