Sunology Solar Station - will this work?

markin

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

markin said:

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

So I just wanted to check my understanding based on the replies.  For example: an off grid - balcony - plug in play system will always use the energy from the solar panels first.  Is that correct?

'off grid' Means no connection at all to the grid, using batteries or directly charging or powering a device, light or phone.

The plug and play micro inverters are On Grid, They see the grid and can send power out to the grid if allowed.

Are these inverters On Grid then?  
https://www.hoymiles.com/products/product-list

Yes, But you would still use the power made from them in the home first with excess being exported.

For an off-grid system you need a hybrid battery charger/inverter, or a separate charge controller and inverter to give you the 230v. 


Here's a video of someone setting up an off-grid system to run a fridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73Wlxl9Af04 


................

If you have the £4.5-5K to install a real solar system from a a local installer and a good roof for it to go on just do it correctly and get paid for the export. The pay back is in the 6-9 year range, With the expected life of at least 20+ years.

Ectophile

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

markin said:

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

So I just wanted to check my understanding based on the replies.  For example: an off grid - balcony - plug in play system will always use the energy from the solar panels first.  Is that correct?

'off grid' Means no connection at all to the grid, using batteries or directly charging or powering a device, light or phone.

The plug and play micro inverters are On Grid, They see the grid and can send power out to the grid if allowed.

Thanks now understand on and off grid. What does the comment "can send power out to the grid if allowed" mean?

The rules vary between countries.  Some have state energy companies who will not allow anyone to compete with them by exporting their own energy.

In the UK, your DNO (District Network Operator) can limit the amount of power you can export.  Anything over 3.6kW requires permission.  Below that, you can export unless they specifically say you can't.

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd

Not wishing to hijack this thread.  Struggling to understand how the house will not draw electricity from the grid unless the demand exceeds what is being generated by the solar panels.

If I connect 2 car batteries in parallel and connect a light bulb.  (i) Once the batteries have equalised their voltage, power will be taken from both batteries.  (ii) If one of the batteries has a higher voltage than the other, then power will be taken from the highest voltage battery first.

How does this work with the solar panels and grid?

CSI_Yorkshire

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

How does this work with the solar panels and grid?

A solar panel is not a battery, and your battery and lightbulb example is DC not AC.

Think of the solar panel like a tap, open to a particular point based on how sunny it is.  The electricity coming out has to go somewhere.

chris_n

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

Not wishing to hijack this thread.  Struggling to understand how the house will not draw electricity from the grid unless the demand exceeds what is being generated by the solar panels.

If I connect 2 car batteries in parallel and connect a light bulb.  (i) Once the batteries have equalised their voltage, power will be taken from both batteries.  (ii) If one of the batteries has a higher voltage than the other, then power will be taken from the highest voltage battery first.

How does this work with the solar panels and grid?

The solar inverter can only supply anything by having it's voltage slightly higher than the incoming supply (as in your battery analogy) . Once it has pushed the voltage up then the electricity will take the easiest route back to the neutral. Unless there is something very wrong with your wiring the easiest route will be within your house.

Reed_Richards

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

If I connect 2 car batteries in parallel and connect a light bulb.  (i) Once the batteries have equalised their voltage, power will be taken from both batteries.  (ii) If one of the batteries has a higher voltage than the other, then power will be taken from the highest voltage battery first.

It's not possible to connect two batteries in parallel with different voltages for more than a very short time.  The one with the higher voltage (Battery 1) will pass a lot of charging current through the one with the lower voltage (Battery 2).  Discharging Battery 1 will rapidly reduce its voltage and charging Battery 2 will increase its voltage.  That's if you don't do damage before the voltages equalise.  See https://www.howengineeringworks.com/happen-batteries-connected-parallel/#:~:text=In short, when two non,may destroy lower voltage battery.

Gerry1

Much easier to think of it like a car headlight.

If the engine isn't running, the battery (cf. the Grid) supplies the headlight.  Start the engine and the alternator (cf. the solar panel) will supply the headlight and export the rest to the battery.

If the engine is idling (or has a dynamo which is less efficient) then its output will be insufficient to supply the headlight so the battery has to top it up.

markin

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

markin said:

nxdmsandkaskdjaqd said:

So I just wanted to check my understanding based on the replies.  For example: an off grid - balcony - plug in play system will always use the energy from the solar panels first.  Is that correct?

'off grid' Means no connection at all to the grid, using batteries or directly charging or powering a device, light or phone.

The plug and play micro inverters are On Grid, They see the grid and can send power out to the grid if allowed.

Thanks now understand on and off grid. What does the comment "can send power out to the grid if allowed" mean?

I meant if you turn everything in the home off without shutting down the solar first it will naturally export, Also many inverters can be set up to not allow export, it just need a ct clamp around the main wire to monitor the flow if it starts to export it can limit or shut off the solar.

If you installed a 6kw peak roof system the inverter could limit the export to 3.6kwh if that is what the local DNO, (The local grid company) want.