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Generator Install with Solar
- Thread starter JLCELEC
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ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
This would probably be better addressed in the Photovoltaic Forum, but a PV inverter should be interconnected outside the generator transfer switch. This will result in the PV system shutting down in the event of a power outage, which is better than having the PV system think the grid is still up when the house is on the generator. The reason for this is that if the PV system and the generator are both operating on the AC bus and the demand from the household loads drops below the output of the PV, the PV will backfeed the generator, which is very bad news for most generators.Hello all,
Curious , has anyone installed a residential whole house generator with solar system already installed. I believe there is a way to do this im just not sure how. I don't have much experience with solar. Any help would be greatly appreciated...
This, of course, can be problematic if the interconnection point is a backfed breaker in the main panel of the house and the owner wants a whole house generator backup. The logical place for the transfer switch is between the meter and the panel, but this connects the generator to the PV inverter outputs.
I realize that some owners are doing this sort of thing expressly because they want their PV to keep producing during power outages, but it's not a great idea. The contribution to their bottom line by their PV system while the grid is down is usually minuscule compared to the damage the PV can do to the generator.
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Ive installed a system with a Backup generator, along with wind and solar. I used a Xantrex Inverter. Look them up. They are handled by Sneider Electric. You can program the different inputs to prevent "Islanding" Which is backfeeding power to the grid, when the grid is down. That is a big no, no. The one we set up was tied through the xantrex inverter/Midnight Solar Combiner panel to a critical loads panel. Hope this is some sort of help. I have some good literature, I might be able to email you, if you want. On setting up Hybrid systems of that sort.
ggunn
PE (Electrical), NABCEP certified
- Location
- Austin, TX, USA
- Occupation
- Consulting Electrical Engineer - Photovoltaic Systems
The solar is already installed.Ive installed a system with a Backup generator, along with wind and solar. I used a Xantrex Inverter. Look them up. They are handled by Sneider Electric. You can program the different inputs to prevent "Islanding" Which is backfeeding power to the grid, when the grid is down. That is a big no, no. The one we set up was tied through the xantrex inverter/Midnight Solar Combiner panel to a critical loads panel. Hope this is some sort of help. I have some good literature, I might be able to email you, if you want. On setting up Hybrid systems of that sort.
Also, this discussion has been restarted over on the Photovoltaic Forum and should be deleted from here.
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