SceneryDriver
Senior Member
- Location
- NJ
- Occupation
- Electrical and Automation Designer
It seems that the market is slowly figuring out how to solve using micro-inverter -equipped solar arrays with onsite battery storage. This inverter has a clever solution:
It apparently has a separate input for the AC output of a grid-tied solar array. It will "fool" the microinverters into thinking they're tied to the grid by providing a 60Hz sine wave at the solar array input so they produce. The inverter uses this power to charge connected batteries and (I think) power connected AC loads. If charging is complete as signaled by an external battery management system, the inverter will raise it's frequency above 60Hz to force the microinverters into shutdown.
I like the solution, though I'd want a unit that's UL listed before I even thing about installing one. That's way too much power to have running around in your basement or garage unlisted.
The above linked unit seems to need an external voltage sensing setup to figure out when the batteries are charged; it doesn't do it internally and shut down the microinverters. I'm also not to fond of needing to externally switch the power from the solar array to/from the grid connection if and when the grid supply goes down.
Anyone doing something similar, but UL listed and actually safe to install in a home? Perhaps a little better integrated too, with internal AC switching and battery monitoring?
SceneryDriver
It apparently has a separate input for the AC output of a grid-tied solar array. It will "fool" the microinverters into thinking they're tied to the grid by providing a 60Hz sine wave at the solar array input so they produce. The inverter uses this power to charge connected batteries and (I think) power connected AC loads. If charging is complete as signaled by an external battery management system, the inverter will raise it's frequency above 60Hz to force the microinverters into shutdown.
I like the solution, though I'd want a unit that's UL listed before I even thing about installing one. That's way too much power to have running around in your basement or garage unlisted.
The above linked unit seems to need an external voltage sensing setup to figure out when the batteries are charged; it doesn't do it internally and shut down the microinverters. I'm also not to fond of needing to externally switch the power from the solar array to/from the grid connection if and when the grid supply goes down.
Anyone doing something similar, but UL listed and actually safe to install in a home? Perhaps a little better integrated too, with internal AC switching and battery monitoring?
SceneryDriver