Grid tied backup generator

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GoldDigger said:
Rectify the generator output to DC and feed a grid tie inverter? Not sure how to handle the MPPT input though.

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OK, hadn't thought about that. Beyond that, unless you are getting a lot more than fuel cost and depreciation for the feed in, I doubt it would be economic. Of course, in Spain some solar producers were using grid power for lights mounted above solar panels or making a direct connection, it isn't clear which. Only possible because the feed-in tariffs were so freakishly high.
 
gadfly56 said:
At that size, I seriously doubt any BPU will entertain a grid tie to push power into the grid, not the least because I doubt your standard 11 KW Generac comes with any provision for syncing with the grid, and such an option if available would likely be many times the cost of the generator itself. Also, I'm sure the manufacturer would walk/run away from having anything to do with this lash-up.
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I figured the job would require an other-than-Generac ATS, probably be a closed-transition with some means to sync with the utility. The economy of this experiment is not an issue (to a certain point, of course) but more of a how would this be done exercise. Whether any kind of switch could be had for a <100A, 1-phase application, remains to be seen.
 
I doubt that there is a POCO anywhere in the country that would permit such a small installation. However, to answer the question it canceratinly be done - if cost is no object.
 
The way the off line generators were synched at power plant I worked at was the generators acted like motors and started spinning in synch with the grid. Once the prime mover 'caught up', the motor/generator was then used as a generator. This was at a peaker using NG.
 
The normal set-up I have come across are:

Poco----ATS----Generator
.............|
...........Home

or

Solar----------------Home
......................|
Generator---Batteries
 
If economy is not an issue then I believe the most straight foward option on the market, if the goal is to have both grid exports and backup power, is solar plus batteries. There have been systems around for a while that allow the generator to be synced up to that, but only when in back up mode, not for the generator to feed the grid.
 
jaggedben said:
If economy is not an issue then I believe the most straight foward option on the market, if the goal is to have both grid exports and backup power, is solar plus batteries. There have been systems around for a while that allow the generator to be synced up to that, but only when in back up mode, not for the generator to feed the grid.
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In that case, however, it's the solar/battery inverter synching with the generator, not the other way around.
 
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