mmm_max
Member
- Location
- ridgecrest,ca
First post and everyone here seems to be very well informed. Hope you can advise!
I own my own 4.8kv line (long story) and am installing a 60 kw solar farm. The grid tie is to a 45 kva ground mount Y xformer. (4800/480).
Several have said that the 45 is too small and I have to reduce the solar supply or install a larger xformer.
My lineman said not true. "Transformers are run at multiples of their power rating". He seems to be correct because Edison has three 10KVA cans at the feed to my line. Those three Edison pole mounts have been powering 2 wells totaling 86 amps at 480 vac for years. Im likely wrong, but I get 68kva from the two well loads supplied by three 10kva Edison transformers?
Back to the 45kva ground mount. "Somebody" said "over driving a transformer is fine, but in reverse, such as feeding power from a solar farm (three phase, 480vac) into the secondary you are stuck with the rating of the transformer.
Seems to me that the losses in the primary and secondary dont care if the current is going or comming. So maybe I could feed the 45kva secondary with 60kw from the solar?
I hope that post isnt too stupid for this forum as I am just a simple country ME.
Thanks in advance for any insight,
Max
I own my own 4.8kv line (long story) and am installing a 60 kw solar farm. The grid tie is to a 45 kva ground mount Y xformer. (4800/480).
Several have said that the 45 is too small and I have to reduce the solar supply or install a larger xformer.
My lineman said not true. "Transformers are run at multiples of their power rating". He seems to be correct because Edison has three 10KVA cans at the feed to my line. Those three Edison pole mounts have been powering 2 wells totaling 86 amps at 480 vac for years. Im likely wrong, but I get 68kva from the two well loads supplied by three 10kva Edison transformers?
Back to the 45kva ground mount. "Somebody" said "over driving a transformer is fine, but in reverse, such as feeding power from a solar farm (three phase, 480vac) into the secondary you are stuck with the rating of the transformer.
Seems to me that the losses in the primary and secondary dont care if the current is going or comming. So maybe I could feed the 45kva secondary with 60kw from the solar?
I hope that post isnt too stupid for this forum as I am just a simple country ME.
Thanks in advance for any insight,
Max
