My Off-Grid/Backup System in Glendale, AZ

[phxmark]

I finished installation the end of November.  So far has generated over 95kwh of electricity.

Magnum Energy MS-4048PAE, MMP175-30D, Battery Monitor, AGS Module
Midnite Solar Classic 200, WhizBang Jr.
Sun energy 500W Grid-tie Inverter.  Used to send unused solar to the grid.
Universal Power Group 200ah Batteries.
Solar Tracker with six UpSolar 240W panels.
Asco 185 100amp Automatic Transfer Switch.

[phxmark]

The Panels and Tracker

[Westbranch]

What brand tracker and racking is that ?  I notice the rack is 90* offset from flat...

[phxmark]

The tracker is a home-built model I bought off someone.  They used DaLite projection screen frames attached to a satellite tracker mount.

The controller and actuators are Windy Nation.  The controller is the Windy Nation Suntura Dual Axis Tracker.

The tracker and actuators are close to $800.  I paid $1000 total for it.

[laszlo]

Nice work, phx.. I see the 500 w inverter has some relay or something on the DC input side. Can you elaborate on that and how it works.

[phxmark]

The 500 watt inverter is a grid-tie inverter used to send excess solar to the grid when the batteries are almost fully charged.  It still needs some tweaking or changes to the firmware as the settings for Aux 1 do not do what I want.  Right now I am manually turning on Waste Not mode in the morning and turning it off on the evening.

[dgd]

The 500 watt inverter is a grid-tie inverter used to send excess solar to the grid when the batteries are almost fully charged.  It still needs some tweaking or changes to the firmware as the settings for Aux 1 do not do what I want.  Right now I am manually turning on Waste Not mode in the morning and turning it off on the evening.

Have you tried reloading the firmware on to your Classic then doing a factory reset then going through setup again? That looks like the SSR below the 500watt inverter. What make/model is it? 

dgd

[phxmark]

@dgd.  I have already tried the reload and reset.  I would like to use the Waste Not setting, but Waste Not still operates when the Classic is in resting mode.  I just want an Aux 1 setting that will turn on Aux 1 when the battery voltage is within a specified range AND the Classic is in any charge mode AND NOT in resting.  When the Classic goes into Resting mode, I want Aux 1 to remain off regardless of battery or incoming PV voltage.

The SSR is a Mager SSR I ordered on ebay attached to a heat sink.

The inverter is a Sun 500w inverter.

[dgd]

Ok, I have no way of actually confirming that my Classic is doing the correct actions with AUX1 Float High as its different from what you are seeing on your Classic. My 150 is a fairly early model serial 879.  Latest firmware installed.
Maybe someone else can try setting their Classic AUX1 to Float High and see if it stays on even after Float mode finishes (going to float mppt or resting).  Also if AUX1 enables on just the battery voltage rising to the float setting and beyond that.
This should be easy to confirm as the local app shows the status of AUX ports.

Have you used a voltmeter to actually check that there is still 12v or thereabouts on the AUX1 to SSR inputs after the Classic goes to resting? If so is it still there when you disconnect the AUX wires from the SSR. Or is the AUX voltage perhaps not getting low enough to trigger the SSR into OFF.
If you have the local app running then is the green led on even though the local app shows the Classic resting.

Do you have a snubber diode on that SSR?, I not sure if that 500W inverter having its DC input swirched by the SSR would cause any inductive voltage transients but a snubber wouldn't do any harm 
dgd

[phxmark]

Just for grins and some testing, I placed the Classic in Perturb and Observe Mode.  Aux 1 is now behaving the way I want it too.

[phxmark]

My system has been averaging about 8kwh per day for the past week and a half.  I am satisfied with its output.

[dgd]

My system has been averaging about 8kwh per day for the past week and a half.  I am satisfied with its output.

That sure is a very efficient RE system. Averaging 8KwH per day with an array that makes on average 1300 watts is near 7 hours a day full power from the PVs (allowing for some small losses)
You must have long bright sunny but not too warm days

And you are running the Classic in a Legacy P@O mode which would be no where near as efficient as solar mode.

I would be pleased too 

dgd

[phxmark]

I am running in Legacy P&O mode with 3 minute interval and 15% of Watts.  I tried solar and could only muster about 7.2kwh per day maximum.  Also, Aux 1 works the way I want it to in Legacy mode.  It doesn't work the way I need it to in Solar or Dynamic mode.  I also tried it in Dynamic mode, which was slightly better than solar mode, but not as good as Legacy.

I have full sun on all the panels at about 9:15 AM and start losing power about 3:45PM until about 5:15PM when the Classic goes into resting mode.

I reach a peak of about 1290w at about midday.

[phxmark]

Generated 9kwh today from my system.  I usually get about 8.1kwh.  Bright sunny day today.

[phxmark]

Generated 10.0 kwh today with my off-grid system.  My lease grid-tie system generated 16.65 kwh.

I have 3.9 kw of panels on the grid-tie system and 1.44 kw on my off-grid system.