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.
The Panels and Tracker
What brand tracker and racking is that ? I notice the rack is 90* offset from flat...
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: phxmark on December 22, 2013, 08:16:32 PM
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
@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.
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
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.
My system has been averaging about 8kwh per day for the past week and a half. I am satisfied with its output.
Quote from: phxmark on January 06, 2014, 02:09:55 PM
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
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.
Generated 9kwh today from my system. I usually get about 8.1kwh. Bright sunny day today.
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.
phx, what do you think is causing the better efficiency in the OG system, vs the GT system?
6.944Kwh per 1Kw PV vs 4.269Kwh per 1 Kw PV...
Quote from: Westbranch on February 09, 2014, 07:48:10 PM
phx, what do you think is causing the better efficiency in the OG system, vs the GT system?
6.944Kwh per 1Kw PV vs 4.269Kwh per 1 Kw PV...
The off-grid system panels are on a tracker. The grid-tie is rooftop.
I do have a question for the leasing company. I noticed in full sun today that the PV voltage into the grid tie system is half of what the panel vmp should be. Panel amps were like 3/4 of Imp amps. I guess the MPPT algorithm in the Aurora inverter is not as efficient as the Midnite Classic.
I upgraded my panels to Sun Power E20/327 Watt panels. What a difference. I found the panels locally for $190 a piece on Craigslist. He also had some 435 watt panels, but they were too large for my tracker.
WOW screaming deal on the panels, I have 24 Helios 260 monos waiting patiently to be put in the sun