A Forum run by Enthusiasts of MidNite Solar

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: bailey on May 13, 2021, 12:35:48 AM

Title: Recommendation for Gen transfer switch for MidNite dual Sunny Island system?
Post by: bailey on May 13, 2021, 12:35:48 AM
Hi, I have a situation where I need to add a generator to a MidNite dual SI6048 system (MNSI6048D).  According to the MidNite docs there used to be an option for doing this internally (I've been told it might have been called a "MNS TRB80"?)  In any event it is apparently no longer available.  Soooo, does anyone have a system with this option that can tell me what it consisted of - so I can see how hard it would be to recreate it - or does anyone have a recommendation for an external ATS solution that would replace it?

Thanks,

Kirk Bailey
kirk@abundantsolar.com
Title: Re: Recommendation for Gen transfer switch for MidNite dual Sunny Island system?
Post by: Robin on May 13, 2021, 01:18:09 AM
E-mail Ryan@midnitesolar.com. Ryan may remember what this was. I remember it was not reliable due to people running it past its rating. It became very complicated also although I do not remember exactly why? We could provide the documentation on how to build one if anyone still has it.
Title: Re: Recommendation for Gen transfer switch for MidNite dual Sunny Island system?
Post by: bailey on May 17, 2021, 12:58:29 AM
Robin,

    Thanks for the referral!  I got a helpful response from Ryan, and although he had a general recollection of how it once worked, the details appear to be lost to the mists of time.

    If anyone has a recommendation for a current generator transfer switch that works well in conjunction with a dual Sunny Island setup I would love to hear about it - before I attempt to reinvent the wheel!

Cheers,

Kirk Bailey
kirk@abundantsolar.com
Title: Re: Recommendation for Gen transfer switch for MidNite dual Sunny Island system?
Post by: The Ugly One on May 17, 2021, 12:18:43 PM
Why exactly are you needing a transfer switch for your generator when it should be connected up to the sunny islands. They control the internal relay to keep your system charged when needed... but if you were trying to have both city power and generator connected. Sma has a video showing how that needs to be wired properly.
Title: Re: Recommendation for Gen transfer switch for MidNite dual Sunny Island system?
Post by: bailey on May 18, 2021, 12:52:36 AM
Yes, the system is configured as a grid-backup and the desire is to add a generator, thus the transfer switch requirement.  As far as SMA videos I'm familiar with both the video and the tech note on configuring the Dig-In input to monitor whether the grid or a generator is connected to the Sunny Island, but I'm not aware of any video that mentions a recommended automatic transfer switch.

Thanks,

Kirk Bailey
kirk@abundantsolar.com