I added a Schneider XW-Pro to my Enphase PV Solar power system a while back, and I ran into the same issues with Schneider. They just don't seem to understand what "Time of Use" is all about. When I read their web site, they sure made it sound like it would do it, but as you found out, it just doesn't work with their existing built in software. It is a shame, because it is one of the best inverters as far as the hardware goes. It is a beast with a very clean output that does not break a sweat, even running up to 12,000 watts. I ended up programming a smal PLC that monitors the solar production and my house consumption and it commands the XW-Pro to go into charge mode and adjusts the charge rate every 5 seconds to keep my grid power near zero. This is working great now. I have managed to keep my grid power to virtually zero for several months. I have sent Schneider data and screen shots of what I am doing and trying to get them to just add this simple code into the Gateway (Insight home or facility now). It has all the data it needs to control charging and the loads on the output side. If you also want to run the loads back in the main panel, it needs a power meter on the grid side. They already support that with a Watt-Node device. So with that, it should be able to do everything I am doing with my add on PLC. When my A/C kicks on, it pulls 3,000 wats from my main panel. It takes about 10 second for my PLC to see the load and adjust the "Sell Current" to cover the load and get the power meter back to zero power. And when the A/C shuts of again, there is a few seconds of export as the PLC commands the XW-Pro to dial back the sell current again and get the power meter back to zero. And if the solar is making more than the house is using, it will even go back into charge mode and adjust the charge current to get the grid power back to zero again. It sounds like Schneider may actually be starting to listen as people like us and a few others are pointing out this dumb limitation. I really hope they put this functionality in a future firmware update, but I am not holding my breath. If they don't get it right, I still have my PLC working now. I am still on an older firmware for a few reasons. I hope to update it soon, because there is a bug in the version 1.03.00 that I am still running. When I was off grid during a power failure, it was causing 11 of my Enphase iq7 microinverters to cycle on and off, and the frequency kept changing. The battery bank was not full, and I was well below my charge current limit settings, so it should have been running a solid 60 Hz. But with any big surge current, like starting the microwave, the frequency would bump. And at one point, it dropped to just 57 Hz. At that point, all of the Enphase micros shut down due to a bad grid frequency error. Without the solar input, the power was more stable again, but everything with an AC motor was running slow. The refrigerator even sounded off, but it stayed running without a problem. Shutting the inverter down and starting it again, did restore the frequency back to 60 Hz, but the sun had gone down, so it did not go back to AC coupling. The grid came back up in the middle of the night. Schneider says the frequency error problem was fixed in version 1.11 and later. The only reasons I have not done the upgrae, is I need to make sure my PLC will still work with the new code, and I have to shut down my critical loads to do the update.

In Africa we have tried tested a combination of Victron and Fronius and it works perfectly. The manufacturers worked together to perfect it.

Thank you for this video. I love that you are pushing it through its paces.

I am waiting for my GenetrySolar 12k to arrive, and plan on doing A/C coupling with an array. It will charge batteries from the A/C coupled grid tie, can be programmed to shut off the array by frequency shifting & shut off the grid tie, run the house from batteries when the grid tie is too low, and use the grid as a last resort power for a whole house UPS.

Thanks for sharing brother. Keep up the good work. God Bless

Another good video! Maybe this is why they say the Schneider is for pro installers since there are so many nuances to it. I am needing a off-grid supply for a couple of HVAC and water heater and saws and welders in the shop. Interesting that AC coupled doesn’t automatically charge the batteries.

Helpful information. Thanks.

The reason why a normally closed relay is needed is to cut the AC coupled PV supply when the generator is in used to avoid back feed currents to the generator stator. Back feed currents will damage the generator stator.

Great job, thanks!

On the DIYsolarforum a lot of Schneider owners have been unable to fix the xw pro leaking power back to the grid when it is not supposed to. Since last year Schneider hasn't fixed this. Some have said their smart meter reports this back to their utility company and without having authorization to feedback to the grid it could cause them problems.

Hi Ben, great update. what is your balancing transformer wiring hookup (~schematic for the transformer that is on your solar edge inverter)? Is there any load on that transformer or is it just coupling the split phase? Schneider has recently released a contactor package, BCS, that you put at your meter to isolate from the grid. Does this BCS enable a method to get the time of use function you mention? My main interest for the schneider BCS is that I want to have my solar, batteries, generator, hybrids out in my utility shed. the idea is to keep the flammable stuff away from the house and close to the solar panels. My AC bus runs throughout the property, has most loads by the meter and the meter is 200' away from the shed. therefore, disconnecting from the grid (when it is down and when I run a generator or AC coupled) means having the schneider control the BCS "remotely". schneider says it "just needs to be wired to the XWPRO". In short, I think if you get a BCS and demo it, that would be interesting. Eric bensen has a powerpoint that has tons of info but no "Ben smoke test". thank you

Do not replace your old Solaredge type A inverter with anything made by SolarEdge in the last 2 years. Solaredge 1ph failure rates are over 50% right now. I have over 300 SE systems out there and will likely never install another one. At least until I see a tremendous improvement in quality and customer service.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Oh, I wouldn't get rid of it! I just want to try the newer version to see if it works. I have a couple with screens laying around.

@SolarTechFL

Жыл бұрын

And they were taking 6 months to send replacement inverters lol

Good info.

Total agree- pain in butt - I am not a fan of AC coupling these - I helped someone that purchased 3 of these XWs - Schneider needs to wakeup - they have the $$$ to do amazing things..

wood you test or look at sandi 20/30/40 kw solar inverters need to know if good to run whole house off grid need lot of power

Ben, I have a very similar (same?) Solaredge DC coupled system. Have you ever updated the software on the Solaredge? Just curious-I haven’t tried that.

Oha please update us when self consumption starts working on the Schneider.

Found your channel by searching for XW Pro in KZread. :) I had a Sunpower install done last year; 18, 420w panels with microinverters with their new Sunvault, 26kwh battery solution. I don't know if you've seen their Sunvault system or not, but the inverter they use in the system is the XW Pro with the conext gateway. The way it's all interconnected is done by something called a Sunpower Hub+, which basically acts like a router for electricity and tells it where to go, and also contains an automatic transfer switch. It's all grid tied through the Hub+ which measures power at all three points - solar production, grid usage or sell, battery discharge and charge. The XW Pro only has power lines from the Hub+ and the battery cables. It doesn't rely on the inverter for AC coupling. They include 1 inverter with either the 13kwh or 26kwh size, and 2 inverters with the 52kwh solution (I upgraded to that capacity last month along with 6 additional panels, so now I have 24.) My power company doesn't do net metering. They do something called distributed generation instead. Basically, there's no way to get a zero bill. Closest you can get is $7.50, which is the generic service charge, and there's no way to get to that dollar amount without batteries and running in self supply. One thing I've noticed about the battery system in off-grid or microgrid mode, is that the lights will flicker about once a second for around 5 minutes, and then it may smooth out for 10 - 15 minutes, and then it'll start the pulsing again. When it flickers the lights, you can hear the inverter pulsing along with it. Kind of weird. Was wondering if you've seen this behavior. If you have any questions about the Sunpower system I had installed, I'd be happy to answer any questions.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

That's similar to what I've seen with my old solaredge inverter AC coupled. Really depends on your loads, but an autotransformer tied to the load center seems to have solved that for me. The Sunvault looks nice, I haven't worked with one yet though.

@russael001

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery Hmmm. At the time, I only had like a 600w load. TV, couple lights, the fridge and freezer intermittently, modem and router. This was last year when I only had 1 inverter with 26kwh of storage. When the contractors installed the second one, they had a Sunpower rep come to the house to couple the second inverter in with the first one, and upgrade all of the firmware, and calibrate both units. I haven't tried running them off-grid since, but I'm hopeful the firmware fixed the pulsing issue. Sunpower recently introduced 2 other capacities that all fit in one cabinet which is nice. The 52kwh setup has 4 cabinets, 2 which have batteries and inverters, and 2 that have batteries only (with a lot of wasted space). The 26kwh system is 2 cabinets with 1 inverter.

@bootangy

Жыл бұрын

which microinverters and panels? i got maxeon 5 with enphase 7a micros.

@russael001

Жыл бұрын

@@bootangy The installer never specified. They're the newer 420w panels, so it may be the same thing if you had it installed within like a year or so. Looks like SPR-M420-H-AC panels. Panel inverter is likely Enphase IQ7HS.

@bootangy

Жыл бұрын

@@russael001 ty

Where's everybody? C'mon, Ben's coming!

I'm using the older XW+ in an AC coupled fashion with an existing grid tie system, actually 2 grid tie systems in the State you mentioned, CA. Haven't had any problems in over 4 years. I have to agree with you 100% on the mediocre TOU and basically nonexistent Battery Charge Control settings. It was short video but would have been nice if you went into a little more detail about specifics of the issues. If the Pro is the same as the older XW+ here are the 2 BIG problems. 1) Time of Use is based on a 24 hour clock instead of a 7 day clock. This is important because the higher rates usually do not apply on weekends so there is no reason to cycle your batteries and shorten their life on days you don''t need TOU like Sat & Sun. 2) This is the really stupid one. The inverter is hard programmed in the firmware to Exit Peak Load Shave mode when the battery voltage reaches the setting for "Recharge Volts" + 0.5V, which means it will stop discharging the batteries BEFORE a recharge cycle is triggered so the batteries will not be ready for self consumption the next day. Also, there is no way to set the inverter to automatically start a charge cycle later that evening when rates drop so the batteries are topped up for the next Peak Load Shave session. Just to make it even more convoluted, theoretically its possible to get a compatible PLC with ModBus RS485 to send a 1 or 2 to the appropriate register to manually trigger a Bulk or Float recharge cycle but it apparently takes a team of engineers to figure out how to actually use the RS485 function on the Schneider.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I honestly didn't go into more detail because I didn't want to screw it up! But sounds like the XW Pro is exactly the same as the +. Hopefully the team of engineers pulls this together fast!

@EcuXP_Chiptuning

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery The harrdware of these inverters is great but software is just bad.

Ben i never seen anyone mount a breaker box to a refrigerator i guess it keeps it cool 😂... Good information brother keep it up.......

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

It's actually to keep it warm in the winter! I have heater mats under the battery.

@dangoras9152

Жыл бұрын

Oh ur batteries are in there.. Good one

@icarus901

7 ай бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery what heater mats do you use under the batteries?

Interesting findings ... Hmm. Generator input not connected to my inverter yet but I wouldn't have expected the Schneider to drama in that simple aspect of its design. I'm not grid tied, however, I am planning to put in some more solar this month to power a Solar Edge inverter on an out building and send that additional power in thru the main inverters grid input. Did you sell the Solark? What's the medium to long term plan ?

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I still have the Sol-Ark. I'm looking at possibly getting a LiFePo4 battery to put in the basement to tie that into, the use it as a generator to backup the Schneider. My net metering agreement expires in 2 years, so a lot will change then I think.

So is the self consumption issue only if you're AC coupled? But if your batteries are DC coupled while grid tied setup the self consumption works fine like that? Thanks for your insight on all this stuff!

@garymeissner6659

Жыл бұрын

Sort of... When on grid and AC coupled, the current Schneider software is totally dumb. It will not even start charging on it's own, EVER, with just AC coupling. The inverter shuts off when the battery is 0.5 volts above the "Recharge Volts" setting, so it won't start a charge cycle unless something else drags the battery even lower. With stiff Li batteries, it can take days for the voltage to fall 0.5 volts. When you DC couple, it is a completely different system. The charge controllers just push all they can into the batteries all the time, until the battery bank is full. Once full, the charge controllers will go to float mode and just hold the battery voltage steady. Even as the inverter pulls power from the batteries, the charge controllers will try to keep the battery voltage topped up until the sun goes down. So if you are DC coupled, AND you add the Watt-Node power meter, it can do zero export and self consumption. Without the watt node you can only set a fixed export current. When it goes off grid, the system actually works just fine, even with just AC coupling. The XW-Pro does it's best to hold your local micro grid at 120/240 volts. If the voltage dips, it will pull battery current and drive power to hold the voltage up to spec. And if the AC coupled solar starts making more power than the loads need, it seamlessly will start drawing power to hold the voltage down to 120/240 volts, with the extra power just lowing into the battery bank. This is why the battery MUST be able to handle all of the power from the AC coupled solar. If a high power load is running while the solar is producing full power, you might already be charging at 50 amps, while a 4,000 watt load is running on the inverter. But then that load turns off. Now ever bit of the PV power has to go into the XW-Pro. There is no time for it to frequency shift. To keep the local micro grid steady at 120/240 volts, the XW-Pro has to immediately start pulling all the AC coupled PV solar power and stuff that energy into the battery bank. This is NOT a Schneider limitation at all. This will be true for any properly designed AC coupled system. There is nothing the XW-Pro could do to limit that instant inrush of charge current. Many lesser inverters are not fast enough. The voltage will spike up a bit and the grid tied PV solar inverters will most likely do a grid voltage too high disconnect. That will give the inverter time to respond. The XW-Pro is fast, so it keeps the grid tie inverters online, but it has to send the power somewhere. And then it can start frequency shifting to manage the current.

AC coupling is just not for grid tied. Works like a peach for off grid too…at least with SMA. But the Sunny Islands control the Sunny Boys’ outputs as part of a system.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I agree. There are certain ways where it works pretty well. The only problem is if your battery runs low and the microgrid collapses. Does the Sunny Island have the ability to restart at a certain time after it shuts off on LBCO?

@silverbackag9790

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery I think if it gets down to zero DOC it's a bit tricky....but you can program inborn relays to autostart a generator at whatever percentage you want. Or if you don't have a generator, I believe you can program it to go into standby mode. Other than that, if it has a low battery, it will kick on the Sunny Boys to start creating 240 volts when the sun start shining.

I would like to see an off-grid inverter connected to the generator input of the Enphase Controller 2. This circuit is controlled by relay that closes when enphase battery charge is low. In other words…looking for a way to add batteries to an Ensemble system when off grid.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Hey that's a good idea! I doubt I'll get my hands on one of them for testing here, but I was planning on doing that with the Schneider at some point soon. I think with the Enphase system, you'd need enough capacity to charge all of your Enphase batteries at once along with powering the house. In theory it should work just fine though.

I have an Enphase microinverter grid tied system that I went in naively thinking it would be usable when the grid is down, I have been wanting to get batteries and be able to use the panels I paid for if the power grid fails, are there specific batteries that I would have to get to charge them with the AC coupling, if they get it working? Can any normal lifepo4 batteries work with this type of a system? The Enphase IQ batteries are absurdly expensive for what they offer. I can get 3x the batteries for what they charge.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Any 48v battery will work with this system. Just make sure you have enough capacity so that all of your solar can be dumped into the battery if needed.

One year later and the latest XW Pro firmware is v2.04 dated 03/2023. So no improvement in AC-coupled, on grid, TOU support.

Hey Ben!

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Hey! Long time no see!

I dont notice any clicking in my solar edge other than when it initialy starts up & then goes off for the evening . But again im running the little brother Im using the solar edge hd wave , Schneider sw 4048 and a mppt60 with battery monitor & ags . I tested mine the other weekend completely off grid & ac coupled on grid also . Off grid it filled up the batteries with both excess ac & the dc charge controller when full it exported. But when it was off grid it curtailed. Do not like the frequency shift . It got up around 65ish hz. Does the xw do that with yours also ?

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Yes, it has to frequency shift to shut off the AC coupled PV. You could also turn on a contactor powering a dump load at that point so the AC coupled inverter keeps running.

@thhillbillyinventor105

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery The plan is to have the dump load be a ac or heater depending on time of year . Super heat r cool the home so it acts as thermal storage secondary would be a secondary pool pump those are energy hogs .

After watching this video, you’ve assured me that my Victron choice was the right choice!

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Victron does make some pretty cool stuff!

@miguelv431

Жыл бұрын

I agreed

@kevinmills5293

Жыл бұрын

Agreed. I’ve used Victron gear for over 12 years and it’s never missed a beat. I have a SMA GT inverter connected as well and they work seamlessly together.

Your reviews on the XW pro have been great. I have an AC coupled system and learning about some of the quirks up front is beneficial for sure. I also have a 20kw whole home generator with an ATS (where the AC coupled micro inverters tie in). I've been doing some research on how to hook everything up so when you mentioned the extra external contactor it firmed up some of the ideas i was working on. Any chance you have a generator to demonstrate some of those features? I'm assuming you could use the generator to charge the batteries, then use the batteries to create the 'grid' to get the AC coupling going again. However, when I was looking in the setting in the manual I can't say I'm 100% on that being in there.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I do have a generator but don't have the contactor yet. Basically it's a 2NO 2NC contactor. (NO= normally open, NC = normally closed. You run the AC coupled solar through the NC and then through the NO poles. The contactor us activated when the generator is called for, which connects the generator to the input and disconnects the solar at the same time as a failsafe..

@mikluck

Жыл бұрын

​@@benssolarandbattery Thanks for the reply on the contactor. Last question: with your setup as you have it, will your grid tied AC coupled solar continue to produce power if your grid drops?

@michaelwelcome9470

Жыл бұрын

Warning - The contactor Schneider recommends is good for only 30 amps. At 80% that's good for a continuous load of 5,760 watts. If either your PV or generator exceed that you need a bigger contactor. My PV is rated at 12,500 watts or 52 amps. A 65 amp contactor should easily handle this load. (Disclaimer - I am not an electrical engineer so do your own calculations). US Breaker has contactors that will work up to 95 amps. See NC1D6508 V240 as a 65 amp example. The 240 part means that a 240 volt AC source is used to control the coil. You simply jumper the incoming Gen AC to the coil input terminals. When Gen AC is present, the contactor is activated. This will open the NC contacts carrying the PV and close the generator contacts. The output side of the generator contacts is wired to the top of the the AC generator breakers. The bottom of these breakers go to the AC 2 inputs on the inverter(s). When the Gen is no longer feeding power to the the coil terminals the contactor releases and returns to it's "Normal" state. The Generator disconnects and the PV reconnects. Prior to connecting anything you can use an ohm meter and manually close the contactor to verify the operation. By convention the "top" of a contactor is the line connections and the bottom is the load connection. I found room in my PDP just above the DC bus breakers. Be prepared a 4 pole 65 amp contactor is not small. It could be put in it's own box, but having it in the PDP allowed me to access all the required wiring points. I just used a #10 "drill and tap" and 4 * #10 machine screws with washers to mount the contactor to the back of the PDP. Like I said though, (I'm not an electrical engineer).

@ralphbell1786

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery also known as an interlock; just not as clunky as the old mechanical designs.

What do you think about the used market for your generation of solar edge? What battery are you using with your solar edge?

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I'm sure I could get a few dollars for it, but they don't usually last this long. I'm using an assortment of EV batteries tied into the Schneider XW Pro.

Flickering happens also with outback Mojave and Enphase. Any update witg this? Also is there any update to self consumption issues?

@benssolarandbattery

11 ай бұрын

I was able to solve the flickering by adding an autotransformer to the load center. No updates for the XW in terms of self consumption.

Can I use my Outback Radian GS4048A as my grid with SMA grid tied inverters for a off grid situation?? If not, what would you suggest??

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

The Outback radian GS4048A should be good for AC Coupling. You may need to update the firmware, but it should do frequently shifting. Outback should have some literature on it that you should follow.

@SolarTechFL

Жыл бұрын

​@@benssolarandbatteryoutback doesn’t support off grid ac couple I did it for a while, and eventually, the system shut down due to firmware glitch. Outback had me downgrade the firmware and said dont do it anymore, lol Ac coupling has always had its problems (fast clocks, etc.) I may set up a zero export system (I'm offgrid) so that it doesn't backfeed the inverter but will cover the daytime loads to reduce battery inverter "work" I have a pretty big offgrid system

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

@Solar Tech oh jeez. Well hopefully the systems I installed that utilize it will continue working... good to know!

Hi Ben, where can I buy the Schneider 6848 and they would also install the unit ( yes, we'll pay for installation). I'm in Bethesda, MD.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

There are plenty of places to buy them online. I don't know any installers in Maryland though, sorry.

When used off grid or with grid assist . But not sell back . Are there any flickering light issues? We have been figuring that for 5 months with EG4 6500 . As of last week one of the pair is completely dead

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

No, its solid.

@richardreese5377

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery thank you

Schneider inverter is much better than most. The advantage is it has good tech support. Were I have experience with it other tech support suck . I one could not troubleshoot the problem and down for 20 days. Guest what I had to do. Switch back to trace inverter.

I’m grid tied with iq7 but I don’t see any system to add batteries and generator input. They all have issues I don’t like

So your saying it will do zero export/self consumption when DC coupled? Does it need to use external CTs?

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Yea it will. You only need the external CTs if you have it tied into a protected loads panel and want to zero out the usage for a load center on the grid side as well.

@RJ-cc1fz

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery doesn’t the xw pro need to be tied into a protected loads panel? I thought that’s the only way it could output power to loads? Yes I would want the xw pro to act as a grid tie inverter and power all the loads in my main panel, but I thought the only way it would do that is by sending power thru the critical panel and then finally into the main panel.. unlike SolArk which has a bidirectional AC input to directly supply the main panel loads without the need for a protected panel at all

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

@@RJ-cc1fz it can also sell power back to thr grid when the grid is available. So with a zero export when the grid is up, it would "sell" enough power to cover the loads in the non-backed up load center as well, as long as you have the extra modbus and CT's.

These inverters have constant 60-cycle hum? That's really annoying! Other "toroidal transformer" units don't have 60-cycle hum. Thanks.

HOWdy B-S&B, ... Thanks COOP the WiSeNhEiMeR from Richmond, INDIANA ...

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Hi Coop?

As long as your AC Coupled PV system capacity is not over your loads demand it will not shut down. XW PRO inverter will not have to supply the demand. AC Coupled PV sytem will.

I use xw 6848 grit support DC coupled with 60 kilowatts worth of eg4 batteries it works fantastic I don't like AC coupling at all don't like messing with the grid power and in some places the grid is not very stable

Have you ever tried a Darfon H5001? Keep up the great videos ! Kind regards

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I have not. Looks cool though! Is that available in the US?

@sebastienmuniz9788

Жыл бұрын

Yes they are ! Got my hand on a second one with their power wall!

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

@@sebastienmuniz9788 very cool! How do you like it?

Ben, sorry to know the challenges you are having with your Scheinder, especially after watching the amount of work you did to install it. I know you have a Sol-Ark 12k and had similar challenges. Are you aware that Sol-Ark now has a 15k, 30k & 60k that might solve your challenges?

@onthelake9554

Жыл бұрын

30k and 60k are three phase commercial units.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I've looked at the 15k, but have yet to install one. Everything has different capabilities, I'm just figuring out which one does what best!

@awbean5254

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery Yes, I understand. Your installations are helping me to make the best choice for my home, in Bermuda within our government regulations. Due to space constraints I am considering the Sol-Ark 15k where there is no need for Loads Panel & Grid Switch, because it is within the Sol-Ark 15k. I hope you get closure on your system challenges! Thanks!

@awbean5254

Жыл бұрын

@@onthelake9554 Yes, I am aware 30k & 60k are three phase commercial grade inverters, was just giving him a heads up. Thanks

@michiganengineer8621

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery Looking forward to your take on the Sol-Ark 15k. That's on our current "short list" since you can do DC coupling AND do AC coupling with micro inverters into the generator input of the inverter. If you eventually need/want a generator for an off-grid setup, you could connect THAT to the "grid" input of the inverter. LMAO, if your pockets are deep enough you could have 19,500W DC coupled AND 19,200W AC coupled of solar input

Let's see that revamped customer support in action . :>)

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I'm not sure they'd be able to help here, but worth a try.

6:30 sooo unless you RTFM and use the correct settings it wont work? huh, wild

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I won't claim that I always read manuals... but my issue here is that it doesn't matter if you have it programmed correctly for a specific day; the next day will likely have different weather (at least here) and your programming will be off.

If the same thing happens to me, I don't know what else to do to configure, install even a contactor to eliminate solar panels and the problem continues

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

What problem are you having?

@andino2003

Жыл бұрын

the lights start blinking and the battery backups of the computers start beeping and the inverter makes a noise

Ac coupling link didn't work for me . Thx

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Woops! Fixed it. Here's the link too: XW Pro AC Coupling Solutions Guide www.solar-electric.com/lib/wind-sun/Conext-XW-Pro-SW-AC-Coupling-Guide.pdf

Nearly no one is reviewing anything for a totally off grid system.........with stationary power tools that off-gridders require. Pls, forget the AC c coupling, that won't be here when it all goes down anyway. Give us an in-depth review for off-grid homesteaders that want life when the grid is gone. 😁

Now Ben, if this was about Sol-Ark,

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

I'd have someone threatening litigation in the comments section? LOL!

I'm a little confused here on the ac coupling. I have (2) twenty three year old Trace SW2512 inverters that are grid tied 99% of the time. Power is fed to the grid during excess production from my 10000 watts of solar during the day. At night I buy the power back. My electric bill is $0 except for $20 a month interconnect fee. It is all seamless and automatic. If the grid goes down or I disconnect because of thunderstorms (1% of the time) the inverters draw power from the batteries which have been kept charged, to power the house. Can't the Sneider be programed the same and as simply as my old Traces and why would anyone want a more complicated system than that?

@notmarcus421

Жыл бұрын

Because it's not always advantageous to have the system set up like that depending on utility rates. Out here we have to set the system up to msc so it limits how much you buy from the utilities, any time it sees you draw from the grid the battery will discharge to make the meter stop.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

Hi John, in VT and other places they require a solar production meter in order to net meter. Most of the utilities won't be able to meter a DC coupled solar array, so you won't get credit for your production. That's where AC coupling comes into play. Hopefully they'll change it soon!

@johnvasko4035

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery I'm sorry but I still don't understand. My old Traces are fed 12 volt dc power from the charge controllers and my battery bank. They are grid tied 99% of the time and move ac power back and forth to the grid through the utility companies two way smart meter. The inverters are acting as a bi-directional battery/grid charger when I've selected grid tie mode on the inverters. As I said its seamless and works simply and flawlessly. Is that ac coupling and why does your setup seam to be way more complicated than that trying to operate and sync up multiple inverters? Trace was the original grid tie sine wave inverter and the company was bought out by Xantrax and then I think Sneider Electric eventually took it over. I would think the operational programming code would be similiar for the Sneider Pro.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

@@johnvasko4035 the Schneider inverter can definitely do exactly the same thing, but we have an extra utility meter which measures solar production only. That makes everything more complicated. In order to measure solar production with a DC coupled system, you actually need 2 more utility meters on top of the net meter. One goes on the input of the DC coupled solar, one goes in between it and the backed up loads. I really hope they change that soon!

@johnvasko4035

Жыл бұрын

@@benssolarandbattery Thanks for the response but the regulatory environment in your State sounds like politics out of control. No technology can help that. If I lived there and had inverters as powerful as the Sneider Pros and a large lithium battery bank I would have totally cut loose from the grid and all of the nonsense a long time ago. When I first installed my system alternative energy was extremely expensive. Now its relatively cheap. The way things are going money will very shortly mean absolutely nothing while having power no matter what is the only thing that will count. Good luck.

use mini splits

solar boy?

My Solar Installer won't touch Schneider's with a 10 foot pole. He says that he had nothing but problems with them and that the company has terrible customer and dealer support. He stays away from any product that will generate to many service calls.

@benssolarandbattery

Жыл бұрын

That was definitely true, and why I, as a solar installer also stayed away from them (see my first video about them). They've tried to turn things around in the last year with better tech support and a more stable product. My last off grid install on an island used them and it's been performing perfectly!

Yeah we have to set the unit to always sell atleast 0.2kw of power and use a second inverter .. ir's a real pain in the butt

that is rediculous. exactly why I didn't go with Schneider. I had Schneider for a year and sold it. I am off completely off grid have two solark 12k units now. run whole house including hot tub, ac, air compressors. no issues. have total control.

I've never been happy with my Schneider 😢

@benssolarandbattery

11 ай бұрын

Why not? They definitely had some issues with earlier firmwares.

@scheffman

11 ай бұрын

The temp sensor is always inconsistent and never triggered a cutoff even after 2 meltdowns. No native Lifepo4 settings. (only custom). Expensive add on Insite home is needed for network connectivity. Terrible tech support via Schneider. (They just don't care). Super tight internal wiring on the SW with THHN wire. I have plenty more reasons and could probably keep going. @@benssolarandbattery

your use case is not normal. must of us just want a reliable grid tied or off-grid inverter.

@benssolarandbattery

11 ай бұрын

But in a state that requires a solar production meter, AC coupled systems are everywhere. My use case is normal here.

@stevenfrazier8939

11 ай бұрын

You have a lot to learn: The courts have ruled: “All codes, rules, and regulations are unconstitutional and lacking due process of Law..” - ( Rodriques v. Ray Donavan, U.S. Department of Labor, 769 F.2d, 1344, 1348 (1985); ...lacking due process of law, in that they are ‘void for ambiguity’ in their failure to specify the statutes’ applicability to ‘natural persons,’ otherwise depriving the same of fair notice, as their construction by definition of terms aptly identifies the applicability of such statutes to “artificial or fictional corporate entities or ‘persons’, creatures of statute, or those by contract employed as agents or representatives, departmental subdivisions, offices, officers, and property of the government, but not the ‘Natural Person’ or American citizen Immune from such jurisdiction of legalism.” All laws which are repugnant to the Constitution are null and void" - Marbury vs. Madison, 5 US (2Cranch) 137, 174, 176, (1803) "Where rights secured by the Constitution are involved, there can be no rule making or legislation which would abrogate them." - Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 US 436, 491. A “Code’ or Statute’ is not a Law,” - (Flournoy v. First National Bank of Shreveport, 197 LA 1057. 3 So.2d 244, 248),” “A “Code’ is not a Law,” - (In Self v. Rhay, 61 Wn (2d) 261), in point of fact in Law).” As stated above all statutes, codes, procedures etc., by any corporations are not the laws of the land and are not enforceable upon the people of this nation. Only We the People have the power to create and enforce law and We the People have not given over our rights or power to foreign agents or entities.