Off grid Islanding [RE-wrenches]

[Ray Walters]

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>HI Chris & Joel;


Thanks for your replies. I talked to Windy and I am probably going to go DC 
direct pumping, as long as they don't want a hot tub too. I may still 
consider the islanding plan to add more capacity to the main system and for 
lights etc. at the pool.
My islanding plan was just what you said in the 2nd paragraph Chris, 
creating an islanded system that would be tied to the main system by the 
batteries, but would otherwise be independent with an islanding inverter on 
each end. That way if it was cloudy it would run off the main batteries 
through that inverter, and if it were sunny, it would run off the pool side 
inverter. If the pool pump were off then it would send power to the main 
battery bank.... Or so I think. John Berdner or another wrench  more 
knowledgeable than myself should set me straight.

Ray


>Ray -
>
>I think your ideas good - but there is a lot of confusion out there as
>to what the SMA Sunny Island inverter is capable of doing in a system
>like this.
>
>The SMA Sunny Island is very similar to an OutBack FX or the old Trace
>SW series inverter/charger.  It is a battery-type inverter which is
>Bi-directional.  It is not able to "sell" power back to the utility grid
>though - it can be used to "create" a local grid which then you can
>connect SMA Sunny Boy grid-tie inverters to create an "islanded" power
>system - i.e. an off-grid system with AC-coupled power sources.
>
>I think what your considering is putting the PV array near the pool and
>maybe using regular grid-tie type SMA Sunny Boy inverters to allow long
>distance transmission of the power to the main SW based system.  This
>can work - in fact it has been done with using SW's as the "utility
>grid" by a few with some success.  I know it works with the OutBack FX
>series as well.
>
>The real issue is that even with the Sunny Boys added to the system the
>entire AC load needs to be able to run off the capacity of the main
>battery inverter in case a cloud comes over or the Sunny Boys shut down.
>
>
>In my opinion doing the DC pumps direct from the PV array makes the most
>sense to me.
>
>Christopher
>
>Christopher Freitas
>OutBack Power Systems, Inc.
>cfreitas @ outbackpower.com
>www.outbackpower.com
>Arlington WA USA
>Tel 360 435 6030
>
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Ray Walters
ray at solarray.com
President, SolarRay, Inc.
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer
BS Mechanical Engineering, UT Austin 88
Returned US Peace Corps Volunteer 

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