[RE-wrenches] Integrating with a whole house generator

[Geoff Greenfield]

It all depends on the homeowners expectations (and what THEY think is a reasonable critical load).  Your scheme looks like it would work - (I might include a second X-fer switch to run the inverter supported loads off the genny if the grid AND the inverter are out). 



Second issue is transfer speed and power drop out.  I am not sure of the XW, but I have found that outback is a very quick and clean switch (no computer/com drops) from grid to backup... like a UPS.  However... it is NOT as smooth when turning off the genny on back up mode.  Lights all fade as genny coughs off and inverter kicks back over to batts.  I always make sure customer computer has a deadicated UPS. 


For a brighter energy future, 

Geoff Greenfield 
Founder and CEO 
Third Sun Solar & Wind Power Ltd. 
340 West State Street, Unit 25 
Athens, OH 45701 

740.597.3111     Fax 740.597.1548 
www.Third-Sun.com 

Clean Energy - Expertly Installed 






----- "William Miller" <wrmiller at charter.net> wrote: 
> Friends: 
> I am bidding an installation in which the customer owns a whole house 
> generator.  The generator is 30 KVA and we will be installing a 4.5 or 6.0 
> KVA XW system.  Obviously, the inverter will not power the entire 
> house.  If we segregate the non-critical loads and connect them to a 
> grid-fed panel, the generator will not power them.  If we let the generator 
> run every time there is an outage, this negates the need for a inverter 
> system. What to do? 
> The transfer switch sends a two wire start signal to the generator upon a 
> grid outage.  After the transfer switch senses generator voltage, it 
> effects a transfer. 
> My brainstorm is to intercept that two wire start signal.  I will connect 
> it instead to the XW inverter.  We will segregate the loads, feeding the 
> critical loads from the XW and the Non-critical loads from the output of 
> the transfer switch.  In the case of a grid outage, the critical loads will 
> receive uninterrupted power.  The Non-critical loads will not have power 
> unless the generator is started by the XW.  Once the XW (or the home owner) 
> starts the generator, the transfer will occur.  We will put a control panel 
> in the house so the home-owner can start the generator if the No-critical 
> loads are needed. 
> This seems clever to me, but I am biased.  Am I missing something??? 
> William Miller 
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