[RE-wrenches] wrenches] Generators?

Wed Mar 16 21:30:43 PDT 2011

I've used a separate charger before as well. The issue I had with the IOTA was that I couldn't install the wiring in conduit for NEC compliance.
We recently set up a large grid tie system where we used the old SW inverters for generator charging only, and the new Outbacks did the inverting.
It definitely solved numerous problems, and allows the customer to sell that expensive gasoline generator power back to the grid if they want.....(insert annoying emoticon here.....)

Happy St. Patty's Day,

R. Walters
ray at solarray.com
Solar Engineer

On Mar 16, 2011, at 9:26 PM, john wrote:

> 
> Ray,
>    I solved the problem of the small inverter/generators kicking out by just making the generator and an IOTA charger as a subsystem..  I find the best charger match for the small generator and hook up to the batteries.  I started doing this with grid tie with backup systems as the GVFX inverters can't handle a generator input.  It worked well for the grid tie setups so I recommend it to anyone off-grid looking for fuel efficiency but also having to start well pumps etc.   I recently put in a Wrico diesel generator at my house, replacing a Honda 2000i and sure do miss the fuel efficiency.
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: R Ray Walters <ray at solarray.com>
> To: RE-wrenches <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
> Sent: Wed, Mar 16, 2011 4:46 pm
> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Generators?
> 
> Hi Daryl;
> 
> DId you AC couple it to the Outback AC output? or did you use the AC in on the Outback?
> I liked the little 1 Kw Yamahas for battery charging, but they are so small that if any loads come on in the house, the pass through loads will trip the Yamaha's overload circuit, and quit charging.
> Worse, the genie keeps running even though its not producing any power, so the customer has no idea its not charging and can run the genie for hours in this useless mode.
> We moved away from the tiny gennies because of this problem. Even when working they were not even equal to the array in full sun.
> In my opinion, you need to size the genie to provide a full day's energy needs in about 4 hours of battery charging. (thus 3 days without sunshine would require 12 hours of generator run time)
> This roughly translates to a genie that is at least double the power rating of the array. I like the genie to be quadruple the array power  these days, or an 8Kw gen set for a 2Kw array.
> Totally depends on the weather and location, as well. (and don't forget the derating for altitude)
> 
> R. Walters
> ray at solarray.com
> Solar Engineer
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Mar 16, 2011, at 12:22 PM, Darryl Thayer wrote:
> 
>> a little off topic but I just connected a 1 kW generator (yamaha inverter) to a 2 kW solar and a Outback FX 3524 and a PVPowered 1100 with 1 kW AC coupled, it just plain worked.   no problems.  I do not know how well the other inverter generators work, but this is a case where when the batterys get low in this off grid vacation home, they can easily be recharged with solar and gen set.
>> DT 
>> 
>> From: Nathan Jones <solardude97 at yahoo.com>
>> To: re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org
>> Sent: Wed, March 16, 2011 12:23:24 PM
>> Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Generators?
>> 
>> August,
>> Most of the units around 8kw are lower quality units. Most are going to be 3600 rpm instead of 1800 rpm. I just saw an excellent writeup on gensets in a back issue of Home Power written by Alan Sindilar??? Sorry about the spelling,  Alan. Excellent article. Perhaps someone knows the issue date.
>> Nathan Jones
>> 
>> On Wed Mar 16th, 2011 11:58 AM CDT August Goers wrote:
>> 
>> >Hi Off Grid Wrenches -
>> >
>> >I need to select a propane generator to provide a steady state load of
>> >approximately 8 kW for a offgrid Sunny Island system. The project is for
>> >an art studio and the loads are primarily all lights.
>> >
>> >I don't have much experience with generators so I thought I'd reach out
>> >and see what products and manufacturers are popular out there.
>> >
>> >Thanks,
>> >
>> >August
>> >
>> >
>> >August Goers
>> >
>> >Luminalt Energy Corporation
>> >1320 Potrero Avenue
>> >San Francisco, CA 94110
>> >m: 415.559.1525
>> >o: 415.641.4000
>> >august at luminalt.com
>> >_______________________________________________
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