<p>I do not know much about Sol-Arc, but one can AC couple and DC couple with a Radian or XW. The genset is on the genset input where it belongs.</p>
<p>For Offgrid AC coupling is just another way to damage a battery or genset that does not need to be there. I suppose in a really large microgrid with many houses and a skilled person on site, it could be used as a second best method to DC coupling everything.</p>
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<pre> </pre>
<pre><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
<a href="http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/" target="_blank">http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/</a>
e-mail <a href="mailto:offgridsolar@sti.net">offgridsolar@sti.net</a>
text 209 813 0060</span></strong></pre>
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<p>On Fri, 7 May 2021 12:21:14 -0400, Jason Szumlanski <jason@floridasolardesigngroup.com> wrote:</p>
<blockquote type="cite" style="padding-left:5px; border-left:#1010ff 2px solid; margin-left:5px; width:100%"><!-- html ignored --><!-- head ignored --><!-- meta ignored -->
<div dir="auto">I like the idea of some small amount of AC Coupled PV for off-grid systems when there is a known consistent daytime load. Around here the worst case scenario involves afternoon air conditioning in summer, so some WSW-facing AC coupled PV is an efficient way to cover that load and go into darkness with full batteries.
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">If I understand things correctly, with a Sol-Ark you can simultaneously do AC coupling on the GEN input and DC coupling on the MPPTs and use the GRID input for the generator. </div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Jason</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
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<div class="gmail_quote">
<div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Fri, May 7, 2021, 11:41 AM Dave Tedeyan <<a href="mailto:dave@sungineersolar.com">dave@sungineersolar.com</a>> wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0 0 0 .8ex; border-left: 1px #ccc solid; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="ltr">I would certainly agree with you all that AC coupled for off-grid is not the best design choice. But just for clarification, this is a grid-tied system where there is already an Enphase M215 system and a whole house generator set up.
<div>Cheers, </div>
<div>Dave</div>
</div>
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<div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Fri, May 7, 2021 at 11:10 AM Jerry Shafer <<a href="mailto:jerrysgarage01@gmail.com">jerrysgarage01@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="auto">I have to agree with Dave on this, complex and off grid generally are not good together, l sugest backing up and you might consider a redesign, dump enphase, go directly in to the inverter DC side, now a gen set back up will work. Your spending more time and effort going in a bad direction. AC coupling for resi is not a great solution to start with and Solark even say that. KISS is better
<div dir="auto">Jerry</div>
<div dir="auto">NABCEP PV Inspector </div>
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<div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Thu, May 6, 2021, 7:33 AM Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar <<a href="mailto:offgridsolar@sti.net">offgridsolar@sti.net</a>> wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex;">
<p>I would not do any of this for an offgrid client. It is against the rule of less is more. The whole design is flawed in my opinion.</p>
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<pre> </pre>
<pre><strong><span style="font-size: small;">Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
<a href="http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/">http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/</a>
e-mail <a href="mailto:offgridsolar@sti.net">offgridsolar@sti.net</a>
text 209 813 0060</span></strong></pre>
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<p>On Tue, 4 May 2021 19:24:13 -0400, Dave Tedeyan <<a href="mailto:dave@sungineersolar.com">dave@sungineersolar.com</a>> wrote:</p>
<blockquote style="padding-left: 5px; border-left: 2px solid #1010ff; margin-left: 5px; width: 100%;">
<div dir="auto">I suppose the question here is - which is the worse failure mode?
<div dir="auto">A. Solar turning off until an electrician can fix it.</div>
<div dir="auto">OR</div>
<div dir="auto">B. Not knowing the contactor failed until it does not open when the generator turns on and running the risk that the solar backfeeds the generator and breaks it.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">For off-grid maybe A would be more of a concern. But for grid tied, I would think option B would be worse.</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Does anyone have a fail safe method of doing this?</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Cheers,</div>
<div dir="auto">Dave</div>
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<div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Tue, May 4, 2021, 4:41 PM Chris Schaefer <<a href="mailto:chris@solarandwindfx.com">chris@solarandwindfx.com</a>> wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="ltr">Jason,
<div> </div>
<div>A valid concern which is why I always wire them as powered open so if there is a failure it would transition closed or not open.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Christopher</div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 4:15 PM Jason Szumlanski <<a href="mailto:jason@floridasolardesigngroup.com">jason@floridasolardesigngroup.com</a>> wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div dir="auto">
<div>What happens when the contactor fails? I don't trust a NC contactor that is supposed to open on 240Vac coil voltage from the generator. It's not a failsafe solution.
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<div dir="auto">Jason</div>
<div dir="auto"> </div>
<br /><br />
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Tue, May 4, 2021, 3:15 PM Drake <<a href="mailto:drake.chamberlin@redwoodalliance.org">drake.chamberlin@redwoodalliance.org</a>> wrote:</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid #cccccc; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>P.S. The contactor method is even mentioned somewhere in the Outback literature. I've been using it for years. It is very simple and requires no complex equipment. It will not interfere with rapid shutdown. 40 A, 240 V contactors with 240 V coils are readily available and not terribly expensive. The 240 V output of the generator circuit provides the signal. <br /><br /> At 10:02 AM 5/4/2021, you wrote:<br />
<blockquote style="padding-left: 5px; border-left: 2px solid #1010ff; margin-left: 5px; width: 100%;">Get a contactor with a 240 VAC coil. Connect the coil wire wires to the 240 V output circuit of the generator, so when the generator comes on, the contactor opens. Run the current from the AC coupled Enphase inverters through the contacts from common to N/C. <br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /><br /> <br /> On 2021-05-03 10:26, Dave Tedeyan wrote:<br />
<blockquote style="padding-left: 5px; border-left: 2px solid #1010ff; margin-left: 5px; width: 100%;">Hi All, <br /><br /> I am planning on using a Sol-Ark for the first time for adding battery backup to an existing system. It is Enphase, so clearly it will be AC coupled, and there is a whole house generator. When I talked to Sol-Ark about it, they recommended putting the generator on a time of use schedule to not allow it to come on during the day so that we don't run into the issue of the solar backfeeding the generator.<br /> <br /> I was wondering though if anyone has just used a contactor to cut out the solar when the generator turns on? Something like Outback's GS-AC-Gen-Kit, although in this case I will need something rated for just over 30A. This seems like a better way to allow the generator to run at any time it is needed, especially if it is a gloomy, snowy, winter day.<br /> <br /> Cheers, <br /> Dave<br /> <br /> -- <br /> <strong>Dave Tedeyan, PE<br /> </strong> <img alt="Sungineer Solar" width="200" height="50" /> <br /> 1653 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850<br /> Cell: 607-288-2898<br /> <a href="http://www.sungineersolar.com/">www.sungineersolar.com</a><br /> <br /> _______________________________________________<br /> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance<br /><br /> Pay optional member dues here: <a href="http://re-wrenches.org">http://re-wrenches.org</a><br /><br /> List Address: <a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org"> RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br /><br /> Change listserver email address & settings:<br /> <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org"> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a> <br /><br /> There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the other:<br /> <a href="https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/"> https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/</a><br /> <a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org"> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br /> <br /> List rules & etiquette:<br /> <a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm"> http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br /><br /> Check out or update participant bios:<br /> <a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org"> http://www.members.re-wrenches.org</a></blockquote>
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