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Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 457
Posted: 01:49am 14 Jul 2024
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Thanks for the explanation analog. I have tried to download an app for the ZeverSolar inverter. A search on playstore shows it but when I click on it, there is no program there. Maybe Zeversolar don't support their app any more. I will keep trying, as you suggest turning off the anti islanding would be great Cheers Pete
mab1 Senior Member Joined: 10/02/2015 Location: United KingdomPosts: 209
Posted: 08:58am 17 Jul 2024
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Hi pete, thought I'd answer here rather than the inverter thread.
The pj is a 24v '8000/32000W' meaning it contains 2 x 1kva transformers with forced air cooling. 2kw continuous is fine, 3kw ok for a good while certainly, and 4kw for short bursts if you don't mind the lights dimming and flickering, although i think it shuts down on overload somewhere around there
The gti's have varied over time but peaked with: 1700w gti with 2kw pv, 1300w with 1.35kw pv, 4kw with 1kw pv and 4kw with 450w hydro. I basically controlled ac dump loads - 3kw immersion being the biggest with highest priority, plus 3kw, 2kw, 1.5kw storage heaters and an additional 1kw 24v dc dumpload, each independently controlled on battery voltage.
There are some dc coupled pv panels too (and the hydro sometimes goes via dc too).
Theoretically if the battery was flat i could have had 4kw all going back through the pj, but due to the hydroelectric, I've been able to get away with a very small battery, and my arrays point different directions (1300w is directly east) meaning that by the time the total pv output was reaching 2kw the immersion would already be kicking in.
In midsummer the heaters are not much use, hence I've put the 1300w east array on a poida mppt now, and i keep meaning to instigate some voltage control of the gti's but due to the distance of the remaining two pv gti's, i really ought to do it wirelessly.
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 457
Posted: 09:05am 17 Jul 2024
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Thanks Mab, that sounds like a pretty good system. I had a small hydro at our last place but nowhere here to run one. So it is all solar. Thanks for the explanation of what you use. That has given me some more ideas of what to do here. I am finding the GTI is more efficient than the DC coupled panels so may add more GTI inverters Pete
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 457
Posted: 02:14am 23 Aug 2024
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I have a couple of Latronics LS inverters in my system. They are transformer style inverters, but I read in the manual for them that they say never connect them to a generator or mains on the 240 volt side, or they will be destroyed.. I am wondering if anyone has an AC coupled GTI system that they are using Latronics inverters in.
My guess is that they say not to connect generators or mains to them as they would not be synchronised. But with a GTI inverter the GTI would sychronise with the latronics inverter and hopefully be fine.. I now have two Zeversolar 5000 GTI inverters on my system that are working great, I am just using voltage control to turn relays off and make the GTI inverters go into anti islanding mode, which is working well.. So far I have not thrown the switch to connect to the Latronics inverter, I have both inverters on my 4kw 8010 inverter at the moment. I have a change over switch so I can use one of the GTI inverters to power the house through the Latronics if it will work. If not I will use another 8010 inverter for the house.
Hopefully someone here has an AC coupled system and is using a Latronics LS inverter that works Pete
phil99 Guru Joined: 11/02/2018 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2134
Posted: 05:34am 23 Aug 2024
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I think the Latronics inverter would need to be running first, then the GTIs can synchronize before connecting with it.
If the GTIs are running first the Latronics inverter would connect at a random point in a cycle. The result may well be damage before the GTIs can match it's phase. Edited 2024-08-23 15:35 by phil99
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 457
Posted: 06:12am 23 Aug 2024
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Good point Phil. the Latronics have an autostart mode on all the time. So that may throw a spanner in the works. I am guessing that if I throw the changeover switch from the GTI when it is running that the Latronics will keep working if there is backcharging going on. But maybe I need to have a look and see if I can bypass the autostart and make it a manually started machine only. Thanks for your thoughts Pete
analog8484 Senior Member Joined: 11/11/2021 Location: United StatesPosts: 108
Posted: 05:43pm 23 Aug 2024
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The GTI will not produce power until it has seen a qualified independent grid voltage waveform for a while (a few seconds to a few minutes depending on settings) and will shutoff almost immediately (<< a second) when the independent grid voltage waveform stops. GTI will not produce a voltage waveform on the grid by itself. So, the grid-forming inverter (e.g. Lantronics) will always start producing voltage waveform and power before GTI by design. So, there is really no "starting" the GTI before the grid-forming inverter.
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 457
Posted: 10:01pm 23 Aug 2024
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Thanks Analog. the GTI inverters I have take 60 seconds to test for the grid before they start up. I don't have access to the internal settings as I cannot find any information on initial setup. Most documents point to the app. But Zeversolar no longer support the app. So 60 seconds of grid testing is what they do. I leave the inverter on autostart mode as it runs our fridge and cuts power consumption a fair bit in that mode. I am going to see if I can use a timer to get it to go into normal running mode during the day when solar is available. Thanks for you explanation Pete
Murphy's friend Guru Joined: 04/10/2019 Location: AustraliaPosts: 648
Posted: 07:58am 24 Aug 2024
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Pete, with my home grid I have the (home built) inverter running all the time. I do not think there is any worthwhile power saving with a fridge running 24/7 by using some kind of autostart mode if the battery bank is big enough. And you told me yours is . So, just use the voltage sensing relay to connect your GTI's AC connection when the sun shines.
No need to complicate things with timers...
Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 457
Posted: 10:08pm 24 Aug 2024
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Thanks Mr Murphy. The latronics inverters only have autostart, but I have found that I can adjust it to maximum sensitivity and it stays on all the time. I wrote to Latronics about whether their inverters can back feed, but they have not got back to me yet. They have stopped making inverters now and are only doing repairs until mid next year, so hopefully they will get back on that one. The voltage sensing relay is working well on the GTI inverters. I use two different inverters , one for the house and one for the shed. So when I am not charging the car from the shed inverter I am going to switch one of the GTI inverters to power the house. I am also getting a bigger toolbox soon to mount my rewound transformer in, so I will have a spare 8010 based inverter that can also power up to 4kw easily. So yep lots of fun going on. Thanks for your advice Pete
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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