Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

Maybe the all in one system is not good in that case. I was hoping that since they already have the AC-DC inverter built in they could also do voltage stabilization.

Maybe charge the batteries from either the grid or the PV panels, and always run the house off the batteries via a separate inverter. That way, you got the inefficiency of AC->DC->AC but always have stable voltage.

In the long run I want this to be mostly off grid anyway, with the grid as just an emergency option...



Yes, that is a good idea. Get a separate charger and always run the house from the isolated side. This will be more expensive as a good inverter/charger runs in the 1k-2k Euros area and you would need two (unless you find a suitable battery charger which is not very easy). I lived offgrid for nearly a decade and built myself three different solar systems. I started with a small all in one and found out that they are limiting when you want to expand since you usually cannot add more charge controllers and/or panels (which are the easiest way to expand a system). I ended up giving it away and building the others from separate systems. My biggest mistake was starting with 24 volts instead of 48 volts. It is cheaper but it gets a bit dangerous as you step up the power usage and there aren't many options for breakers and such.




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: