The Alternative Energy Thread - Generators, Solar, UPS, Wind

[abart]

i shared with you in previous posts this working mode will work fine if you use batteries in the percentage mode rather than voltage mode, are you getting the point?

[abart]

my point of view was batteries life reduce when you use them upto 20 to 30% nearly low batteries alert.. if you use them a little bit like total backup will remain around 80% it wont hurt their live span

[helper_learner]

I suggest not to full charge the battery, charge it to around 80%, and dont charge and discharge it is not good for battery health. And never let battery fall below 25%

[chdemon]

ok, i am sorry i might have missed it. i will check and apply as you suggested.

[capsat]

i hope their life span will not be reduced

keep an eye over electrolyte level, keep it at marked level. charging via inverter solar source is best. no over-charging will happen.

a well maintained tubular battery performance starts to deplete after 36-38 months.
The best was 39 months for Exide TR3500,

[umans]

Why are you using time of use. As per this configuration, for these time slots you are instructing inverter to take 5000W from batteries until they reach 54 Volt . This doesn't make any sense, pulling this much (5000/48 = 104A) from battery is not recommended and 54V is probably the float voltage so it'll never take into effect. Disable time of use.
Show me other settings as well, I really want to help you.

[chdemon]

brother if i disable time of use, inverter does not take electricity from wapda at all. i will send you information tomorrow.

[abart]

dear .. i am using the same inverter, it is working absolutly fine... no issue at all ..Alhumdulillah

[abart]

time of use settings are handy if you just want to discharge battery on peak hours

[saadaqib00]

Hey guys, I wanted a suggestion from people already using solar or experts.

I am planning to get a 10-kilowatt setup installed in my house. I previously had planned for a 15 kW setup, which has now become too expensive, so I'm just resorting to a 10 kW setup for now, considering on average we consume around 1700 units of electricity in the summer.

Should I go for an on-grid system as load shedding is pretty much non-existent now (in my area, hardly 1-2 hours in a day, and that too after days)? The quotes I got for 10 kw on-grid ranged from 1.7 million at the lowest to 2.0 million at the highest. Will I regret installing an on-grid setup instead of a hybrid?

[AkbarGr8]

What are the hardware specs of the 10kw ongrid setup you're interested in? Cost of a quality hybrid setup (lithium battery) could increase your cost by 6 lakhs- 10 lakhs (higher side if in KHI) easy.

If this is a deal breaker, better to drop and have no regrets later on.

Personally I advocate towards hybrid with lithium batteries considering how unstable our grid / economic situation is.

[saadaqib00]

Thanks for the reply!
I am based in Lahore, i took quotations from 4 vendors all quoted me for tier 1 panels and renowned inverter brands.

i was quoted 1.7 million from this vendor (details of equipment attached in picture above)

For a similar hybrid setup multiple people quoted me almost 1 million above this price, since prices of hybrid inverters and batteries have skyrocketed.

[AkbarGr8]

No word on panel brands, I feel the inverters offered are also lower tier and no mention of the guage of wiring used.

Since panel quantity and rates aren't mentioned, we also cannot calculate the rate per watt being charged.

[saadaqib00]

sorry i should have shared quote prices as well. sharing now.
He is apparently charging Rs. 106/watt on the panels. on the phone he told me that these are longi tier1/A panels.

Can you please guide me on the points you just mentioned for the inverter quality and gauge of wiring? i was told to go for Growatt inverter since a lot of solar installers recommend it.

Some additional caveats of the quotation, sharing as received.

[capsat]

summer is already here. Service providers will start delaying the net metering till after August.

In the On-Grid Net-Metered set up the dis-advantage people experience is shut down of system when Grid goes off line either for maintenance or under selective grid area load shedding.

[saadaqib00]

Ahhh yes that is what i am worried about. Net metering delays might make the On grid solar system useless for two months or so.
Fingers crossed i have heard that delays are less now and some people also got their meters within a week.

[AkbarGr8]

Can you sync up with Mudassir 03004348817 (my installer in khi) but he has a collaboration in Lahore.

Ask him for the following:

Tier 1 genuine Class A panels
Ongrid inverter (Inverex / sofar or above with Zero export device / smart meter)
DC earthing pit
Detailed breakdown of AC and DC wiring used (guage / brand)
Complete turn key solution for ALL tasks including net metering.
Time required for net metering (what can be done to expedite)

I'll provide feedback on the items you shared later. Thanks!

[mrdeejay]

Are tubular batteries longer lasting? worth it?

[sardarg]

sir i have Pheonix 120 AMP Tubular connected to UPS. it is 2 year old and so far there is no complaint for performance in backup time. it gave us superb service during ramzan sehri hours load shedding without fault.

[AkbarGr8]

Here's a reference quote - check out the breakdown and description of the material used. The actual panel rate has gone down further since this quote was generated.

I would say Huawei is #1, followed by Inverex / Sofar and then #3 Growatt / other inverters mentioned by your installer. In summary, I'm not impressed!