I have a rather "unique" system from Magnum Energy. It consists of their Dual Micro – GT500 – 14 on the roof with 28 panels. I've AC COUPLED them to their MS4448PAE inverters. The ARTR router, when operated in the AC coupled mode and grid down (or in my case OFF grid) there is only ONE parameter that determines the charge cutoff point – and that is the ABSORB voltage setting. In the off grid mode, this controls the shut down of the micros on the roof by shifting the frequency LOWER (which is exactly opposite of the rest of the solar community!). To complicate things, this absorb setting is NOT what you set it at!! It controls a voltage "window" about 3.4 volts wide which is ABOVE (added to) the ABSORB setting. I currently have mine set to 52.2 (by trial and error while monitoring the system). This sets my "STOP CHARGE" point very reliably at 55.6 (which is perfect for 16 cell LiFePo4 batteries). The "Start charge" is 52.2. The GT500 micros were only on the market for about a year and a half, and I don't think they were "promoted" at all in the industry. Without promotion, sales were low and after just 1 ½ years the terminated the program. To make matters worse, they don't even have any stock to support warrantee failures. Also, this mode of operation is NOT DOCUMENTED ANYWHERE IN THEIR SYSTEM! – I was able to speak with one of the design engineers and that's where I got the guidance to set it up correctly. The "help desk" to this day thinks I'm a Delusional crank – even though THEY CAN MONITOR MY SYSTEM REAL TIME AND SEE THAT IT WORKS AS DESCRIBED!~~ If I hit the lotto, I'm sure I'd tear it all out and put in a SOL-ARK system.... I just wanted to share this to show that AC coupled systems CAN be controlled reliably – such as my system and the SOL-ARK offer. I'm not "anti" Magnum – it's just that it's very frustrating working with them. The BMK (battery management system) module is hyper sensitive to just about everything. I own 4 of them, with all 4 currently awaiting replacements under the MAGNUM "RMA" policy – and these RMAs are now 1YEAR and 3 MONTHS old. I have 2 of the MS4448PAE inverter at a repair station in North Carolina for over 6 months waiting for "FET DRIVER BOARDS". I wonder if they even have new product to deliver at this point.... Just another example of the problems with the China supply chain... we need stuff MADE IN THE USA~~~
Original Message:
Sent: 4/24/2023 11:41:00 AM
From: william fitch
Subject: RE: "Grid Down Power Up" documentary
Yes, I have no personal experience with Sol-Ark. But their specs note that the upper DC voltage is 500VDC. All my systems are geared to 600, so wouldn't be a fit for me. The hardest thing with AC coupling of different types of inverters, is that sometimes they do like like to "play nice" with each other when in backup power mode. Additionally, "normal" ac coupling does not give you control over overcharging the battery bank, again when in backup power mode, trying to utilize the output from you "main" grid tie inverter. One unit solves this issue, allowing all the loads and production to be balanced "on the fly".
This is one of the issues that pisses me off about power companies trying to take control of YOUR inverter, not even wiring it THROUGH your main breaker box (Mains splice). This type of thinking rears its head in their DER (Distributed Energy Resource) initiatives that allot of them are getting the PUC's to go along with. In grid down situations, I WANT TO CONTROL my power, not them. If I am islanded maintaining IEEE requirements regarding isolation, what I do behind the meter is my business and getting the grid back up is theirs.
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william fitch
Owner
www.WeAreSolar.com
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-24-2023 05:21 AM
From: Robert Mellon
Subject: "Grid Down Power Up" documentary
I have been watching Scott Hunts YouTube videos installing the Sol Ark 12 and 15K and it looks like a very nice system with lots of good reviews. Looks like the emp hardened version will be popular as well. I think Joe Utasi has also installed a Sol Ark and liked it as well. Of course it is pricey which puts it out of reach for many. I've noticed that several other inverter manufacturers are coming out with similar technology that is supposed to be pretty much an all in one package eliminating the need for separate charge controllers etc. Kind of sounds like the industry is moving towards a Swiss Army knife approach to allow for one piece of equipment to cover many functions which basically can make it possible to have your own mini grid assuming you have enough solar plus batteries and backup generator. It's interesting to see all of these innovations but I think the cost will probably make it out of reach for most folks.
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Robert Mellon
Original Message:
Sent: 04-22-2023 03:32 PM
From: william fitch
Subject: "Grid Down Power Up" documentary
Just as a small note, you can see some of the technical specs in some of the inverter manufactures advertising their inverter as "EMP hardened" like Sol-Ark 15 kw grid tie inverter. Note the upper right.
Oh, BTW. Happy Earth Day!!
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william fitch
Owner
www.WeAreSolar.com
Original Message:
Sent: 04-19-2023 09:07 AM
From: Robert Mellon
Subject: "Grid Down Power Up" documentary
Thank you William,
I especially appreciate the links you provided and the information you shared from the blog post is very informative. It seems like not many folks are taking these threats to the grid serious.
I think the Amish are better prepared to deal with it than the rest of the world.
It's interesting to see that some of the Mennonite communities are starting to embrace solar. I have also noticed that some of the more progressive branches of the Amish are now allowed to have very small solar arrays.
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Robert Mellon
Original Message:
Sent: 04-19-2023 04:33 AM
From: william fitch
Subject: "Grid Down Power Up" documentary
Hi: Have not seen that specifically. The threat form Carrington level super X class flares is about 1% per year. WE are way over due. In July of 2012 we had a near miss that would have taken us back to the horse and plow, basically. The Amish would have been smiling at us.
https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/23jul_superstorm
I wrote an article on this issue back a few months on my blog site.
https://fcfcfcwearesolar.blogspot.com/2022/11/it-directions.html
EMP from a 100+ mile high thermonuclear burst will have similar effects but much more localized depending on a bunch of different variables. But frankly if a country, any Nuclear country is doing that to another Nuclear country, electricity will be the least of planets Earth's problems, I.E. Nuclear suicide for the whole surface of our little blue dot. A couple of years of Nuclear Winter then a devastating Nuclear Summer leaving the Cockroaches only after a century or so. It may even trigger run away global heating on a VERY severe level.
On the plus side though, at least man could claim that he did in fact do something that had a historic gargantuan global outcome for everyone that no one could deny.
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william fitch
Owner
www.WeAreSolar.com
Original Message:
Sent: 04-18-2023 12:43 PM
From: Robert Mellon
Subject: "Grid Down Power Up" documentary
The link to the documentary I mentioned in my post yesterday is listed below. If anyone has seen this program I'd be curious to know what your thoughts are
GRID DOWN, POWER UP
| Grid Down, Power Up |
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| GRID DOWN, POWER UP |
| Grid Down, Power Up investigates and follows the trail of information surrounding threats that the US national power grid faces right now. |
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Robert Mellon
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