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Mike Curran

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RE: Is Storage Worth the Investment?

Posted By Mike Curran 03-27-2023 09:46 AM
Found In Egroup: Ask a Renewable Energy Expert \ view thread
Yesterday at noon my grid power returned after being off for around 20 hours, the result of a severely windy Saturday (3/25) here in NE Ohio. I have two battery backup systems (one supports a wood-fired hydronic heating system that cannot be allowed to freeze in winter) and they got me through this period ...

RE: How Do I Know My System is Still Making Power?

Posted By Mike Curran 03-14-2023 12:39 PM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Nice job Kyle. My only comment is that on meters that measure both import and export, export is usually not exactly what your panels are producing, since some of that production gets consumed by your house. Other than that, good work! ------------------------------ Mike Curran Retired EE --------- ...

RE: Application for individual panel info

Posted By Mike Curran 03-06-2023 10:43 AM
Found In Library: Everything Solar Forum

RE: Application for individual panel info

Posted By Mike Curran 03-06-2023 10:43 AM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Fyi there are no CTs in my Enphase system. Works by some sort of powerline communication between micros and gateway. Wifi provides data to the app on your phone, tablet or PC, and connection between gateway and web (edit) is hardwired. App totals the energy produced from all the micros so noCTs are needed. ...

RE: Application for individual panel info

Posted By Mike Curran 03-03-2023 06:19 PM
Found In Library: Everything Solar Forum

RE: Application for individual panel info

Posted By Mike Curran 03-03-2023 06:19 PM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Enphase offers a gateway device (I think the app is called Enlighten) that communicates with each microinverter and gives lots of data. I have their M215 micros (pretty old tech) on my barn roof. Screenshot from today (not a good solar day here) attached and more available at https://enlighten.enpha ...

RE: Issues With My solar System Help

Posted By Mike Curran 02-06-2023 07:54 AM
Found In Library: Everything Solar Forum

RE: Issues With My solar System Help

Posted By Mike Curran 02-06-2023 07:54 AM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Is it possible you are confusing "consumption" with net use? On my bills, my supplier shows a graph of import without taking export into account (see screenshot). In your case it's very possible consumption is your export (edit) import, only. Since most people don't have grid-tied solar, utilities haven't ...

RE: How Do I Know My System is Still Making Power?

Posted By Mike Curran 02-05-2023 02:02 PM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Hi Kyle - Fyi, here's a link to the public site for my Emphase system https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/public/systems/Hctc107221, which covers 2 larger arrays plus a single ground mount panel for comparison purposes (steeper angle for winter compared to other array roof mounts). The earliest array ...

RE: How Do I Know My System is Still Making Power?

Posted By Mike Curran 02-05-2023 02:01 PM
Found In Library: Everything Solar Forum

RE: How Do I Know My System is Still Making Power?

Posted By Mike Curran 01-31-2023 10:58 AM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Hi Rich - Yeah, I get that. I also have a Vue Gen 1 monitor but because my solar array breakers are remote from the panel where the CT's are, I don't have them monitored individually and the resulting data is really hard to interpret and perhaps meaningless. Here's a screenshot: Note there are 2 electrically ...

RE: How Do I Know My System is Still Making Power?

Posted By Mike Curran 01-31-2023 06:58 AM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Hi Ken - That's correct, import and export only. Maybe not relevant to the OP since it doesn't measure the details, but I thought it might be of interest. - Mike ------------------------------ Mike Curran Retired EE ------------------------------

RE: For our readers from California

Posted By Mike Curran 01-18-2023 06:10 PM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
TBH, I would be scratching my head trying to answer this from Ohio, too. ------------------------------ Mike Curran Retired EE ------------------------------

RE: Battery Charging Best Practice

Posted By Mike Curran 01-16-2023 10:52 AM
Found In Egroup: Ask a Renewable Energy Expert \ view thread
This question comes up occasionally on the Outback Power user forum. This thread (4th post down) has a response I got from my battery supplier, Simpliphi, a leading LiFePO4 battery manufacturer: https://forum.outbackpower.com/viewtopic.php?t=17853 I have been operating my battery at 99-100% SOC since ...

RE: Inverters that allow use of power when provider is down?

Posted By Mike Curran 01-12-2023 10:57 AM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Since your existing array shuts off during a grid outage to prevent back-feeding the grid and creating a hazard for linemen, you will need batteries and an AC-coupled battery-based inverter to use the energy from your grid-tied array when the grid is down. These are nothing "special", they simple provide ...

RE: How Do I Know My System is Still Making Power?

Posted By Mike Curran 01-11-2023 03:19 PM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
My house got a smart meter last August, and I just installed a smart meter monitor from Emporia Energy (https://shop.emporiaenergy.com/collections/emporia-products/products/utility-connect). This device connects to your utility's meter wirelessly, and through an app on your cellphone can give you real-time ...

RE: How Do I Know My System is Still Making Power?

Posted By Mike Curran 01-11-2023 03:18 PM
Found In Library: Everything Solar Forum

RE: Inverter Was Dropping - High Grid Voltage To Blame

Posted By Mike Curran 11-16-2022 11:32 AM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Right after installation my Outback Skybox inverter was doing the same thing, reacting to high grid voltage by disconnecting and/or stopping sell to grid. Here in Ohio utilities are allowed +/-10% variation from 240V nominal and mine wasn't amenable to adjusting the output, which regularly exceeded 264V. ...

RE: Inverter Was Dropping - High Grid Voltage To Blame

Posted By Mike Curran 11-16-2022 11:32 AM
Found In Library: Everything Solar Forum

RE: Long Awaited Batteries Arrive.

Posted By Mike Curran 08-29-2022 12:49 PM
Found In Egroup: Everything Solar Forum \ view thread
Those OPzV's still have acid, no? My FLA's have lasted 15 years in a similar application as your new ones, and I expect them to last just as long. My point was, in cycling applications, acid chemistry batteries (which your OPzV's are) will not last as long as lithiums. Of course, the jury is still out ...