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We have the same problem with renting out our vacation home. Lots of people think solar is cool, but its not for them!! We have friends that also rent out vacation homes and they have quit telling people that they are off the grid. On both our homes the solar system is completely transparent to the renter.....we even had renters that did NOT realize we were off grid.
As a side note, the worst energy users are those that profess a "environmental" vision. I am not sure why, but I suspect most think solar energy is free and abundant.
They have to draw down the battery bank and then the generator starts automatically to recharge the batteries and the generator clock tells me exactly how long it ran!!
Once that generator starts running solar is no longer free and abundant!!! And generator run times are not cheap!! It is getting to the point that once somebody states that they are environmentally oriented I feel like cancelling the reservation!!
I have thought about putting a surcharge on energy hogs.
Why wouldn't you do this? Allow some genset time and anything over that amount per day they pay.
DC - Yes, a more complicated transfer switch, but it has to have a fail safe to not allow power to be transferred back to the grid if the grid is off - but allow power to still be transferred to the house. Be UL and power company approved to. AND be able to do this without a battery backup system to be "affordable". I believe that this is possible, I just have not seen one YET.
Fire code states there must be a way to completely turn off the system from the outside. So a main that turns the whole system off, which should be part of any installation regardless. Even if just for your own safety - as in a totally off grid, non-code cabin in the middle of nowhere, I would want a want to turn off the entire system. (Not everyone will do this or want this... But it just makes sense to me)
Even has synch check relay if you want to go back on the grid automatically...
Doesn't do the job. This is an either or system -- standby generator or utility power. PV needs to operate in parallel in normal mode and island house load when utility power is lost.
[quote=DCforever;34861440]Doesn't do the job. This is an either or system -- standby generator or utility power. PV needs to operate in parallel in normal mode and island house load when utility power is lost.[/quot
Then spend the money and put in a system that works, instantaneous transfer with synch check is readily available... Static Transfer Switch
This is pretty long and somewhat complex but if you study hard it might help understand the difficulties tying multiple uncontrolled "renewable" resources the interconnected grid...........
Why don't you look up UL 1741 and stop posting stuff that utilities won't allow to be used on a PV system.
Thanks for posting that. I was certain that Battery Backup Inverters with anti-islanding features, for Grid-Tie Solar applications, had already been on the market for several years, but I didn't have the facts at my fingertips. Following this standard proves it. No need to reinvent the wheel. They're available off the shelf.
Thanks for posting that. I was certain that Battery Backup Inverters with anti-islanding features, for Grid-Tie Solar applications, had already been on the market for several years, but I didn't have the facts at my fingertips. Following this standard proves it. No need to reinvent the wheel. They're available off the shelf.
This is an expensive alternative these battery backup inverters are not nearly as efficient as grid connected inverters.
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