3

d

CNN80:

I'm looking to conserve power not consume it so the plan is to be as efficient as possible. Which is why I was hoping for an inverter or controller that will send power to the entire house when solar or grid energy is detected and power to a few designated power points when battery energy is detected.

What is special about the Quanta battery? What kind is it? Have you used it before?

Do you have any recommendations for inverters?

let me see if I can try small...

normally, the way the wiring goes is such that you do an audit. find out the exact loads you want the inverter (battery) to carry. then trace and isolate those loads from the house main Electrical DB. route them to a separate small DB and tie them to the inverter output.

what happens is that when there is grid supply, all your house loads will have supply. in the absence of grid supply, your inverter (through your battery) can now power only those selected loads

Quanta battery is a very good battery... it's AGM and made in Indian.

however, if you're going for Quanta battery, make sure your inverter and Solar Charge Controller has a provision for you to manually change the charge profile (especially the voltage settings). Quanta battery is selective when it comes to their Boost voltage (13.8-14.0V), and Float voltage (13.5V).

if you can, you can go for Magnum USA inverter

finally, there are 3-6W energy bulbs that are very bright. even those 10W are still big... cheers

over to the gurus

Hood day all.
I want to know how to calculate the amount of wattage or energy left in my battery from the inverter especially at night when the charge controller is off.
I see things like battery voltage is 39.9 Hz on the inverter and I don't understand.
Thanks.

Desanta:
Hood day all.
I want to know how to calculate the amount of wattage or energy left in my battery from the inverter especially at night when the charge controller is off.
I see things like battery voltage is 39.9 Hz on the inverter and I don't understand.
Thanks.

Hood day too sir... �

battery voltage, 39.9 Hz...

Battery voltage is measured in Volts (V).
So check and confirm again.

if your inverter has a display, check for the reading that has "V" . if it's a 48V system, you'll see something within the range of 42-57V

NB: Mains voltage and inverter output voltage also are measured in Volts... but at 150-230V range

Below are the two quotes I received when I mentioned running an AC on the batteries. I was wondering if anyone can help critique them.

7.5KVA/48VDC, Keye/Powerstar Pure Sine wave, Inverter 390,000.00
08 Nos. 12V, 200AH, , WET CELL Deep Cycle Batteries at 100,000.00 800,000.00
1Nos. of 8-Unit Battery Rack & Inverter Rack 30,000.00
32A Switch Gear, MCCB, Changeover Switch 80,000.00
10mm2,6mm2, 4mm2 & 2.5mm2 Cables & Accessories 90.000.00
18 nos. of 300Watts, 24V, Mono PV Solar Panels @ N 60,000.00 1,080,000.00
60Amps, 48VDC MPPT Solar Controller 150,000.00
Roof Mounted Solar Panel Frame 90,000.00
Earthing Materials 20,000.00
10KVA Stabilizer and AC SPD 100,000.00
Freighting & Logistics(To Atan) 50,000.00
Workmanship 200.000.00
Total: 3,080,000.00
LOADS TO BE SUPPORTED.
 1no. 1.0Hp Linear Inverter A/c.
 Lots CCTV
 5nos. Lcd/Led Televisions.
 8 Ceiling/Standing Fans.
 1 Decoder.
 60 Energy Bulbs.
 1 Dvd.
 1 no Water Dispenser.
 1 Fridge
 1 deep Freezer.

7.5KVA/120VDC, India Pure Sine wave, Inverter 490,000.00
10 Nos. of India, 12V, 200AH Batteries at 120,000.00 1,200,000.00
1Nos. of 10-Unit Battery Rack & Inverter Rack 40,000.00
32A Switch Gear, MCCB, Changeover Switch 80,000.00
10mm2,6mm2, 4mm2 & 2.5mm2 Cables & Accessories 100.000.00
20 nos. of 300Watts, 24V, Mono PV Solar Panels @ N 60,000.00 1,200,000.00
60Amps, 120VDC MPPT Solar Controller 160,000.00
Roof Mounted Solar Panel Frame 100,000.00
Earthing Materials 20,000.00
10KVA Stabilizer and AC SPD 100,000.00
Freighting & Logistics(To Atan) 60,000.00
Workmanship 200.000.00
Total: 3,750,000.00
LOADS TO BE SUPPORTED.
 1no. 1.5Hp Linear Inverter A/c.
 Lots CCTV
 5nos. Lcd/Led Televisions.
 8 Ceiling/Standing Fans.
 1 Decoder.
 60 Energy Bulbs.
 1 Dvd.
 1 no Water Dispenser.
 1 Fridge
 1 deep Freezer.

mcTrinity:


Hood day too sir... �

battery voltage, 39.9 Hz...

Battery voltage is measured in Volts (V).
So check and confirm again.

if your inverter has a display, check for the reading that has "V" . if it's a 48V system, you'll see something within the range of 42-57V

NB: Mains voltage and inverter output voltage also are measured in Volts... but at 150-230V range

This is the display at night.

Desanta:

This is the display at night.

flat mode I wonder if it flattens the battery in short time .

But on a serious note if you want to know the exact quantity then you need Coulomb /AH meter

some of the good options are

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FGFFHC6

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/colorful-lcd-display-Battery-Coulomb-counter-DC-voltage-ampere-watt-capacity-energy-W-AH-meter-78/32914014075.html

https:///product/fangpusun-lcd-display-battery-monitor-bmv-702-12v-24v-48v-3729905

https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-monitors/bmv-712-smart

@CNN80, SEEMS fair enough, would go with the 48v setup , easier to swap spares

Dear All,

The Price slash on our Pray 2.5kva 24v PSW Inverter promo ends by May 9th 2019.

The price will be reverted to N110,000 as from May, 10th 2019.

Thank you for your patronage throughout the promo period. You are indeed our success story.

Courtesy;
Smartcellglobal services
081-350-31951

CNN80:
Below are the two quotes I received when I mentioned running an AC on the batteries. I was wondering if anyone can help critique them.

7.5KVA/48VDC, Keye/Powerstar Pure Sine wave, Inverter 390,000.00
08 Nos. 12V, 200AH, , WET CELL Deep Cycle Batteries at 100,000.00 800,000.00
1Nos. of 8-Unit Battery Rack & Inverter Rack 30,000.00
32A Switch Gear, MCCB, Changeover Switch 80,000.00
10mm2,6mm2, 4mm2 & 2.5mm2 Cables & Accessories 90.000.00
18 nos. of 300Watts, 24V, Mono PV Solar Panels @ N 60,000.00 1,080,000.00
60Amps, 48VDC MPPT Solar Controller 150,000.00
Roof Mounted Solar Panel Frame 90,000.00
Earthing Materials 20,000.00
10KVA Stabilizer and AC SPD 100,000.00
Freighting & Logistics(To Atan) 50,000.00
Workmanship 200.000.00
Total: 3,080,000.00
LOADS TO BE SUPPORTED.
 1no. 1.0Hp Linear Inverter A/c.
 Lots CCTV
 5nos. Lcd/Led Televisions.
 8 Ceiling/Standing Fans.
 1 Decoder.
 60 Energy Bulbs.
 1 Dvd.
 1 no Water Dispenser.
 1 Fridge
 1 deep Freezer.

7.5KVA/120VDC, India Pure Sine wave, Inverter 490,000.00
10 Nos. of India, 12V, 200AH Batteries at 120,000.00 1,200,000.00
1Nos. of 10-Unit Battery Rack & Inverter Rack 40,000.00
32A Switch Gear, MCCB, Changeover Switch 80,000.00
10mm2,6mm2, 4mm2 & 2.5mm2 Cables & Accessories 100.000.00
20 nos. of 300Watts, 24V, Mono PV Solar Panels @ N 60,000.00 1,200,000.00
60Amps, 120VDC MPPT Solar Controller 160,000.00
Roof Mounted Solar Panel Frame 100,000.00
Earthing Materials 20,000.00
10KVA Stabilizer and AC SPD 100,000.00
Freighting & Logistics(To Atan) 60,000.00
Workmanship 200.000.00
Total: 3,750,000.00
LOADS TO BE SUPPORTED.
 1no. 1.5Hp Linear Inverter A/c.
 Lots CCTV
 5nos. Lcd/Led Televisions.
 8 Ceiling/Standing Fans.
 1 Decoder.
 60 Energy Bulbs.
 1 Dvd.
 1 no Water Dispenser.
 1 Fridge
 1 deep Freezer.

I was wondering if anyone can help critique them.

Well, here come one, although I'm still a novice DIY'er when it comes to this RE thingy:

1. Those quotes could be a lot more transparent. I doubt if anyone would be able to make a sound critique of components a vast majority of which have no names/brands? Experts on here will normally be quite transparent with their recommendations; take what Oga Niyi wrote to you earlier, for example. That helps you plan for your system to not fail prematurely.

Put another way, anyone can quote on any price and get away with using sub-standard components here and there when not clearly defined upfront.

2. AFAI can see, there's still limited nexus between these quotes and the various advice earlier offered. I think you should start by asking for quotes with those in mind — including from those who've offered advice if you will — especially when it comes to quantities, power, and brands.

3. Finally, I'll suggest you obtain quotes from a couple of the well-regarded service providers on here if not already, compare then privately, then ask for further clarifications and advice on here as may be still necessary.

Good luck.

........
P34c3
.....
...

Watt meter aka kill-a-watt meter urgently needed in Lagos, who can supply today or latest 8am tomorrow morning?


Gotten one already from jiji

So 1 of my solar panels cracked during transit.the glass covering on top.more than 60% of the total surface area is affected.

Is there anything i can do to salvage/extend its life??.
Its still reading ok 33v.
My fear is water entering tru the cracks and probablly shorting out something

earthrealm:
So 1 of my solar panels cracked during transit.the glass covering on top.more than 60% of the total surface area is affected.

Is there anything i can do to salvage/extend its life??.
Its still reading ok 33v.
My fear is water entering tru the cracks and probablly shorting out something

Do Google search on how to fix broken solar panel.

mank1234:


Do Google search on how to fix broken solar panel.

Great.saw easy fixes..now the big question of getting the items in nigeria, wish to avoid the 3 to 4wks delay in importing from usa.

Have you done such repairs b4......did u get the materials locally

earthrealm:


Great.saw easy fixes..now the big question of getting the items in nigeria, wish to avoid the 3 to 4wks delay in importing from usa.

Have you done such repairs b4......did u get the materials locally

No, I've not. I believe the materials should be in Lagos. List the materials here, those in Lagos can help out.

earthrealm:


Great.saw easy fixes..now the big question of getting the items in nigeria, wish to avoid the 3 to 4wks delay in importing from usa.

Have you done such repairs b4......did u get the materials locally

Blue camel Kaduna most probably has repair facility but may not be worth the efforts for a singel panel

https://bluecamelenergy.com.ng/services/bank-atm-power-ups-systems/

mank1234:


No, I've not. I believe the materials should be in Lagos. List the materials here, those in Lagos can help out.

its even out of stock on amazon..

https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Encapsulation-Making-Panels-Sylgard/dp/B00G4BTEEM/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_10?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=G952VGMWH6V8W6RQ6T3W

edit: did more searching am stumbled on this gem of a link, -- https://www.instructables.com/id/Broken-Solar-Panel-Glass-Repair-Simple/

fortunate i have not exposed it to the elements as tey will become trapped under the glass and cause rapid corrosion

so he used clear coat polyurethane uv protected-non yellowing, i believe people in the naija paint biz may have any idea...

@CNN80

The quote is in order. But kinda vague you know.
There are batteries for 200,000 and batteries for 87,000
Quality matters.

Then for how long those loads would run is another case study (the most important sef)
It wasn't mentioned or perhaps I missed it somewhere.

Anyways, when people ask me about running ACs on inverters. I just tell them to budget at least 3M
before we start doing any calculation of any sorts. Even before I got an inverter that was capable of handling ACs
I had nearly kissed that mark.

Go with a lower budget and watch your batteries literally speak and curse you every goddamn day!
Unless of course, the power situation in your arena is quite lovely and you ain't 100% offgrid, lol

How many kilowatt-hour can I get a day from,
4 batteries (200 amps. each).
8 solar panels (300 Watts. each)
5.5 kva inverter with 48volts.

Thank you.

Experts in the house, is my set up good to go?

Desanta:
How many kilowatt-hour can I get a day from,
4 batteries (200 amps. each).
8 solar panels (300 Watts. each)
5.5 kva inverter with 48volts.

Thank you.

If we assume a 6 hour of useful sunshine in location we'd have for each 300w panel the following

300w x 6hours = 1800wh or 1.8kwh.

For the 8 PVs we'd get 1.8kwh x 8 = 14.4kwh/day

But you know it's impossible to have the 300w production constantly which is gotten under standard test conditions not with the fluctuating sun, non standard temperature, problem with tilt angle, shadows, sun's angle of hit to the PV, age of PV, etc. So if you go with like 40% of that you may probably get something like 5.76Kwh daily more or less.

Experts are welcomed to weigh in

mctfopt:



If we assume a 6 hour of useful sunshine in location we'd have for each 300w panel the following

300w x 6hours = 1800wh or 1.8kwh.

For the 8 PVs we'd get 1.8kwh x 8 = 14.4kwh/day

But you know it's impossible to have the 300w production constantly which is gotten under standard test conditions not with the fluctuating sun, non standard temperature, problem with tilt angle, shadows, sun's angle of hit to the PV, age of PV, etc. So if you go with like 40% of that you may probably get something like 5.76Kwh daily more or less.

Experts are welcomed to weigh in

Thanks.
Any idea on how I can increase it to 8 kwh. That's my average daily phcn consumption.

olatade:
Experts in the house, is my set up good to go?

that luminous inverter, does it have battery selector switch?, i dont think so, based on that ,, those your flooded batteries are not being charged well, and will have a shortened lifespan, you neen an inverter that is capable of charging flooded batts

earthrealm:


that luminous inverter, does it have battery selector switch?, i don't think so, based on that ,, those your flooded batteries are not being charged well, and will have a shortened lifespan, you need an inverter that is capable of charging flooded batts

On point. Your bulk voltage may need to be as high as 29.2V and you need up to 31V to equalize your battery occasionally. So, a stock, non-adjustable luminous inverter will sulfate your batteries in the next few months. Get an inverter with adjustable voltage setpoints or sell your flooded batteries and by GEL/AGM ones.

My first instinct is that your battery sizing per quotes received is too small if you really want to run an AC + other loads overnight off a lead acid battery bank.

If we assume conservatively that your inverter AC + other night time loads take 1.2kw combined, between 7pm and 7am, you would have pulled ~14kwh out of 19kwh (8pcs 12v 200Ah) a whopping 75% DoD. Do this everyday and watch your batteries die early.

10 batteries improve the situation somewhat ~14kwh out of 24kwh but 60% DoD is rather steep too and I am generously assuming lead acid batteries actually store and give out their full Ah rating. Again this option forces you to abandon the 48vDC sweet spot and start playing with all those indian inverters - not really sure the quality of MPPT CC you can get at 120VDC or even if such a device exists at all.

I encourage you to follow the C20 rule as a minimum basis for sizing your batteries. A 1.2kw constant load requires roughly 24kwh of storage [1.2kw × 20hours] at a minimum - this translates to 12 pieces 12v 200Ah batteries. Remember this is the minimum size to realize the promised backup hours and cycle life.

For the loads you have stated, a 7.5kva inverter is a bit of overkill, a decent 5kva should do and you can shave at least 100k off your purchase cost this way - a 60A charge controller would probably be maxed out at 15pcs of 300w panels, so you would need two units if you are doing 18 panels or more - except you choose a 100A 250v CC like Victron or Magnum offer.


You are already at 3.8Million per your quotes received - with 500k extra taking you to 4.3Million, you can get 16 pieces Quanta 12v 200Ah Batteries, 21pcs 300w Canadian Solar Panels, 5kva Inverter, 2 Fangpusun 60A CCs, quality aluminium roof mounts and all the other gizmos for a functional system.

CNN80:
Below are the two quotes I received when I mentioned running an AC on the batteries. I was wondering if anyone can help critique them.

7.5KVA/48VDC, Keye/Powerstar Pure Sine wave, Inverter 390,000.00
08 Nos. 12V, 200AH, , WET CELL Deep Cycle Batteries at 100,000.00 800,000.00
1Nos. of 8-Unit Battery Rack & Inverter Rack 30,000.00
32A Switch Gear, MCCB, Changeover Switch 80,000.00
10mm2,6mm2, 4mm2 & 2.5mm2 Cables & Accessories 90.000.00
18 nos. of 300Watts, 24V, Mono PV Solar Panels @ N 60,000.00 1,080,000.00
60Amps, 48VDC MPPT Solar Controller 150,000.00
Roof Mounted Solar Panel Frame 90,000.00
Earthing Materials 20,000.00
10KVA Stabilizer and AC SPD 100,000.00
Freighting & Logistics(To Atan) 50,000.00
Workmanship 200.000.00
Total: 3,080,000.00
LOADS TO BE SUPPORTED.
 1no. 1.0Hp Linear Inverter A/c.
 Lots CCTV
 5nos. Lcd/Led Televisions.
 8 Ceiling/Standing Fans.
 1 Decoder.
 60 Energy Bulbs.
 1 Dvd.
 1 no Water Dispenser.
 1 Fridge
 1 deep Freezer.

7.5KVA/120VDC, India Pure Sine wave, Inverter 490,000.00
10 Nos. of India, 12V, 200AH Batteries at 120,000.00 1,200,000.00
1Nos. of 10-Unit Battery Rack & Inverter Rack 40,000.00
32A Switch Gear, MCCB, Changeover Switch 80,000.00
10mm2,6mm2, 4mm2 & 2.5mm2 Cables & Accessories 100.000.00
20 nos. of 300Watts, 24V, Mono PV Solar Panels @ N 60,000.00 1,200,000.00
60Amps, 120VDC MPPT Solar Controller 160,000.00
Roof Mounted Solar Panel Frame 100,000.00
Earthing Materials 20,000.00
10KVA Stabilizer and AC SPD 100,000.00
Freighting & Logistics(To Atan) 60,000.00
Workmanship 200.000.00
Total: 3,750,000.00
LOADS TO BE SUPPORTED.
 1no. 1.5Hp Linear Inverter A/c.
 Lots CCTV
 5nos. Lcd/Led Televisions.
 8 Ceiling/Standing Fans.
 1 Decoder.
 60 Energy Bulbs.
 1 Dvd.
 1 no Water Dispenser.
 1 Fridge
 1 deep Freezer.

earthrealm:


that luminous inverter, does it have battery selector switch?, i dont think so, based on that ,, those your flooded batteries are not being charged well, and will have a shortened lifespan, you neen an inverter that is capable of charging flooded batts

yes sir, it has the battery selector switch behind it. it's set on 'tubular' presently.

mctfopt:



If we assume a 6 hour of useful sunshine in location we'd have for each 300w panel the following

300w x 6hours = 1800wh or 1.8kwh.

For the 8 PVs we'd get 1.8kwh x 8 = 14.4kwh/day

But you know it's impossible to have the 300w production constantly which is gotten under standard test conditions not with the fluctuating sun, non standard temperature, problem with tilt angle, shadows, sun's angle of hit to the PV, age of PV, etc. So if you go with like 40% of that you may probably get something like 5.76Kwh daily more or less.

Experts are welcomed to weigh in

Where outside of the deep North do you get 6 hours of sunshine?

chris81964:

Where outside of the deep North do you get 6 hours of sunshine?

9AM to 3PM sunshine is not so much of a stretch in most part of the country.

mctfopt:


9AM to 3PM sunshine is not so much of a stretch in most part of the country.

not at peak though.. generations usually peak between 11 - 1 and subsequently drops off. The standard practice is to use the 77% rule which will account for heat, wiring and charge controller related loses. do your calc with 77% of the capacity of the solar panel hence 300 x 0.77 = 231
231 * 5 = 1,155 using 5 hours is also a safe bet. Such calculation as this should err on the safe side and as such should focus on a minimum average

chris81964:

Where outside of the deep North do you get 6 hours of sunshine?

I thought at this point we have enough real life experience.

Why can't you state your experience, example my PV provide this kwh per day, average, best case and worse case

Instead of maths..

mctfopt:



If we assume a 6 hour of useful sunshine in location we'd have for each 300w panel the following

300w x 6hours = 1800wh or 1.8kwh.

For the 8 PVs we'd get 1.8kwh x 8 = 14.4kwh/day

But you know it's impossible to have the 300w production constantly which is gotten under standard test conditions not with the fluctuating sun, non standard temperature, problem with tilt angle, shadows, sun's angle of hit to the PV, age of PV, etc. So if you go with like 40% of that you may probably get something like 5.76Kwh daily more or less.

Experts are welcomed to weigh in

Leave assumptions use your own PV, as example real life..

State your PV experience, PV inclination, Model etc. The we can learn..