DIY Solar - Episode 11 - Up and Running

In this episode, I am finally up and running with my Grid Tie Inverter with Limiter (GTIL2) and also with my off-grid PIP-2424 system. My GTIL2 inverter is working great with all of the safety sub-systems I installed. However, it does appear to have a slight issue where the power usage meter read-out display seems to only show 50% of the true power amount my home is using on the 110V A/C leg that is being monitored. I'm using my Sense Whole House Monitoring system as a comparison. I plan to post a troubleshooting video later to determine if the false reading is the Sense monitor or the GTIL2 device.
My PIP-2424 off grid system is also up and running too. It is currently charging my Valence battery bank via solar power and/or grid power if there isn't enough solar available. I am currently running a portable dehumidifier unit on the PIP inverter. It seems to be working as expected so far and consumes about 25% of the total load the PIP is capable of producing. I plan to continue with this test for about a week and then will increase the load to see how everything continues to operate.

[@aogulla]

Congratulations on getting this far. Beautiful system I must say. Well done!

[@WiSeNhEiMeR-1369]

HOWdy J-G-O, Love your Ground-Mount COOP ...

[@mohameddocrat4393]

Hello Jim, Mohamed here. I have watched I think from episode 3 until this point. You have done a fantastic job on your system and videos. I commend you on your research and attention to detail. I have started to do research as I plan on setting up a solar PV system when I move in a few months. You have said you are not an electrician, however, you obviously have done excellent research and sourced out products for your system very well. I have been admiring all your work. I am not an electrician and I have done many electrical projects in my home. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and I bought the electrical code for the province so that all the work I did was to code or better. It will help me when I work on the solar system. Again, you have done a tremendous job so far and I look forward to your future videos. I may be contacting you with questions in future! Thanks, Mohamed

[@diydan6045]

How is your system coming along?

[@skoto.power.systems]

nice system Jim, thanks

[@MJ-ge6jz]

Impressive setup!

[@relitoblanco8140]

Nice job. The only thing I didn't see is your grounding system of the panels.

[@MrCazutube]

The power indicated on the inverter depends on the current sensor, which has the span 0-50mA to indicates 0 - 12000W ; your replacement CS (current sensor) is not compatible to the original in electrical spec., the original CS spec is 100A / 50mA (means: at Max (span) output 50mA (span)) ; if you replaced with a CS (as you mention on previous clips) has the spec: 400A/100mA (Max span=400A output 100mA so the output of this CS @100A only induced 25mA (1/4 of span) so it's always 1/2 value compare to the original one, and same as the 600A/100mA CS will show only 1/3 value; make it reads correctly you could you the CS with the spec: 200A/100mA, 400A/200mA or 600A/300mA ..

[@learningpower9437]

I think this was the issue. This issue work in his favor..since the inverter will never back feed the grid. If the inverter read 1000 watts, the other meter is reading 2000 watts being used in the house. So the inverter will only push back to the grid 1000 watts...

[@ek9772]

I love the garden.

[@kencrane6420]

Hi Jim, I just found your channel today. I appreciate your thoughtful explanations but even more so I appreciate the amount of thought and cleanliness put into your workmanship and installation. I guess the main thing that concerns me is the exposed conduit on the ground underneath your PV setup. I also noticed the seesaw in your video and think running around and hiding or playing underneath the PV array would be very tempting to little ones (especially when the sun is intense). Anyway, part of my job is endurance life testing electric motors and their variable speed drives. The setup at my work that predates me used small 3 phase generators hooked up to restive elements (heat) to put a load on the motors. As you can imagine just dumping this energy into heat and then using the oversized HVAC to suck the heat out of the building is insanely inefficient (especially with statistically significant sample sizes). I've set up a proof of concept that uses a 24V diesel alternator attached to the motor test samples via a drive belt with the alternator connected to a grid tie inverter to put the load energy back into the grid and so far it works great, being between 36-41% efficient depending on the load. Anyway I found you while researching grid tie inverters looking for something fairly robust and inexpensive. I've been thinking about doing solar on our house since buying it 6 years ago as the sun exposure and direction of the front facing roof is idea for it. However looking into things locally I'm pretty sure I'm just going to go with a 5-6kW grid tie system with micro inverters and use my 4kW inverter generator in the case of a power outage.

[@jimginnyohio]

Hi Ken - Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, my existing setup was really intended to be a temporary proof-of-concept installation since my wife and I plan to downsize our house as soon as we find something suitable. Burying the conduits that are under the solar array wasn't really a high priority since I plan to rip it all out when we move. When my grandchildren are at our house, they know not to go around or under the panels. I would be interested in seeing what you do with your dump load testing at work. I agree that is a waste that could easily be turned into a gain if done correctly. Please post some videos if you pursue that! I agree that a micro inverter grid tied system would indeed be a better solution if you are going with 5-6KW. Actually, I have already purchased some inverters for use after my relocation. Of course, I will need to get those set up and approved with the local power company too. Thanks again for your comments and viewership! Best wishes!

[@kencrane6420]

@@jimginnyohio Hi Jim, thanks for the reply. As for seeing my test setup, since I am in new product development, posting videos or pictures online is kind of a big no no. Just think of a 2-3hp electric motor that's either DC or 3 phase AC about 20lbs 6-9" diameter connected to 24VDC alternator (large diesel) via a belt drive that is wired to a grid tie inverter. If I want to vary the load on the test sample motor all I have to do is change the RPM's.

[@xapplimatic]

Also Code requires labelling as a firefighter mentioned below. Each disconnect needs a proper red an white permanent labelling affixed next to the disconnects at a required placement and a map should be posted near your outside incoming connection from the grid at your household breaker box on the side of your garage mapping out where all solar disconnects are on the property and a label indicating on the breaker box which circuits the solar panel are connected to so the fire department or utility company can shut off the connection to the grid form them from outside your house without you being home if needs be.

[@Amigatech]

Another awesome video! Thanks for sharing the journey. One thing that scares me though is having 85 gallons of water stored in the same room with all that electrical equipment. I've had large tanks like that break and leak. Just something to consider.

[@jimginnyohio]

Amigatech Yep, I really don’t like having the system in my basement utility room either. I have another room in the basement that I may be able to move things to later, but have some construction to complete before I can do that. Also, I love your name...being an old Amiga user myself.

[@chinggop1]

Sense comes with two clamp monitors, that blue inverter only comes with one clamp monitor. Meaning you need to have two of that gridtied inverter so you can clamp it to the other incoming line. That means you need to separately feed each inverter(if you have two) half and half.

[@ItsMeJbird]

Speaking with my experience with me being a Firefighter, you need a Disconnect with Labels for your P.V. next to your House Main Disconnect. I know you have them At the Panels, those can be overlooked easily during a Working Structure Fire because of the Distance between the Panels & the House. Take care...

[@johnbrevard5966]

It doesn't seem like he cares.. Like he said he buried wire at 18" when he thought code was 24... Sure you know, But what if another future resident digs to put a simple tomatoe plant in... The more I see these people with their DIY solar, the more Wives I see in the Home Shaking their Heads.... Give it up!

[@SolarizeYourLife]

You're only measuring one leg of the power coming into your house with the blue unit (it only has one current sensor)! You should use two of the 120 v grid-tied limiter inverters one on each hot lead of the house and use only a thousand watts of your solar panels to charge the batteries up because it's only backup...

[@niclas.lindstrom]

If he only feeds one leg I can't see why he need a sensor of both legs. But excuse me if I am wrong as I dont have any experience of the US two leg split phase system as I live in Europe where we always have three phase incoming power...

[@southernohiosolarhomestead8477]

Sweet system jimmy

[@jimginnyohio]

Southern Ohio diy solar power Jeff bragg Thank you. I like yours too! Your charge controllers are probably a lot more efficient than mine. :-)

[@ItsMeJbird]

Man, you should get another GTI and feed Yours & Power Company Grid with all the Panels you have. Call your Power Company and see what is involved on Getting a Net Meter, with my Power Company seems easy and strait forward. Seems to me you would Benefit More With a Net Meter, since Power Up "would outweigh" Power Outage? I know out of a year I might loose about only 4 to 10 Hours at the Most. By the way I live in Florida. Nice job, I enjoy watching yours Videos!

[@sang3Eta]

I'd guess half the value because CT clamp was designed for EU 240v single phase market. GroWatt make 120v grid tie inverters but limiter is done via their own smart meter. They stopped using CT clamps.

[@gerddijkstra7339]

looking great , nice setup

[@Sunkingification]

Hey jim! Great Job. I know you're concerned about feeding back in grid, but you only have one inverter with one limiter. What prevents feed back on other phase circuit in your utility box. I assume you have a split phase connected to utility company. Mppt sells two inverters connected in parallel specifically for split phase. I'm going that route to ensure I don't feed back to grid.

[@ChrisDeLuca]

Hey Jim... I just ordered my system. Following your setup because I love the safety features you added. Can you do a follow up on how your system has been running since we are coming up on a year?

[@jimginnyohio]

Chris DeLuca Good idea! I haven’t done any videos for a while. I will try doing one within the next week or so.

[@ChrisDeLuca]

@@jimginnyohio Thanks sir. Looking forward to the next video! I might do one after I get mine setup and we can compare. I ordered all from Amazon so I don't have some of the exact items you have on your list but comparable I hope.

[@xapplimatic]

Code is minimum of 18 inches deep with a red ribbon above to warn people digging down there is electrical line below. I would also further putt a wooden board above the cable and below the red ribbon to protect incase the ribbon isn't noticed right away for careless diggers...

[@vccranker]

Hello Jim from Ohio, I am just wondering if you ever resolved the issue that you touched on in one of your videos possibly this one. It was concerning the ratio regarding the load versus the amount of energy the limiter was allowing your grid tie inverter to provide to your system. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing more about it!

[@tracysmith7318]

HI. Good videos. . . . Sun G measuring 50%. Simple fix. . . . Wrap the mains cable thru the Current Transformer twice. 1x = 50%. 2x = 100% . . Quick solution should the Sun G be the problem and unable to be sorted. Good Luck

[@johanncover1988]

Greeting Jim, in regards to the disparity between the inverter and your home monitoring system it sound like the ratio for the current sensing clamp of the inverter is incorrect. Some of the units may come with a current sensing ratio of 100A:50ma or 50A:50ma. Try using the 100a current sensor. If this is not the case you can check to ensure the inverter is programmed right by first turning the AC power off hold the set and up button down then turning the AC power back on. In this menu and sure that the word default and across it wib100wl is shown in red.

[@jimginnyohio]

johann cover I have tried 4 different clamps all with the same results: 100A:50mA, 150A:50mA, 600A:0.1A, and 400A:0.1A. Also, I have confirmed proper programming. Thanks for attempt though.

[@johanncover1988]

wow, that sucks royally Jim. One last thing you could try is if you have the dual voltage inverter (110/220 ac), connect it to the 220 circuit and see is the disparity still exist.

[@stevegreen7638]

The provided clamp is 65ma output, I believe this is the issue.

[@ItsMeJbird]

What your problem is your GTI is 120v on One Leg"clamp". Your other Monitor is 220v on two Legs"clamps"

[@lkylon204]

I agree with Bandits, your clamp is only reading one leg. the other leg is unaccounted..hence 50% reading. The clamp was designed for a one leg 230v system and has been badly adapted for 110v.

[@toobglued]

hi can you talk more about your battery configuration? What voltage are they are they AGM , Lithium ion, FeP04? how are they configured what are the AH for each battery Why are you only getting 430 wish watts from the GT panel set? It looked sunny enough. what is the DC voltage coming in, 255w panels I see, but what panel voltage are they each? that said, I see you have a 2 in series and 2 in parallel for the GT panels set? .. what is your configuration ? just curious so I can understand how your are manipulating your voltage what is your panel configuration for the off grid setup? 48 volts.. I like your willingness to learn and dive deep 8 panels on the off grid and 4 panels on the GT..

[@learningpower9437]

Excellent work!!! How many panel dis you dedicated to the 1000 watts Sun Inverter? Maybe I'm wrong...but your Sun unit was about 45 to 90 Volts DC input ...I guess that you s et 2 panels in series to get close to 80 volts in a sunny day...with another two panel in parallel for a total of 4 ... Please correct me. Thanks.

[@markol23113]

Awesome videos!! What do you think the overall cost of your system is?

[@RodneySolarCircuits]

I seen the problem as being the meter is only reading one leg of the box. so my question, does that blue inverter allow for 2 hall sensors?

[@michaelfruchter732]

Hi Jim / Ginny in Ohio, I really enjoy your videos and am amazed at what you put together. Can you please tell me a few things? 1)How many of these valence batteries 🔋 can you hook up together in a series without there being a problem? 2) I saw the Noco charger that you have and want to know how much or to what percentage do / did you charge the individual batteries up to when you first started charging them up one at a time after the year of them sitting and before you turned the whole system up to? 3) what AWG wire did you use between the batteries 🔋 please when you hooked them up together both in Series and Parallel. You shows how nicely you did the wires and with heat shrink but I didn’t hear what size AWG wire please? 4) what percentages do you have as a max and minimum when you’re charging them and what is the lowest the voltage goes and what do you have set as the highest voltage when it then stops charging please? 5) Last question, do you have to use the computer to set parameters on the charging and where would I get that program please and it’s settings to put in. I really am impressed with your system and have even started buying these same batteries , but it would help if you could direct me / help me please. Thank You Very Very Much Mike [e-mail]

[@jimginnyohio]

Hi Mike - I will try to answer all of your questions.... 1. The manufacturer recommends not connecting more than four in series...so that would provide 48 volts. 2. The NOCO charger is a "Smart Charger", so I just set it to Lithium mode and let it do its thing. It charged to 14.2V.3. For the battery bank, I used 4AWG stranded cable.4. The laptop computer is used to monitor and manage the PIP Inverter/Charger that the batteries are connected to. The software I'm using is called "WatchPower" and it comes along with the PIP Inverter. Once the inverter is set up, the computer and be turned off since the settings all get transferred over. However, if you wish to continue monitoring and logging the inverter/charger, you simply leave the computer turned on. You can download the software here: www.mppsolar.com/manual/Watchpower%20(off-grid)/ The settings to put in there is a bit tougher to answer since some settings are provided by the battery manufacturer while other settings are either trial and error or depend on your desired results.5. The data cables coming out of the batteries are used for a Valence BMS system. I checked into that, but it was extremely expensive. Currently, I am not using a BMS, so I manually balance the batteries periodically.Take care!

[@michaelfruchter732]

jimginnyohio .. HI Jim, I really really really want to Thank You for responding to me. It really means a lot to me Thank You Your system and what you did is sooo impressive. I only bought 4?of these batteries / valence batteries so far and I just bought the NOCO charger , I think the 7200 . I just didn’t know how much to charge them to or if I fully charge them. I think I understand your answer. I’m not looking to do 48 volts. Your system is fantastic. I’m just fixing up and RV , and old TOYOTA and I’m going to have it at 12 Volts but make it 40 Amp hours Ah x 4 for about 150 to 160 Ah for the solar I’ll be putting on top. Would you mind maybe giving me your email address so I could write you through there please. I look at you as a trail blazer with this and I’d like to it only ask you things but to show you too IF that’s ok w you. Thank You Very Very Much My email address is [e-mail] and my phone Number is 907 712 4785 Jim, Thank You Very Very Much😊

[@urvesh0607]

@@jimginnyohio Thank you. I am going to start my project soon. Please update more in detail so we can know and it wound help newbies. Thank you so so so much. Fantastic work. Why to pay 15k instead of 5 to 5 I and do by your side

[@jessedude73]

Hi Jim, nice videos on your system. I bought most of the same stuff to build my grid tie system after watching your videos but I'm only running a 24v set up. I'm just testing mine now but still waiting on one part " over under load protection" if you don't mind what did you set your over and under at?

[@jimginnyohio]

jessedude73 I set the upper limit to 124V and the lower limit to 110V. Good luck with your build!

[@jimginnyohio]

Normally a grid error means the inverter is not getting the proper voltage from the grid. Since you said you have the 2000 watt model, I just wanted to make sure you have that wired directly into you panel instead of plugged into an outlet??? That unit needs to receive 220 volts instead of 110 volts.

[@seminolerick6845]

OMG... it IS an awesome system... well documented ? I mean , should you get in debilitating/ terminal auto wreck... would the inheritor of the system (or existing significant other) be able to maintain or repair upon a component failure ? Methinks not... I am overwhelmed at times, & I am electronically experienced... i.e. this ...does this...then... xxx seconds later, starts this... awesome experiment, if nothing else !

[@jimginnyohio]

Seminole Rick I have most of it documented.However in case of something debilitating, my wife wouldn’t have the interest since this is mostly a hobby. It would be really simple to de-install everything. Nothing out of the ordinary with that.

[@ChrisDeLuca]

So I ordered all the parts on amazon and some are still coming from china. Going to be the end of August before I have everything if shipping info is correct. Panels will be here next Monday so I can start something but finish nothing. Oh well.

[@aedgvv6095]

8:16 i have one of those blue 1200 LCD tie inverters. 85-140 DC IN, which breaker breaker should i use?

[@zekeboz5533]

Hi Jim - great series and one that i am thinking about incorporating some of your setup in my own future build. Were you able to figure out the inverter issue? Did you run the test? Thanks again for your videos..!

[@jimginnyohio]

mike stasko It’s my understanding this is a common issue with using this device in the U.S. since we use larger incoming wires on the two phases. I was just the first person to test it along with a Sense meter to know for sure how much the A/C leg is actually using compared with what the inverter reports being used. The invalid reporting issue is caused by the clamp. The one that comes with the inverter is a 500ma, while all of the larger clamps are a 1a. If someone would produce a physically larger clamp with the 500ma rating, the device would read correctly. Although I haven’t really found this issue to effect my solar production very much.

[@zekeboz5533]

jimginnyohio thanks for the info. Have you thought about setting up a subpanel so you can isolate and use smaller panel legs in order to use the clamp? I have a 100amp sub panel that I will be running a pair of these against.

[@MIKE-il6mu]

Hi Jim You are only seeing half the power consumption because you only have one current transformer. You need to monitor both 120 wires coming in to your breaker panel. To provide grid tie power to a split phase panel you should be using two 110v inverters with a CT on each phase. You could also try using a second ct with the one inverter. But I am not sure if they would be wired in series or parrallel. Check out old time engineers channel. He has a two inverter setup.

[@jimginnyohio]

MIKE Nope, that is not correct. I am monitoring both 110v legs using my Sense whole home meter. I can view each of those 110v legs independently with it. I have one of the Sense clamps on the same wire the inverter clamp is on, but they read different values. This means that one meter is correct and the other is not. Yes, I have seen OTE’s videos and I understand the concept of running two inverters - one on each leg.

[@MIKE-il6mu]

Hi Jim I was referring to the CT connected to the sun grid tie inverter. You only have one CT. Monitoring one phase so the grid tie will only measure half of the house consumption. Your sense has a CT on both phases so you will get the total consumption.

[@jimginnyohio]

MIKE That’s not how the Sense meter works. Here is an example of what I see happening: Sense meter shows 500 watt consumption on leg 1 of my panel. Sense meter shows 1000 watt consumption on leg 2 of my panel. Sense meter shows a total consumption of 1500 watts usage on both legs combined. GTIL2 meters displays 250 watts (half of Sense reading) usage on the leg the clamp is connected to (leg 1). As mentioned before, the Sense meter shows each leg independently along with a combined total. The Sense clamp that is on leg 1 “should” match the reading of the GTIL clamp since they are both reading just that leg.

[@stevegreen7638]

This inverter is a 120 VAC unit and the current clamp is designed to measure only one leg on the split phase system. The blue CT that comes with the unit is stamped as having a 65ma output. I believe the ones that Jim tried are .1 A or 100ma and I believe this is the issue. As a result the ratio is incorrect and thus the inverter interpretation is incorrect.

[@jimginnyohio]

Steve Green The clamp that came with the unit says 100A:50mA. I have tried several clamps with the same value as the original one, but they all read exactly half the correct reading. I even tried using one of the clamps that came with the Sense meter. While connected to the Sense, it reads correctly, but when connected to the GTIL, it does not. This definitely is NOT a clamp issue.

[@eliaskassab5307]

Hi sir I have 12 panels and I want to know what kind of inverter and charger control a be best for my system Panels specifications Canadian solar Model CS6U-340M Pmax 340W Vmp. 37.9V Imp. 8.97A Voc. 46.2V Isc. 9.48A M.S.V. 1000V M.S.F.R. 15A

[@Waldikult1]

Hello. I Have in the Display GRID ERROR at the GTLI 2000W. Do you know Why this Happens? The Inverter is Brand NEW.

[@michaelfruchter732]

Oh, 1 more thing please...Do you use the date cables that come out of those batteries at all for anything please? Thank You Very Much

[@at906]

Michael Fruchter , you are supposed to interconnect them, so they can balance each other.

[@xapplimatic]

I see definite problems looming with your install. Your disconnect with red and black wires coming in… will likely rust, short out or some combination of the two. You can't put bare wires into a box like that outdoors, you must only run the wire into the box through a weather-rated weather-tight connection an conduit. Anyways if water and condensation following your cable right down into the box (you have no drip-loop to make it go otherwise) doesn't trash your setup, eventually sun exposure on those non-solar rated cables will crack the insulator off the wires.after the color fades and water will get into the wires and rust them away over several years time…. be forewarned. Immediately you should pull the wire down before it goes back up into your boxes as a drip loop that will save you in the short term, but to protect long term from condensation and from.windy rain storms you must install the tires through weather-tight fitting and conduit from source combiner box all the way to destination.shut-off box mounted on the poll. Note if you haven't fixed this already, probably water has entered your boxes and streamed down into your underground conduit and you will have to "Blow" the conduits out to rid them of the water intrusion and seal them at both ends to prevent any future such occurrence with silicone.. and of course do the proper cable connection for the incoming wires to prevent water getting into the box in the first place.

[@slrs3908]

Some of what you say might be correct, I really don't know. However you mention rust several times. Metal alloys with a base of iron such as steel can rust. I am pretty sure that he is not using steel cables to carry electricity.

[@andie2042]

hey jim regarding your issue with the 50% reading on the sensor, does your electrical wires have 2 power coming in and 1 neutral ? as for me in the USA my electrical wires comes in with a BLACK,RED and white neutral electrical wires. I tested the RED and BLACK wires where there is 2 different reading for power on each wire and the problem seems to be the same as yours , so I came up with the idea of using 2 clamps in 1 as a (Y) to the inverter instead also I had to make the clamp wiring about 50 feet longer so might as well gave it a try, I didn't have a current reading monitor system like yours but I used a kill a watt meter tested it with a heatgun on and off and it shows pretty accurate , my kill a watt meter showed 620 watt of power consumption and the inverter shows jumped about 585 watt of power being consume by the heat gun. just to say the test also may not be as accurate because I did the test heatgun test after I made the ac sensor (50 feet longer)

[@jimginnyohio]

Andie Chan Not following what you are asking regarding the red, black, and white wires coming in??? My electrical panel (US) has two black 110v legs coming in plus the neutral. I have the meter clamp on one of the 110v legs as recommended in the user guide for the GTIL2 device. Note: The Sense monitor clamp is on the same 110v leg as the GTIL2 monitor clamp, so they “should” read the same since they are both measuring the same current within the same wire. I would be interested in learning more about your y-cable. Do you have a video for that?

[@andie2042]

so simply speaking I have a clamp on each of the 110v leg I made the existing sensor using 2 clamps to 1 single input via inverter, I don't have a video but its not hard to add-on another clamp and give it a try, use your existing ac sensor and wire in another CT clamp, I have pictures of the clamp but as for the wires its already inside my walls, also took pictures just now with the heatgun off and on for watt readings you can see the pictures here imgur.com/a/yK5ZouI Check the picture with the heatgun on and off readings from the inverter, the inverter is off about 55 watts from the kill a watt

[@antniocris9744]

You have to tap both legs then run the 50 MV 2 sensors one for each leg then Series them!

[@jimginnyohio]

Actually, no. This is a 110v inverter. You are thinking of the 220v version.

[@alzeal]

Hi were you able to find a solution to the clamp descrepancy? I used a 400a/5a and my values are way high. I just ordered a 100a/50mah like yours and I was wondering if you have an update? I was also curious if maybe I can put a resistor in line to get a correct reading.

[@at906]

FilRider , did you solve this issue?

[@thegrimmperspective]

You mentioned a 10A charge rate limit as per the battery specifications but since you have 5 banks, are you not then able to charge up to 50A?

[@jimginnyohio]

Cory Grimm The software and PIP controller seems to apply 10 amps to all 5 battery banks at the same time. I tried bumping that up to a higher amperage, but the little led lights on the batteries started flashing yellow. According to the user guide for those, yellow indicates a heat warning. When I let it continue with the higher amps, the leds eventually went to red...so I bumped the setting down again. It seems that if I leave it set at 10, everything’s works well.

[@jimginnyohio]

I have since bumped this setting up to 20Amps and things seem to be stable. After testing here for a while, I will try moving up to 30Amps to try things out there too.

[@KeigoMoriyama]

Amazing! I want to do the same in my house in Japan but I'm really newbie and have problems to understand how to start. Any suggestion?

[@kokunaijin]

I'm about to try the same in Kawagoe! Please share any experiences dealing with the Japanese system.

[@KeigoMoriyama]

Dale Berry we should try it together then. I’m having issues to understand if it’s illegal or not

[@freducho1981]

Hi , i'm working with similar solar plant but , i will add a wind turbine to it i dont need any explanation about wind part but , one thing is making me confuse , (you can add a gridd tie inverter at the same time with an hybrid inverter ??? like you are injecting power to the output of the hybrid inverter ?? my setup is a 5.5 infini solar inverter with 2 mppt inputs with 5x 340watt panels and with 6 x410 watt and with 2 pylontech 48v lithium battery , my idea is to add a 1.5 kw instabreeze wind turbine directly to a smaller battery bank 24v and conect the battery to a gridd tie inverter to suply power to the house at the same time as the hibrid inverter , greeting from portugal

[@NewsBroadcasting]

that blue inverter i bought a smilar same one it makes a weird buzz when running......

[@jimginnyohio]

WN Continental Broadcasting The only sound I have coming from mine is the fan noise.

[@charlesherrington2694]

Nice work. Are you using the 45-90V version of the Inverter? You might want to contact your supplier. I believe that version is for non-USA 230V systems. It might auto detect 120 and output that thankfully, but for the watt readout it thinks it’s putting out 230, thus the 1/2 reading. Just throwing it out there from one old tinker to another. Keep up the good work.

[@jimginnyohio]

Yes, I am using the 45-90V version. However, it is indeed the 120V system and not the 230V model. As for the 1/2 reading, I was able to get that worked out, but haven't had time to post another update video yet. The problem was caused by the clamp I was using. I hope to post something within the next few weeks. Thanks for your comments!

[@charlesherrington2694]

@@jimginnyohio Cool. The product info on line isn't that helpful. I just bought 2 of the low voltage units for my project. Looking forward to your next video.

[@jeremykline6509]

@@jimginnyohio Please can we have the solution in text here verses a video reply?

[@jimginnyohio]

Jeremy Kline Yes, absolutely. Www.yhdc.com, part number: SCT023R - 100A:50mA

[@ds1755]

Jim did I hear you correctly, you only have 2 panels supplying power to the grid inverter? If so those panels are in great positions to supply that amount of watts/volts.

[@jimginnyohio]

No, I have four 255watt panels feeding the grid inverter.

[@ds1755]

jimginnyohio Thanks for clearing that up I appreciate that!👍🏽

[@randymotsinger5045]

The CT ratio has to match the original ratio. If the original is 200:.5, then the new one would have to match. If there is a way to change this in parameters, you could fix it.

[@chuckger1625]

You mentioned Valence recommends charging at 10 amps - I have some of their 138ah batteries - where did you find out and how to charge at that 10 amps and how would you think I find out what to charge the larger batteries at??

[@jimginnyohio]

Chuck Ger Valence has a website that you have to register for. Once you do so, you can download all of there technical spec pages for each of the battery types. You should be able to locate your battery version there. For my setup, my MPP charge controller has software that can be used to set the charging amperage. Since I have 20 batteries, I am able to select a higher amperage and the load is divided amount all of the batteries. While 10 amps is the most I can set for an individual battery, I have my charging set to 50 amps, which works out to 10 amps for each of the batter6 banks I have configured.

[@chuckger1625]

@@jimginnyohio - thanks I'll check into that - How come you went with one Sun Gtil and one MMP Solar - instead of 2 of 1 or 2 of the other? And do you have all your batteries just on the MMP Solar? And one last question - I bought some BMW I3 batteries which also are about the same as your Valence in AH - how long do you think 1 would take to charge up from 11V - to full (13.6 or more) at the 10A charge. I've charged these BMW 1 at a time 13.2v, at 6-7A and it's taking about 24- or more hours making me wonder if these are pretty tired, but they seem to be holding the charge.

[@zekeboz5533]

Hi - Do you have an update on your MPP or overall system? Were you able to get a sub-panel / auto transfer switch setup? Thanks!

[@jimginnyohio]

mike stasko No updates yet. I have the sub-panel, but haven’t had the time to install and video that yet. When things slow down a bit with work and family, I will get that done and posted. Sorry for the delay!

[@zekeboz5533]

@@jimginnyohio No worries. Enjoy your approach and thinking to these installs and have adopted a few of them.

[@marionbrown5651]

maybe it measuring in 120 and 240?

[@brandonoh777]

How does the sun grid tie inverter know the phase/180 deg out of phase to match i think thats about the only part i dont understand...i see in your later set up you have 2 of them running one on each leg which i think is one of the more ideal ways to use them... just as ive learned u cant parallel 2 (regular) 120 inverters to get L1/L2 240 because they wouldn't be 2 exactly out of phase legs ....how so the sun inverters basically do that?

[@jimginnyohio]

Since they are grid-tied, they are able to sense the utility power and match it. You can’t do that with non-grid tied inverters unless they have the ability to be paralleled together.

[@brandonoh777]

@@jimginnyohio ok so they match it preciously i guess including phase..whats worst case scenario with them what could happen where they start feeding power back to the utility grid? as a pilot i try to always think of the worst case possibilities and at least have an idea for them.... so if i understand all this correctly u can have 1 of them on L1 or L2 only...or one on L1 and one on L2 ...or theoretically two on L1 and tow on L2 and so on? could u have one L1 and say 2 on the other leg? how does all of that work?

[@jimginnyohio]

@@brandonoh777 Since they are grid tied, and will "synchronize" with the grid phase, you can plug multiple units into the same leg or into separate legs. I currently have them plugged into separate legs so they negate as much of my home load regardless of which leg the load is on, or for shared loads in the case of 220v devices in my home. In a worse case scenario and they "accidentally" feed power to the grid, that could be detected by the power company and they could force me to remove the devices else they will threaten a disconnect of service. If that ever happens, I will simply re-install my off-grid inverter and run some of my home loads in an isolated manner utilizing a generator transfer switch. That way, I can still provide power to offset utility costs....without fear of a feeding to the grid.

[@stevegreen7638]

So your unit reads incorrectly with the supplied clamp and the others you have tried?

[@SolarizeYourLife]

No it is reading only one hot lead.... American oddly has a split power system, two 120 v lines going to the homes....we desperately need to go to 220 v and only have two wires coming to the house not 3!

[@Mach1s]

Jim, What size wire did you run from the Array to the house?

[@jimginnyohio]

Mach1s According to the wiring standards, I could have used 10 AWG. However, I spent a little bit extra and went with 8 AWG instead to limit the losses over the 100+ foot run.

[@xapplimatic]

Please note any device with a motor like your humidifier has a much higher surge wattage than its running wattage and that I the wattage you should be concerned with causing problem with your inverter like frying MOSFETS or causing temporary shut-downs of power output. Never deplete your batteries below 70% or they will not last long.

[@aogulla]

Jim, what are your reasons for choosing PV water heating over thermal solar other than "dumping" excess PV energy during summer? Sorry for jumping the gun.

[@jimginnyohio]

Hi Alphonse! I do understand that thermal solar is indeed more efficient for heating water. However, I chose PV water heating instead since I didn't want to do a lot of plumbing for my project and risk things leaking throughout the system. Also, since I live in Ohio, freezing would also be a concern during the winter. The people I know who have moved to solar thermal water heating always seem to be monitoring and checking their systems constantly during the winter...just in case. I wanted to do something that I can just let run and ignore for the most part.

[@aogulla]

Hi Jim, I get it. So will you be running a heat pump water heater or one of these www.my-pv.com/en/ types of PV water heaters?

[@jimginnyohio]

Nope. Please check out my latest video to see what I am running for solar hot water: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4TYoYaEndBjaKM

[@roll20011]

I guess you couldn't use this through a subpanel due to the ground neutral bond not being able to be applied at the power source.

[@jribeiro2564]

Oi meu amigo, eu não falo sua língua, o vídeo aqui pra mim é sem legenda, mas por favor me responda, esse sistema está conectado a um inversor de grade com outro inversor com limitador, tenho um sistema de grade de 2000w mas não pode manter um ar condicionado de 9000 btu pensando em adicionar um inversor com limitador na grade, pois com o limitador acredito que não sobrecarregaria meu sistema, e o watimetro não está lendo corretamente, pode ser que você coloque um fio ocotrario no watimetro onde faz a leitura, já aconteceu isso no meu sistema.

[@Noah-qt3rq]

Hi Jim, great setup. I just bought some of the same Valence 138Ah batteries, and am wondering, did you connect the external BMS to the communication wires of the batteries? Did you plug all the batteries together, or just the ones in series? Thank you very much

[@jimginnyohio]

Noah No BMS in my setup yet. My batteries are simply connected in series and parallel for 24 volts. I do not have the BMS cables connected together either since those serve no function without the BMS and terminator installed.

[@niclas.lindstrom]

Are you using the same panel input for both your grid tie inverter and your off grid inverter, or do you have dedicated panels for each system?

[@jimginnyohio]

Niclas Lindström Dedicated panels for each inverter. The grid tie inverter has four panels connected and the off grid system has eight panels connected. I suppose I could add another grid tie inverter and use a dc switch to move between that and the off grid inverter, but no need for that yet.

[@niclas.lindstrom]

@@jimginnyohio Thanks for your quick response. I am just thinking, why can't you feed both systems with the same larger array. In my world that could give you the opportunity to use the maximum power at any point in time. I am not a professional, just like you, so I only want to bring up some questions for the knowledgeable...

[@niclas.lindstrom]

B.t.w. I am impressed with your work! Keep up your good work.

[@jimginnyohio]

Niclas Lindström Each of the inverters have a certain operating range for voltage requirement. The off grid inverter will accept much higher voltage than the grid tie system. If both systems were running from the same panels and one of the systems failed, it could create an over voltage condition and possibly cause damage to the other inverter. You are much better off keeping things simple and dedicated for each system.

[@niclas.lindstrom]

@@jimginnyohio I got that, I was just wondering if it could have been better IF they could operate on the same potential and sharing the full panel array. Maybe that is a parameter to take into consideration when designing a system like this when selecting components. Or would there be any disadvantage in doing so (if my controllers can work in the same voltage range)?

[@wkop8024]

where you buy the Grid tie inverter with limiter from?

[@EthanCJones]

Ebay

[@terryswallace]

Did you ever get the back feeding issue resolved?

[@jimginnyohio]

Yes. I plan to post an update video soon.

[@stevegreen7638]

At 4:32 on your episode 9 the clamp says .1A which is 100ma. This is double what the original clamp value is and would produce a wattage meter reading of exactly 50% less. Am I missing something here?

[@jimginnyohio]

Yes correct, that is indeed what that particular clamp says. But I have tried 5 different clamps so far and they all read incorrectly on the GTIL device. The one I currently have installed is 100A:50mA and it also reads half the actual power usage. I really believe the manufacturer substituted an internal part within the inverter that is causing this issue. I have a friend across town that is supposed to visit with me next weekend. He has a GTIL2 device also and plans to bring it over to see what reading we see with that device. Thanks for the ideas though!

[@stevegreen7638]

jimginnyohio ok got ya. That is extremely odd. Does the original clamp work correctly?

[@jimginnyohio]

Steve Green I’m not able to install the original clamp. It is too small to fit the 100 amp cable coming into my panel.

[@stevegreen7638]

My suggestion is try the original clamp on a known load (any circuit), #14/12 awg or whatever else fits. Then try your larger clamp and compare results. I’ll be curious to see what you find but I’m 99% sure you’ll find the small clamp reads correctly.

[@stevegreen7638]

If you get a chance I’m curious to see if your original clamp works on a know load. This will prove or disprove the replacements as a problem.

[@michaelmpofu4484]

So how many watts are each of those panels..

[@jimginnyohio]

michael mpofu 255 watts each.

[@thefarofamily6712]

How is the inverter holding up after 3 years?

[@jimginnyohio]

Still running fine. I blast dust out of the fans a couple times a year, but that’s about all I’ve had to do to it to keep things running.

[@vanamsgarage]

Where did you get the solar panels?

[@jimginnyohio]

TTCFAN4476 Look for seller FRED480V on eBay. I picked them up directly in Michigan City, Indiana to avoid the shipping costs.

[@terryswallace]

Don't see any new updates, how's the system working and any new changes?

[@jimstockton3326]

Everything is still working fine. No updates yet. I hope to post more videos this spring.

[@terryswallace]

@@jimstockton3326 Have a 1k inverter myself running good with four 340w panels, just ordered a Chevy Volt battery to hookup to my Morningstar controler...

[@jimginnyohio]

Terry Wallace Nice. Just curious but where did you order the Volt battery and what was the Price? I’ve been thinking about getting one of those as well.

[@terryswallace]

@@jimginnyohio www.azlithium.com/shopexd.asp?id=135

[@brandonoh777]

You're in Ohio so you're a probably about the same latitude as I am in Central Indiana I'm curious as to how many Sun hours you get per day in the summer and in the winter?

[@jimginnyohio]

Hi Brandon - To better answer your question, you can go here to view the best solar angles to use for your particular location: www.solarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-angle-calculator.html Otherwise, to see the number of solar "peak" hours for various locations, you can go here and then scroll down to the peak hours map: unboundsolar.com/solar-information/sun-hours-us-map i hope that helps!

[@brandonoh777]

Thanks I'll look into that I just bought an app solar 3048 and have 10 250w Canadian Solar Panels that I got used slowly putting a whole system together your videos are coming in real Handy... by the way you said Central Ohio I grew up in Zanesville just east of you there!!

[@christiankulmann3325]

My Solartracker Mount Robust Steel ➡️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmHPnox8rLSkabc

[@nomadchad8243]

So you're running DC 100' underground??

[@jimginnyohio]

Nomad Chad Ha Ha! No. I am running the DC line coming from the solar panels about 18inches underground for about 100 feet.

[@nomadchad8243]

@@jimginnyohio oh I see now, actually I missed a comma. What are your losses like at that distance using DC?

[@nomadchad8243]

@@jimginnyohio I like your system, my friend just bought some batteries from an electric bus for real cheap. Those limiting inverters are great for power wall setups.

[@bteam7454]

The limiter is only reading 1 leg thats why your getting 50 percent less

[@aedgvv6095]

​@ my inverter BLue one like yours does the exact same noise as this is it safe ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXrCcn6NpNiEkJo