Growatt SPF 5000 ES max pv input current and overpanneling

This is a short video in english about the capability of the Growatt SPF 5000 ES and overpanneling the PV input.

[@Solipsfilm]

This answered so many questions I couldn't easily find online, thank you so much for the clear explanation!

[@Solipsfilm]

You think there's a limit to the amount I can oversize? My panels are going to face west and I can put 24 panels on my roof for a 10.440wp configuration. Since they're not facing south and I live in Belgium I assume the oversize can be a bit more since they will never work at peak capacity? How are your panels oriented?

[@Symek92]

Thank you for sharing your knowladge! This is great!

[@sanngy4704]

Great sources of useful information. I really appreciate

[@sanngy4704]

Great thanks for sharing. I managed to combine 2 Strings of 575W x2. It works perfectly. The dc breaker and fuses had to be replaced with 32A. I really appreciate your useful share. The battery charge is more stable. Thank so much

[@jeroenopdebeeck3754]

Thank you for this video, it was very helpfull to me 👍

[@mud3x]

Thank you for the video Is the 450vdc limited to each string or both strings on the inverter? For example, 330v for pv1 string and 330v for pv2 string or 330v shared among both strings?

[@petergravy6893]

I believe the the critical aspect, is to ensure that you do not exceed the PV voltage rating - I think the growatts are 450 volts. It would cause major damage if the voltage rating is exceeded. You can however as mentioned over rate the PV rated power and the inverter will simply limit the power going into it to the maximum power rating.

[@kirkdis]

nothing to add

[@darrentky]

Hi Kirkdis, thanks for the video. Do you mind sharing the panel specs for your setup? I'm currently using 12 420W in series which is getting a maximum of 440V. I'm planning to add another 10 units 420W per string and decrease the current string to 10 panels and connect both strings in parallel to double up the amps. I'm expecting to get around 360V and 22Amps when both strings are in parallel.

[@kirkdis]

Hi, I´m using the Trina Vertex S TSM-400 DE09.05 on both strings. One string is in 9S2P configuration the other in 10S2P. Datasheets and specs you can find with the panel product number above. 440V may work but are hard at the limit of these inverters. In cold conditions in winter those panels may have higher voltages so be careful and give more voltage reserve to be on the save side.

[@marbellaco-livingco-workin116]

the 450W panels provide a max of 11Amp so 22Amp from 2 strings is really no problem as, even less as they panels hardly ever produce 11A unless in short circuit! Overpaneling 20% is really normal and makes economical sense!

[@JanKowalski-vj9py]

I have two strings with 8 panels each. Max current I observed was about 20A. So certainly max input current is more than 18A but can't confirm if 22A is upper limit.

[@dimitriosfilipakis4504]

hey brother.. just a quick question if you dont mind.. on the growatts parellel set up, specifically these same 5000 ES units, if one inverter faults/fails/abruptlyt shuts down, will the other continue to provide power? or stop as well?

[@kirkdis]

depends on the error if there is an errorstate. While simulating a normal shutdown the other inverter will still power the loads as long the consumption is not exceeding the limits of the inverter. I build at my setup a kind of energy saving mode for the winter months which shuts down the slave inverter(s) in the night to save the self consumption of the device. this is only possible in parallel setup. in 3phase setup the whole system will stop working when one of the inverters is not present due to error or shutdown!!!

[@Theo2482]

Hello, how are your Growatts so silent?

[@kirkdis]

flashed an updated firmware

[@eagle7investment32]

can you use it to power airconditioners?? can the growwat power inductive loads?? can the growatts work without AC input from grid while the battery is not connected ??

[@kirkdis]

I´m not sure about how the Growatts behave with your proposed setup. You can use the inverter withouth pv power, same for the battery. but you need a realiable souce in both cases AC in. I doubt that the functionality is given when you want to power consumers only with PV and having a battery obsolete. So PV high likely needs a battery connected. Maybe I´m wrong so please correct me if I share wrong information. I never tested a setup you plan to build...

[@JanKowalski-vj9py]

I have a standalone TOSOT (subsidiary of Gree) movable dual-purpose (heating/cooling) airconditioner. It works perfecty well with 5000ES. It takes 1700W when cooling and 1200W when heating. Heating is done by thermodynamic processes only (it does not have a build-in electric auxillary heater).

[@hanghubofficial1046]

How do you ipdate the firmware

[@kirkdis]

check my other videos on this channel. Fortunately I made a video about how to update the inverters a few weeks back

[@ecomech7464]

damaged invertor at 6000w 445voc 361vmp early software thou panels would struggle to produce 6000 due to array angle never saw more than 400v or 17 amp doesn't mean it didn't exceed limit damaged mppt keeps climbing slowly to 53.5v shut down battery alarm just sayin free panels have costs great video taking your dongle cable idea thankyou

[@kirkdis]

Sorry to hear, mine both take several hours a day the 6kW and work great. You have to be careful not to exceed the 450Voc input. the amp rating is not relevant...

[@bellobadamasi7882]

When you say 2 strings, do you mean 2 strings in parallel?

[@kirkdis]

correct

[@gianniskakonikos5265]

Hello from Greece!!!i see your videos and i need your help.i am owner of two spf 5000es with different software 067068 the first and 113 114 the second. Can i parallel them for 1 phase output??? Thank you!!!

[@kirkdis]

Yes, those should be compatible in parallel and 3phase setup.

[@mariuspirvan3758]

I have same invertor and 8 canadiansolar panels of 660w , and in sunny day i get 330v but only 2-3 amps , best i see was 1,2kw , what i can do

[@kirkdis]

your panels should make round about 5kW at high peaks. Do you have shadowed panels? If this is not the case maybe one or more of your panels are broken or your wiring is not correct.

[@mariuspirvan3758]

@@kirkdis is not shadow, they are on the roof

[@kirkdis]

@@mariuspirvan3758 there could be shadow even if it's on the roof by trees, a dormer, a chimney or dirt for example... if that's not the case maybe one of your panels is damaged or has insufficient quality and pulls the string down, other issue could be a bad connector.

[@dcawkwell]

I am using a growatt spf5000 with 2 strings connected together giving 5.6kW. I had to search quite hard at the time to find a panels that gave the right combination of volts and amps so that I could remain under the 6000w limit without exceeding the volts and amps limits. Nice to know you are actually driving them with 8000w of panels but I prefer to stay within the specification to hopefully give longer service life.

[@kirkdis]

@@dcawkwell it doesn't have an impact if it's 6kW, 8kW or 20kW. the Inverter takes what is usable within the specs and this is capped at 6kW. all exceeding power is not used by the inverter. Overpanneling makes sense when you are in areas like central Europe where you have cold cloudy winters and every Watt is helpful at these bad conditions and times. the benefit from overpannelling- the mppt is much more happy to have more power at start available which in my opinion helps the electronic to live longer due to less regulation cycles.

[@javierlindenthal6680]

I run 2 Strings of 13,5 amp Modules in parallel in each making up to 6000kW on both my spf at around 330V sweep without heat problems but Growatt Madrid doesn't recommend it. Der mppt holt sich was er braucht und die Kurve wird flacher.

[@kirkdis]

Growatt is not recommending it, right. I guess because users and installers are not familiar with these kind of setups and there can go things wrong if not planned and setup correct . But this doesn't mean it is not working as you and I proof with our setups.

[@JanKowalski-vj9py]

@@kirkdis Serial-parallel string mixture is perfectly OK. The only thing that need to be observed is not to provide more input voltage that is mandated by instruction. Inverter uses component that may not support higher voltages than allowed so in case of overvoltage a damage is likely.

[@georgeskamagas5476]

I think you play with a 1000 € .Don't take it to the limit and over load because then you see the problems

[@kirkdis]

the mppt is restricting the max usable current. Overloading is not possible as the inverter is controlling the amount to take usage of. Did you have issues with those inverters already?

[@georgeskamagas5476]

Ok my friend put all this power on your inverter make a video again and give us the results from the beginning to the and with full power and few minutes to run ....I wan to see on screen the over 450 voc and more 6000w output. Thank you .

[@kirkdis]

@@georgeskamagas5476 the Voc is the only thing which has to be taken care of while planning and installation. as long the Voc is below 450V you can overpannel up to 6000W. on the specific inverter I have 2 Strings with 4kwp so in total 8kwp. the inverter only takes 6000W as this is the max rating the mppt can handle. overpannelling is fine for these specific inverters as long the Voc is in the range limit.

[@kirkdis]

@@georgeskamagas5476 Just checked all the recordings. While producing the 6000W the PV voltage was around 320-330VDC. the time while it was under full load was 1.5hours and it reached peak temps of 42°C. Hope that helps. My PV voltage never exceeds 380VDC even in winter times.

[@marbellaco-livingco-workin116]

you should study more!