Pushing the Limits of the EG4 12kPV | 5 Ton HVAC Load Test

[@phpnotasp]

I hope EG4 creates a program for 18k owners to "upgrade" to the new 12k. I purchased an 18k with the expectation that "top of the line" would be able to start my 4ton AC. The 18k cannot; 135A LRA trips the 18k immediately (A soft start is just a workaround that adds to the base cost). Many others have mentioned this as well on the various solar forums. I'd happily do a 1:1 swap of my 18k to this 12k if it means I can run my AC without issue.

[@sophiegrisom]

Not all compressor motors are equal. Some of the latest inverter-type compressors are said to have very low inrush. True for the latest mini-split heat pumps made by Midea (Pioneer, Della, other brands). I don't know about larger units. In my camping trailer, I had to go to a 1000 W pure-sine inverter to run an 80 W dorm-type refrigerator since all others I tried tripped-out when the compressor started up.

[@NickTV12]

Legends!!!

[@mikeg2321]

Simple question.Does the inverter use the grid to help with its massive surge capacity and leg imbalance surge.

[@eg4electronics]

All of the surge and output specs are in EPS mode (no grid whatsoever)! We cut off the grid input for the demonstration done in this video, as it wouldn't make sense to show the grid-tied capabilities for this reason.

[@vinny143]

The heat pump turned back on after 3 minutes? Or did you just start the blower?

[@stevenholmes9256]

Can you explain the 3k house load? This was not clear as to what you were saying. Please take your time and be clearer explaining the test.

[@aroundtheshop]

Can the 18kpv do this as well?

[@eg4electronics]

Hoping to make a video to show the power of the 18kPV soon! ;)

[@lucthien601]

if 12K inverter can do that, the 18K will do that with a big smile. most heave part is when the appliances kick on.

[@phpnotasp]

No. The 18k cannot do this. I have an 18k, and it cannot handle 135A inrush. This is real-life experience along with confirmation from Trevor@Signature Solar, and several other owners' posts on diysolar forum. It sucks for people like myself shelled out so much money for "top of the line" 18kPV, and this newer model can handle bigger loads.

[@jasongphillips]

A bit more explanation on the sine wave might benefit you. You zoomed into a really ugly sine wave. Very dirty... You should point out that that only lasted 0.4sec before it stabilized, so the dirty power didn't last long. Also remember that the sin of eating cake is gluttony, but eating pie is ok because the sin of pi is zero.

[@eg4electronics]

I'm definitely not the most knowledgeable when using O-scopes (it was set up by our engineering team), so I tried to refrain from explaining more than the context that someone with good knowledge would need to make a solid assessment. This definitely won't be the last time I'll try to show what's going on under the hood, so I'll make sure to study up for a better explanation! Appreciate the feedback.

[@BTC.maximalist]

i am no mathematician , but my grandpa was, so ...... sin(3.1415) = 0.0548

[@jasongphillips]

@@BTC.maximalist and 0.0548 is 0 and 0.1 and 0.05. It was a joke. I bet your grandpa would like it

[@jasongphillips]

You also want to look at a radian graph of a sine wave. Sine of 0, pi, 2pi, 3pi are all zero. I'm surprised you din't point out that sine and sin are different spellings.

[@quickquote1568]

A five ton AC unit is equivalent to a 5kW load, that coupled with a 3 kW resistive load is a total of 8kW which is what this inverter is supposed to be rated at. So I wouldn't be calling this "pushing the limits" of this inverter. If you wanted to demonstrate pushing the limits of this low surge inverter, then what you really should have done was first add a resistive load of 4 or 5 kW, then attempt to start the 5kW inductive AC loads. A low frequency, 8kW transformer based inverter could easily do this, but I'll bet you that this 8kW high frequency, transformerless inverter could never succeed at starting and running these loads.

[@jamesshowalter6362]

Uhmm… a 15k solark cant start a 5 ton without a soft start buddy

[@boloren]

How do you come up with 1kW load per 1 ton (12,000 btu) of cooling?

[@quickquote1568]

@@boloren Google it. There are multiple credible references on AC tonnage ratings to kilowatts. High efficiency AC units run at approximately 1kW per ton.

[@quickquote1568]

@@jamesshowalter6362 Thanks for making my point.

[@jamesshowalter6362]

@@quickquote1568 Name a 8 kw LF that can start a 5 ton AC, share a link with some proof... Have installed Outback, Schneider and others, used soft starts on all of them