The new EG4 12KPV inverter review & testing~ Massive surge capacity in one small package

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Affiliate links to the 12kpv signaturesolar.com/eg4-12kpv/?ref=mpmddlkx6M9tPo Current Connected link to the inverter www.currentconnected.com/product/eg4-12kpv-48v-hybrid-all-in-one-inverter/?ref=xhJJBPDS

[@easttexascowboy257]

Good job on the video, as always! And congrats on passing 20k subscribers!

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Thanks. It’s all uphill from here!

[@AdamDeLayDIY]

Looks like a beast! I like that it's got the same features as the 18kPV just slimmed down.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yeah. It’s an 18kpv with short legs.

[@thinde88]

Great review. Tell EG4 I want an outdoor rated 6000XP next!

[@GavinStoneDIY]

👀

[@d.pollard5962]

@@thinde88 that is basically the 12kpv. It would cost that much with a 10 year warranty, and sealed for outdoor use. The cost would be close to or the same so not worth the build. Great idea though. The price point and features on the 6000xp is the why it is so awesome 😎

[@ifyoubuildit6077]

@@d.pollard5962 warrantying a sealing a $1500 unit makes the price $3500? I dunno about that...

[@ifyoubuildit6077]

me too

[@hendersonsobers396]

Really cool video Gavin. Glad to see your channel growing.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Thank you sir. You were one of the early subscribers. 😉

[@ToddLarsen]

This is a great sounding unit, and the price is a lot nicer than the 5k I am currently looking at. Hmmm, it might be changing my mind. Thanks for sharing, and as always, keep building 👍

[@GavinStoneDIY]

It really just depends on how much power you need. The 18kpv does provide a lot more power when needed.

[@ToddLarsen]

​@GavinStoneDIY I used your affiliate link to order a 12k, I hope they give you a good kickback 👍

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@ToddLarsen man I really appreciate that. It’ll be neat to see you making content with this inverter!

[@ToddLarsen]

@GavinStoneDIY cnc plasma table, 3d printers, water heater, and a whole lot more. Air conditioning in the back 40, lol

[@fullyelectric]

@gavinstone great review i am hoping to receive mine soon, similar setup however with the outdoors battery, BTW what is the overall measurement of the battery with the box installed on top? From the ground to the top of the box, excluding the inverter.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Sorry for the delayed response on this one. It slipped through the cracks. 44 3/4 inches from the floor to the top of the box.

[@prepsolar787]

waoo!! nice well this will be my upgrade to my 6000xp if i decide to sell back to the grid. here in puerto rico the grid company is a mess thats why i have not considered to get a hybrid inverter. plus my 6000xp is working flawless 24/7 from day one. but got to say price range the 12k is a good option. like always excellent video my friend

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yeah if someone needed an inverter for net metering this would be a great option. It also has the grid features. Like you mentioned though, it’s hard to go wrong with a 6000xp for off grid uses.

[@PRVRT1]

Im' in PR too. Running 24/7 on one 6000xp and got a second in parallel about a month ago. I f you decide not to sell to the grid it would be better to get a second 6000xp. Luma / grid will continue to get worse as people keep connecting to it for solar.

[@ericnewton5720]

Stop voting democrats in puerto rico

[@exploitthechildless1510]

@@GavinStoneDIY Many states are either prohibiting or restricting net-metering. 9 states allow power companies to sell at 15 cents per KWH and only purchase solar power at 3 cent per KHW. You would have to send the power company 5 KHW for every KHW you use. Given the costs of hybrid inverters v outgrid inverters that is an issue as well. Outgrid inverters are half the price as hybrid inverters.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@exploitthechildless1510 this is true. But hybrids offer more options than just net metering. They can also interact with the grid in ways the off grids can’t. For instance you wouldn’t need a critical loads panel with a hybrid. Which can save a lot of labor for people depending on their setup. Peak shavings and time of use settings are more common with hybrids also. So it all depends on what someone is trying to accomplish.

[@pedronhfd6969]

Great video, question I know you put some ferrules on the battery wires, but did you use any crimper s or is not necessary just with the ferrules?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@pedronhfd6969 I honestly don’t think it’s necessary. It’s just something to contain the wires as you put them into the terminals. And then the terminal itself clamps down on the ferrule.

[@pedronhfd6969]

@GavinStoneDIY Thanks so much for the help.

[@lennieadi]

Great review Gavin. Do you think it needs a third input for turbine. I find not many inverters have 3 input’s. What your view on how to set it up. Do I put gen on the grid input then turbine on the gen input? Is this bad for the inverter?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@lennieadi a wind turbine? Typically you need a dedicated charge controller for those. They have a very inconsistent output, so a standard mppt wouldn’t work. I believe some of the midnight charge controllers work.

[@lennieadi]

Brilliant. Thank you Gavin. I’m trying to learn as much as I can in planning a system a few years from now. These channels are invaluable. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

[@larrycollar1322]

Can you use the current clamp on the meter feed wires to manage the output of this inverter considering the sum of current being produced by other arrays at the same time? In other words, if you have a target Kw contribution of say 10 Kw and 7 Kw is being produced by other arrays not connected in any way to the 8Kpv, can the current clamp attached to this unit moderate its output such that the total of all inverters feeding one meter does not exceed 10 Kw?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@larrycollar1322 it would have to be able to monitor this other array in some way. It’s possible the CT’s could, but I’m not quite sure. You’d be asking it to throttle its export based on what the other array is exporting. Probably the easier method would be to run the other array through the AC coupled option this inverter has. Assuming you’re talking about an array built with micro inverters.

[@Hunter-vb8wo]

Another great video! I’ve heard some users claim to have 100 watts or so of back feed to the grid even with the sell back feature turned off. Have you tested this or experienced this with the 12kPV or your 18kPV?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

I have them both in off grid mode. I don’t own a homeview monitor. So it might be a bit difficult for me to test. From what I’ve heard these inverters backfeed the least of any on the market. But again, I haven’t tested that. Any hybrid inverter does have the potential to backfeed a small amount when a large load shuts off. But it’s a very minor amount. There are thousands of installs out there at this point. So I think we would be seeing lots of reports of the electric providers complaining if this was an issue.

[@Hunter-vb8wo]

@@GavinStoneDIY, do you think it’s a small enough amount of back feed that the power company wouldn’t even notice it? The power company installed a smart meter on my home recently. So, do you recommend the 6000xp or 12kPV?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@Hunter-vb8wo I don’t think the power company would care no. It depends on your needs. The 12kpv is a hybrid. And 6000xp is off grid. So they can do different things. And the output you want is a factor also. I prefer the 18kpv and 12kpv. They are sealed. Which means no dust or filter cleaning. Quieter also. But the 6000xp is a great price, and does an awesome job all around with surges and loads.

[@Hunter-vb8wo]

@@GavinStoneDIY , thanks so much for the help, you are the man! I refer people to your channel every chance I get.

[@willfixthingsfordonuts]

As a happy EG4 6000XP owner, I'd like to see a load/start comparison of 2 6000XP and this 12K. I'm one of those guys who will feed batteries rather than the grid.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

That really wouldn’t be an apples to apples comparison. The output on this inverter is 8kw. 2 XP’s output 12kw. The 6000XP’s have a really robust surge capacity. But the 12kpv is definitely impressive when it comes to surges also.

[@alexherrera3918]

Great videos, thanks Newibie question: why you did not another eg4 batteries ?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Could you elaborate? I’m not quite sure what you’re trying to ask.

[@Marlin-m9m]

could you elaborate how the four inputs into two MPPTs can be used in an advantageous way? thanks a lot, great video

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Sure thing. It’s essentially 2 mppt’s. But 4 inputs. So if you have a large array, this allows you to parallel the panels by running 2 separate strings from the same array. Paralleling the panels raises the amperage but keeps the voltage the same. Hope this helps.

[@Marlin-m9m]

@@GavinStoneDIY Great, thank you so much, that makes sense. I'm assuming that the MPPT can then optimize each string separately for more power output. thanks again, I enjoy your channel

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@Marlin-m9m it can optimize the 2 inputs in that way yes. Technically you could combine the inputs out at the array and send them in. The fact that they have 2+2 just makes it so you can skip buying a combiner box.

[@alexherrera3918]

Great video - Is it capable to handle one 2.5ton and a 3.5 ton at the same time. I want put them on this system. UNfortunatelly i do not have solar panels yet. I just want to make sure if i get enough solar panels i will be able to run those.... thaanks

[@GavinStoneDIY]

I always recommend installing a soft start on your central air unit. It cuts down the startup amperage considerably. It’s unlikely they would both be starting at the exact same moment so I think you’d be fine. But you’d probably be using around 5,500 watts of power to run them. That’s a bit of a guess without seeing the specs. So you wouldn’t have much room for other loads.

[@alexherrera3918]

@@GavinStoneDIY thanks for the response. How do i get a soft star? would that reduce the time to obtain the set temperature faster? At the moment it takes like 5 hours to go from 82 to 77 during the day , and finally get it at afternoon or night where outside is cooler. o course here in Houston we were at 109 yesterday. Can i use my smart meter to estimate max peak load per day ?....i have see the plots on a max of 2.5kwh for the entire house during peak temperature 4 to 7pm. could i assume that my max ac consumption is less than 2.5kwh? sorry for too many questions but i am deciding on going with this solar units and it is a big investment. i hope you can comment. thanks again!!

[@eg_ruis]

Any example(s) to show generator connected, ie. charging batteries, simulated grid down, position of switches ?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Sure I’ll see if I can throw that in the next one. Honestly though I usually recommend the chargeveter. It really depends on what generator you have, but the chargeveter can eliminate some potential issues. If you haven’t watched my video on that it might be helpful.

[@ruisEG]

@@GavinStoneDIY a Honda EU7000ISNAN generator, no chargeverter should be required with this Honda inverter

[@jerryguerrero4354]

Great video! One question, your LL batteries are paralleled to the indoor power pro batteries on the bus bar on the indoor power pro? and communication as well I'm assuming?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Exactly. Technically they are using the exact same BMS. I’ll try to show that in a follow up video.

[@jerryguerrero4354]

@@GavinStoneDIY Thank You! I would appreciate it. I have 3 LL's and looking to purchase 1 indoor power pro , so I'm looking to do the same. Just want to make see how it's done before I pull the trigger. All Great videos, keep it up.

[@markpartin8403]

I noticed the two communication cables seem to be (Labeled) specific. I am assuming they are labeled to either assist people with knowing the location to plug them in, or they are not standard Ethernet (T568A/T568B) terminated. Is one of the cables a crossover?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

The parallel cables have a specific pinout. The battery communication cables are just cat6 cables I believe.

[@markpartin8403]

@@GavinStoneDIY Hey thanks for the response ! I appreciate the information your channel provides.

[@Jay-fc4fg]

Currently have no power for last 3 day from Hurricane Beryl.. how would I connect a dual power generator?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

I’m not sure what “dual power” means. Connect it to the 12kpv? A chargeveter would be ideal. If not you can wire it into the generator port. You’ll need a cord with a nema 50 or 30 connector to hook into the generator.

[@Jay-fc4fg]

@@GavinStoneDIY awesome thank you!! If i did so could I charge and power my home at the same time.... or would this be bad for the 12KPV AND OR BATTERY?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@Jay-fc4fg yes you can do both assuming you have enough power. You can adjust your charging amperage on the 12kpv to make sure you don’t go beyond your generators limits.

[@Roll2Videos]

Very nice!

[@GavinStoneDIY]

🙋🏻‍♂️

[@carlossantini]

Another great video! Could you set it up 120/208 and check voltages on phase-to-phase and phase-to-neutral? We live on a condo (USA) we get 120/208 service from the grid.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

208v? Wow

[@carlossantini]

@@GavinStoneDIYhi, yes is oretty normal for condos and apartment complexes in the US. Could you set it to 120/208 and confirm if the voltages are in fact 120/208?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@carlossantini sure. I’ll take a look this weekend if I get a chance.

[@boblatkey7160]

That's tricky because these inverters are split phase and if you have two legs of a 120/208 service the phase angles are 120° off, not 180° like a typical split phase electrical circuit, so it is not just a matter of adjusting the voltage range. As a long time off grid specialist I steered clear of these types of installations or I only powered 120 VAC loads. You can do it just be sure to do your homework and get somebody who knows what the heck they're doing which is not easy!. 😂😂😂

[@DOO718]

Can you run a 12Kpv and a 6000XP in Parallel?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yes. But not in the conventional sense. They wouldn’t have direct communication with each other. You could add the xp’s output into the input or generator port of the 12kpv like I did in the video. Essentially it treats the 6000xp as a mini grid, and draws from it when necessary.

[@ianstephenson650]

Gavin, this is what I need. Do you think two 6000xp would be more powerful utilizing 16k worth of PV? Two 6000xp would still be cheaper but at the expense of bit more idle consumption. I am really having a hard time deciding although my application is off grid.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

2-xp’s vs 2-12kpvs?

[@ianstephenson650]

@@GavinStoneDIY I am not sure what your answer is, should I buy 2 6000xp or 1 12kpv?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@ianstephenson650 ahhh ok. I was just asking if you were considering 2 of each. It really depends on how much power youll need. The 2 6000xp’s will output 12,000 watts. And you’ll be limited to 8,000watts with the 12kpv. So things like water wells or larger electric appliances have to be taken into account. The 12kpv wouldn’t be able to utilize the entire 16k of solar. So that’s another factor. And then redundancy is something to ponder also. If one of your XP’s goes down for some reason you’ll still have power. If the 12kpv drops then you’d be out of power unless you have another backup. There is something to be said for both really.

[@ToddDesiato]

Does EG4 sponsor you to promote their products?

[@joetripp123]

Nice unit. I really like how it pairs well with the wall mount batteries from EG4. If I needed grid interactive features this is what i'd go with as I don't need 18k level power. I love that it's dead quiet till over 6kW and a low idle consumption. Thanks for the review Gavin. Oh, can you clarify - can you run both a power pro and a bank of LLs rack batteries on one inverter via bus bar? Thanks.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Thanks! Yes you can run both. They’ll parallel and communicate together without an issue. I’ll try to show that in my next video on the 12kpv. They have the same BMS, so it works really well.

[@northidahodreaming5657]

Thanks for review this.....well done!

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Thanks! I had a good time on this one

[@shimronsimpson3380]

Does it have an ats for the generator?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yes. Also dry contacts to engage on auto start for a generator.

[@boblatkey7160]

Internal isolation relays, not ATS.

[@KeithOlbermannn]

Are you going to do a similar review of midnite's latest AIO?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

I’m still pondering that. I’m looking forward to seeing more of Adam’s videos on it. And I may get one to stress test. They look really cool.

[@KoiAquaponics]

What gives better surge load, 1x 12kpv or 2x 6000xp?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

The 12kpv is actually 8kw of continuous output. The 6000xp’s are each 6000 watts. So you’d have 4,000 watts more with 2 xp’s. Are far as surges, the 12kpv is awesome. I believe the XP’s might have a slight upper hand though on inductive loads/surges. They are just so tough.

[@KoiAquaponics]

@@GavinStoneDIY 2x 6000xp is cheaper, but I actually need about 18kw output for house and ev charging. Maybe 3x 6000xp since that will be about $4500 only.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@KoiAquaponics yeah in that case you’d be good with 3 XP’s. Just keep in mind you’ll need enough battery storage to power the units. So right around 5 rack batteries at least. Or 3 pro wall mount batteries.

[@KoiAquaponics]

@@GavinStoneDIY yeah I acquired 3 ev packs and they will give me like 90kwh once I put bms on them.

[@joshhartin78]

Nice! Great video as always. 👏🏻

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Thanks man

[@celicalostandfound]

Is each PV Input 100-600 VDC?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yes. That applies to both mppt’s. So each has a max voc of 600v

[@celicalostandfound]

@@GavinStoneDIY Gavin. Is that taking into account voltage gain in low temps? I was planning 2 502.8V arrays, but if my cold coefficient is 1.20 I could hit 603.36V or even potentially 628.5V if it hits a 1.25 Coefficient.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@celicalostandfound the 600v is maximum allowable voltage. So you’d have to take that into account when designing the array. I would shave off a panel from that setup if I were you. Plus the actual usable voltage is 500v. The extra 100v is just for headroom in cold temps.

[@celicalostandfound]

Reason I ask is because I see 4 inputs but the label says 2. Can you put 2 600V input on each side?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@celicalostandfound the 4 inputs are actually 2 inputs. They just allow for paralleling. So it’s sorta like a combiner box within the inverter. It’s has a pretty high amperage allowance because of this, so you can likely parallel your array to achieve what you need.

[@TylerTheCompiler]

great job as always thank you...would LOVE to see a comparison to the NHX-10K...that NHX seems to be holding up pretty well from what I read on the forum, and the price is really good too...

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yeah the NHX has a bit more output power. But it lacks an AC coupling option. This inverter is way easier to wire up because of the wiring compartment space. Plus it has better line balancing and surge specs. Although the NHX is still cheaper. It probably depends on what someone needs out of the inverter.

[@thedabbler2753]

@@GavinStoneDIYI’d be eager to see the comparison too. I learned the hard way about line balancing on a 3k unit which couldn’t handle an 1800W microwave or coffee maker so am curious how the NHX fares here.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@thedabbler2753 the NHX could handle just over it’s rated output on a single line. But not for too long. I do like the multiple MPPT options on the NHX. You could have 4 arrays in different areas with that inverter.

[@thedabbler2753]

@@GavinStoneDIY the multiple MPPTs is a major sell for me. Lots of shading here so I have three strings on the go at present. ps. I know this probably isn't the thread but if you have any data on how the NHX does with house lights flickering, or inductive loads. Maybe a future video when the EG4 fun dies down a bit ;)

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@thedabbler2753 I’ll be honest. I wish I still had it. It was just a loaner for a review. I had zero flickering lights. And it did better than I anticipated on inductive loads. It wouldn’t have the lengthy surge time of a Lux inverter, but it can keep that steady 10kw rating.

[@kirkking6601]

Seems like 2 of these would be great for an offgrid whole home system. Run the shop and the house on one system.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yeah that would work great. And they run so smooth too.

[@jhojaD]

It would be an interesting comparison vs Deye, apparently egyll is a better option.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

The LL’s and Pro batteries are a better option in my opinion. Yeah this is obviously cheaper than a Solark 8k. I wish I had one on the wall to test them side by side.

[@thaddeustroyer]

If you wanted max inrush the best way i know if is to have the compessors @ 80-ish psi, this will give you the hardest start for the compressor and max amp draw, then also have your lift off the ground raising the vehicle. Then if you want add a resistive heater/hairdryer (or 2-3) on max. That might have tripped the 12k? Idk, just an idea.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yeah I need to work on getting more inductive test loads.

[@thaddeustroyer]

@GavinStoneDIY sorry, although this comment is true, somehow ye ole' interwebs and cyberspace combined and left this comment on the wrong video. I'm not sure how this happened. Lol. I still love your channel and the videos you put out are helpful and informative... plus I like them. Anyway, thanks for the feedback and hope you have a wonderful day.

[@amycraven2404]

Sad that the 6000xp is not ul 4590 approved so you can’t use it on grid won’t pass inspection.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Probably depends on the jurisdiction. Since a lot of people are essentially using it as a UPS, I wouldn’t think it would be an issue in that case.

[@boblatkey7160]

Bro UL 9540! 😂. And that's not true anymore, they are listed to UL 9540 A. Good to go!

[@ridingvenus]

Drule😛I want need 2..of these!!

[@GavinStoneDIY]

They are really nice machines for sure.

[@fernarias]

with prices now out it would be better to get 2x 6000xp that can output 240V at 50A (12000 watts) and cost less for both.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

For off grid it’s hard to beat the XP. And they do a fantastic jobs on surges also. But for people considering one standalone unit that has a waterproof rating, is quiet and runs smooth, this could be a good option.

[@d.pollard5962]

@@GavinStoneDIYwith a closed system. No dust

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@d.pollard5962 yeah that’s a big factor.

[@ThomasWhittaker]

QUESTION; the AC Grid, let say i were to connect a grid power to this inverter just as a backup in the event that my solar not producing any power; will this AC grid charge the battery and power the loads at the same time?

[@GavinStoneDIY]

Yes it can do both at the same time.

[@2point..0]

I...Like...It!!! I...Want...One!!!

[@GavinStoneDIY]

They are nice machines for sure! I’ll be working on another video for it next week hopefully.

[@2point..0]

@@GavinStoneDIY I will keep my eyes open for it, I am designing a different type of home and this 12KPV would be a great fit for it, form~fit~and funtion!!!

[@lucthien601]

Look like you combi Server Rack Batteries and Wall Mount Indoor Battery. Next video can you show me the batteries connection + Inverter Communication (RJ45) Thank you.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

I’ll try to add that yeah.

[@lucthien601]

@@GavinStoneDIY Thank you. I ask that because I have 4 Server Rack Batteries on my 6000EX love to update to 18K inverter and add Wall Mount Indoor Battery later.

[@GavinStoneDIY]

@@lucthien601 yeah I’m still using the 18k for the house off grid. Still working fantastic

[@adamrucker3268]

make a video trying to parallel with your 18kpv

[@GavinStoneDIY]

I’ll explain that in the next video yeah.