Whole Home Battery Backup Hybrid Inverter : EG4 18KPV

[@minergate4066]

omg i love the narrating over the timelapse, more of that please

[@FarmCraft101]

I was a bit nervous with the unloading at the beginning. It looked sketchy. I couldn't help but thinking it was going to fall off, and your buddy would immediately yell "GOOD!" Lol. Haven't finished the video yet, but really good info so far. That system looks very cool.

[@jmuller86]

We have fun with that whole "good!" Thing . Another we do alot is act like we are 90 years old and cant hear anything. HUH?! In a very stout manner. Lol

[@viqq183]

😂​@@jmuller86

[@Re5ist_ance]

You know it's going to be a good Saturday evening when you have 2 hours of Jesse Muller video! 👍😊

[@stuartbrock7586]

;(

[@PaulKlein-q4j]

1:05:11 one of the best instructional videos on installation of the 18K unit. I am in the beginnings of putting up panels and eventually tying into the grid. I have been researching for about six months and came to the same conclusion that you have on the inverter. Purchased two batteries along with 30 bifacial panels. It’s hard to find People whether you talk to or see online that think out of box like you do. My next step is to find the master electrician and see if he will work with me on doing the exact same thing you were doing.

[@PaulKlein-q4j]

I believe I can do what you were talking about since I have the main breaker right next to my junction box.

[@dennisbailey4296]

Sorry I can't remember your helpers name. But He is looking super!! He's kept at the weight reduction and it's sure is showing!! Good for Him!! 👍👍😊

[@jamesadams893]

I think his name is Slim Pickens

[@jamesadams893]

Somebody should tell him he isn't black so he can go get himself a pair of pants that fit

[@AW-Services]

I believe it's Paddy

[@bwilliamstown]

I think his name is Good!

[@markbrown6236]

He looks good.

[@jeffreygilchrist1330]

I could tell from things he’s said over years of watching ,no borrowing do things as you can afford it ,are a wonderful example of what makes Jesse tick ,his machines are bought cheap and repaired to last for his business, over all this young man works hard studied hard and deserves all the credits for reminding us that not all of this generation are ungrateful dicks and I for one are very grateful

[@adamcoombs4310]

What a thorough explanation, perfect for us who understand best by seeing it get built. Bonus, loved to see Jesse so excited to make some solar power!

[@larryshillings6672]

I never get bored and always watch the full lengthy video. Sooooooo very educational. I love to learn. You are also a good communicator.

[@AW-Services]

Wow, Jesse. This video just highlights the sheer amount of homework you've done to self educate yourself and carry out this huge job, which will really help your family. Can you remote view the inverter panel via an app on a tablet or ipad. Mount one on the wall in the kitchen Your system isn't that dissimilar to a PV system that KZbin channel "Ambition Strikes" has installed in his offgrid home. Keep up the amazing work

[@larryshillings6672]

Do you realize just how gifted you are ?

[@sydneymcconnaughhay5947]

I totally agree he's a ace.

[@themekfrommars]

Man's a genius

[@moutrap]

Concrete work, carpentry, plumbing, machinery repair and you are a licensed electrician, wow!

[@joshpierce3003]

Dudes a jack of all trades, master of all

[@schweeb9113]

​@theadventuresofarenaissancman I think in one video he said that he was a licensed master electrician

[@jmuller86]

@@theadventuresofarenaissancman yes I am. I have two master electrician licenses actually. In NY

[@moutrap]

6:30 🤷@@theadventuresofarenaissancman

[@theadventuresofarenaissancman]

@@jmuller86 👍

[@MySynthDungeon]

Alright ,,,hanging out with Jesse today! coffees on ,, ! lov it!! Cheers!;-)!

[@JustinsProject]

Hi Jesse, Great video, my man! I hope you see my comment. It's always great to connect with others that have the passion and skills to complete just about any project that is put in front of them. I want to pick your brain on the solar backfeed breaker. I've made a couple shorts on that topic. From lots of research and debates a 70amp backfeed breaker is allowed on a 225A max bus rating when a 200amp main breaker is being used. It's the 120% rule in play there. The 125% rule is sizing the inverters required breaker. Here is how to calculate the max backfeed breaker that is allowed in a panel. 225A x 1.20 = 270A Subtract the 200a breaker. Leaving you with 70A. I hope that is helpful for anyone looking for that info. Keep up the great work on the channel. I know how much work it takes to do all this work and make videos. Mad respect.

[@jmuller86]

thanks, yes those are the calculations from the NEC. I wanted to dig into that a little more but the video just got ridiculously long

[@williamkn621]

Very cool Jesse that you chose EG4, for dealing with signature solar in the research you did.

[@Pedroisanickname]

Such a comprehensive build. Deep respect. Best of luck in 2024.

[@mickg6480]

I meant to make this comment awhile back, but it's just as relevant now as it was before. Your helper, whether he's a friend and/or paid employee, is a great, diligent worker and comes across as a top notch fellow to boot. Sorry, I haven't caught his name, but kudos nonetheless 👍👍👍

[@jmuller86]

Thats Pat

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Thank you for starting the video stating your qualifications of being a master electrician! Respect!!

[@paulk6240]

Loved background music during the over flight scene. Excellent choice! Great taste!

[@namdacg]

I have an enphase 6.8 kwh grid tied PV system and this type of setup is absolutely the next step so I can still utilize my solar generation when the grid is down Thanks for this.

[@firionrazar3797]

Totally liked every aspect of this video. Voice over, speeding up repetitive tasks and talking about sizing and connecting the system was on point. I got a slightly different approach starting with the solar panels and a hybrid inverter from Huawei, getting a battery later on to see first what kind of power the house draws, at which point of day.

[@danweber9423]

Hands down the best most detailed install I have come across on the EG 18Kpv unit. You are awesome my friend!

[@AdelinoGambiarras]

Wow this video is supper awesome I love the way you explain everything in fine detail. Jesse congratulations on your videos I love all and I do watch you videos from start to finish with no skyping, I am already looking forward for the next video. Kind regards to you all Jesse.

[@jmuller86]

Thank you

[@genegoodman5233]

Thanks Jesse, I would love to do this. I’ve been thinking about it for several years. l want to have a system to power my house if we loose power for several hours or days. The way the world is getting l would like a setup so I can live without the power company. I may have had that but I got sick in 2001. Am not physically or mentally able to do the work you do anymore. I’ve live a good life, worked hard all of it, now 81. I still dream and ENJOY watching you do the things similar to what I used to do. I built my own house and did everything with my wife’s help, paid $1000 for labor to someone else. Like you l don’t pay for anything that I can do. I appreciate you taking the time to explain each step. Enjoy watching

[@motor2of7]

Very admirable and I’m sad to hear your health is limiting you. A far easier system is to just install a propane generator and a transfer switch. It’ll give you emergency power at far less cost and complexity.

[@horstszibulski19]

Man, that's a serious installation! I'll share that with some off grid people that i know! Thx a lot! 👍👍👍

[@jimanderson4495]

Fascinating video. I’m never worried about you rambling along. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your TWO hr uploads. Thanks

[@markbrown6236]

Tip on the crimper, put lug in crimper and pump handle so it starts to put pressure on the lug. Then insert wire, now lug stays put. So one hand holds wire into the lug, other hand pumps handle. Great video. Please put a cover on the outlet next to the invertor, my OCD is pegged.

[@mikebishop9868]

Great detailed video ! Well done to further PV understanding for others. I have had a simple PV roof system for 3 years without battery but using electric hot water as storage. Live in Sydney Australia so lots of sun (generally) Note- 20% of all houses in Australia have PV - highest take up in the world. Looking forward to the next chapter.

[@robertsimmons3556]

I have so much I would like to comment about but suffice it to say, this post was exactly where I'm going on my ranch and you definitely covered all or most of the "What If's"! excellent job Jesse and thanks for posting this project!

[@robertgeorgewerner]

nothing like rediscovering "Sound Powered Phones". Great work Jesse! I appreciate the information on batteries!!! Looking forward to setting something up at my house.

[@paulhasty8388]

We have 32 365 watt panels on our house with a total capacity of 11,000 watts and today the system has generated a little over 46 kwh ! I love your videos and considering getting those batteries and an inverter because right now we are only grid tied !

[@jmuller86]

yea, well being grid tied is making you some money, so maybe invest some of that money into a system that can work when the grid is down. There is another reason to have batteries that I did not go over....something to be said about if our grid gets attacked.....some people think I am crazy when I talk like that but it can happen in the blink of an eye

[@gungnir722]

@@jmuller86 When I was in college a guy who does pentesting and cybersecurity audits for power plants and banks came to speak and he said that the power plants in our area are pretty much under constant attack by chinese hackers. I live in rural Mississippi as well, no where special or close to any major cities

[@jimhowell4064]

Excited to see the future solar builds and love the focus on resiliency. Consider the reflectivity of the ground for your bifacials, should pick up 8-9% more production with a higher albido, assuming you throw them on your single-axis trackers. It doesn’t have to be expensive, white quartz gravel or similar can make a big difference vs dark ground cover. Just a thought.

[@how_to_hallagon1]

I'm jealous over this video. I live in an apartment and the landlord won't give us a solar system. This was one of your best videos. Really enjoyed it

[@mackfisher4487]

"Solar not the worst addiction", especially if you're not an electrician and able to add solar installation and maintenance to your resume.

[@HYUKLDER1]

You can buy hand jack furniture lifts for controlled raising of washing machines, furniture and batteries up a few inches. A pair cost about $32 to about $51 depending on quality and weight to lift and no messing about with bits of wood.

[@donhoverson]

Great instructional. I have bought the 18k with four 48 volt 100 ah eg4 LL rack batteries and so far just 20 panels. I have a permit with our local west coast power company,(PGE), to sell back to the grid under the old NEM2.0 for .34 cents kw. New NEM 3.0 only pays back .08 cents. I'm in the process of setting up the system and you made it so more understandable. I was a licensed General Contractor for decades, always wired my own but as you stated, never have done any solar. Lot's of research is right. Thanks for the journey.

[@jmuller86]

selling back with nem 2.0 sounds good. how long can you avoid nem 3.0?

[@upswds]

I really enjoy your videos. Always get a thumbs up from me.

[@dmmaddex]

That's quite an amazing house you have, JM...

[@raymondtozer1147]

Hi mate, I’m an electrician in Australia and totally enjoyed your video. That’s one mad system, great work. 😁

[@chadmarkley]

Sorry to comment twice. But this video was so good. I installed my own 14.8 / 37 panel / 14kW battery install. I would have loved a video like this to give me an idea of what all I was looking at. You did so many things on camera I had to struggle through and sort out on my own. Just sent this to 3 friends who are about to start their own DIY PV journey. Well done sir!!!

[@macclark4112]

Congratulations on your new starter system. Now you just need another 40 panels.

[@harveylong5878]

Capt Kleeman mentioned your solar trailer. Jesse inspiring other get er done guys. Kleeman is a hoot but awesome you are a lifeline for his venture into solar. that setup looked complicated when you were setting it up, but once you break it down into its components, wasnt that bad. once you get solar panel arrays up and running, be cool to see the final outcome

[@Michael_CS615]

A great explanation of solar, batteries, and grid connect options. As an adopter of solar almost 20 years ago - it is amazing how the technology has progressed. After 20 years experience and watching the new developments, a few quick clues for those interested. Get the BIGGEST panel/inverter system you can afford - it will pay back. Consider the biggest battery you can afford, matched to your historical usage. IF GOING OFF GRID - consider backup power for occasional use AND have an energy management plan for low power generation periods. Consider integration of EVs into the system. New technology is now appearing. Make your house and appliances energy efficient. It pays in the long run. NOTE - Check the warrantied OVER INPUT for the inverter - SOME inverters can accept EXCESS power (discussed at about 1hr 29min). My inverter is OK for 100% over.

[@gregherschell4212]

Thank you for your time and experience! I keep picking up little details after watching at least 10X - Thank you!

[@jmuller86]

are you thinking of getting a system like this? it was worked really well actually. Also, buy solar panels while they are still dirt cheap. new tariffs are right around the corner for them

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

An alternative to using the zip tie to keep the wires from fraying out is to strip the insulation back but don't strip the last 1/8" or so. Now cut the insulation on the last 1/8" and only pull it off of the wire to where you placed the zip tie. Once the wire is in the terminal, cut the little bit of insulation off.

[@kaydog2008]

The best solar panel setup I saw installed here in IL. Was a 4 panel verticaly on a 30ft steel light pole and plate that motor rotates on bearings in a frame on a concrete base. The panels are tilt motor driven to point directly at the sun and allows snow to sluffed off or not collect period in a slant position with lightning protection. 👉👉Plus it saves alot of real estate on smaller properties.🤔🤔👉👉One problem if your not aware of you must run the same gauge wire (as the ones for your battery cables or greater) from your SP's to the charger or you'll loose wattage and the longer the distance the larger the gauge must get. There's a math equation for running DC wire over distances. Something Edison completely missed back in the day.

[@The-Deadbolt-Deputy]

I actually was wondering about that when he mentioned from the future garage to the house. Interesting

[@markdixon4912]

I don’t remember the specs on the 18 kv as far as max volts but on the 6000 xp you can run up to 500 volts so you can run a smaller line. More volts less amps.

[@Gmoney30001]

I just realized we're getting 3 lifetomes of work from one person congrats sir i learn from watching, so thank you for showing a lot of the stuff you do! Must be trying to cover every scenario of life to stay ahead i cant imagine how old are you to have all this experince

[@scottaboshia]

It's awesome to see you get so excited about this project. You are right, it's really addicting once you get going. I started out about five years ago with a Sol-Ark 8K for many of the same reasons as you. These all-in-one units are super versatile. At the time it was really the only inverter of that caliber on the market and it's been fantastic. I built out 20 kWh of storage using LiFePO4 cells in server rack style batteries, with another 10 kWh coming online soon. I also have two custom built dual axis trackers (software and hardware) that work excellent. Excited to see your videos building out your arrays!

[@debcamp2359]

Awesome build! We have been talking about concrete and geo-thermal field 4 a long time. Your videos have given us real data. Thx.

[@davidjondoh8671]

Wish that I could find an electrician with your knowledge and enthusiasm here on the west coast. The typical homeowner has little knowledge of these systems so are ripe for being taken advantage of and get sold way overpriced systems. Because, California. 🙄 Nice work and nice commentary Jesse. Thanks

[@mwolrich]

you don’t need a transfer switch, the EG4 can switch the entire 200A main, through it (check the documentation or call them), connect your main power to GRID connection, connect the panel to the LOAD terminals. done, entire panel is switched.. of course your limited to 50A when the grid is down, or get another EG4 in paralel. nice gagle of geese 😉 FYI, where I am the ICF insulation of the foundation has to be fireproofed (drywall or covered in some way, as its flammable). One more note, the recomendation is to keep the battery cables about the same length, due to voltage drop, it’s not always possible of course.

[@mwolrich]

@@kevink4914 building code requires the ICF foam to be protected, it is flammable. look.it.up. concrete can be weakened and fail, in a high temperature fire, it isn’t only concrete, it contains a lot of rebar which will delaminate/spawl from the concrete.. building codes exist for a reason, go and build something and find out.

[@johnpanunto183]

My concern with this whole 200A pass thru is if the inverter fails one day, unless I add an expensive transfer switch rerouting the power around the inverter, my whole house would be down.

[@mwolrich]

@@johnpanunto183 look at how he wired it on the next video. He has the main 200A connected to a breaker, so all he has to do is turn that breaker ON and the inverter is out of the picture, no transfer switch needed, just manual operation of a circuit breaker

[@niffrig]

He explained that he can't do that because he is not connecting to his main panel. He would be creating a multi ground situation.

[@PaulKlein-q4j]

I have 320 service coming in with the main splitting off into two panels. Can I come directly from the main to the inverter to the two panels? Is this too much power going through the inverter?

[@scottwheeler2494]

It’s great that you are picking up a new income stream. Your vlogs have been amazing over the years and it looks like they will only get better. Great pivot from the home building that you have been doing lately. Good luck with your new solar habit!

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

Thank you for the idea of the simple "transfer switch" using that interlock sliding metal piece!! I've looked at the prices of transfer switches and didn't like the price! I think I'll use the metal slide to hook up a generator. I'll also tag the "critical" breakers since I'll be doing the switching to the generator manually anyways.

[@terryrye7109]

That was very interesting, and I think I'm getting more interested in a solar array. Great show. I'm working on lithium conversation on my RV so this was very interesting. Thanks

[@snoflite5234]

Glad to see you do solar. I am a electrician also, my daughter and I put up 57kw of solar ground mounts so far with another 14kw going in later this spring. With the tax rebates, and self labor and having the tools the job is not too bad. I took my house off grid completely, full electric powered house with 2 ev vehicles also.

[@chadmarkley]

I have that same battery connected to my Sol-Ark 15K. I ended up having to buy my own cable and those ends and a giant ass crimper to make it all work. It was a bunch of work, but it's humming along nicely! I am using the batteries for my TOU offset, not UPS. With power being .60 per kW from 4PM-9PM, that battery is paying for itself quick :)

[@jmuller86]

Wow .60/kwh definitely justifies getting this system. You could almost pay for this setup in a year

[@ricardorodrigorodriguez]

Do a video we would love to see !

[@williamkn621]

Well solar certainly can be very addictive all of the new things the changes that are constantly happening the things to learn and the ability to be independent you're going to love it I was really interesting to see the other equipment that you had dabbled with and intend to reunite throughout your properties. I did the same started out with smaller components and quickly realized I needed to go bigger quicker

[@letmelooktv]

SWEET! Today i gave myself treat day... cos mostly watching diet. So Hot dogs haagen dazs and a Jesse Muller long form video saturday night. Thanks man 😃

[@nelsonholmes6174]

Fascinating video Jesse, you're a smart guy. Sadly you lost me at Hardy board. 😂😂

[@sydneymcconnaughhay5947]

Haha I felt the same

[@BlackOTR1]

Power for days. I like that you don't have to worry about power outages. 😀

[@EastLondonKiwi]

Jessy Great explanations about your reasoning for the decisions in your setup. The Kit you are using also looks robust and should last you a long time. I have a few points you may want to consider. I live in Portugal so we get a lot of sun days, but also a high number of brown-outs (short power cuts when the grid gets overloaded). So we have the entire house as the critical load side of our inverter. That means the house draws from our batteries constantly (a two battery 48V total 20kwh bank). The grid can turn on and off as much as it likes and our house is not impacted at all. We us the interlock breaker here as a bypass only if the inverter has an issue, to be able to have grid power and work on the inverter and or batteries, otherwise grid power is via the inverter full time. That means I only have to use the manual switch in our consumer unit if the inverter dies or throws a error and I need a service tech to assist with. Point 2. here in Portugal we have to register with our power supplier to be able to export power, they change your meter to a bidirectional meter (otherwise you can not push power to them and if you try, bad things happen). The meter here not only allows power to be exported from the house, but also has a grid controlled safety breaker in it, that allows our grid supplier to isolate our house when they have techs on the line. If the power company throws the isolator we can not export until they turn us back on. Also here we do not get any contracted options to sell or off set power, we simply push power to the grid and they take it off us for FREE! Its annoying but is the reality here. The advantage why we do that is solar panel efficiency and life span. Solar panels take in sun energy regardless of whether or not your inverter or MPPT charge controller can use it. So if the MPPT throttles back your panels, they stop converting the sun into electricity and start converting the energy into heat, heat erodes the panels components and shortens their life. So while we dump energy to the grid for free at times, we keep our panels running at 100% energy generation meaning they stay cooler and have less issues over time. The second reason to be grid connected in our scenario, is that on days when sun is low or nothing, we can still buy energy. In our case we are on a split tariff (25cens per kw during the day and 14 cents per kw at night). so we set our inverter charger up to know when the batteries are below X% at midnight and to start buying power only when the tariff is at the lowest cost to us. The last thing I'll stay to you. is ground mount arrays are great, as cleaning is easy. In your scenario I'd also consider vertical panels (which cost a bit more) due to snow coverage you will get. buy having 1 array on a wall that will not hold snow, you'll still be able to generate power on days that your ground mount or tracking arrays, get covered by snow fall. I hope this gives you some food for thought, take care D

[@teresabashaw7464]

On large wire connections, I use ferrules, or if I can't get the size needed, I'll use thin sheet copper, cut, and wrap the ends. Really makes for a solid connection, and the wire doesn't get so torn up by the jamb screw. Check into it. Thanks for all the great movies. love them all !!

[@iwh7]

is it even legal to use stranded wire in screw terminals where the screw pushes directly into the strands without ferrules? especially fine stranded wire?

[@glenlongstreet7]

Real safe fusion power. Gotta love sunshine.

[@robmarshall5100]

You can put 25 kW in your garage and 25 kW in your house. Then put them together and it's all legal what you're doing incredible. Thank you it was interesting

[@musFuzZ]

Tremendous! Looking forward to the solar trailer and shop build!

[@SpottedCow1604]

I had no idea grid by itself would backfeed the panel like that..that is super helpful to know..even if just for temporary

[@jmuller86]

Yea that is the interactive feature of the inverter that sets itself apart from alot of other inverters

[@CranialAccess]

GOOD! 😂 Amazingly interesting video Jesse. Well presented, well narrated and I learned a ton of stuff today! Enjoying the long ones…..

[@D-Khaz]

Another to get the inverter working fully is to make your panel a split bus panel and run the top part as the “grid” and the bottom as “load”. You can add a bypass with an interlocked breaker pair.

[@martinbunn8366]

I’m not a master electrician like you but you sure are a lucky find for me. I’m installing the exact same equipment and I am planning the same as you. I’ve installed a sub panel and will hook 18kpv to it. I can isolate the sub panel from the grid and will feed the sub panel and begin to move most everything from the grid panel to my new sub panel.

[@Ernest_son]

Well done. Iit's the best explanation I've seen of how that inverter works. I'm excited to see you assemble those solar arrays. Thanks for sharing.

[@78jog89]

As always, for me, really enjoyed the video. Thanks for posting.

[@MatWalter-q3h]

Good on you. Go big or go home. You are far smarter than the average. You understand numbers and I am telling you 90% of people just dont.

[@randazzle1388]

i don't even plan on doing solar system any time soon but as always very good video. the longer the better. its obvious this video will interest all the solar users. great narration showcasing all your research.

[@GioArt-TV]

Love this! Hey mehn, stay off-grid. :) Energy companies are adding junk fees and convoluted usage charges. This is the exact system I will want in my house in the suburbs. My current solar panel system is 6kW and back feed the grid. Now, I want to add these batteries. :) Thank you for sharing and the detail explanations. You’re the man!! Ps: Please write down in the description the circuit breaker size you used in your panels for grid (50-60amp?) and load (70amp?). 👊🏽

[@thatretiredguy8907]

nice video on the complete install. I have the same system and it was hard to find anything worthwhile as I did my own install too. I ended up having to reach out to EG4 to help set up peak shaving and selling to the grid. The PC app, the Phone app and the screen app all have a different level of detail and the manual keeps getting updated so make sure you have the right revision. I am sure that EG4 has screens I don't have access to and it took them about 4 days to get my system dialed in. It now does exactly what I want. For the money its the best hybrid inverter on the market. Its actually a rebranded LUX and its simular to the solark which is $3k more expensive. When you get your interconnection agreement please do a video on how you figure out how to set it up. I also have the GE all in one washer/dryer and its one of the best appliances I own. Went from 6000w continous on the old dryer to 1100w peak and average of 700w. Big savings. I also have a SPAN panel that, if it all works out will eliminate your critial loads panel or the interlock. Everything will happen automatically. Besides the EG4 the SPAN panel is the best utility device I have ever owned, if they would only open source the firmware so other inverters can talk to it. also you just have to touch the screen for it to come on and not hit the return button

[@jmuller86]

thats good to hear that you have this unit and the GE combo too. I did a lot of research and it seems like all of these pieces of equipment are good quality. I might eventually upgrade to a span panel too, especially if I can dial it in so I can have uninterrupted whole home backup without a transfer switch

[@thatretiredguy8907]

I am a EE and overthink everything so we think alike. I worked on this design for a long time. the cost of the solark kept going up, its a good inverter but I chose cost. I suspect tweaking the firmware will be an ongoing challange. My friends that got the solark were up and running in 1 day, took me 6 days as I got funneled through signature solar and then EG4 tech support. Was not happy at first. I still really don't know what changes they made as I have never heard back after asking 3 times. I think they don't have enough people to handle the sales they are getting. I have to make summer and winter changes so eventually I will have to figure it out, but right now, I don't know what changes they made, on my apps it all looks the same as I originally had it but obviously they did make changes and the changes work@@jmuller86

[@jonathankeith2547]

The American power distribution always amazes me as an Australian. Most homes appear to have two live feeds totaling 240Vac with a neutral sitting between providing two 120Vac supplies. The standard domestic supply into an Australian home is a single phase 240Vac, but many older supplies are twin phase like USA but totaling 480Vac. Many newer supplies are 3 phase, 415Vac between phases and 240Vac between each phase and neutral. My supply is 3 phase with 80 amps / phase. The main difference is we only need small cable sizes to supply large amounts of power. My supply comes into my main switch board in 16mm cable, and all my power circuits are run in 2.5mm cable. Lighting circuits are run in 1mm cable. These are all square mm sizes, which given the cost of copper is a huge cost saving.

[@Denniss7420]

That 480v 3 phase you are describing is available for Commercial sites in America.

[@jonathankeith2547]

@ that is interesting, I was aware that there is a lower voltage 3 phase supply for commercial and industrial installations, I thought that it was 208 volts between phases and 120 volts to neutral

[@jonathankeith2547]

@@Denniss7420 just to clarify our supply in Australia. All homes receive at least 240v single phase, this is 240v outlets and lighting. Many older properties, particularly in rural areas and on farms have a split 480v supply with two 240v phases 180 degrees opposed, identical to most US households accept double the voltage. Now many houses in urban areas have a 415v three phase supply. That is three separate 240v supplies between each active and neutral, and 415v between each of the three actives 120 degrees opposed. This three phase 415v supply is almost standard to all commercial and industrial sites. Our standard wall outlet is rated at 10amps 240v ac, this supplies 2400watts. We have nothing under this in either voltage or amperage. Our outlets must all have a switch unless it is a dedicated outlet in an area such as a ceiling space for lighting. All outlets also have an earth, and with very few exceptions must be not only current but earth leakage protected.

[@mellyons4052]

Looking forward to your video on connecting a eg4 inverter charger from your generator to your system..

[@bigjohn1154]

Jesse, I sure wished I had half the skills you have, great video

[@TeeJay10664]

Great video Jessie...really enjoy these types... just packed full of all types of information.

[@DanWipper]

Been watching too and that inverter and batteries are about the best, however quite heavy components. Alternatives; 2 each 6000xp inverters cost a bit less and one person can install them. This new battery wins the cost per watt and it is compact but again it takes two people to move where their server rack batteries and rack can be assembled by one healthy person. Think they should of halved the battery size /weight to150lbs and allowed them to be stacked side by side.

[@jmuller86]

The thing about the 6000xp is that you cant sell back to the grid with it. Otherwise yes its an excellent unit

[@DanWipper]

@@jmuller86 That and a few other things, the 18kpv is an all in one beast that does everything well. But off grid the new 6000xps offer a lot of value and versatility, 52lbs makes one person installation possible. Many who are grid tied don't have a battery/s but its a great easy backup for keeping a fridge going. Almost everyone off grid is using batteries and while his one is cost effective, its just REALLY heavy. Wish they offered 7s that look similar, weigh 150lbs and stack sideways in a row Maybe a main controller/battery for 2000ish that could link 6 or more battery only cells at 1500i.00 to keep costs down. 150lbs for ground supported batteries would be about the limit for somewhat easy one person transport and installation.

[@philcollins7701]

Best start calling you "Scotty" this house is starting to feel like the starship" Enterprise".Great job Jesse.

[@donanything6816]

Great video, Jesse. Yes, watched it in it's entirety. It sounds like you did your homework and I will be checking for updates, changes etc. I hope to be installing one on my own ICF build this year. Thanks for the work you put into this one.

[@criticalevent]

That beats the crap out of my 600ah 2500w setup for my sump pump :)

[@hondacivic199091]

I'll tell you the truth I don't know jack about solar an this fascinates me thanks I love your channel

[@maths9085]

Also, if I understand correctly, the only reason the "whole house backup" configurations in the inverter manual show a manual transfer switch is to permit operating the house directly off the grid when doing maintenance on the inverter. I.e. it's used as a bypass switch and would normally be left to supply power from the inverter, even when the grid is up. The inverter itself I believe has 200A relays built into it, so when it notices that the grid connection goes down, it will disconnect from the grid and switch from grid-following mode to grid-forming mode. In other words, you could install as per one of the "partial house backup" diagrams where the "non-critical" panel has no loads, and the critical panel has all your loads. What that would mean is you could divert your 4/0 Al feeder conductors to a separate enclosed 200A breaker or fused disconnect, and then go from there straight to the inverter grid connection, and from the inverter load connection straight to your main breaker panel, with no transfer switch. Then you wouldn't need an interconnection breaker in your main panel, or the interlocked breaker.

[@jmuller86]

@@BobDevV extra power never leave my panel. That is what those CTs are for. they sense the current and only allow enough current to flow to power my house, and nothing more. So current never leaves my panel. PLus like I said I have other loads before my house panel, so if some current did leave it would just power those things and never make it to the meter

[@kimnach]

We live in an all-electric home in NE OH and can potentially draw well over 12kW for some period of time (E-heat back up to Heat pump, hot tub, oven, water heater, dryer, range--not to mention my woodshop building). I will get two, if not three (for single fault tolerance), of these. I will move all the loads from my main to a new subpanel fed from the 18Kpvs. solar and battery will also be added. Great video, btw.

[@jmuller86]

As long as you are only drawing 200 amps or less, you can do the passthru option and use one of these. Unless you are really concerned about needing more than 50 amps when the grid is down

[@kimnach]

@@jmuller86 Yes, it's the 50A about which I am most concerned. I looked at my Emporia Energy history and there are times in the middle of winter that we pull 14-15kW for a few hours (E-heat for the house & outbuilding, range, and the hot tub are the major culprits). We have had some rather long power outages also, so I am equally concerned about storage: we will lead a few batteries. I did get a Predator 9500 a couple of years ago as a start, and it can now be used to charge batteries or augment the arrays on very cloudy days in winter. Thanks. Oh, how has the system turned out once selling back to the utility?

[@jmuller86]

@@kimnach so it sounds like you barely need a second unit, but definitely dont need a third, spend that money on batteries or panels. 14kw in one instance can easily be reduced if you make a plan when the power is out. You could just not use the dryer abd oven and hot tub and should be fine. But if you have the money and can afford two units, it would allow you to have the freedom of not worrying. Use the generator to charge the batteries. If you have an inverter generator then you dont need the chargeverters to charge the batteries. My system has been working really nice. i am adding a 4.7 kw array right now to be fully offgrid from the solar

[@rodgermills1496]

Very helpful for me, I can see you are doing your research. Thank you for helping me understand the over all workings of these systems, I did not think I would have a need for off grid power but now this may be just what I am looking for.

[@ericnewton5720]

Honestly I can’t believe you installed this right next to a drain clean out.

[@jmuller86]

Why? Its rated to sit out in the rain. Whats the problem?

[@zenhappiness]

Trucks bring some very nice things sometimes!

[@vcookster3915]

Thanks for posting. In the planning phase now and was curious of the needed space etc. Really like what you've done. I gotta say though, and I know it probably wasn't your preferred location right next to that main cleanout, but after having our main line get clogged last week at our rental and watching the plumber tackle that cleanout that had a good 30' run feeding into it in the basement that was all full of waste water. I'd freak out trying to use that cleanout next to all that equipment. This guy did the best he could to try and pull as much out the main, but even so, there was still quite a bit that he had to control the spraying once the cleanout was cracked open from going all over the place.

[@jmuller86]

yea It was not the preferred location but I have another cleanout outside, about 8 ft from the basement. so if something clogs in that line, I will unclog it there instead of the basement

[@bloodcarver913]

The video started bad you learned much during the install. Good job.

[@tjmooney4181]

Thanks for the great step by step video, i recommend ferrules on all 6 awg and smaller cables

[@alanharriman23]

Last year I installed a hybrid SolArk 12K inverter. That was the biggest SolArk had at that time, I wanted a 15K but would have had to wait months to get one. EG4 hybrid inverters were not available at that time. The SolArk is very similar in function. I currently have 4 EG4 LifePower4 5.2KW batteries and would like to have more. I do have my critical loads on a sub-panel. The batteries will run the critical loads about 36 hours. The purchase price of the SolArk 12 was almost double the cost of your EG4 18KPV Hybrid Inverter. I think the EG4's came out too late. Our utility is a cooperative owned by the members. I am set up to export power, the paper work was very simple. Any power I put on the grid can be imported for no charge and I have 12 months to do so. If I understood your description your arrangement will be similar. I currently have 7000 KW of panels installed on three steel frames that manually can be angled to the sun. I will install the last 2500KW array next summer. Presently, my usage matches my generation. I have one more Mini-split to install that should consume the 4th array. I expect to have an excess of power in the summer. I love the system, You will too. The SolArk switches on in 4 millisecond seconds. I would not know it has taken over the power supply if I had not missed the living room light. The information available off the app is just fun to watch. I would live to have a geothermal system like yours but at 74 I will probably never do it. I love your videos!!!! Keep up the informative content.

[@0xdeadc0de]

Thanks for this very good practical power testing and best regards from Germany

[@akshonclip]

I am doing something similar but am using a G4254B1200GEN split bus panel with manual interlock. It makes it much easier to reconfigure your critical backup loads without using a separate sub panel. It also allows you to energize both busses from grid power if your inverter takes a crap.

[@lkevonly]

Interlock is the way to go. I also had the same question and you nailed it! Great work and thanks!

[@samdumt]

Your whole house is literally my dream system.. Geothermal heat pump, solar, batteries, selling to the grid, it's very very cool

[@jmuller86]

it really is awesome. alot of doubt from people along the way, but I am heating my whole house and hot water together for $100 a month right now. and when I install my first array, I will produce more than I consume, so I will be net positive

[@samdumt]

@@jmuller86 That's really great! You're a very smart and talented person! I just subscribed to your channel, I hope you're going to make more videos on these systems in the future!

[@jmuller86]

@@samdumt i have alot of interest in this stuff, so I have bunch of videos coming up. Right now I am designing a solar trailer with 4kw of solar panels. It will be 2 arrays that tilt for seasonal adjustment. I am actually pretty excited to get going on ot

[@lwwarren]

This is the exact setup I'm planning for my solar system. I already have a generator and transfer switch so I don't have to worry about that but I definitely don't want to have ANYTHING to do with the local power company. It's illegal to "disconnect" from the grid once your home is connected so I'll keep it connected, I just won't consume any of their power. I'm installing my whole system in a 20' insulated container with a heat pump to manage the low temps during winter. This way all my equipment is in a "shed" and won't take up space in my attached garage and I'll run the service to the generator side of my transfer switch to a new "main" panel. I will have to move all my loads over to the new panel unfortunately.

[@gruetoo1]

Good video. Please work on your safety items. Those uninsulated ratchets had me buggin. Even on the small wires when it passes thru metal need to have something to keep the edges from damaging the wires. I personally used a Generac ATS I prefer the knife bladed disconnects. The ATS is between the main panel and sub panel. All power goes thru the ATS. No it is not auto switching, but allows me to isolate the 18 kpv for maintenance. The 70 amp circuit is in the main breaker. So I do need to switch it off when opening the 18 kpv. There are other batteries available same power but you may have to build yourself. May I suggest Off-Grid Garage Andy there is a wealth of information, DIY Solar power with will Prowse, Are a few I enjoy. Good luck in your endeavors.

[@bookworm67-hv7nm]

the drone footage with the snow looks so cool👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@AveRage_Joe]

Nice work! Got a link to those battery connectors?

[@jmuller86]

signaturesolar.com/eg4-powerpro-battery-cable-connector-black/?ref=7rJ9YpLX43wWvT signaturesolar.com/eg4-powerpro-battery-cable-connector-orange/?ref=7rJ9YpLX43wWvT