Awesome videos ray thanks for the content. Me and my dad just installed the 6000xp using your video as reference and it went smoothly! Also we have a plan where we have free energy at night so it helps to fully charge the batteries and also run heavy loads such as laundry at night for even more savings!
Here in SoCal, as a poor retiree, my off-peak rate is 37 cents/kwh, and peak rate of 75 cents/kwh in the summer, probably the highest in the nation, and we are getting another 18% increase this month as well. So for this month's usage of 1k kwh, my bill, with the $30% discount, is $300 without the solar. My system will be up and running in a week, and I should be able to pay it off in 3 years or sooner if the rates keep ballooning up, and they will, here in California. Thanks for the video, great job! Cheers!
I came here to say the same thing. I'm in central California. I laugh seeing people on social media complaining that they are paying 15 cents per kwh. I pay 33 cent per kwh for only the first 14 kwh and then it jumps up to 44 cents. But, yes, 3 year pay off.
@@brian_onthetrail Same here So Cal. I just about spit out my drink when he said .15 per kwh. Summer rates here are obscene. .78 kwh. Lowest is .37, I think.
I'm in So Cal as well and not gonna continue being a SLAVE to the grid for much longer. Putting a system on my RV 1st then the off-grid system to run my property. Predicted increases here over 4 years are +40%, and people think the power companies are on the hook for the FIRES. REALLY, they have just passed all that on to us. I guess I need to buy stock in electrical companies, like PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. I'll do that AFTER I put my system to work.
@@marcelracine4154 good on you for becoming independent. I just invested in HE which may be just on the cusp of returning the slow climb to old valuation. Don't invest unless you have fully done your own diligence though. I hope my investment will pay off, now that they have a settlement agreement. We'll see.
Be happy to get mine online finally. Been working on building a shed for it all and at least now have two of three inverters hanging, waiting on the third to show up on back order. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Got a 12k mini split already installed waiting for power to make working a little more enjoyable. 96, 300 ah battery cells sitting on the floor waiting to become battery packs. Beginning to see a little light at the end now..........
"Awesome videos! Thank you so much for taking the time to walk us through the configuration in such great detail. Your video is well-organized and explains everything clearly, without any unnecessary information. I just purchased two of these and plan to follow your steps and mirror the components myself. Thanks again!"
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay you're helping and it's making a difference. Just please try not to get yourself into what I refer to as the UA-camr "INFOMERCIAL" industry. Keep things technical and as unbiased as you can and you'll be good to go.
Electrical note - they are not 120v legs - they are 240v from the transformer. The split-phase neutral allows either 240v leg to provide 120v. When no neutral is in use, it's 240v :)
Incorrect. They ARE 120V legs referenced to ground, or neutral. L1 to N (or G) is 120V. L2 to N (or G) is 120V. L1 to L2 is 240V. You said " The split-phase neutral allows either 240v leg to provide 120v." There IS NO 240V leg. There is 240V BETWEEN legs.
Great video. As your major appliances go out, consider replacing them with electric heat pump alternatives. They tend to be more efficient and allow you to eventually cut your natural gas bill in addition to your gas and electric bills.
@@supremeautomotive6749 Yeah, my parents had the same issue and they only have off grid power. We installed a softstart and I don't think they have any dimming anymore.
@@1drhnsd1 I had a similar issue - the connections at the MPOE were heavily corroded (and the wire to the power lines also had completely compromised insulation) and one of the phases eventually failed. Power company came out and spliced on new wire and connections to the house (fun to watch the line man doing this with everything live) and dimming was pretty much eliminated. I have a Micro-air easy start ready to install if only to reduce the noise when the A/C starts.
I also have the EG4-6000 XP (2 of them) they do seem to often fall back to grid, and the interface does a terrible job of showing the leg imbalance (not with 1 mind you, but with 2, absolutely) I'm pretty annoyed with the frequency of fallback, it LOVES to charge the batteries > cover the house load, even when there is plenty of solar (if my battery is >50%) so I often disconnect grid to force the unit to invert and charge. I recently went through hurricane Helene (Upstate SC) and lived the offgrid life for 7 days, what a learning experience that was! I now have a chargeverter (probably will get a second for 200A charge capacity) as I'd rather be charging the batteries then letting the EG4 switch to gen. I still think they are great units for the money. I have 12K of solar now which covers me and charges 400AH of battery during peak summer, I feel I will need DOUBLE the solar and 3x-5x the battery to handle winter needs. Going to find out soon.
Chargeverters are amazing! If both of you units are in running in parallel it shouldn't switch back to grid often. Mine never have. I wonder if you have some setting off. I'd call signature solar and ask them about you settings. I also have a setting in my app where I can see both inverters together..."Parallel-A". Signature Solar had to enable that for me. Glad you make it though the storm
I just tested my EG4 6000 unit just like yours with the EG4 14.3 Kwh (48V 280Ah) Battery last Tuesday (7-30-24) running my 2 ton A/C unit. This was at my camp/house in Mississippi, 97 degrees was the high, sunny and had my A/C set at a very comfortable 72 degrees for the whole test. I was able to push right at 8 hours out of it until the battery hit 15% SOC. Ran like a champ! I was running the A/C only it was pulling just below 2,500 watts while running. Just thought I would share this info.
Really appreciate you sharing this! Showing people cost comparisons is a big deal a lot of people are curious about to see if going solar is right for them. Great job explaining your point. Enjoyed the content!
.13 cents a KWh where we live in Texas with no off peak different rates. Selling energy back to electricity company is at .03 cents a KWh. I feel really fortunate now seeing some of the other rates here.
This exactly what I'm wanting to do with our place. Enough to replace the bulk of our load with solar/battery and provide a whole home backup for grid blips or major weather events. I want to do the same thing with runnining the entire panel and selectively disabling loads during emergencies.
Running the numbers and showing folks what the break even is going to be is very important because the upfront costs scare away the risk averse who are basically 90% of those asking about my system. The power companies are only going to continue to make your life miserable until you break away and take control of your energy consumption and production. DIY is the best and quickest way to getting to break even. I did not DIY mine 8 years ago and that added several years to my break even number. Times have changed and it’s never been easier. I will be upgrading soon based on very good channels such as this and doing it myself. Very nice breakdown and presentation. 👍🏻👍🏻
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay yep Solaredge inverter grid tied, lg 360 watt panels with optimizers and debating on the EG4 18k or 12k while doubling up the panels on the current 5.44 mw system. May do my parents first on a shop roof with an 18k
My old farmhouse uses, on average, 128 to 135 kw per day. Summer winter doesn't matter. A solar array on the farmette would be great, the 5 ton and 2 ton ac units in the summer, along with the pool motor running 14 hours and a large dehumidifier in the basement, 3 frost free fridges and a frost free upright freezer, and a kid that does two loads of laundry each day, though our dryer is gas, all add up. You would think over the winter the cost would go down BUT, dehumidifier still runs all winter, 6 315W CMH growlights in the basement running 14 hrs each day, and a whole house steam humidifier running at least 10 hours per day (and it turns on the two stage main furnace to circulate the air. I guess I would just need three of those EG4s, 10 batteries and a 30kw solar array to make a dent in my $700/mth electric bill ( we do not have dual rates with cheaper night rates). Also forgot about the Jacuzzi outside and it's 5kw heater lol
Great Video! I see a 2nd channel in the making @11:05 called "Gardening with Ray Loveless". Also overall I think we can see that these old style a/c units will go the way of the dino, the power usage I read on the mini-splits is incredibly lower
I’d run a sine wave matching inverter with the grid, it will feed only as much power as it needs to make up for solar directly and charge the batteries
You've made a great presentation. I have an observation and a question. First it seems that the wires coming into your panel are smaller that expected. This may be due to the video and I'm assuming you have a 200 amp service. The question is, given that you have such large panels and 14 of them, I'd like to see how you have configured them so as NOT to overload the MPPT in the inverter, especially as it seems you live in a climate that in the winter could cause over voltage. Again you've done a really nice job.
I actually have a 100 amp service. However my electrician installed this new 200 amp electrical panel 4 years ago. The MPPT is just for solar. This inverter has 2 mppt's. My Solar voltage max during the winter should be well below the allowed voltage of the mppt's. Thanks, you had me double check, questioning myself... never hurts.
I had the problem of shutting down with unbalanced leg by requiring more current off one 120V side I solved the problem by finding a 220V to 120V transformer with high current capability. I us the output from that to run ALL my 120V items. There is a slight efficiency loss but no more unbalanced leg. Just make sure there is primary to secondary isolation and connect one 120V wire to neutral and be sure ground is secure. This connection carries the full current load for all the 120V loads combined. Ground should carry no current. Also, be sure to fuse the primary. This feeds all my 120V breakers that would normally be connected to the split phase. All 220V loads works normally. The electrician knew exactly what to do.
GOOD diy research Ray! 🤓 (on B.E.S.S.) From 20+ years in industry, I found that most have no clue how much energy they consume 🙀🔥 so if serious owners (diy/ future offgriders, etc.) Learn & PRACTICE Living off-grid for A YEAR with min. needs (Refrigerator, LEDs, Wash. Machine & bedroom mini-split s, etc.) , then they are able live comfortably, & stress free, as long as needed on Solar PV+ battery only when grid fails , with most 💵💲saved!🗽 🌅🔋💡
The 6000xp is a great off-grid solar inverter and I don’t think anything comes close for the price. Great to see you are saving money! My bills have dropped as well and I’m generally saving 500-750 kWh a month compared to before installing mine. Will hook up my 2nd one as soon as I install additional panels and that should get me 99% off the grid. Thanks for sharing videos as it helps us all learn! 👍
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay installed the inverters in January running off (12) 405w panels (only using 1 MPPT). Haven’t yet hooked up the 2nd inverter but one is running my house at night now. Am waiting on a back ordered brightmount rack from Signature Solar to finish installing the remaining panels and hooking up the second inverter. Will post a video if I ever get it finished! 🤣😂👍. Love your channel!
@@terrahillfarmGood off grid inverter, what's the power draw at idle...? Let's say 60W...? A same power victron inverter will draw less then half of that. Low idle consumption is key for off grid, that's make all EG4 pretty bad for this situation.
@@honumoorea873 Victron is hands down, a higher quality inverter than the EG4. It also costs 4 times as much to do the same thing. Two 6000xp cost $3,000 for 12k output. A 10k output Victron system costs over $12,000. If your family’s survival depends on reliable off grid power, you should buy the Victron, if not, you have cheaper options. Everyone’s solar use case is different. 👍
Put your Fans on Slope to stop it from jumping to your setting of say 70%. I use 100% Slope. You need it to cool according to its internal heat or it could damage it.
My grid cost for power rises to .60/kwh in peak hours, so searching options to affect the costs of power AFTER I get a .27/kwh credit for the production of my 10YO 7950W of existing solar. I'm in the SW area of the country and gotta get this cost under control as we move to retirement.
Once you pass 1kw in input fans become really loud. I have the predecessor to these the lv6548 and did the same thing as you powering the main breaker box. I didn't know that about the input switching both legs to grid over if 1 leg goes over. I'm waiting for a few 2awg butt splices to come in to run my AC bypass. I'm going to buy $200 worth of ff2 flashing and a few xr10 rails and install 30 panels on my roof instead of having them in the yard. You have to get rid of the central ac to run completely off solar.
That’s a nice vegetable garden in front of those panels. Maybe a video on that soon? All part of going off grid :-)😮 15 cents a KWh for electricity is very cheap. San Diego is up to around 47 cents at peak rate from 4 to 9 pm. And Oct 1, 2025 will bring a fixed fee of $24 that everyone on the grid has to pay. Fixed fees incentivize going off grid rather than using the 6000XP grid input feature. But ofc, one has to have capacity for cloudy days (aka marine layer in San Diego from the Pacific from Jan to June depending how many miles inland one lives). That means more pricey batteries from China which we may go to war with over South Asia
10.57 cents per kilowatt hour in Union County, NC. Electric coop which has a stake in a nuclear power plant. Unfortunately, such a low rate means it would take nearly 11 years to break even on a DIY kit.
You could also get a dual fuel generator that can hook up to your natural gas feed... And you can have it kick on automatically when your batteries get low. That would save you from having to buy a really large battery bank.
it is good you are able to reduce your reliance on the monopoly known as the national electric grid. We said goodbye to the grid and have never regretted it. That's right, no connection whatsoever to the grid. We have not needed it. We have an EG4 18Kpv, 60 kilowatts of DIY Apexium batteries and 36 Bi-Facial solar panels @405 watts for a total of 14.6 kilowatts. System cost was less than $20K. Freedom is not measured in terms of ROI (Return On Investment). Our power is secure from outside computers disconnecting our power like with a smart meter attached to the grid. Our batteries are topped off by noon every day, even with the AC running.
Ground mount. we live in Michigan and experience lake effect snow, so we have to be able to clean them off. Completely off grid as of February 2024. Our batteries almost never fall below 95% state of charge.
Our rack mount is adjustable for winter and summer. we use way more power in the summer with the AC units than winter. Even though we have 6 days of power from the 60 kilowatts, If the sun dose not shine and we think the batteries will fall below 50% which they never have i will start the 6500 watt All-Powers Diesel generator and with the EG4 Chargeverter we will bring them back to full. The generator runs on waste veggie-oil that we collect from a local restaurant. It is settled for two weeks and then the clear liquid is sent through a 400, 200, 100 and 75 micron bucket filter. afterwards we add 10% gasoline to the oil and send it through a 20, 5 and 1 micron finishing filters. The oil is kept in a 275 gallon IBC Tote where it waits for use latter on. all of the filters are cleanable and reusable. In the winter the Bi-Facial panels supply pretty much everything we need due to the cold and the snow hitting the back side. The generator takes the place of the grid and is cheaper per kilowatt to run.
Great videos! I'm just wondering if there is a mode in the inverter that will allow solar, batteries, and grid to work together to meet the 6kw+ power need. It wouldn't make sense to not have such a mode. And I wonder if there are other brands in the market that allow all three to work together.
The 12kpv may do this, but I don't know for sure... I have the 12K in my garage and I will be testing it next. This will be one of the features I am most excited to try out.
I have the same inverter, I just shut the AC off when I'm running other high draw appliances, since a microwave or other appliance is only on for a short time, but it is just me and my wife, so it's pretty easy..Heat kills electronics, I run mine high, the fan doesn't bother me at all..
This is the video where where install the 2nd inverter and explain my decision in selecting that wire: ua-cam.com/video/pBKh2Blsnrk/v-deo.htmlsi=A5ZpkK9oGZVSAfXd
ROI is also user experience, keeping doing your stuff without interruptions is value. I like to think the ROI is cash + good experience, so it pays itself a little faster
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Ha ha. That would be a last resort for me. I thought just showing her the electric bill during the summer would do it. Nope. She's got every last wall, fence and open space covered with flowers or plants in the backyard. I'm not doing roof mount. Way too much headache here in CA.
Instead of solar panels, could you think of using a vertical axis wind turbine of 6kW or less? That may give you day-and-night power, and has a small footprint on the ground. Just a thought.
I live just north of you in Idaho Falls. I’d love to show you my 48v system I put in my motorhome via video call sometime (unless I can find time the first week of Sept when I take it down to the Ogden area for a weekend trip). I think you would be one of the few people to appreciate what I did. Spoiler alert…. 20kw of lithium and a 6000xp inverter!
I was under the impression the inverter takes from grid only the difference between what the load requires to run and whats not being produced by solar. Didnt know the whole thing switches over to grid.
If the inverter is connected to the grid, don't you have to have a transfer switch in the electrical panel? Because I though you said in the video that it AUTOMATICALLY switches from battery to grid power when the battery is low, but don't you have to flip the transfer switch MANUALLY from battery to grid so that you run off only one OR the other but not both at the same time? I'm very new to the solar scene. Thanks for all your videos. Well done.
It all passes through the inverter. There's a bypass mode that turns off the inverter and just feeds the grid line directly to his load and at the same time charge the batteries. Ray ended up using wire tappers (Forgot which brand) on his connection from the grid before it hits the main breaker for the electrical panel for the EG4 6000xp.
@@TheNodeChannel , The EG4 6k, as well as my Sungold 6k are Hybrid inverters, connected to the grid without backfeeding the grid by design. My Sungold CAN be grid tie enabled, but I don't have permission to do that. My unit simply is connected to the grid to automatically switch power to the house thru the solar/battery array and grid in that order. Cheers!
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay I have it. I charge my car with a 6.5kwh charger and the ac goes above the 8kwh. After that, the grid supplies the demand after the 8kwh. So if I use 9kwh, the inverter from battery/solar provides 8kwh and the grid provides 1kwh.
PVREA electric cooperative here in northern Colorado has great rates and is very supportive of supplying green power (a voluntary $1.00 per month fee). My PEAK rate 4pm to 9pm is $0.168 per kWh and the rest of the time is $0.0597 per kWh. It makes our new electric car next to free to fuel up. I do have concerns about significant duration outages, but so far have had a hard time justifying a system for lowering my daily use. Good video as always. Thanks!
Have you not had issues with only 3kw available to each phase? My AC is 3ton, and uses about 2kW each phase (about 4kw total hottest part of day) and my standing load is about 800w with all the silly vampir devices. Doesn’t leave a lot of room for additional load when we’re already using about 2500w on each phase.
Yeah, I'm having the same experience. Going to grid too often. I've got 2 running my house in now. they are doing great but I'm gonna try some other inverters.
Question Ray Have you will you be able to put the Basement separate from the main House This would show you much more less power you or They use each month
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay My think was place al the beaker for the Basement on the Right side of Panel Upstairs house on the Left Step two since you have 2 6000xp inverter 1 on left 1 on right My lthink is how to track each other since the basement sound like it is mostly electric This would also give you chance to adjust solar according to both needs and make great video content Also if tenants had issues with overload and you on a trip easy to find in panels
@@terrybrown5883 Any efforts to move a house off the grid or reduce the loads involve the realization that any 240 load other that the A/C and Well Pump have no place in such a design.
Interesting....So you're saying re-wire things to have 2 panels in my garage.. one for the basement and one for the upstairs? That way I can test 2 separate living conditions with separate solar. Not a bad idea... The basement doesn't use air conditioning though because they live in the basement so that might throw things off a bit.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Yes and it will give you and the other people Since it sound like not much gas is in the Basement Or you could do it in 3 part series Your living area Usage Renter Usage area Everyone access area
@DIY nice update, and i truly hope the two XP works out for you, however the best solution for your application is an hybrid inverter with zero export like the 12Kpv or 18Kpv , 100% of you solar production will be used 100% of the time if you have ANY load in your main panel or load panel or for batteries, 100% nothing is wasted with an Hybrid inverter and allot more simpler to setup, off-grid inverters are truly best when using then for critical loads emergency power backup and or truly off grid, not for peak shaving and other type of basic saving best to use an hybrid inverter with zero export.
@@bhbaker220 technically no because one unit right now he can’t even capture 100% of the solar production, and if you are care about having EG4 inverter, you can by Growatt MIN XH with grid interactive feature and setup zero export they cost less than a EG4 XP and has the same capacity at a 18Kpv the 11.4k version anyways, right now he is planning of using 2 XP to try to solve is issue, i have done this for over 10 years so many lower cost ways to achieve the same thing for this application.. Growatt 11.4k MIN grid tie setup in off-grid mode zero export that cost less than one XP with the capacity of an 18Kpv is truly all he needs, but it’s fun to watch what others do.
I'm always ready to be amazed that one of these eco battery system videos will be appropriately titled and not just hype. So, if I understand it, your home ran off solar panels, the grid, and a battery. I wonder whether overall, that was actually a heftier carbon footprint that only the grid. Also, you include future grid system price increase in your calculations. I keep seeing claims that renewables are driving down the cost of electricity. So as more people and commercial systems feed power into the grid, shouldn't prices remain at least stable or maybe even decrease? Thank you for an overall comprehensive video.
As far as a carbon foot print.. I'm not sure. All I know is that I'll be better off if/when the power goes out. Yeah, it's kinda ironic that energy prices keep going up even though tons of people are pumping power into the grid.
First you videos are great! Been binging them all to learn more so keep it up! With this setup if you don't have have Solar for a few days will the system continue to run without issue (autoswitch to gid)? I read the 6000xp has an ATS but wasnt sure if it would basically prioritize Battery/Solar then grid and switchback to solar once you have PV input.
Yeah, By default it uses solar and battery first and they it will autoswitch to grid if needed. I don't even notice with it switches back and forth. It won't ever charge the battery from grid to save money... unless you chang the setting.
I plan on getting one in the future. If you live in a state that has a lot of red tape, you may want to get the eg4 12k or the 18k because those have more certification
thanks for the break down. I am looking to instal a simuler system in my next home. The home I have now has way to much to support. Pool heat pump, pool pump, elc dryer, house heat pump, Tesla charger and 2 40gal waterheaters. We consume 2500kiloW a month and thats a low month. Yup.. but our next home we will have a lot less appliances. PS how many kilow is you battery bank? thanks sean from Montreal
So how much was the total cost of the product with associated hardware completely installed and running (parts and labor)? I'm just trying to figure how long it will take before it is paid for. So far, from everything I've researched, solar only truly benefits people who are completely off-grid (with no dependence on the power company). Otherwise it's just a high maintenance experiment/toy for people with deep pockets. Nice setup though...
What was your total import from the grid over the two months? Unfortunately the app does not display it on the screen but it might be on the web based app in the data section.
Honestly your house and ADU need to be on either the 12k or 18k from EG4. My money would be the 18k because it has 200 amp passthrough and will not kick the solar to just the battery's if you overload one leg of the bus, the 12K is only 80 amp passthrough.
The only downside is if the 12k or 18k are connected to grid, it will attempt to sell back even if it's turned off in settings. I think even EG4 just recommends having multiple 6000xp inverters instead of using their grid tie systems.
@@TheNodeChannel IMO would not spend that much money unless your going to do a full permit and interconnect agreement. The 18KPV and power pro battery is the only one they sell that is UL9540A as a ESS system inverter + battery which is quickly becoming required in all states. The 12K and 6000xp does not have the UL9540A ESS cert yet I'm sure it's in the works.
16kw or 18kw hydrid is ideal. Future-proof and lots of solar capability. Huge expansion possible with extra batteries. Forget selling back to grid, just use power from electric company on those very heavy dark rainy days.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRaySignature solo actually said that the 12k is certified in more places than the 18k is because of maximum power demands allowed in some locations.
Is the grid power coming from a breaker in your main panel? When you send power from the inverter to the main panel, does that just go into the main through a breaker as well?
There's a transfer switch built in and if the battery/solar gets lot it will automatically switch to grid. That's how I have mine set up anys... I think that's the default setting as most people want to use it that way.
Newbie question: I want to build a simple power emergency system for my dad's small house ( Ecuador South America), the is no power panels. He largest consumption is on his induction stove (220V). I was planing to use one eg4 3000W inverter but i think i can not use it. What is your advice on what is better to use , two EG4 3000w or one EG46000XP? Thanks
I would definitely go with a single 6000 XP. But I would call Signature solar and give them a full description of the property and have them help you make the right decision.
does anyone think this inverter would be a bad idea for a moving vehicle? like an RV, skoolie, Van, etc.? I have not seen any videos of this inverter in a moving vehicle, why is that?
I've seen some people send pictures of it installed in their RV. I'd give Signature solar a call to verify. For a smaller 30 amp RV i'd avoid this unit though.
I'm trying to understand if the 220 HVAC is really pulling 4000 watts at 20 Amps or if that was an example. I have a similar HVAC with soft start and still pulling 28 Amps.
Hello, I recently installed the eg4 6000xp and I noticed that when it is charging the batteries or powering the loads the fans stay on all the time, is this normal? Because my Solark 8k only turns on the fans based on temperature.
They do run a lot. There is a setting in the app where you can turn them down. I turned mine down but it's probably best to ask support before you turn the fans off or adjust them.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Do you think from a design point of view, that the new 12000xp would be as effective as a pair of 6000xp's for your 3 ton AC?
I'd have to look at the spec sheet. It would guess it would be similar.... But I plan on testing that unit. Warranty is the same... No Grid breaker on the 12000xp... But it does have a smart Load out put....which might be nice.
Peace be among you but what would you recommend if a person has not even ten dollars save and lives literally on whatever I can make . To try and start getting to just Power a fridge and a fan. Bad times are coming the cheapest rig on your opinion on someone like me. Thanks for what you do to. Peace be among you and your family.
Greed is running out of control because we've collectively become a nation of sheep. Seventy cents per KW is out of control and folks who are under that need to either move or refuse to pay. The electric company need us as much as we need them. It would be an interesting economic experiment if a meaningful majority would just take 30 cents/Kw off the bill and see blinks first! After all they already live with brown or rolling blackouts. If they cunt those folks off they would also go out of business. Greed last only as long as you allow it to.
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-Torque Screwdriver: amzn.to/3V5q7Iz
-MaxiFlex Nitrile Palm Coated Gloves...amzn.to/3J0K4JD (I love these)
-Wire Guage chat: www.bluesea.com/support/articles/Circuit_Protection/1437/Part_1%3A_Choosing_the_Correct_Wire_Size_for_a_DC_Circuit
-Klein cl900 Meter: amzn.to/4bKuDBK
-BATTERY OPTIONS:
---RUIXU Server Rack Battery: www.currentconnected.com/product/ruixu-rx-lfp48100-19-rack-mounted-3u-battery-ul1973-certified/?ref=diysolarpowerfunray
---EG4 LifePower4 Server Rack Battery: signaturesolar.com/eg4-lifepower4-lithium-battery-48v-100ah/?ref=DiySolarPowerFun
---EG4-WallMount Indoor Battery(Self heating): signaturesolar.com/eg4-wallmount-indoor-battery-280ah-51-2v-14-3kwh-indoor-heated-ul1973-ul9540a/?ref=DiySolarPowerFun
---EG4 PowerPro WallMount Battery(Fully Waterproof): signaturesolar.com/eg4-powerpro-14kwh-all-weather-lithium-solar-battery-wallmount/?ref=DiySolarPowerFun
*Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:52 Appliancnes & Comparing power bill from previous year
7:52 Changes I plan to make
8:24 Total Cost Savings
9:28 Thoughts & Conclusion
Awesome videos ray thanks for the content. Me and my dad just installed the 6000xp using your video as reference and it went smoothly! Also we have a plan where we have free energy at night so it helps to fully charge the batteries and also run heavy loads such as laundry at night for even more savings!
Here in SoCal, as a poor retiree, my off-peak rate is 37 cents/kwh, and peak rate of 75 cents/kwh in the summer, probably the highest in the nation, and we are getting another 18% increase this month as well. So for this month's usage of 1k kwh, my bill, with the $30% discount, is $300 without the solar. My system will be up and running in a week, and I should be able to pay it off in 3 years or sooner if the rates keep ballooning up, and they will, here in California. Thanks for the video, great job! Cheers!
Nice! That's a good return! What type of system did you end up going with?
I came here to say the same thing. I'm in central California. I laugh seeing people on social media complaining that they are paying 15 cents per kwh. I pay 33 cent per kwh for only the first 14 kwh and then it jumps up to 44 cents. But, yes, 3 year pay off.
@@brian_onthetrail Same here So Cal. I just about spit out my drink when he said .15 per kwh. Summer rates here are obscene. .78 kwh. Lowest is .37, I think.
I'm in So Cal as well and not gonna continue being a SLAVE to the grid for much longer. Putting a system on my RV 1st then the off-grid system to run my property. Predicted increases here over 4 years are +40%, and people think the power companies are on the hook for the FIRES. REALLY, they have just passed all that on to us. I guess I need to buy stock in electrical companies, like PG&E, SCE and SDG&E. I'll do that AFTER I put my system to work.
@@marcelracine4154 good on you for becoming independent. I just invested in HE which may be just on the cusp of returning the slow climb to old valuation. Don't invest unless you have fully done your own diligence though. I hope my investment will pay off, now that they have a settlement agreement. We'll see.
Be happy to get mine online finally. Been working on building a shed for it all and at least now have two of three inverters hanging, waiting on the third to show up on back order. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks. Got a 12k mini split already installed waiting for power to make working a little more enjoyable. 96, 300 ah battery cells sitting on the floor waiting to become battery packs.
Beginning to see a little light at the end now..........
Nice. I like the idea of having everything in a shed or a large cabinet away from the house.
Yeah I like it, gets around problems. Need to get the door hung so my chickens quit using it for a play pen. lol
Use Hardy boards behind all electronics in shed. It's fire resistant
Nice work on this one. You’re going to love having 2 XP’s in parallel.
"Awesome videos! Thank you so much for taking the time to walk us through the configuration in such great detail. Your video is well-organized and explains everything clearly, without any unnecessary information. I just purchased two of these and plan to follow your steps and mirror the components myself. Thanks again!"
Appreciate all of your hard work and for sharing the results with all of us.
Thanks, when I am editing these videos I am sometimes wondering if it is worth it. :)
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay you're helping and it's making a difference. Just please try not to get yourself into what I refer to as the UA-camr "INFOMERCIAL" industry. Keep things technical and as unbiased as you can and you'll be good to go.
Electrical note - they are not 120v legs - they are 240v from the transformer. The split-phase neutral allows either 240v leg to provide 120v. When no neutral is in use, it's 240v :)
Incorrect. They ARE 120V legs referenced to ground, or neutral.
L1 to N (or G) is 120V. L2 to N (or G) is 120V. L1 to L2 is 240V.
You said " The split-phase neutral allows either 240v leg to provide 120v."
There IS NO 240V leg. There is 240V BETWEEN legs.
@@wdwtx2.0 Nope! 240v appliances only use each leg not referenced to ground or neutral. Try again!
Great video. As your major appliances go out, consider replacing them with electric heat pump alternatives. They tend to be more efficient and allow you to eventually cut your natural gas bill in addition to your gas and electric bills.
Thanks, I'm hoping to add one of those shortly in my front main living area
Micro-air soft start will likely take care of the lights dimming that is caused by the inrush current on the hvac condenser.
I have new wires new box on my house and my lights will flicker when ac kicks on and I'm on grid only
@@supremeautomotive6749 Yeah, my parents had the same issue and they only have off grid power. We installed a softstart and I don't think they have any dimming anymore.
@@supremeautomotive6749 Same here, but I think I know why - the wires from the pole to my house aren’t big enough. Maybe same for you?
@@1drhnsd1 I had a similar issue - the connections at the MPOE were heavily corroded (and the wire to the power lines also had completely compromised insulation) and one of the phases eventually failed. Power company came out and spliced on new wire and connections to the house (fun to watch the line man doing this with everything live) and dimming was pretty much eliminated. I have a Micro-air easy start ready to install if only to reduce the noise when the A/C starts.
congrats on your new solar array! Very impressive.
I also have the EG4-6000 XP (2 of them) they do seem to often fall back to grid, and the interface does a terrible job of showing the leg imbalance (not with 1 mind you, but with 2, absolutely) I'm pretty annoyed with the frequency of fallback, it LOVES to charge the batteries > cover the house load, even when there is plenty of solar (if my battery is >50%) so I often disconnect grid to force the unit to invert and charge. I recently went through hurricane Helene (Upstate SC) and lived the offgrid life for 7 days, what a learning experience that was! I now have a chargeverter (probably will get a second for 200A charge capacity) as I'd rather be charging the batteries then letting the EG4 switch to gen. I still think they are great units for the money. I have 12K of solar now which covers me and charges 400AH of battery during peak summer, I feel I will need DOUBLE the solar and 3x-5x the battery to handle winter needs. Going to find out soon.
Chargeverters are amazing! If both of you units are in running in parallel it shouldn't switch back to grid often. Mine never have. I wonder if you have some setting off. I'd call signature solar and ask them about you settings. I also have a setting in my app where I can see both inverters together..."Parallel-A". Signature Solar had to enable that for me. Glad you make it though the storm
I just tested my EG4 6000 unit just like yours with the EG4 14.3 Kwh (48V 280Ah) Battery last Tuesday (7-30-24) running my 2 ton A/C unit. This was at my camp/house in Mississippi, 97 degrees was the high, sunny and had my A/C set at a very comfortable 72 degrees for the whole test. I was able to push right at 8 hours out of it until the battery hit 15% SOC. Ran like a champ! I was running the A/C only it was pulling just below 2,500 watts while running. Just thought I would share this info.
Install a soft start
@@LReno-di9cm I did.
Really appreciate you sharing this! Showing people cost comparisons is a big deal a lot of people are curious about to see if going solar is right for them. Great job explaining your point. Enjoyed the content!
Thanks! I should have some good stuff coming still
Looking forward to when you post the next video on paralleling the two inverters!
Thanks, I like videos that give you the facts and no fluff.
"keeping the power on when the power goes out" ... priceless.
.13 cents a KWh where we live in Texas with no off peak different rates. Selling energy back to electricity company is at .03 cents a KWh. I feel really fortunate now seeing some of the other rates here.
Florida about $.15 a kwh.
Nice mountains view.
Might want to consider some EG4 24k mini split systems. they will run directly off the panels.
This exactly what I'm wanting to do with our place. Enough to replace the bulk of our load with solar/battery and provide a whole home backup for grid blips or major weather events. I want to do the same thing with runnining the entire panel and selectively disabling loads during emergencies.
Running the numbers and showing folks what the break even is going to be is very important because the upfront costs scare away the risk averse who are basically 90% of those asking about my system. The power companies are only going to continue to make your life miserable until you break away and take control of your energy consumption and production. DIY is the best and quickest way to getting to break even. I did not DIY mine 8 years ago and that added several years to my break even number. Times have changed and it’s never been easier. I will be upgrading soon based on very good channels such as this and doing it myself. Very nice breakdown and presentation. 👍🏻👍🏻
Agree, Thank you! I'd like to do a video on converting an existing system to have battery backup. Is that the route you'd be going?
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay yep Solaredge inverter grid tied, lg 360 watt panels with optimizers and debating on the EG4 18k or 12k while doubling up the panels on the current 5.44 mw system. May do my parents first on a shop roof with an 18k
My old farmhouse uses, on average, 128 to 135 kw per day. Summer winter doesn't matter. A solar array on the farmette would be great, the 5 ton and 2 ton ac units in the summer, along with the pool motor running 14 hours and a large dehumidifier in the basement, 3 frost free fridges and a frost free upright freezer, and a kid that does two loads of laundry each day, though our dryer is gas, all add up. You would think over the winter the cost would go down BUT, dehumidifier still runs all winter, 6 315W CMH growlights in the basement running 14 hrs each day, and a whole house steam humidifier running at least 10 hours per day (and it turns on the two stage main furnace to circulate the air. I guess I would just need three of those EG4s, 10 batteries and a 30kw solar array to make a dent in my $700/mth electric bill ( we do not have dual rates with cheaper night rates). Also forgot about the Jacuzzi outside and it's 5kw heater lol
Great Video! I see a 2nd channel in the making @11:05 called "Gardening with Ray Loveless". Also overall I think we can see that these old style a/c units will go the way of the dino, the power usage I read on the mini-splits is incredibly lower
Thank you Ray. Excellent job.
I’d run a sine wave matching inverter with the grid, it will feed only as much power as it needs to make up for solar directly and charge the batteries
Very informative sir , you did a great job on this video !
You've made a great presentation. I have an observation and a question. First it seems that the wires coming into your panel are smaller that expected. This may be due to the video and I'm assuming you have a 200 amp service. The question is, given that you have such large panels and 14 of them, I'd like to see how you have configured them so as NOT to overload the MPPT in the inverter, especially as it seems you live in a climate that in the winter could cause over voltage. Again you've done a really nice job.
I actually have a 100 amp service. However my electrician installed this new 200 amp electrical panel 4 years ago. The MPPT is just for solar. This inverter has 2 mppt's. My Solar voltage max during the winter should be well below the allowed voltage of the mppt's. Thanks, you had me double check, questioning myself... never hurts.
I had the problem of shutting down with unbalanced leg by requiring more current off one 120V side I solved the problem by finding a 220V to 120V transformer with high current capability. I us the output from that to run ALL my 120V items. There is a slight efficiency loss but no more unbalanced leg. Just make sure there is primary to secondary isolation and connect one 120V wire to neutral and be sure ground is secure. This connection carries the full current load for all the 120V loads combined. Ground should carry no current. Also, be sure to fuse the primary. This feeds all my 120V breakers that would normally be connected to the split phase. All 220V loads works normally. The electrician knew exactly what to do.
Very interesting! Could you email me some pictures of what the electrician did and the transformer he used?
GOOD diy research Ray! 🤓 (on B.E.S.S.) From 20+ years in industry, I found that most have no clue how much energy they consume 🙀🔥 so if serious owners (diy/ future offgriders, etc.) Learn & PRACTICE Living off-grid for A YEAR with min. needs (Refrigerator, LEDs, Wash. Machine & bedroom mini-split s, etc.) , then they are able live comfortably, & stress free, as long as needed on Solar PV+ battery only when grid fails , with most 💵💲saved!🗽 🌅🔋💡
you should setup the soft start for your Central AC.
The 6000xp is a great off-grid solar inverter and I don’t think anything comes close for the price. Great to see you are saving money! My bills have dropped as well and I’m generally saving 500-750 kWh a month compared to before installing mine. Will hook up my 2nd one as soon as I install additional panels and that should get me 99% off the grid. Thanks for sharing videos as it helps us all learn! 👍
Nice. Have you had it a while? How many watts of panels do you have?
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay installed the inverters in January running off (12) 405w panels (only using 1 MPPT). Haven’t yet hooked up the 2nd inverter but one is running my house at night now. Am waiting on a back ordered brightmount rack from Signature Solar to finish installing the remaining panels and hooking up the second inverter. Will post a video if I ever get it finished! 🤣😂👍. Love your channel!
@@terrahillfarmGood off grid inverter, what's the power draw at idle...? Let's say 60W...? A same power victron inverter will draw less then half of that. Low idle consumption is key for off grid, that's make all EG4 pretty bad for this situation.
@@honumoorea873 Victron is hands down, a higher quality inverter than the EG4. It also costs 4 times as much to do the same thing. Two 6000xp cost $3,000 for 12k output. A 10k output Victron system costs over $12,000. If your family’s survival depends on reliable off grid power, you should buy the Victron, if not, you have cheaper options. Everyone’s solar use case is different. 👍
Put your Fans on Slope to stop it from jumping to your setting of say 70%. I use 100% Slope. You need it to cool according to its internal heat or it could damage it.
My grid cost for power rises to .60/kwh in peak hours, so searching options to affect the costs of power AFTER I get a .27/kwh credit for the production of my 10YO 7950W of existing solar. I'm in the SW area of the country and gotta get this cost under control as we move to retirement.
great video ray, I wonder how your going to charge 2 diff battery bank while combine 2 inverters in the same time, looking forward for the next video
Once you pass 1kw in input fans become really loud. I have the predecessor to these the lv6548 and did the same thing as you powering the main breaker box. I didn't know that about the input switching both legs to grid over if 1 leg goes over. I'm waiting for a few 2awg butt splices to come in to run my AC bypass.
I'm going to buy $200 worth of ff2 flashing and a few xr10 rails and install 30 panels on my roof instead of having them in the yard.
You have to get rid of the central ac to run completely off solar.
That’s a nice vegetable garden in front of those panels. Maybe a video on that soon? All part of going off grid :-)😮
15 cents a KWh for electricity is very cheap. San Diego is up to around 47 cents at peak rate from 4 to 9 pm. And Oct 1, 2025 will bring a fixed fee of $24 that everyone on the grid has to pay. Fixed fees incentivize going off grid rather than using the 6000XP grid input feature. But ofc, one has to have capacity for cloudy days (aka marine layer in San Diego from the Pacific from Jan to June depending how many miles inland one lives). That means more pricey batteries from China which we may go to war with over South Asia
10.57 cents per kilowatt hour in Union County, NC. Electric coop which has a stake in a nuclear power plant. Unfortunately, such a low rate means it would take nearly 11 years to break even on a DIY kit.
You could also get a dual fuel generator that can hook up to your natural gas feed... And you can have it kick on automatically when your batteries get low. That would save you from having to buy a really large battery bank.
I'd give it a couple years. We were recently at those prices.
You could put a soft start on your ac it will stop light flickering and use less electricity
it is good you are able to reduce your reliance on the monopoly known as the national electric grid. We said goodbye to the grid and have never regretted it. That's right, no connection whatsoever to the grid. We have not needed it. We have an EG4 18Kpv, 60 kilowatts of DIY Apexium batteries and 36 Bi-Facial solar panels @405 watts for a total of 14.6 kilowatts. System cost was less than $20K. Freedom is not measured in terms of ROI (Return On Investment). Our power is secure from outside computers disconnecting our power like with a smart meter attached to the grid. Our batteries are topped off by noon every day, even with the AC running.
@@stevenfrazier8939 damn, that's one hell of a setup. Is it on the roof or ground? How long have you had it up and running?
More info please.
Nice! I'd love to make a call to the local power company and have them disconnect me!!
Ground mount. we live in Michigan and experience lake effect snow, so we have to be able to clean them off. Completely off grid as of February 2024. Our batteries almost never fall below 95% state of charge.
Our rack mount is adjustable for winter and summer. we use way more power in the summer with the AC units than winter. Even though we have 6 days of power from the 60 kilowatts, If the sun dose not shine and we think the batteries will fall below 50% which they never have i will start the 6500 watt All-Powers Diesel generator and with the EG4 Chargeverter we will bring them back to full. The generator runs on waste veggie-oil that we collect from a local restaurant. It is settled for two weeks and then the clear liquid is sent through a 400, 200, 100 and 75 micron bucket filter. afterwards we add 10% gasoline to the oil and send it through a 20, 5 and 1 micron finishing filters. The oil is kept in a 275 gallon IBC Tote where it waits for use latter on. all of the filters are cleanable and reusable. In the winter the Bi-Facial panels supply pretty much everything we need due to the cold and the snow hitting the back side. The generator takes the place of the grid and is cheaper per kilowatt to run.
Great videos! I'm just wondering if there is a mode in the inverter that will allow solar, batteries, and grid to work together to meet the 6kw+ power need. It wouldn't make sense to not have such a mode. And I wonder if there are other brands in the market that allow all three to work together.
The 12kpv may do this, but I don't know for sure... I have the 12K in my garage and I will be testing it next. This will be one of the features I am most excited to try out.
I have the same inverter, I just shut the AC off when I'm running other high draw appliances, since a microwave or other appliance is only on for a short time, but it is just me and my wife, so it's pretty easy..Heat kills electronics, I run mine high, the fan doesn't bother me at all..
This is the video where where install the 2nd inverter and explain my decision in selecting that wire: ua-cam.com/video/pBKh2Blsnrk/v-deo.htmlsi=A5ZpkK9oGZVSAfXd
ROI is also user experience, keeping doing your stuff without interruptions is value. I like to think the ROI is cash + good experience, so it pays itself a little faster
Someone else mentioned here that "freedom is not measured in terms of ROI". I like that
Have you looked at a soft start for the AC? That should also avoid dimming on startup and would make your compressor last longer.
You should change the one speed AC for a central split Inverter.
Ya..I want to add one into my main living room.
Wow, your old array doing 15kWh a day and now your new array doing 25kWh a day!
Congratulations
If you haven't already added a soft-start to your AC unit and this should stop your lights from dimming.
My wife told me to not even think about putting panels anywhere. I'm stuck with only an inverter and batteries. I envy you.
For me, I had to turn off the power for a couple of days. That did the trick. ;)
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Ha ha. That would be a last resort for me. I thought just showing her the electric bill during the summer would do it. Nope. She's got every last wall, fence and open space covered with flowers or plants in the backyard. I'm not doing roof mount. Way too much headache here in CA.
Instead of solar panels, could you think of using a vertical axis wind turbine of 6kW or less? That may give you day-and-night power, and has a small footprint on the ground. Just a thought.
@@rtsrts2317 Replace your wife...
@@honumoorea873that would be extraordinarily more expensive than any electric bill.
Thanks for update great information as usual! My 6000xp does not have the muscle to run my well pump unfortunately
They make 48 v. DC well pumps that use less power. I wonder if that's an option?
TY
3:26 i un-paused the video and was confused, i thought i was watching something else for a second... then I realized 😅. Howdy, neighbor
Nice. the mountains looked so good that morning I had to include them :)
Your pricing also assumes new panels which have a much higher cost. If you're on a budget, used panels can be had for far less.
Get a soft start for your ac
To fix the dimming lights problem
Yes that would be definitely ideal but I want to keep it off just to test the dimming on different inverters
I live just north of you in Idaho Falls. I’d love to show you my 48v system I put in my motorhome via video call sometime (unless I can find time the first week of Sept when I take it down to the Ogden area for a weekend trip). I think you would be one of the few people to appreciate what I did. Spoiler alert…. 20kw of lithium and a 6000xp inverter!
Nice!!! Feel free to email me some pics.
They make soft start units for the a/c.
I was under the impression the inverter takes from grid only the difference between what the load requires to run and whats not being produced by solar. Didnt know the whole thing switches over to grid.
I was under this same impression at first
If the inverter is connected to the grid, don't you have to have a transfer switch in the electrical panel? Because I though you said in the video that it AUTOMATICALLY switches from battery to grid power when the battery is low, but don't you have to flip the transfer switch MANUALLY from battery to grid so that you run off only one OR the other but not both at the same time? I'm very new to the solar scene. Thanks for all your videos. Well done.
It all passes through the inverter. There's a bypass mode that turns off the inverter and just feeds the grid line directly to his load and at the same time charge the batteries. Ray ended up using wire tappers (Forgot which brand) on his connection from the grid before it hits the main breaker for the electrical panel for the EG4 6000xp.
Yup. There's more details in the original install video. Thanks. 👍
@@TheNodeChannel Thanks much for your reply. I don’t know what wire tapper is but I’ll re-watch the original install videos.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Thanks Ray. Appreciate it.
@@TheNodeChannel , The EG4 6k, as well as my Sungold 6k are Hybrid inverters, connected to the grid without backfeeding the grid by design. My Sungold CAN be grid tie enabled, but I don't have permission to do that. My unit simply is connected to the grid to automatically switch power to the house thru the solar/battery array and grid in that order. Cheers!
the new 12kpv can work with both the inverter and load at the same time even when you overload it.
To be honest I'm skeptical. However, I'll be testing this shortly in a future video(with the 12kPV). :)
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay I have it. I charge my car with a 6.5kwh charger and the ac goes above the 8kwh. After that, the grid supplies the demand after the 8kwh. So if I use 9kwh, the inverter from battery/solar provides 8kwh and the grid provides 1kwh.
@@AlmightyPyro Wow, That's awesome!! That alone would be worth the upgrade from the 6000xp. I'm excited to try it out.
$0.56 per Kwh here in central California.
Wow!
That's insane! It's $0.15 per kwh here in Dallas.
Here in the Los Angeles area, it's $0.75 peak rate, dang it.
PVREA electric cooperative here in northern Colorado has great rates and is very supportive of supplying green power (a voluntary $1.00 per month fee). My PEAK rate 4pm to 9pm is $0.168 per kWh and the rest of the time is $0.0597 per kWh. It makes our new electric car next to free to fuel up. I do have concerns about significant duration outages, but so far have had a hard time justifying a system for lowering my daily use. Good video as always. Thanks!
Ventura, TOU, $.47 peak, but inherited a PPA with 4.4 kW at $.21. We just got an EV and I now want a 6000XP for the car charger.
Great video Ray , now hurry up and drop that solar array build video. You’ve done enough editing 😂😂😅- j/k but seriously, we want to see the video!
Thanks. I'm not done yet though. Getting close :).
Use OBS for a free and fairly easy way to screen record. Better than camera pointed at screen.
Thank you. I'll check that out.
Have you not had issues with only 3kw available to each phase? My AC is 3ton, and uses about 2kW each phase (about 4kw total hottest part of day) and my standing load is about 800w with all the silly vampir devices. Doesn’t leave a lot of room for additional load when we’re already using about 2500w on each phase.
Yeah, I'm having the same experience. Going to grid too often. I've got 2 running my house in now. they are doing great but I'm gonna try some other inverters.
Is that a low frequency inverter?
No. High frequency
If you were in Southern California, a 1,500kw utility bill would be over $500.00.
That's crazy.
Question Ray
Have you will you be able to put the Basement separate from the main House
This would show you much more less power you or They use each month
Maybe in the future. Their basement electrical is kind of complicated
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay
My think was place al the beaker for the Basement on the Right side of Panel Upstairs house on the Left
Step two since you have 2 6000xp inverter 1 on left 1 on right
My lthink is how to track each other since the basement sound like it is mostly electric
This would also give you chance to adjust solar according to both needs and make great video content
Also if tenants had issues with overload and you on a trip easy to find in panels
@@terrybrown5883 Any efforts to move a house off the grid or reduce the loads involve the realization that any 240 load other that the A/C and Well Pump have no place in such a design.
Interesting....So you're saying re-wire things to have 2 panels in my garage.. one for the basement and one for the upstairs? That way I can test 2 separate living conditions with separate solar. Not a bad idea... The basement doesn't use air conditioning though because they live in the basement so that might throw things off a bit.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Yes and it will give you and the other people
Since it sound like not much gas is in the Basement
Or you could do it in 3 part series
Your living area Usage
Renter Usage area
Everyone access area
@DIY nice update, and i truly hope the two XP works out for you, however the best solution for your application is an hybrid inverter with zero export like the 12Kpv or 18Kpv , 100% of you solar production will be used 100% of the time if you have ANY load in your main panel or load panel or for batteries, 100% nothing is wasted with an Hybrid inverter and allot more simpler to setup, off-grid inverters are truly best when using then for critical loads emergency power backup and or truly off grid, not for peak shaving and other type of basic saving best to use an hybrid inverter with zero export.
If you just had the one 6000XP vs a hybrid, the payout time would twice as long.
@@bhbaker220 technically no because one unit right now he can’t even capture 100% of the solar production, and if you are care about having EG4 inverter, you can by Growatt MIN XH with grid interactive feature and setup zero export they cost less than a EG4 XP and has the same capacity at a 18Kpv the 11.4k version anyways, right now he is planning of using 2 XP to try to solve is issue, i have done this for over 10 years so many lower cost ways to achieve the same thing for this application.. Growatt 11.4k MIN grid tie setup in off-grid mode zero export that cost less than one XP with the capacity of an 18Kpv is truly all he needs, but it’s fun to watch what others do.
The only thing I'm thinking those bi fac panels need to be able to collect both sides your against wall
Yeah, i think I'll like them during cloudy winter days.
I'm always ready to be amazed that one of these eco battery system videos will be appropriately titled and not just hype. So, if I understand it, your home ran off solar panels, the grid, and a battery. I wonder whether overall, that was actually a heftier carbon footprint that only the grid.
Also, you include future grid system price increase in your calculations. I keep seeing claims that renewables are driving down the cost of electricity. So as more people and commercial systems feed power into the grid, shouldn't prices remain at least stable or maybe even decrease?
Thank you for an overall comprehensive video.
As far as a carbon foot print.. I'm not sure. All I know is that I'll be better off if/when the power goes out.
Yeah, it's kinda ironic that energy prices keep going up even though tons of people are pumping power into the grid.
Wow 15 cents per kwh is about 50% higher then much of the country. The average was 10 cents per kwh but I'm not sure what it is in 2024..
First you videos are great! Been binging them all to learn more so keep it up! With this setup if you don't have have Solar for a few days will the system continue to run without issue (autoswitch to gid)? I read the 6000xp has an ATS but wasnt sure if it would basically prioritize Battery/Solar then grid and switchback to solar once you have PV input.
Yeah, By default it uses solar and battery first and they it will autoswitch to grid if needed. I don't even notice with it switches back and forth. It won't ever charge the battery from grid to save money... unless you chang the setting.
Nice setup and info! Regarding the inverter, did you need a permit? Same question for the solar installation.
I plan on getting one in the future. If you live in a state that has a lot of red tape, you may want to get the eg4 12k or the 18k because those have more certification
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Thanks
thanks for the break down. I am looking to instal a simuler system in my next home. The home I have now has way to much to support. Pool heat pump, pool pump, elc dryer, house heat pump, Tesla charger and 2 40gal waterheaters. We consume 2500kiloW a month and thats a low month. Yup.. but our next home we will have a lot less appliances.
PS how many kilow is you battery bank?
thanks sean from Montreal
Only 3 batteries for now... which is about 15kwh.
So how much was the total cost of the product with associated hardware completely installed and running (parts and labor)? I'm just trying to figure how long it will take before it is paid for. So far, from everything I've researched, solar only truly benefits people who are completely off-grid (with no dependence on the power company). Otherwise it's just a high maintenance experiment/toy for people with deep pockets. Nice setup though...
Thanks,, I break down the prices at the beginning of the original install video. 👍
Have you considered installing a soft start for your air conditioner?
Yes but they are fairly pricey so I think I'm going to first try adding that second 6000 XP. Hopefully that will fix the dimming.
I have same inverter but EG4 batteries.
What are your battery settings?
What was your total import from the grid over the two months? Unfortunately the app does not display it on the screen but it might be on the web based app in the data section.
Honestly your house and ADU need to be on either the 12k or 18k from EG4. My money would be the 18k because it has 200 amp passthrough and will not kick the solar to just the battery's if you overload one leg of the bus, the 12K is only 80 amp passthrough.
The only downside is if the 12k or 18k are connected to grid, it will attempt to sell back even if it's turned off in settings. I think even EG4 just recommends having multiple 6000xp inverters instead of using their grid tie systems.
@@TheNodeChannel IMO would not spend that much money unless your going to do a full permit and interconnect agreement. The 18KPV and power pro battery is the only one they sell that is UL9540A as a ESS system inverter + battery which is quickly becoming required in all states. The 12K and 6000xp does not have the UL9540A ESS cert yet I'm sure it's in the works.
16kw or 18kw hydrid is ideal. Future-proof and lots of solar capability. Huge expansion possible with extra batteries. Forget selling back to grid, just use power from electric company on those very heavy dark rainy days.
@Mike-01234 hmmm... I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that the 12K had all the same certifications as 18Kpv.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRaySignature solo actually said that the 12k is certified in more places than the 18k is because of maximum power demands allowed in some locations.
Is the grid power coming from a breaker in your main panel? When you send power from the inverter to the main panel, does that just go into the main through a breaker as well?
The original install video explains more clear what I did. Thanks! :). ua-cam.com/video/nAJByNRCw0k/v-deo.html
I'm not seeing the solar array build video.😕
It's almost finished :).
Good content..
Does this system need an automatic transfer switch?
There's a transfer switch built in and if the battery/solar gets lot it will automatically switch to grid. That's how I have mine set up anys... I think that's the default setting as most people want to use it that way.
Newbie question: I want to build a simple power emergency system for my dad's small house ( Ecuador South America), the is no power panels. He largest consumption is on his induction stove (220V). I was planing to use one eg4 3000W inverter but i think i can not use it. What is your advice on what is better to use , two EG4 3000w or one EG46000XP? Thanks
I would definitely go with a single 6000 XP. But I would call Signature solar and give them a full description of the property and have them help you make the right decision.
@diySolarPowerFunWithRay many thanks!!
does anyone think this inverter would be a bad idea for a moving vehicle? like an RV, skoolie, Van, etc.? I have not seen any videos of this inverter in a moving vehicle, why is that?
I've seen some people send pictures of it installed in their RV. I'd give Signature solar a call to verify. For a smaller 30 amp RV i'd avoid this unit though.
Others have reported ... Dimmer Switches don't work and the lights will flicker, with this inverter.
Can anyone confirm this?
@SubmarineShane You can confirm this, yourself, by watching other videos
I'm trying to understand if the 220 HVAC is really pulling 4000 watts at 20 Amps or if that was an example. I have a similar HVAC with soft start and still pulling 28 Amps.
It 240v AC used about 3600 watts when it's running.
550 watt panels.... wow.. pallets of panels for $330 @ san tan
Hello, I recently installed the eg4 6000xp and I noticed that when it is charging the batteries or powering the loads the fans stay on all the time, is this normal? Because my Solark 8k only turns on the fans based on temperature.
They do run a lot. There is a setting in the app where you can turn them down. I turned mine down but it's probably best to ask support before you turn the fans off or adjust them.
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay ok ,thanks
Can it start inductive loads
I needed another for it to start my air conditioner(3 ton)
@diySolarPowerFunWithRay thx. That's good info
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay Do you think from a design point of view, that the new 12000xp would be as effective as a pair of 6000xp's for your 3 ton AC?
I'd have to look at the spec sheet. It would guess it would be similar.... But I plan on testing that unit. Warranty is the same... No Grid breaker on the 12000xp... But it does have a smart Load out put....which might be nice.
I'll be testing that :)
12 cents kwh in Reno
Wonder what it will be when Lake Mead finally stops producing electricity
Aren’t these not supposed to be on grid connected
They use the grid connection port for backup power. They don't do grid backfeeding
@@diySolarPowerFunWithRay thank you , this all still new so I was confused.
Nice hobby
Thanks Ray. Like 679
Peace be among you but what would you recommend if a person has not even ten dollars save and lives literally on whatever I can make . To try and start getting to just Power a fridge and a fan. Bad times are coming the cheapest rig on your opinion on someone like me. Thanks for what you do to. Peace be among you and your family.
What country do you live in?
Usa texas
Greed is running out of control because we've collectively become a nation of sheep. Seventy cents per KW is out of control and folks who are under that need to either move or refuse to pay. The electric company need us as much as we need them. It would be an interesting economic experiment if a meaningful majority would just take 30 cents/Kw off the bill and see blinks first! After all they already live with brown or rolling blackouts. If they cunt those folks off they would also go out of business. Greed last only as long as you allow it to.
Don't buy these POS's guys. Learned my lesson that cost me thousands in the end. Go with Victron and be done. NO issues what so ever.
Do you have a picture of your victron setup?
The 6000xp have been failing....
Do you have some sources? I haven't heard this.