Really enjoyed seeing the 18Kpv paired with the Ethos battery. This is a very clean setup and you made it clear and easy for people to follow what you were doing. Great job teaching. Keep spreading the good word!!
The EG4 can limit the amount of AC Grid power that comes into the unit. If I were to limit to 55 amps (wire size amp limit) That is 6600w. I would only need this on some days in the winter when the sun is not charging the batteries as I need.
@@DIYVolts If the battery's dead and the Sun is down, those conductors need to serve the entire load of the panel (from the grid source.) AND charge the battery. The conductors should be sized accordingly. By the way 55 Amps @ 240Vac is 13,200VA. Thanks for the video. I know how hard you worked on it.
@@DIYVolts Technically according to code the wire "must" be able to handle the maximum current available to the circuit. So although you can tell the EG4 to limit to 55A which would be #6, you should size the wire to meet what your grid connection is weather it be 100 or 200 amps. I would hate for you the have a house fire and your insurance company "flag" you for not wiring to at least national code.
So let's say your hybrid inverter has gone kaput, does that mean you need to rewire to get power from the grid? because now your grid wires are directly connected to your inverter.
I used wago connectors in my main house panel. I would need to reconnect the house breakers in the house panel. It would take an hour but it would not be hard to do. (Each wire is labeled in both panels Hot and Neutral)
You should also turn all of the breakers off before shutting off the main breaker and then turn them on one at a time after turning the main breaker on.
I am about to connect the grid. Might not be on video. You can set the grid to turn on and run at a set amp value based on battery state of charge. This means I can run the grid at 5000w and be fine with my wire size and still charge the batteries.
@@DIYVolts seems most videos I've seen are all using critical loads panels. Having a hard time finding examples of passing the full 200a through to an existing main panel.
@@paulbram2 Where would 200 Amps be coming from? Not this inverter. 50 Amps max. But in this case, there's only 6kW of PV. So it'll never exceed 25 Amps.
Big Battery sent the Ethos for review. I have a rhino 2 (same as the eg4 wall mount) and it is a good battery. They take up more space. And the wall mount is 309 pounds. Its easier to move 120 pound modules.
Your wire sizes are worrying me. Should be 2 gauge wire feeding that 100amp breaker, maybe you could get away with 4. Looks smaller than that. Even if you aren't needing to draw that much current the wire should match the breaker. Downsize the breaker if you need to.
Good point. The EG4 allows for setting amps for AC charging. I can set the max charging at 55 amps and use the 6awg wire. That is 6600w. I am only using the AC power to charge the battery when it gets below a set SOC.
The grid and load are both 6awg. This size wire can handle 55 amps. The inverter is a 12kw system so 240v * 55amp: 13200w. The wire size is large enough to handle the output of the inverter. So far in over a month of use I have not had a load over 3000w. As for the grid I have not had to use that so far. But I will limit the charge down to 4000w so that it is well within the wire size.
Don't see cts connected and no grid power shown from inverter screen. cement board would be better choice. metal conduit for pv wires and look like you use ac wires for pv and no ferrule at all. battery cable strip look too short and no torque wrench use. Would like to see update inverter pulling power from grid. #2 wires feed to sub panel for safety load amperage.
The breaker I have coming from my house grid panel is only 40amp. My 6awg wire is able to handle 55 amp. when I connect the grid I will only use the power to charge the battery when it drops below a set SOC. I am also able to set the charging amps from the grid. likely I will not have that above 35 amps. That is 4200w charging. The AC will only charge the battery from 20% to 50% SOC. Otherwise the system is off grid only.
This is really bad , stranded wire screwed down is NOT a good connection, You need to get an electrician or learn how to use crimped Feral connections.
You're suppose to use wire ferrules on stranded PV wire. Its in the install manual.
Thank you for the information. Looks like page 16 in the manual does indicate ferrules.
Really enjoyed seeing the 18Kpv paired with the Ethos battery. This is a very clean setup and you made it clear and easy for people to follow what you were doing. Great job teaching. Keep spreading the good word!!
The system is so easy to work with. Coming up next I am uploading the video for upgrading the Ethos from 10kwh to 20kwh.
Your grid and load wire size seems extremely small???
I thought the same thing.
The EG4 can limit the amount of AC Grid power that comes into the unit. If I were to limit to 55 amps (wire size amp limit) That is 6600w. I would only need this on some days in the winter when the sun is not charging the batteries as I need.
Thanks for clarifying that
@@DIYVolts If the battery's dead and the Sun is down, those conductors need to serve the entire load of the panel (from the grid source.) AND charge the battery. The conductors should be sized accordingly. By the way 55 Amps @ 240Vac is 13,200VA. Thanks for the video. I know how hard you worked on it.
@@DIYVolts Technically according to code the wire "must" be able to handle the maximum current available to the circuit. So although you can tell the EG4 to limit to 55A which would be #6, you should size the wire to meet what your grid connection is weather it be 100 or 200 amps. I would hate for you the have a house fire and your insurance company "flag" you for not wiring to at least national code.
So let's say your hybrid inverter has gone kaput, does that mean you need to rewire to get power from the grid? because now your grid wires are directly connected to your inverter.
I used wago connectors in my main house panel. I would need to reconnect the house breakers in the house panel. It would take an hour but it would not be hard to do. (Each wire is labeled in both panels Hot and Neutral)
You should also turn all of the breakers off before shutting off the main breaker and then turn them on one at a time after turning the main breaker on.
Is that due to an inverter load issue? Seems like the same as a power outage being restored.
@@DIYVolts less inrush of electricity, and it's safer all the way around
What setting did you set your lithium phosphate battery as? Thanks for your video!
The inverter manual indicates that these needed to be set at 0 lithium type to communicate with the battery.
Could you talk about how your grid is connected? Are you passing the full 200a through?
I would like to know as well.
I am about to connect the grid. Might not be on video. You can set the grid to turn on and run at a set amp value based on battery state of charge. This means I can run the grid at 5000w and be fine with my wire size and still charge the batteries.
I will be connecting the grid soon.
@@DIYVolts seems most videos I've seen are all using critical loads panels. Having a hard time finding examples of passing the full 200a through to an existing main panel.
@@paulbram2 Where would 200 Amps be coming from? Not this inverter. 50 Amps max. But in this case, there's only 6kW of PV. So it'll never exceed 25 Amps.
Any reason why you chose the Ethos batteries over the EG4 wall mount batteries?
Big Battery sent the Ethos for review. I have a rhino 2 (same as the eg4 wall mount) and it is a good battery. They take up more space. And the wall mount is 309 pounds. Its easier to move 120 pound modules.
Your wire sizes are worrying me. Should be 2 gauge wire feeding that 100amp breaker, maybe you could get away with 4. Looks smaller than that.
Even if you aren't needing to draw that much current the wire should match the breaker. Downsize the breaker if you need to.
Good point. The EG4 allows for setting amps for AC charging. I can set the max charging at 55 amps and use the 6awg wire. That is 6600w. I am only using the AC power to charge the battery when it gets below a set SOC.
What size wire did you use for grid and load, and why?
The grid and load are both 6awg. This size wire can handle 55 amps. The inverter is a 12kw system so 240v * 55amp: 13200w. The wire size is large enough to handle the output of the inverter. So far in over a month of use I have not had a load over 3000w. As for the grid I have not had to use that so far. But I will limit the charge down to 4000w so that it is well within the wire size.
@@DIYVolts i am using 6awg with 50amps breaker for subpanel
Don't see cts connected and no grid power shown from inverter screen. cement board would be better choice. metal conduit for pv wires and look like you use ac wires for pv and no ferrule at all. battery cable strip look too short and no torque wrench use. Would like to see update inverter pulling power from grid. #2 wires feed to sub panel for safety load amperage.
The breaker I have coming from my house grid panel is only 40amp. My 6awg wire is able to handle 55 amp. when I connect the grid I will only use the power to charge the battery when it drops below a set SOC. I am also able to set the charging amps from the grid. likely I will not have that above 35 amps. That is 4200w charging. The AC will only charge the battery from 20% to 50% SOC. Otherwise the system is off grid only.
This is really bad , stranded wire screwed down is NOT a good connection, You need to get an electrician or learn how to use crimped Feral connections.
True. Ferals are needed on the wire. Good point.