On the Kill-A-Watt meter V.A. is Volt Amps, P.F. is Power Factor. The fluxuations you see is mostly the inaccuracies of the meter itself. Its still a good tool though I have and use one too. As far as your theory of using the power inverter 12V at 10 Amps and converting to 120V at 1 Amp... Assuming perfect conditions (no voltage drops and excluding the efficiency of the inverter itself) Its still the same power in 120W DC and 120W AC. Power is power! Where in FL r you? Im in Tampa Bay area.
@jwaflergmailcom this particular one I bought on ebay. That's where you'll find the best pricing. I think the 250watt ones sell for about $140 now. But really you can find ones that will do 400watts or as high as 600watts for a good price. My buddy bought one that is a 3000watt GTI, and payed $1,100 for it.
@jteplane , All I do is slow the meter. Should the power go out, the grid-tied inverter will shut down automatically. It's called Island Protection. At which point all my power is then diverted to my batteries. Thanks for asking! Are you planning on doing something similar?
Why put the energy back into the grid when you are losing so much power (in comparison)? Why not just load up on a battery bank and run home appliances and lights from the bank? I just think that unless you are putting back what you are taking out of the grid...it doesn't seem worth it. I have done the math and if I put into the grid what I would use to charge batteries and run stuff at night...I save MORE using batteries. Your energy back to the grid is free for them and costs consumers more.
Good job with you power panel, look very nice and everything is wired very cleanly. Kudos for a jobe well done. The PF that you see in the meter is "power factor" which is the ratio between the amount of dissipated (or consumed) power and the amount of absorbed/returned power. It is important in an AC circuit because if less than 1 the circuit's wiring has to carry more current than what would be necessary.
Great Job. FYI PF stands for Power Factor its a percentage on some other factors that the kill-a-watt meter doesnt show. its really not a big deal. all though i just read the lower the power factor the more current draw from a load. hum.
Mrbuki its looking rill good just whanted let ya no that your breakers are not fused they are just a swicth with the sticker on it you have to get a QO breaker 50 or 60 amp to put in that box and then it will pertect on overloads, That is just a swich only ,made for diconect of an out door survice of an ac unit, Thanks Nebraska Dave
You can get that breaker double pool qo from the same store you got that just make shure it has a number on the button it self ant the Qo is rated for DC and those are the ones with the little window that turns red on the breaker..
If you do not plan on using the power right away or are going to use it to charge batteries, then yes it is worth the cost. But only if you plan on only using panels and a grid-tide inverter, it is even more worth it. In my setup, it is basically setup to be the "dumpload".
Great video. I thought that the 250 w grid tie inverters only worked on 24 volts. Are you running 12 volts into it, directly from the panels? If so, how is it working, any issues?
Most GTI will work with12v to 24v panels. No problems so far. I run the cord through the "Kill-a-watt EZ" so I know how much electricity it's pushing back into the grid. When I get more power panels, I will get the same type of GTIs, as they are stackable. And they have a switch to change it from 120v to 240v. And will accept between 14v to 28v solar panel power input.
Sam you helped me out by saying what kind of cord went to your GTI . I sent a message to Michael1970 telling him his GTI was up side down because of heat disopation. I was wrong he was correct so I had to redo my GTIs so I needed new cords. Thanks to you I knew where to get them. CHEERS WINDY NC. PS did you read up on baterys?
Have you tried shuting off your breakers to see your meter turn backwards. unless you have the newer digital meters. My dad did it to his to make sure it was and it worked. Like the setup
Why do you have your batteries right below all of your a/c equipment? One little spark is all it takes I'm sure you know about the hydrogen gas the batteries put out when charging. Get those suckers in a vented box away from your equipment unless you want an explosion & fire
I'm not too worried about the batteries proximety to the a/c equipment, b/c it's located outside. The amount of H2O2 that is produced is quickly desipated by the small breezes that go through my back porch. I do agree with you that we should be careful not to concentrate the gasses that are produced. When I re-design my system, I will place the batteries on another exterior shelf isolated from my other equipment. But, the shorter the wiring, the less power loss you will have. Thanx for the post.
@mrbuki77 That sounds good, it worries me a bit to see batteries that close to an inverter. I have 2 battery banks, one bank of 8 T-105 wired for 12 volt (900 amp hour) And 1 bank of 7 DCS100L AGM'S (C&D tech sold by Interstate battery) wired for 12 volt (700 amp hour) I have them in separate rooms tied to a switch so I can flip between the two. Works quite well!
I would love to see a video of that setup if you would be willing. I love seeing other people's systems. It allows us all to learn. Thanx for the reply. Sam
Nice work... love the setup. One question though, what happens when you have your charge controller on at the same time, since it looks like there isn't a disconnect on the grid tie? Wouldn't that reduce the amount going into your charge controller? Or do you just unplug the GTI? Thanks for the post, keep up the good work!
The power is split between the charge controller and the GTI. But, if I disconnect the GTI at the socket, then it goes into default, so it doesn't use any of the power coming from the panels. I do plan on adding a breaker from the panels to the GTI.
hey you system looks great .glad to see you got your GTI hooked up they seem to work well . I have also made my system look a little better keep us posted .take care and happy holidays
I'm not sure about mike1970, but this is a Xantrex WPower Inverter 3000 Plus. And I got this one from eBay. I payed $100 plus $20.00 for shipping. So, you should be able to get one or about this much. It works great. And if you get 2 of them, you can stack them to feed a 240 breaker.
GREAT Video Im glad to see you organising. Keep up the good work if you have no sun exposier on your concrete sit your batteries on the conrete. They are just like a dog they will absorb that ground temp year round geothermal. Big wives tale about batteries on concrete. Should you worry about accid damaging your conrete put them on heavy plastic to protect your slab. I grew up inFL I know how hot it gets there. batteries are just like us they love 72 degrees. CHEERS WINDY NC
On the Kill-A-Watt meter V.A. is Volt Amps, P.F. is Power Factor. The fluxuations you see is mostly the inaccuracies of the meter itself. Its still a good tool though I have and use one too. As far as your theory of using the power inverter 12V at 10 Amps and converting to 120V at 1 Amp... Assuming perfect conditions (no voltage drops and excluding the efficiency of the inverter itself) Its still the same power in 120W DC and 120W AC. Power is power! Where in FL r you? Im in Tampa Bay area.
smclane6 1 month ago
hey where can you buy Tie- grid Inverters like that one!!?!?!?! pretty cool setup!!!
jwaflergmailcom 4 months ago
@jwaflergmailcom this particular one I bought on ebay. That's where you'll find the best pricing. I think the 250watt ones sell for about $140 now. But really you can find ones that will do 400watts or as high as 600watts for a good price. My buddy bought one that is a 3000watt GTI, and payed $1,100 for it.
mrbuki77 4 months ago
Very neat setup
juancarlosruiz1985 5 months ago
Can you tell me the make of your solar panel converter box. Are you at 24v going into the Grid-Tie Inverter.. How is the wired inside... Cheers.
solaris3000 8 months ago
like it might go that way myself
terrytrooper 1 year ago
how about wind turbine? will help adding much watts to the grid no?
nice video!!
kricotas 1 year ago
nice set up, love it
ditmar11 1 year ago
did you have to get any special permission from the power company or do you just slow the meter?
jteplane 1 year ago
@jteplane , All I do is slow the meter. Should the power go out, the grid-tied inverter will shut down automatically. It's called Island Protection. At which point all my power is then diverted to my batteries. Thanks for asking! Are you planning on doing something similar?
mrbuki77 1 year ago
Why put the energy back into the grid when you are losing so much power (in comparison)? Why not just load up on a battery bank and run home appliances and lights from the bank? I just think that unless you are putting back what you are taking out of the grid...it doesn't seem worth it. I have done the math and if I put into the grid what I would use to charge batteries and run stuff at night...I save MORE using batteries. Your energy back to the grid is free for them and costs consumers more.
rlmarin1968 1 year ago
nice clean setup I need to do the same thing I have a small fire hazard in my house. Keep the videos coming they are fun to watch.
VW
VWRabbitdiesel 1 year ago
Good job with you power panel, look very nice and everything is wired very cleanly. Kudos for a jobe well done. The PF that you see in the meter is "power factor" which is the ratio between the amount of dissipated (or consumed) power and the amount of absorbed/returned power. It is important in an AC circuit because if less than 1 the circuit's wiring has to carry more current than what would be necessary.
Good job.
econewpower 1 year ago
i wonder if you unplug the grid tie will the power factor go up?
daveydee1998 1 year ago
I do not know, but I will make it a point to find out this weekend when I do my maintainance. Thanx for the comments.
mrbuki77 1 year ago
Great Job. FYI PF stands for Power Factor its a percentage on some other factors that the kill-a-watt meter doesnt show. its really not a big deal. all though i just read the lower the power factor the more current draw from a load. hum.
daveydee1998 1 year ago
Mrbuki its looking rill good just whanted let ya no that your breakers are not fused they are just a swicth with the sticker on it you have to get a QO breaker 50 or 60 amp to put in that box and then it will pertect on overloads, That is just a swich only ,made for diconect of an out door survice of an ac unit, Thanks Nebraska Dave
dpdevil1 1 year ago
You can get that breaker double pool qo from the same store you got that just make shure it has a number on the button it self ant the Qo is rated for DC and those are the ones with the little window that turns red on the breaker..
dpdevil1 1 year ago
great info. on loss of power
doug2877 2 years ago
Its nice to see use of the grid tie inverters.
Eye opener on the amps used off the batterys. Very neat setup,
pgm98387 2 years ago
So do you think putting amps into the grid is worth YOUR cost.
wormfarmer1 2 years ago
If you do not plan on using the power right away or are going to use it to charge batteries, then yes it is worth the cost. But only if you plan on only using panels and a grid-tide inverter, it is even more worth it. In my setup, it is basically setup to be the "dumpload".
mrbuki77 2 years ago
How did you make the connection at 1:40 to bypass the charge controller? How did you wire it up?
skippy3840 2 years ago
Great video. I thought that the 250 w grid tie inverters only worked on 24 volts. Are you running 12 volts into it, directly from the panels? If so, how is it working, any issues?
skippy3840 2 years ago
Most GTI will work with12v to 24v panels. No problems so far. I run the cord through the "Kill-a-watt EZ" so I know how much electricity it's pushing back into the grid. When I get more power panels, I will get the same type of GTIs, as they are stackable. And they have a switch to change it from 120v to 240v. And will accept between 14v to 28v solar panel power input.
mrbuki77 2 years ago
So, did you rewire your panels to 24V?
You could also rewire your battery bank to 24V to cut power loss on the DC side.
Does your inverter charge the batteries from grid power if the panels can't?
ncbill12 2 years ago
Nice job. I just got my own Grid tie inverter.I love it. I'm waiting for warmer weather to hook it up.
MrJerryanderson 2 years ago
Sam you helped me out by saying what kind of cord went to your GTI . I sent a message to Michael1970 telling him his GTI was up side down because of heat disopation. I was wrong he was correct so I had to redo my GTIs so I needed new cords. Thanks to you I knew where to get them. CHEERS WINDY NC. PS did you read up on baterys?
OBXSOLWIND 2 years ago
Have you tried shuting off your breakers to see your meter turn backwards. unless you have the newer digital meters. My dad did it to his to make sure it was and it worked. Like the setup
hooptejoe 2 years ago
nice set up
richallenmusic 2 years ago
Why do you have your batteries right below all of your a/c equipment? One little spark is all it takes I'm sure you know about the hydrogen gas the batteries put out when charging. Get those suckers in a vented box away from your equipment unless you want an explosion & fire
slickjimmy76 2 years ago
I'm not too worried about the batteries proximety to the a/c equipment, b/c it's located outside. The amount of H2O2 that is produced is quickly desipated by the small breezes that go through my back porch. I do agree with you that we should be careful not to concentrate the gasses that are produced. When I re-design my system, I will place the batteries on another exterior shelf isolated from my other equipment. But, the shorter the wiring, the less power loss you will have. Thanx for the post.
mrbuki77 2 years ago
@mrbuki77 That sounds good, it worries me a bit to see batteries that close to an inverter. I have 2 battery banks, one bank of 8 T-105 wired for 12 volt (900 amp hour) And 1 bank of 7 DCS100L AGM'S (C&D tech sold by Interstate battery) wired for 12 volt (700 amp hour) I have them in separate rooms tied to a switch so I can flip between the two. Works quite well!
slickjimmy76 2 years ago
I would love to see a video of that setup if you would be willing. I love seeing other people's systems. It allows us all to learn. Thanx for the reply. Sam
mrbuki77 2 years ago
Nice work... love the setup. One question though, what happens when you have your charge controller on at the same time, since it looks like there isn't a disconnect on the grid tie? Wouldn't that reduce the amount going into your charge controller? Or do you just unplug the GTI? Thanks for the post, keep up the good work!
MrLagros 2 years ago
The power is split between the charge controller and the GTI. But, if I disconnect the GTI at the socket, then it goes into default, so it doesn't use any of the power coming from the panels. I do plan on adding a breaker from the panels to the GTI.
mrbuki77 2 years ago
GREAT job and thank you very much for posting!
CencalWS 2 years ago
hey you system looks great .glad to see you got your GTI hooked up they seem to work well . I have also made my system look a little better keep us posted .take care and happy holidays
michael970 2 years ago
Very good work with cleaning up your set up!!
Looks great ,nice and safe !!
I also like the grid tie set up cool stuff,
Outback has some cool grid tie to,but they are big bucks,,,
And yes it can get a guy down when you do the math dc to ac ,thats why you need such a huge set up of wind solar hydro to run your home,,,
chris.
utilitykiller1972 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
nice little setup keep it up! check out my video and let me know what you think.
vibeslord 2 years ago
Hey great stuff, is that the same inverter as mike1970, can you let me know where I can get one
doug2877 2 years ago
I'm not sure about mike1970, but this is a Xantrex WPower Inverter 3000 Plus. And I got this one from eBay. I payed $100 plus $20.00 for shipping. So, you should be able to get one or about this much. It works great. And if you get 2 of them, you can stack them to feed a 240 breaker.
mrbuki77 2 years ago
great bargain
doug2877 2 years ago
You are making great progress on your system. Looks much more organized now. Nice job!
field16 2 years ago
GREAT Video Im glad to see you organising. Keep up the good work if you have no sun exposier on your concrete sit your batteries on the conrete. They are just like a dog they will absorb that ground temp year round geothermal. Big wives tale about batteries on concrete. Should you worry about accid damaging your conrete put them on heavy plastic to protect your slab. I grew up inFL I know how hot it gets there. batteries are just like us they love 72 degrees. CHEERS WINDY NC
OBXSOLWIND 2 years ago