Power Jack 600w Grid Tie Inverter Testing, 800w Solar Power

[drz4000]

Yes, the powerjacks are good for 1/2 their rating.

[bghoss77]

I have a 1200W GTI and 4 - 180W mono panels. Can you increase the energy pumping into the grid if you hook up 2 - 1200W GTI in parallel since it is tapping off the same source, with a battery bank? Because it seems on my setup I am only getting .53 on the power factor with just 1 GTI.

[taztaz79]

Hmm 112F is nothing! You know that a transistor can handle around 200F.. I would start to worry if the temp goes over 170F ... 112F is cool! :)

My SUN-250w inverter gives out 220-230w out to the 230v net. I have been running this inverter for 12-15hours straight with maxload without it breaking. Usally also inverters have a overheating protection if it gets to hot it will lower the output.. I don't know if the powerjack has that though.. But i also agree with you, you should not run max load..

[potatoepeter1]

This tool is very good. But in germany we say dont forget the "Milchmädchenrechnung" ...Okay (otto Kayser) Cheers

[drz4000]

Get another 18v put it in series with the 18v you have. Then put both in parallel and you will have 36v at 265 watts.

[hotsexybrownguy]

Hey, I had a quick question about grid tie.

I have a 180 watt 36 V panel and a 85 watt 18 volt panel

A 300 watt grid tie can only handle 14 - 28 VOLTS

A 500 watt grid tie can handle 22 - 60 volts

How the heck would I try to grid tie both panels with just one grid tie inverter, since the voltages do not match up?

[jakethepup1]

I sent the 600 watt back, and exchanged for the 1200 watt, works much better. It costed me 100 dollars more. It is not like yours however, only one cooling fan. but it is better made, and it does cool better. I was afraid of the 600 watt ran way too hot, and the output was only about half what it should have been. I did not get the one with the LED meter, I had seen some bad things on youtube about the LED 1200 watt inverter. The 1200 watt one has been working about a week now.

[drz4000]

@jakethepup1 Yeah the 1200 watt is much better beyond 350 watts. How much PV do you have?

[jakethepup1]

@drz4000 I have two 220 watt UL solar panels connected to the 1200 watt inverter, and I have one 130 watt UL solar panel connected to the 300 inverter. I have the panels mounted on a tool shed so now I have that roof covered. Now I am thinking about getting about getting 7 230 watt sharp panels using Ephase microinverters. I have been shopping around for the best price, I want something that I can expand on.

[helloman1976]

I've heard a number of times now that the grid tie inverters best operation voltage is around 24 volts DC and that if you go over that you lose efficiency. I dont know why this is but it's what I've seen on a number of actual tests. Also it seems like you are really cranking out some AMPs with your setup, no doubt from the 2S2P setup you went with but it's nice to see 14 AMPs pretty continuously at 30VDC.

Have you found generally that you basically get half the rated watts per solar panel?

[vang7733]

@drez4000 ha I want to buy a 1

[drz4000]

@garboelec1 I think we are saying the same thing...my 600w unit is a 500w peak and 300w continous duty (without any additional cooling).

[jakethepup1]

This reply is not for the 600 watt inverter, but I cannot find a forum for powerjack on the internet. I hooked up a 300 watt inverter that I purchased back in Dec. 2009 never had used it, I connected the 300 watt inverter to a 130 watt UL solar panel, and this inverter work much better than the 600 watt unit. The 300 watt inverter is outputting about 112 watts at peak power now this is more like it. Drz400 and all you guys thanks for your information.

[drz4000]

@jakethepup1 Jake, you must have had a bad 600w (chinese quality control)...with (1) 205 watt panel on my 600w unit I got 188 out at peak.

[drz4000]

@garboelec1 I don't agree.... I just say they are over spec'ed. If the 600 watt unit is used with 400 watts of PV I get about 350 watts out. Close to 90% eff. But when used at 400 and above it drops to 80%.

[jakethepup1]

@Skalfort11 , kind of looks like your 1200 is maybe a little more eff. than the 600 watt inverter I had. But it does seems to run a lot cooler than mine did. I had thought when powerjack receive my 600 watt back I would try to pay the differance and bump it up to the 1200 watt one. But with your test, it seems they are not very eff. Unless you and myself were just unlucky enough to get the lemons. I have a 300 watt and 130 UL solar panel I have yet to hookup maybe I will do that today.

[Skalfort11]

Just got the 1200 yesterday. For reference, I have 2070 watt Yingli system on my roof with a Fronius 2000 grid tie inverter. At 1:00 PM on slightly cloudy day, I'm reading 1480 watts or ~71%.

I hooked up 6 125 watt UL solar that are ground mounted, so maybe less sun compared to roof. 2x3 in series for 750 watts. 29 volts at PJ. Reading 420 watts at LCD, and 399 at outlet with kill a watt. Have a fan blowing, but unit is just slightly warm to touch. 40 minutes in. I'll update.

[jakethepup1]

ok hooked up 2 12volt batteries in series fully charged. Using a Kill A Watt meter output was 222 watts. The inverter got extremely hot. After draining the batteries down, I connected the batteries to one of my solar panel 220 watt. Using a amp meter I was seeing 6.1 amps to the batteries.

I do think with the test above, I have proven at least to myself that this inverter is a energy hog. Since the seller is not going to help me out much going to take the cover off and have a look inside.

[drz4000]

@jakethepup1 I agree. Your panel was probably putting out close to 200w into the batts. My 600w unit doesn't get hot until over 350w.

[drz4000]

Do you have (2) 12 volt batteries (car battery or similar). If so put them in series and connect to the inverter....see what you put in and get out (both V & I). Next on a sunny day with the panel at 30 degrees into the sun connect the panel to the 2 batteries (drain them some first) to charge it. Mesure the current...you shoulde get at least 200 watts (28v, 7 amps). I would get 320 watts out all the time with 400w of panels.

[jakethepup1]

Drz4000, I finally got a reply from the seller, here is the reply. Hi my friend,

sorry for the delay reply. as our working experience, we find that the solar panel your order only can get 70% effiency. so 220w*70%=154w, you can test your solar panel, so for our inverter, if it is 154w, so 154w*80%=123w. so it is usual to get 110w. you can test it by the red and black side to see how many amps it can get?

So what is your take on this math, I thought the inverter was 90 percent eff.

[jakethepup1]

Ok I hooked my panels up in series this morning, I only got 211 watts out, So this inverter is only outputting less than half of the rated wattage of the panels. I have sent two E-mails to the seller and also sent messages thru Skype and they do not reply to the E-mails. So guys, I would save your money and go with Enphase inverters, I would had done this from the start but I really did not want to run the 240 and install a new breaker live and learn I guess. This inverter = paper weight.

[drz4000]

@jakethepup1 What are the watts in? V and I. Since you said morning....was the sun at a good angle? If you have 3 12 volt batteries you could also put them in series and check the inverter.

[jakethepup1]

My 600 watt came in today, not happy, first of all the fault light is out, and the unit was used and the power cord even was dotted with paint. But with only one 220 watt panel connected I only get 105 watts out, after only about 4 mintues the fan came on and this unit is getting very hot. So for my test I am getting less than 50 percent output in the noon sun and zero clouds. I am not even going to hook up the other panel I think the thing would melt. Going to connect the seller.

[drz4000]

@jakethepup1 thats not right. what was the V and I into the unit? If it was putting out 105watts in order to be hot you must have about 100w being disapated by the unit. Contact seller and send back.

[jakethepup1]

@drz4000 on open end on panel, 32.6 volts across the inverter the voltage is 28.8 volt. Since I have two panels I disconnected the first panel and connected the second one, same result as the first panel, I then decided to connect both panels I got 215 watts out. which is less than what one panel is rated.

I contacted the seller yesterday and have yet to recieve an E-mail. Like I said before I wish I had seen this video and just order the 1200 watt one.

[drz4000]

@jakethepup1 Did you also try them in series? I would think you should get about 370 watts from your 2 panels.

[jakethepup1]

@drz4000 , no I have not connected them in series, but I will give that a try, I will do that early in the morning, way to hot to mess with it anymore today in the shade it is about 98 degrees. I hope the seller contacts me and I can return it, like I said in the first post the inverter was used to begin with and the fault light was out right out of the box. If I am lucky enough to return it, I think I will just pay the difference and get the 1200 watt.

[Skalfort11]

@jakethepup1 Ha Ha I just bought the 1200 watt for 250 free ship. I'll try it out and see how it works on 1/2 of a 9x125 wt solar system. I already have a solar system grid tie on my house that covers ~30% of my power in AZ. Maybe get 2nd 1200 watt. We'll see how the first one works out.

[jakethepup1]

@Skalfort11 I hope you have better luck than I had with the 600 watt, like I said in this post I wish I had purchased the 1200 watt. However I found another video here I think he is in the UK and he connected up I think a 60 watt panel and the inverted died.

When you get you inverter I would be interested in how it works out for you.

[Skalfort11]

@jakethepup1 Yeah, I'm somewhat nervous now about the 1200 that I ordered. One unit....if it fails I ship it back to China? I have a bad feeling, but I already paid and so I just have to hope it works as advertised.

[jakethepup1]

@Skalfort11 I just sent my 600 watt back today, it cost 38.00 to send back to China, so the 1200 watt would cost even more. I opened it up and checked everything I could, but I could not find anything wrong. But before I I packed it up, I hooked it back up to each 220 watt panel one at a time, output on both panel thru the inverter was 105 watts, when I put both panels on the inverter output was 184 watts, not sure what is wrong with the thing but something is.

[jakethepup1]

The panels are 24 volt each at 220 watts each, the voltage is 28.7 volts output, open without any load 32.5 volts output. I sure will post back and tell you how it works out, it really concerns me about the overheating, sounds like it could be a fire hazard.

[jakethepup1]

I wish I had seen this video before I purchased this inverter, I order it this past Friday to hook up two 220 watt solar panels so it looks like this thing is only going to output about 300 watts that sucks. When it comes in I will give it a try but it sounds like I would be wasting alot of wattage, with this poorly designed inverter. Wish now I had purchased the 1200 watt one. 

[drz4000]

@jakethepup1 What is the nominal voltage of your panels? It will put out about 420 but will be very warm. Let me know how yours works out.

[drz4000]

Mine are 14v panels so yes. You can buy 30v panels however....you can also buy a 12 volt grid tie but its better to use a higher voltage and less current.

[jakethepup1]

@drz4000,

I wish I had seen this video before I purchased this inverter, I order it this past Friday to hook up two 220 watt solar panels so it looks like this thing is only going to output about 300 watts that sucks. When it comes in I will give it a try but it sounds like I would be wasting alot of wattage, with this poorly designed inverter. Wish now I had purchased the 1200 watt one.

[mrsnowmanshow]

do you have to hook them up in series?

[sparktastic1]

Power jack has just released a 1200w Grid tie with LCD that looks very nice.. Looks like a very good package for the price. Supposedly shipping 1st of July. Do a search for '1200w Grid Tie LCD' on the pupular auction site. Interestingly, this inverter doesn't appear yet on the PJ website. Think I might buy it..

[sparktastic1]

Looking forward to your review of the 1200w vesion.

[drz4000]

@sparktastic1

Its coming. The unit is large, at 600 watts out it is only slightly warm.

[sparktastic1]

Thanks for the vid. I have the same unit (240v version) and am about to hook up 600w worth of panels. Will be interesting to see if the 240v version is any better.

[michael970]

Hey thanks for the test.I have a 3000w that wont hit the halfway mark but I will take what ever it gives me.cant wait for your next test.thanks again.TAKE CARE