Generac "solution" generator, panels, batteries

[sunwarriors]

For the medical need I have at my house, IMO, my generator provides me much better long term options than batteries. If we get into a long rainy spell, at least with my generator I know I can run it whenever I need it. We solar and batteries, I am not in the same level of control

That's really the best of all worlds IMO.

I saw this video supposedly about some new Generac more quiet generator...specifically built for solar/batteries and can support Propane and Natural Gas. Already have gas to the home. No Diesel or unleaded fuel, but maybe you can get a few spare propane tanks used for grills too.

Wouldn't mind seeing if this can connect to the Enphase Switch.

 

[h2ofun]

That's really the best of all worlds IMO.

I saw this video supposedly about some new Generac more quiet generator...specifically built for solar/batteries and can support Propane and Natural Gas. Already have gas to the home. No Diesel or unleaded fuel, but maybe you can get a few spare propane tanks used for grills too.

Wouldn't mind seeing if this can connect to the Enphase Switch.

Man, that stuff seems to be super cool. Sure would give me pause if I were to be starting things from scratch today

 

[sunwarriors]

Man, that stuff seems to be super cool. Sure would give me pause if I were to be starting things from scratch today

Yeah, I only have 2x Enphase 10 batteries. Maybe spending? 5-10k for a generator is good diversification for a week of rain/clouds.

 

[holeydonut]

Yeah, I only have 2x Enphase 10 batteries. Maybe spending? 5-10k for a generator is good diversification for a week of rain/clouds.

Did Enphase ever finally release the feature where an external generator could charge the Enphase batteries?

 

[sunwarriors]

Did Enphase ever finally release the feature where an external generator could charge the Enphase batteries?

Like the IQ8, it's still coming soon . Not holding my breath, but I'm not in a rush just yet since my install is still going.

 

[nwdiver]

Yeah, I only have 2x Enphase 10 batteries. Maybe spending? 5-10k for a generator is good diversification for a week of rain/clouds.

I've basically been running off-grid for nearly 2 years now. The only thing my system can't handle is cold and I think the best solution to that is a wood stove. Even with overcast skies I can run everything I need as long as I'm not trying to run my heat pump to warm the house.

 

[h2ofun]

I've basically been running off-grid for nearly 2 years now. The only thing my system can't handle is cold and I think the best solution to that is a wood stove. Even with overcast skies I can run everything I need as long as I'm not trying to run my heat pump to warm the house.

I have 5 minisplit head pump heads out of my 10 running full time. With the rain, and basically no solar, no batteries, its pull from grid time

 

[zƬesla]

I have 5 minisplit head pump heads out of my 10 running full time. With the rain, and basically no solar, no batteries, its pull from grid time

Never thought I'd see the day that you would pull from the grid with your setup

It is sad to see the energy use by mini-splits when heating but at least our overall energy bill is much less than when using oil for heating.

 

[h2ofun]

Never thought I'd see the day that you would pull from the grid with your setup

It is sad to see the energy use by mini-splits when heating but at least our overall energy bill is much less than when using oil for heating.

I am going to start a tread about max/min I hit like 180kwh in June. Yesterday is was only 34kwh and today with more rain will be worse. I expect it might go down to 10kwh. Since when it gets cold my house with heat pumps might pull 60kwh per day, no way I have any batteries with such low solar. I could play the game to charge them off the grid but why. One loses efficiency going back and forth from batteries. I will just hope to net real negative at true up, since yep, I can produce way more than I use in the summer, spring time frame.

 

[sunwarriors]

Did Enphase ever finally release the feature where an external generator could charge the Enphase batteries?

It looks like this house has solar, generator and 4x batteries. This is the 1st video I've seen with the generator so maybe they are one of the 'early' installers/adopters since it was announced a month back or so. I don't see many Enphase videos in general.

With a generator option for long cloudy days/weeks, I think I'm sorta 'ok' with my minimal 2 batteries honestly and maybe will look at a generator if power outages actually occur (none in my area yet).

Found it here originally. Owner owns 3x tropical fish tanks (reason for generator and all the hw)

https://www.reddit.com/r/solar/comments/qr0n0u

 

[Fruitcake]

Powerwalls can apparently be paired with generators, at least if this page from Tesla is to be believed:

Combining Systems with Powerwall | Tesla Support

Adding energy storage to your solar system is the best way to maximize your system’s value – allowing you to use solar power day and night. Powerwall can be integrated with a new or existing solar system.

www.tesla.com

 

[sunwarriors]

Powerwalls can apparently be paired with generators, at least if this page from Tesla is to be believed:

Combining Systems with Powerwall | Tesla Support

Adding energy storage to your solar system is the best way to maximize your system’s value – allowing you to use solar power day and night. Powerwall can be integrated with a new or existing solar system.

www.tesla.com

Here is an old post on it...don't think it's been done by anyone yet, but competition may nudge Tesla to improve (since they won't if there is none).

Generator support

Here's my understanding of all the postings that discussed how to optionally use a backup generator to charge a Powerwall. Please let me know if this looks functionally correct to you. Thanks! Jim

teslamotorsclub.com

 

[BGbreeder]

Powerwalls can apparently be paired with generators, at least if this page from Tesla is to be believed:

Combining Systems with Powerwall | Tesla Support

Adding energy storage to your solar system is the best way to maximize your system’s value – allowing you to use solar power day and night. Powerwall can be integrated with a new or existing solar system.

www.tesla.com

I guess it depends on your definition of pairing. From the page above;

"However, the Powerwall and generator are not directly integrated which means Powerwall does not charge from the generator."​

Prior Tesla releases have limited the generators to a very small number of permitted generators, which weren't common brands or models, and for off grid usage only. There is an entry in the current TEG configuration wizard for a generator, but it is unclear to me what that accomplishes. It suggests to me that someone is considering having the generator charge the Powerwalls, but it may be exclusively for off grid scenarios.

I would welcome a closer integration for those outages during "dark and stormy" weather. I would also welcome guidance on suggested methods for improving generator power quality. (Autotransformer, chokes/capacitors,...) I think that there is no point in hooking up a generator that fries $40k worth of Powerwalls.

All the best,

BG

 

[miimura]

Now that Tesla is making inverters by themselves, they should sell a generator integration box that takes a 120VAC or 240VAC from a generator with a configurable wattage and rectifies the input power and runs it though a grid-tie inverter so that it can charge Powerwalls. Of course, you would want automatic start support and the ability to set "quiet hours" to be observed whenever possible.

 

[DrSmile]

Even on a very cloudy and rainy day my solar system produces enough power to recharge my Powerwalls. Maybe not from 0% but if there is a long term power outage I'd turn off most things that I usually keep on like computers. I don't really see a need for the generator unless you live in a place like Phoenix and need A/C (but how much cloud cover/rain does Phoenix get?), have electric heat (invest in a wood or pellet stove) or need to power medical equipment (like this lady).

 

[BGbreeder]

Or just a full wave rectifier to DC, which would cut a lot of the power quality challenges of small generators out of the discussion, along with trying to phase match. Plus it would give Tesla a low price "surge" protector to fry instead of the powerwalls...

 

[h2ofun]

Even on a very cloudy and rainy day my solar system produces enough power to recharge my Powerwalls. Maybe not from 0% but if there is a long term power outage I'd turn off most things that I usually keep on like computers. I don't really see a need for the generator unless you live in a place like Phoenix and need A/C (but how much cloud cover/rain does Phoenix get?), have electric heat (invest in a wood or pellet stove) or need to power medical equipment (like this lady).

You must be lucky. On cloudy days I have gone down to like 6kwh for the entire day. No way does that recharge any of my batteries.

 

[DrSmile]

You must be lucky. On cloudy days I have gone down to like 6kwh for the entire day. No way does that recharge any of my batteries.

If it rains all day maybe I'd get less than that, but it is extremely unlikely that this would happen for 2 days in a row. Even then I can easily get my daily consumption below 8KWh by turning off some items (computers, security cameras, outdoor lights), which would give me at least 5-10 days before I'd run out. Looking at my 3 year history I've never had more than 2 days of such very low solar production unless you count snow covering the panels (in which case I'd dig out the panels) . I do have natural gas powered heat, water, and range as well as city water and I realize not everyone has that.

 

[Merrill]

When I was looking for a back up to power my house when the electricity is down I looked at a generator, I had several issues with doing that. The fact that I would need to power it with propane so need to install a fairly large tank, then the noise. Plus in my area propane is running around $3.25 per gallon and the generators use around 2 gallons an hour, this was not something I wanted to do.

 

[jjrandorin]

If it rains all day maybe I'd get less than that, but it is extremely unlikely that this would happen for 2 days in a row. Even then I can easily get my daily consumption below 8KWh by turning off some items (computers, security cameras, outdoor lights), which would give me at least 5-10 days before I'd run out. Looking at my 3 year history I've never had more than 2 days of such very low solar production unless you count snow covering the panels (in which case I'd dig out the panels) . I do have natural gas powered heat, water, and range as well as city water and I realize not everyone has that.

While the "idea" with powerwalls is "live like normal" for most people, a couple months ago or so, I (along with my wife) sat down and made a list of stuff to unplug / turn off, if there was an "unplanned outage of indeterminate length".

Wife and I went room by room and made a google doc (which would be accessible with our cellphones) of "Family room -- Unplug this, and this and this, and turn off this and this. Dining room, turn off this and this. Go flip breakers labeled XXX / YYY / ZZZ / AAA off" etc.

In short unplanned outage, we would do nothing (we have had a couple of those, less than 30-45 minutes). If we had an outage of indeterminate length, "the list" is there so we can shed loads, and just as importantly, if "I" am not home, my wife has an easy to find, room by room list of what we worked out we could do without / shed as far as loads.

Things like, our family room TV is a huge energy hog that I normally dont care about, but in a long outage, we would move to the bonus room and watch TV there on the LED TV that uses like 1/4th the power. Its still large, it has access to our media server, etc.

I am rambling now I realize, but I think making a list of loads to shed is a good idea, especially if the decision maker has a plan that maybe the significant other is not aware of, fully, etc. There is usually one person who "handles all this stuff" (and its not gender specific), but I think its a good idea for the person who does that to make a list if they have others they may want to "execute on their behalf".

I dont know how far down we can shed loads, but if we had to, we could get down to just the 2 fridges and lights. I got powerwalls so I dont "have" to do that, but I certainly could if the worst happened.