My friend lives in the East Bay of San Francisco, and power outages lasting a couple of days are pretty common there. They currently have solar panels with a SolarEdge SE10000 inverter and are looking to add backup batteries, a charge controller, an automatic transfer switch (ATS), and any other necessary equipment to power their home, excluding the AC and electric oven. Does anyone have detailed guides or insights on how they can set this up safely?
4 Answers
You should definitely look into hybrid inverters and 48V LFP batteries. It might be worth it to also think about including your AC and oven in your backup plan and potentially setting up some home automation to manage loads, especially for the AC when the battery gets low.
There's a lot of info out there, but no single guide covers everything for your situation. I’d recommend signing up for SolarEdge's free training courses to get the basics on designing and installing a backup system that works well with their products. Since you already have a SolarEdge setup, sticking within that ecosystem will simplify things. For your project, you’ll need components like a Backup Interface (SE’s ATS), DC coupled batteries (check SE’s own or LG RESU PRIME), and maybe a panel for backup loads. And don’t forget about understanding electrical safety and local codes if you're going for a grid-connected setup.
Consider the Victron Quattro model; it has a generator input and built-in bypass switch, which makes it super handy. The Multiplus II doesn't have those extras. If you're planning for longer outages, a generator would be essential. Pairing it with a Victron RS450 for solar panels is a solid setup too!
There are several ways you can approach this backup battery setup. Here are three main paths:
1. **String Inverters**: Use a string inverter like the Victron Multi Plus. It connects everything between your home and the grid, managing your power seamlessly, and can automatically switch to backup when needed. Solar charging is an option as well, but definitely requires proper engineering due to the high voltages involved.
2. **Transfer Switch**: Install a transfer switch and possibly a generator input. This way, you can shift some circuits to a sub-panel, allowing for backup using a generator or a portable battery system like EcoFlow or Jackery.
3. **Hybrid Inverter**: This system integrates batteries and allows for an automatic backup solution using your existing solar panels with micro-inverters. It acts as the main control unit for your setup.
You might want to check out Victron's diagrams for a better visual understanding!