Balcony solar PV

[Joeboy]

I've had a look and it's a soldered fuse. I'd have to strip another component off the front to get to desolder the fuse. I could solder another fuse wire across the top of the existing fuse but that's the road to a deathtrap.

Sadly I'm going to write this WMC unit off as not worth throwing any more time or going forward money at (would need to buy more panels to test). Instead it's going in the bin to be never thought of again. Truly a learning curve I'm happy to share.

Hoymiles microinverter unit rocks, it is absolutely brilliant.

A known & designed blow point on the WMC unit as a soldered connection just says lazy and penny-pinching. DO NOT BUY ANY WMC MICROINVERTERS, THEY ARE NO GOOD.

[Joeboy]

Enphase M215's operate at 60hz according to spec sheets. Can't plug them into a 50hz home circuit? Is there a converter box for suchlike or am I missing something. Got a shot at 3 of them for a ton so thought I'd maybe populate the workshop roof for som late afternoon Watts...

Any input mucho app

Just read about Enphase envoy gateway needed to set 50hz profile and possibly control? This leaves me not buying 60hz microinverters, I'll leave this up for historical reference. Sad one as I'd have relifed 600W of panels if they were plug & play. Microinverter minefield..

[Joeboy]

It turns out these enphase M215's operate at 50hz and will output without need for a further gateway box. Collecting today!

[Joeboy]

First wrinkle in these units is that when new they have to be set via the Enphase gateway unit. By buying secondhand we circumvent that issue.

60 cell panels required falling within the parameters of '190Wp to 270Wp solar PV modules with absolute maximum 45V volts, although 300Wp or so would also be possible.'

Peak output is 225W.

I am looking at 3 of 250W 60 cell secondhand panels for £150. Add the £100 for the Enphase micro's and we'll be about £300 incl bits for a 750W balcony system that has no app. That's ok with me.

Tally ho!

[Joeboy]

Got the Enphase microinverters, good to see the guys set up running a single one off a wee 100W panel. I'll have a scratch about today for mc4's etc. Unlikely but if anyone knows of up to 300W panels secondhand in Scotland I'm looking for three.

[Joeboy]

Managed to get 3 Sharp NDE1F 170W watt panels for £100.

Not as easy to source secondhand panels that will fit on my workshop roof and be within driving distance for collection as I thought it would be. Hence the drop down to 170W..

Onward and upward!

A 500W system for £200.

[Joeboy]

Oops, my mistake. Sharp are 48 cell panels, enphase m215.works with 60.cell panels.

Returning to drawing board for panels.

I think I'll go with one microinverter ready and plug a panel in anyway.

[nowty]

The 215 microinverters should still work with those panels as they have a wide voltage operating range, 16V to 60V.

EDIT - I think you have older versions if you say its 45V absolute max, but will still probably work with those sharp panels.

[AGT]

Nice, I know what to get when my chinglish inverter packs in, to be fair I only have one 250 watt panel and it’s rated to 600w.
I’m also planning on tidying up my summer house electrics, so got a big metal waterproof box that’s going to house the power to the summer house, a led festoon or 2 and my 250watt panel/microinverter/ plug in energy meter

[Joeboy]

The 215 microinverters should still work with those panels as they have a wide voltage operating range, 16V to 60V.

EDIT - I think you have older versions if you say its 45V absolute max, but will still probably work with those sharp panels.

I wish I'd looked at the fellas 100W panels he was running.

Had a quick look at the Sharp panel spec and we should be good. Closer to the minimum start up voltage of the enphase than I'd like but I think it'll be OK. Plus the other guy has a 100W panels running for 2 years so what can possibly go wrong?

Got my dc clamp, 25mtr extension reel and plug fitted enphase. If I plug in and see current flowing I'll be happy.

Amazing how a pallet shipping cost can become such a big thing when trying to do it at the thinner piggybank end. It feels good to be doing this from secondhand gear and my own spares collection. Been down counting mc4's, I think we can get this going for maybe the extra cost of a single phase meter for the count. That would be