How do I progress? Inverters Batteries G99

[Snuggy]

So to tax your brains further as this thread is now diverted to diverters and inverters....

On one quote the installer is looking to fit a Sunsynk Ecco 8.8kw with 9.4kw of panels.

The salesman (not electrician) says this has a diverter for water heating built in, so there is no need to buy and extra piece of kit.
Can anyone confirm this?

We understood from our previous install (2013) that a diverter facility could be used power a storage heater or if it indeed exists, is it already allocated to supply power to an EV for example?

[AGT]

It’s my understanding it does from watch a Utube video from OffGrid Scotland. Guy with pony tail, he called Bimble Solar and they confirmed the built in dump load

Have a Google for his video, he has this model, I was researching the 5kW model

[Snuggy]

Thanks, found it.

[nowty]

I had a quick flick through the manual. I think it only does it as an Aux load so its on or off and uses the battery as a buffer. It does not look like it works as a fully modulating solar diverter as most on here would think of one. But still looks quite useful if you don't mind the battery being utilised in this way.

"Aux Load Output: This mode utilizes the Gen input connection as an output which only receives power when the battery SOC and PV power is above a user programmable threshold."

[Snuggy]

But still looks quite useful if you don't mind the battery being utilised in this way.]

Thanks Nowty....is there a downside to the battery being used like that? Battery life? Cycles?

[nowty]

Swings and roundabouts but your thinking of quite a lot of PV so unless you get approved for a high export rate it may help maximise the solar utilisation. If it does not work out how you like, you can still fit a separate dedicated diverter.

[openspaceman]

I had a quick flick through the manual. I think it only does it as an Aux load so its on or off and uses the battery as a buffer. It does not look like it works as a fully modulating solar diverter as most on here would think of one. But still looks quite useful if you don't mind the battery being utilised in this way.

"Aux Load Output: This mode utilizes the Gen input connection as an output which only receives power when the battery SOC and PV power is above a user programmable threshold."

This is much the same as I do with my homebrew diverter, it switches a relay for a minimum period (6 minutes currently) when the battery reaches 54.2V, so unless the solar excess is more than 1500W (the power of the immersion) it discharges the battery slightly for six minutes then stops until the battery voltage recovers. It only required a 12V wallwart, 12V mains relay and a bit of wiring.

[resybaby]

The Aux connection on the Sunsynk allows you to keep the invertor 'running' as such and producing power once the batteries are full by diverting power to (what i call) an excess solar socket that you can run to a plug socket, or imersion. You can then set a few sttings to have this 'excess' socket turn on and off at two different battery settings.
So, for example, if you wanted to divert to HW once the battery is full, you would set it to turn on at 100%. The battery would then output to the HW via the socket once 100% is hit, whilst the PV panels keep producing power to top them back up again. If you draw too much power from the batteries, despite the assistance from the PV, then the battery % will decline to your preset 'off' setting, and so kill the power to your excess solar socket.
In short it operates as a sort of divertor 'buffer' between set points, and keeps the panels producing to compensate for the load taken (to the lower set point).

Couple of photos attached of mine. The socket with the orange test light is my socket, and its wired via the Gen socket on the invertor.

[Snuggy]

Aah thanks for that explanation, but it begs another question. Is this the same thing that the installer will use to run an emergency power supply with sockets, or is it inaddition to that function?

[resybaby]

I am not 100% sure. Mines grid tied and the system wont work when the grid is down.
It is possible (if wired so) to connect the invertor to a generator for when power is down - common set up in south africa where Sunsynks are popular and the grid is iffy, so i would imagine that would connect into the same GEN connection on the inverot, so more than likely its one or the other option to choose.