Friends:
This is really interesting. I have had many problems technical, managerial
and in terms of reliability with Fronius. Others claim stellar
performance. I have installed 3 XW systems and they are all working very
well, yet many of you have had what appears to be major problems with the
XW. I have no problem reaching Xantrex tech support using the new number
and I get good advice.
(I did have one problem that I thought was due to XW based problems, but it
turned out to be a balky generator.)
I will say that the 3 XW system is not ready for prime time due to space
limitations in the PDP, but there are work arounds (contact me off
list). When I needed Xantrex to assist me with the AHJ, Mark Edmunds of
Xantrex was prompt and helpful in this regard.
Go figure...
William Miller
At 07:46 PM 9/20/2009, toddc...@finestplanet.com wrote:
After swearing off brand X I did a XW system this last spring. The
customer needed two AC inputs and unfortunately the GVFX topology still
only has one. On the single occasion I called Xantrex to ask how to raise
the sell (grid support) voltage the "tech support" person told me to do
what I already had done and hadn't worked. When I asked for other
suggestions he said he had none. The issue is still unresolved. I was
unimpressed and expect far better from tech support then this.
Todd
On Sunday, September 20, 2009 5:09pm, "Drake Chamberlin"
<drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org> said:
Hi Peter,
Do you need the extra fan? The VFX has an internal fan. Are there a lot
of heavy loads that push the limits of the Outback? If not, take out the
fan or swap it for a cover with no fan. Many VFX inverters didn't come
with cover fans. I don't know if they are standard now, or not.
Or, have the fan go on whenever the direct grid tie inverter is being
called on to charge batteries instead of feed the grid. If loads are not
real heavy, battery charging, by back feeding the AC Out, may be the time
when the fan is needed the most.
Before inverters started controlling generators, we used a device called
the Simple Switch, which was a voltage controlled contact. (We'd use it
with a GenWiz). I'm not sure what is out there these days. You could use
the Atkinson GSCM, generator start module, which senses the voltage. If
you need this solution, I'd call AEE.
Thanks for the heads up on the Xantrex. I just heard another horror story
about the Xantrex 6024 system. According to the installer, the owner shut
off an AC switch and the array cooked a bank of Surrette 25CS 25 PS
batteries. I don't know the new Xantrex line and don't understand how
this could happen. Is this really possible?
-Drake
At 06:43 PM 9/20/2009, you wrote:
Hi Drake (and everyone else interested in this thread),
Armed with the information from my esteemed colleagues, we went ahead and
purchased a SunWise âSolar Ready-Grid Tie Battery Systemâ, a SRB3.6
to be exact. The heart of the system is a GVFX3648. I ordered it without
the Charge controller and purchased a SB3000 and 3150 Wdc of PV to go with it.
I also purchased a Grainger 2P2T relay with a 12 V coil in a NC
configuration (to disconnect the SB when the batteries are fully charged
in off-grid mode) and an Outback PSX-240 to transform the 240 Vac to 120
Vac (in order to interface with the GVFX3648.
When we looked into hooking the relay up to the AUX-OUT of the GVFX3648,
we discovered that it was already dedicated to the fan
So it looks like we will need to put somethiing together to sense the
battery voltage and energize the relay coil, when we exceed the
threshold. Any recommendations for a add-on HVD? And exactly what
threshold voltage should we use for 8ea 6V 305 Ah (C/24) AGM batteries?
And for Drake: I gravitated away from Xantrex because of a very
unsatisfactory experience with a XW6048. The system failed to work
properly and Xantrex âhemmed and hawedâ for over six months. Bottom
line: we made six service calls, two firmware upgrades and probably two
dozen calls to largely clueless group tech supporters. Through it all, I
lost the customerâs confidence and he chose another integrator to do a
follow on commercial project. The last part of course was the worst part
of the experience.
- Peter
Hi Peter,
The Outback inverter will not regulate battery charge while AC
coupled. The SMA is the only system designed to give a regulated charge
to batteries in the AC coupled mode. The Outback auxiliary relay can be
used to drive a relay that will disconnect the input to the inverter, to
regulate battery charge when grid is down. I like an "Ice Cube Rely"
(such as Idec) to control a contactor. The coil of the Idec uses very
little power.
Why did you gravitate toward Xantrex from Outback?
Drake
At 09:25 PM 8/4/2009, you wrote:
I would like to start a thread on AC-coupled grid tied battery backup
systems. We do a fair number of GTBBSs (four to five a year) and I have
gravitated from the Outback solution to the Xantrex XW solution. I am not
happy with the XW product and especially not happy with Xantrexs post
sales technical support. I know I have more to learn about these puppies
in general, so I am genuinely disappointed with the uneven TS from Xantrex.
I also had this nagging feeling that the heart of a GTBBS should be the
tried and true high voltage inverter. Enter the SunPower positive ground
requirement, and now an AC coupled system seems the best solution.
>From the white paper that Outback sent me, there was no mention of a
heavy duty relay. Doesnt the Outback inverter regulate the battery
charge control?
Has anyone tried to order a SunWize Solar Ready Battery Assemblywithout
the charge controller (e.g. P/N SRB3.6). It would seem that this is a
nice package for small energy needs (13 to 26 kWh of battery backup).
- Peter
[]
Peter T. Parrish, Ph.D., President
California Solar Engineering, Inc.
820 Cynthia Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90065
CA Lic. 854779, NABCEP Cert. 031806-26
<mailto:peter.parr...@calsolareng.com>peter.parr...@calsolareng.com
Ph 323-258-8883, Mobile 323-839-6108, Fax
323-258-8885
----------
From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [
mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of William Miller
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 5:55 PM
To: jry...@netscape.com; RE-wrenches
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] XW6048 parts problem
Jeff:
I have a spare. They are not kept in the socket but are loose in a
bag. Send me your mailing address off list. I leave tomorrow for a
week, so I hope I see your address before I go.
William
At 04:59 PM 8/4/2009, you wrote:
Just completed a large residential grid/gen/solar/battery system using a
XW6048 inverter.
We are using a SunnyBoy inverter at the array and doing an AC coupled
backfeed. To do this we have installed a heavy duty relay in the output
of the SunnyBoy, and are using the aux. relay contacts on the XW unit to
close this relay when battery voltage is at high limit (during no load
power outage to prevent over-charging)
Not sure if we lost it during installation, if it shook loose in shipment
and fell out, or was missing to begin with, but to connect to the aux.
contacts in th XW requires a very small green flat 5-pin connector which
is missing.
I contacted multiple people at Xantrex and their service center, waded
through their web site, and finally talked to a service tech. He advised
that "he was looking for an extra one of these connectors 6 months ago
and still has not received it, as these compoments are made and assembled
in China and they do not stock anything that is considered an assembly
part used in China to build their units."
First, I did not realize these inverters were being assembled in China,
and second, who ever heard of not stocking a replacement part just
because its made in China. If that were true, 95% of everything sold
today in US would not be able to order replacement parts.
Anybody out their know if there is a Radio Shack type supplier where I
can order a bag of these and get on with the system startup and my life?
Thanks,
Jeff Yago
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