I suppose the question here is - which is the worse failure mode?
A. Solar turning off until an electrician can fix it.
OR
B. Not knowing the contactor failed until it does not open when the
generator turns on and running the risk that the solar backfeeds the
generator and breaks it.
For off-grid maybe A would be more of a concern. But for grid tied, I
would think option B would be worse.
Does anyone have a fail safe method of doing this?
Cheers,
Dave
On Tue, May 4, 2021, 4:41 PM Chris Schaefer <ch...@solarandwindfx.com
<mailto:ch...@solarandwindfx.com>> wrote:
Jason,
A valid concern which is why I always wire them as powered open
so if there is a failure it would transition closed or not open.
Christopher
On Tue, May 4, 2021 at 4:15 PM Jason Szumlanski
<ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com
<mailto:ja...@floridasolardesigngroup.com>> wrote:
What happens when the contactor fails? I don't trust a NC
contactor that is supposed to open on 240Vac coil voltage
from the generator. It's not a failsafe solution.
Jason
On Tue, May 4, 2021, 3:15 PM Drake
<drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org
<mailto:drake.chamber...@redwoodalliance.org>> wrote:
P.S. The contactor method is even mentioned somewhere in
the Outback literature. I've been using it for years. It
is very simple and requires no complex equipment. It will
not interfere with rapid shutdown. 40 A, 240 V contactors
with 240 V coils are readily available and not terribly
expensive. The 240 V output of the generator circuit
provides the signal.
At 10:02 AM 5/4/2021, you wrote:
Get a contactor with a 240 VAC coil. Connect the coil
wire wires to the 240 V output circuit of the generator,
so when the generator comes on, the contactor opens. Run
the current from the AC coupled Enphase inverters
through the contacts from common to N/C.
---
On 2021-05-03 10:26, Dave Tedeyan wrote:
Hi All,
I am planning on using a Sol-Ark for the first time for
adding battery backup to an existing system. It is
Enphase, so clearly it will be AC coupled, and there is
a whole house generator. When I talked to Sol-Ark about
it, they recommended putting the generator on a time of
use schedule to not allow it to come on during the day
so that we don't run into the issue of the solar
backfeeding the generator.
I was wondering though if anyone has just used a
contactor to cut out the solar when the generator turns
on? Something like Outback's GS-AC-Gen-Kit, although in
this case I will need something rated for just over
30A. This seems like a better way to allow the
generator to run at any time it is needed, especially
if it is a gloomy, snowy, winter day.
Cheers,
Dave
--
*Dave Tedeyan, PE
* Sungineer Solar
1653 Slaterville Road, Ithaca, NY 14850
Cell: 607-288-2898
www.sungineersolar.com <http://www.sungineersolar.com/>
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