Solar, Battery, and Changeover Switch

[J1mbo]

I’m looking to have an 18 panel array with Enphase IQ7+ micro inverters installed, with an 8kWh GivEnergy battery, GivEnergy 3kW charge controller, and Eddi for immersion control.

 

However I would also like a manual changeover switch with a comando outside for a small inverter driven generator.

 

Question is:

 

can the changeover can be used with the solar and storage?

 

if so, what would need to be specified to do this. Keen to retain the solar and battery functionality when on generator as it will greatly reduce the generator size needed.

 

Many thanks!

[JohnMo]

Can't see why not.  The changeover switch just alters where the main distribution box gets its source of electricity.

 

So anything after the distribution box should see 230V and 50Hz as mains electricity and work as normal.  Well I hope so.

[J1mbo]

Thanks. I was concerned that feeding back to the grid, or generator in this case, with excess PV might cause some issue.

Edited February 19, 2022 by J1mbo

[JohnMo]

We'll find out when the next person jumps in!

[JohnMo]

Just read this.

https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/generators-for-solar-panels

[TonyT]

If you have the battery why the need for the generator?

 

if it’s a backup for when the battery is flat in a prolonged outage it’s not a problem.

 

I have PV and a change over but no battery

[Ferdinand]

2 hours ago, J1mbo said:

Thanks. I was concerned that feeding back to the grid, or generator in this case, with excess PV might cause some issue.

 

That was one reason explained to me as a difficulty.

 

The grid companies in a power outage will not want any risk of electric shocks for their repair staff, so will have insisted on failsafe technology.

[dpmiller]

will the microinverters play nice with the gennie or will their smoke leak out?

[TonyT]

Just turn them off at the isolator or consumer unit…

[J1mbo]

Thanks. Is it also the case that the battery (which has an emergency outlet) will not charge in a grid failure situation?

[SteamyTea]

With a generator the voltage and frequency is not always that stable (not sure how good inverter generators are).  I think that would cause the PV inverter to have problems.

[TonyT]

Turn off the PV inverter, turn off the batter pack, 

the changeover switch can be wired last into the consumer unit and will effectively bypassing everything  before it just letting you feed the petrol inverter generator straight into the consumer unit

 

inverter generators are pretty stable, mine fully loaded still does 50Hz

[SteamyTea]

50 minutes ago, TonyT said:

batter pack

I would always smirk if I had to use batter with this name.