Someone told me a 15 × 505 W string is "too close to the limit" because the inverter's rated input is 550 V, and that it would curtail early. I checked the datasheets.
Inverter (Deye SUN-10K-SG05LP3-EU-SM2)
550 V is the rated input voltage. The actual limits are 800 V maximum, a 200-650 V MPPT range, and 26 A per MPPT.
Panel (TCL HSM-ND54-DR 505 W, STC datasheet)
Vmpp 33.90 V, Impp 14.90 A
Voc 40.14 V, Isc 15.88 A (17.47 A with 10% bifacial gain)
Voc temperature coefficient: -0.25 %/°C
15 in series
Vmpp: 15 × 33.90 = 508 V at STC
Voc: 15 × 40.14 = 602 V at STC
Cold (from 25 °C, +0.25% per °C below):
-10 °C: Vmpp about 552 V, Voc about 655 V
-25 °C: Vmpp about 572 V, Voc about 677 V
Vmpp cold figures are an estimate, since the datasheet has no Vmpp coefficient and I used the Voc one.
So in normal operation the inverter sits near its 550 V rated point, and even at -25 °C it is under the 650 V MPPT ceiling. Cold Voc stays well under 800 V and only matters at start-up with no load. Current is 14.9 A against 26 A. 7.6 kWp on a 10 kW inverter should mean no clipping.
Has anyone seen early derating on this exact model with a string this long? Corrections welcome.

So, I was going to go with Bouge RV or Renogy, but Ecoworthy had a pretty amazing Labor Day sale. One panel arrived DOA. We'll see how long the others last. Anyone want to place a bet on whether they survive winter? Because I mounted them with VHB tape and Eternabond, removing them is a pain in the ass!

Looking for solutions for snow removal without getting ontop of my roof!!

How does one connect to this device?

I have downloaded the Solaredge Go app. I've put the inverter in to Wifi AP mode it connects via the QR code after that it keeps hanging on communicating with inverter...

Am I missing something?

I want to enable the modbus over tcptip

A portscan reveals port 80 an 8080 but connecting to it just hangs and does nothing

Assuming an off-grid setup in europe, we'd need to really oversize on solar so that winter generation is high enough (supplemented with diesel generator). But sizing for winter means massive overproduction in summer (much lower heating demand, only minor AC demand), so what can I do with the excess energy?

• Couldn't find much on hydrogen storage, is that feasible?
• DIY giant sand thermal battery to be recovered in winter somehow?
• Start an EV charging station? (low rates to compensate users for sporadic availability)

Our house in Germany already had rooftop solar and its own inverter, but no battery. The car was at work with me on weekdays, so we still exported solar while I was out and bought electricity for the house after dinner. I'd been comparing Jackery's SolarVault 3 Pro Max and SolarVault 3 Pro Max AC to store some of that surplus for evening use. Before ordering, I wanted to understand the brief grid imports I'd noticed while the zappi was charging the car.

One Saturday, I watched the car charge in ECO+ mode. A cloud reduced the solar output, but charging continued and the house meter showed import while the stop timer counted down. The surplus stayed low until the countdown ended, then charging paused. I checked the mode description afterwards and found that the delay was part of the charger's stop behaviour. The house meter included other appliances, so I hadn't measured the car's grid use separately.

I found that both battery models supported adding storage alongside an existing solar inverter. The Pro Max also had inputs for connecting panels directly, which I didn't need because our roof array was staying on its current inverter. The AC version matched what I wanted: some stored solar for the fridge, lights and TV after dinner. By Sunday evening, I'd ordered the SolarVault 3 Pro Max AC and left the zappi's stop delay as it was.

I tossed around this idea in my head about five years ago, but I pushed it aside as I had just purchased my home and wasn't really looking to spend more money at the time. I don't know a whole lot about solar outside of the basics. Anyways, I'm now looking at potentially buying an EV and the idea of being completely independent of both the gas pump or the power company has always been appealing to me. With today's available technology, can I realistically build a completely off grid solar powered charging station?

Some important things to know about my situation:

• I have a single family home with a decent sized back yard (southern california) Front of the house faces east, so backyard doesn't get sun until 10am ish, but sees all the sun up until lets say 5pm where it gets sort of blocked by trees/houses behind me. I don't have exact dimensions of the yard, but I am allowed to build a 120 square foot shed without permits, and there's ample space for multiple rows of ground mounts without covering even half of the yard.
• I don't really drive that much. I live a few miles from work and generally use an ebike to get to the office outside of bad weather. The car is used for groceries, transportation for mountain biking, and occasionally visiting family which is 100 miles each way. I drive less than 5k miles a year.
• The solar panels would probably be mounted on top of a pergola or a shed with maybe a secondary ground mount, and I'd like to run the system completely disconnected from the grid. So maybe off of a power station or some sort of battery storage in the shed.

My main questions:

• Lets say I want to charge my EV from 20 to 80 percent in roughly five days (roughly 60kwh). I don't know very much about what a "good" panel(s) would be, how many of them would I need? Let's say I'm using whatever is considered the "best" readily available panel today.
• I read that putting the solar panels to battery storage and then battery storage to EV has conversion losses. Is there a way to bypass this? I assume that means you need some really high voltage worth of solar panels in order to do?
• Considering the panels would be in the back yard, and the EV would be in the garage, is this even realistic? I don't imagine it is safe to run a long charging cable from wherever the battery storage is all the way to the front of the house where the garage is.

I do have other questions, but I think this is enough for this thought exercise. I appreciate all of your input. I get the impression that what I want to do probably takes forever to even break even for the investment cost, but being totally self sufficient for powering the car just seems like such a novelty to me.

I'm buying a new Pulte home in California with a Sunrun solar + battery system (~$40,300, purchased, not leased). Pulte selected Sunrun for the development, so I didn't choose the installer.

Section C(c) of Sunrun's Standard Plus Purchase Warranty says Sunrun may "administer and operate the System (including its battery(ies))… for demand response or other utility-based programs" and may "use the energy stored in the battery(ies) to reduce strain on the electrical grid."

I told Sunrun I don't want to grant this authority. They said the warranty language can't be changed, and that I should sign it and then opt out separately. Pulte's position is that it's Sunrun's contract.

For those who've bought Sunrun or other purchased systems:

- Did your purchase warranty include language like this?

- Did anyone get it removed or amended in writing?

- Is opt-out the industry norm for customer-owned batteries, or have you seen opt-in?

I'm not against VPPs and might join one later. I just think the owner should opt in, not have to opt out.

Full write-up here if anyone wants the details: https://medium.com/@goratna/california-new-home-buyers-beware-how-pulte-homes-and-sunrun-drain-the-rights-out-of-your-40-000-f0b5a2c0799f

Disclosure: I represent Fench Energy, a battery supplier. I am sharing a checklist for asking a useful compatibility question, not claiming that a particular battery works with every inverter.

“Will this battery work with my inverter?” is hard to answer when only the brand names are given. A more useful enquiry includes:

• The exact inverter model, regional variant and firmware version, if available.

• The exact battery model and its datasheet—not just the capacity or a photo of a similar unit.

• Whether this is a new installation or an addition to an existing battery system.

• The intended job: storing surplus solar, backup for selected circuits, or off-grid use.

• The manufacturer’s compatibility document, if one has already been found, and the particular point that is unclear.

Ask the supplier or installer to confirm the proposed pairing in writing, including any required communication cable, firmware or configuration. A similar nominal voltage, matching connector shape, or the words “CAN/RS485” on both listings is not by itself confirmation that the devices will communicate correctly.

If someone reports that a pairing works, their exact models and configuration matter more than a general “works with this brand.” Do not copy charging settings from an unrelated system; use the documentation for the actual equipment and have the installation assessed by a qualified professional.

A copyable enquiry:

“Inverter: __. Firmware: __. Battery: __. Existing equipment: __. Intended use: __. The document I checked: __. My unanswered question: __.”

Please redact serial numbers, account details and home addresses before sharing photos publicly.

Which missing detail usually prevents you from answering these questions? Would you add anything to this template?

For transparency, our business website is https://fenchenergy.com/ . The checklist above is complete here; no visit or purchase is needed.

Disclosure: I represent Fench Energy, a battery supplier (https://fenchenergy.com/). This is a purchasing checklist, not an independent supplier review.

For anyone comparing cells for a DIY solar-storage project, I would separate the comparison into three parts: what arrives, what it costs to get it delivered, and who supports it if something is wrong.

1. Exact contents: confirm the manufacturer, cell model, quantity and terminal configuration. Ask whether connectors or other hardware are included. A cell listing, an empty battery box and an assembled pack are different purchases.

2. Documentation: ask for the datasheet for the exact model and clarification of any claims about grade, condition or test results. A generic product photo alone does not establish the condition of the cells you will receive.

3. Delivered total: give the seller your country, postcode and quantity. Compare quotations on the same tax basis, with shipping and any other charges explicitly included or excluded. Confirm where the order will actually dispatch from and the estimated dispatch date.

4. Receiving and support: check packed weight, unloading arrangements, the procedure for reporting transport damage, the warranty contact and who pays return shipping under the applicable terms.

5. System suitability: have the exact cells, BMS, enclosure and charging equipment checked together by someone qualified. Matching an advertised capacity is not enough to establish that components are suitable together.

A useful quote should leave very few “assumed included” items. Keep unanswered points in a separate column rather than treating them as free.

For people who have already sourced cells in the EU: which detail did you wish you had checked before ordering—packaging, documentation, delivery or after-sales support?

I've wanted my own solar setup for years, but renting an apartment kind of kills that dream.

So I spent the last 6 months building it in a game instead.

You start with a single 50 W panel and grow into solar, wind and batteries. In the clip, I tried pushing too much power through a thin cable to see what happens. Cable sizing actually matters in the game, and undersized wire overloads.

If you could add one thing from your real solar setup to this game, what would it be?

It's called The Last Kilowatt. steampage

Hi all,

I have been trying to assess whether I can combine the Anker C1000 Gen 2 with a Renogy 200W shadowflux panel.

I have zero experience with wiring and the like but we have a pop up camper and need some solar power. We were quoted to 8K for the install. I feel like that’s too high by a long shot.

Here’s my current parts list:

Solar Panel: Renogy 200W Rigid ShadowFlux N-Type
MC4 to XT60 Adapter Cable (10 AWG)
10 AWG PV Extension Cable
Anker C1000 Gen 2

I am mounting to roof top unistrut.

I just want to ensure I’m not mixing items up that can’t be combined safely.

Any input is most welcomed

My equipment is 14kw enphase solar with a SolArk 15k and 1 eg4 power wall and a Silverado Ev.

I'm trying to use my Silverado ev 240v outlet to supplement my home battery. I know I can connect the outlet to a chargeverter to charge the home battery, but that's a lot of conversion lost. DC -AC-DC-AC.

I was thinking just adding a generator outlet to my panel and use both the ev and home battery to power the house simultaneously. The solark will prevent any feedback to the grid. It'll only be DC-AC. Will this work? I know of the neutral bonding issue but that can be solve.

This will only be use in case of power outage.