Re: [RE-wrenches] Outback with grid charging

[Allan Sindelar]

Jesse, Are you sure that you even want to take this on? 20' wind tower, 500 watt (rated) machines, four battery strings in parallel - the design itself has enough weakness, based only on the scant information that you have provided, that it might not be a system with which you'd want to get involved. Also, some confusion here - are the inverters FX3048T or GTFX3048? David has assumed the latter, asking about selling, but you are describing a utility-backup setup, rather than utility-interactive. Utility backup with only ineffective wind as the secondary source would indeed increase a utility bill, at least marginally. It sounds as though the system could be performing exactly as designed. Allan Allan Sindelar al...@positiveenergysolar.com NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic Installer NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician Founder and Chief Technology Officer Positive Energy, Inc. 3209 Richards Lane (note new address) Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507 505 424-1112 www.positiveenergysolar.com On 8/24/2012 7:26 AM, Jesse Dahl wrote: The system only uses grid power to charge batteries, they have two FX3048T in parallel so I don't think the meter is the issue. They did send me a picture of the two wind towers, one is 20 feet off the ground and one is 60 feet off the ground... No wind would be an understatement.  Sent from my iPhone On Aug 24, 2012, at 7:43 AM, David Katz <dk...@aeesolar.com> wrote: Check to see if their meter goes backwards.  Some utility meters actually charge for power when you are selling. Or maybe they have no wind and a new big flat screen tv that they leave on all the time. David Katz ----- Reply message ----- From: "Jesse Dahl" <dahlso...@gmail.com> To: "Wrenches" <RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> Subject: [RE-wrenches] Outback with grid charging Date: Thu, Aug 23, 2012 11:28 pm Hello, I got a call from a family today about a system they had installed recently and they think they have a problem.  They claim their electric bill has just about doubled since the system has been installed due to outback using the grid to power the loads instead of the battery bank.  They claim the MATE always shows the system buying the exact amount as any load on the system draws.   Due to the distance from my shop, I would like to get any ideas on what could cause this before I drive all the way there.    What I know about the system: 2 - outback inverters, 48v 2 - whisper 500 wind generators with whisper charge controllers 16 - MK 12v AGMS (8/inverter) I guessing setting, but if anyone has seen this before, I'd like to narrow it down before the drive.  Thanks eh! Jesse Sent from my iPad!!! _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org

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