Hi Gary, These Solar Edge inverters can use radio ripple control to change power output. Its a simple control strategy that allows control of the power output presumably from a grid-operator. You would need to enable the RRCR. Here is a paper about that http://www.solaredge.com/sites/default/files/power-reduction-control-application-note.pdf You can use 5 VDC signals to perform the power control. Below I pasted a graph of how the inputs work from page 3 of that document : [image: Inline image 1]
I believe Chris Mason suggested using an Arduino board to control these 4 inputs very easily, and that would be a nice option. For your needs, I think you can get away with two relays and a robust 5 VDC power supply. You could drive the 1st relay coil with grid voltage. Under normal conditions, you'd apply 5VDC to pin 3 (L4) through the relay (NC contact). Upon loss of grid, pin 3 goes to 0VDC, pin 5(L2) to 5VDC. To drop to 0% power, you may want to trigger based on battery voltage or the blackout relay on the Outback. I can't recall if there is a way to trigger a relay based on SOC with the radian, but that would be a good option too. I'd be curious to hear what you come up with, so please let us know. Good luck On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 9:30 PM, Gary Willett <[email protected]> wrote: > Maverick: > > Thanks for responding. You've been very helpful in the past with my > battery based solution questions. > > Daily load demand from the Protected Loads Panel is about 10kWh. > > With 5 average daily peak sun hours, and 75% charging efficiency, the > battery bank will receive about 13kWh of solar charging per day. The > battery bank will be sized for 2 days of autonomy to 80% DoD (2 or 3 > strings of 200RE batteries). A 6kW generator, which will be manually > controlled, will provide charging assistance if the solar charging alone is > not sufficient. > > The 10kW (ac) SE inverter and associated 10.7kWp PV array, using the > "Power Reduction Control" function, would be limited to about 3.5kW (ac). > > Sizing the inverter and battery bank is not my issue - cranking back the > output power of the SE grid-tied inverter is what I need help on. > > The "standard" Outback GSLC solution uses one "Power Reduction Control" > relay (100% to 0%). I want to use two Outback activated relays, and the SE > inverter's "Power Reduction Control" function to: > > (1) reduce the SE inverter power from 100% to 30% when the grid is down > (relay #1) > > (2) reduce the SE inverter power from 30% to 0% when the Radian wants to > totally shut down the SE inverter (relay #2) > > If this two-relay solution is possible, I do not have to kluge up a way to > disconnect 70% of the PV array when the grid is down to keep the > SE10000A-US inverter from overloading the 4kW Radian inverter and its > battery bank. > > Regards, > > Gary Willett > Icarus Engineering / Solar Services LLC > On 10/18/16 9:23 AM, Maverick Brown wrote: > > How many kWh are you shooting for? > > > > On Oct 17, 2016, at 9:54 PM, Gary Willett <[email protected] > <[email protected]>> wrote: > > Esteemed Wrenches: > > Anyone have experience setting up AC coupling with SolarEdge and the > Outback Radian? > > I have a client with a SolarEdge SE10000A-US inverter, equipped with 31 > SunPower X21-345 modules (10.7kWp) and associated SolarEdge P400 DC > optimizers. The DC optimizers are arranged into two strings of series > connected optimizers: #1 = 16; #2 = 15. > > The client wants to add a limited battery backup solution, and a 4kW > inverter will serve the needs of the requisite protected loads panel. > > I am considering using the Outback Radian GS4048A inverter in conjunction > with the GSLC175-AC-120/240 AC-Coupling Center. > > I want to make a slight change to the PRI programming on the SolarEdge > inverter, and add another relay contact to the Radian, to accommodate a 4kW > Outback inverter AC coupled to a 10kW SolarEdge inverter. > > This is my first AC coupling project with these systems. The analysis > below is based solely on review of available documents on the Outback and > SolarEdge web sites. > > Any help or guidance will be greatly appreciated. > > Regards, > > Gary Willett > Icarus Engineering / Solar Services LLC > > *References*: > > (1) *Outback Application Note "**AC Coupling OutBack Power Radian > Inverters with SolarEdge N. American Inverters**"* > http://www.outbackpower.com/downloads/documents/technotes/ > ac_coupling_tech_note.pdf > > (2) *Outback Application Note "**Adding the battery back-up power option > to existing grid-tied PV/solar systems"* > http://www.outbackpower.com/downloads/documents/ > flexcoupled/app_note_acc_new.pdf > > (3) *SolarEdge Application Note **"SolarEdge Inverters, Power Control > Options"* > http://www.solaredge.com/sites/default/files/application_note_power_ > control_configuration.pdf > > *REF (2); Page 9 of 14 - Outback's AC Coupling Guideline Number Two*: > > The OutBack inverter power rating should be 1.25% of the GT inverter power > rating. This guideline ensures that the GT inverter does not overwhelm the > charging circuitry in the OutBack inverter if the load demand goes to zero > and all available GT inverter power is flowing to the OutBack inverter. > > With the 4kW GS4048A inverter, the PV power rating is therefore limited to > 3.2kW. This is 30% of the nameplate rating of the PV array (3.2/10.7). > > *REF (3); Page 4 of 5** - **SolarEdge/OutBack Radian Wiring Diagram*: > > On the male connector that fits into the PRI connector on the SolarEdge > PCB, two wires are connected from the OutBack GSLC load center 12V relay > (OBR-16-DIN). > > When activated, a normally open contact (NO) of the Outback OBR-16-DIN 12V > relay supplies +5V from "pin 8" to "pin 6" of the SolarEdge inverter's > "Power Reduction Interface (PRI) port". > > *REF (1); Page 3 of 5** - **SolarEdge Setup / Programming*: > > Per the App Note, when the Radian wants to shut down the SolarEdge, the > OBR-16-DIN 12V relay is activated and a "1" is applied to bit 1 of the PRI. > This takes the SolarEdge output power, in a gradual manner, from 100% to 0%. > > *"DEFAULT" SolarEdge Programming* > 0000 <100,1,00,Y> ----meaning = 100% power, 1.00 power factor, point is > active > 0001 <0,1.00,Y> ----meaning = 0% power, 1.00 power factor, point is active > > For my project, when the grid is down, the SolarEdge inverter must be > limited to 30% power. I want to use the second NO/NC contact on the > OBR-16-DIN 12V relay to accomplish this. Not yet sure exactly how to > accomplish this in the Radian programming, but here's how I want it to > function: > > (a) when the grid is down, the second OBR contact, connected to bit 2 of > the PRI, is activated and a "1" is applied to bit 2. This takes the > SolarEdge output power, in a gradual manner, from 100% to 30%. > > (b) when the Radian wants to shut down the SolarEdge, a "1" is applied to > bit 1. This takes the SolarEdge output power, in a gradual manner, from 30% > to 0%. > > *"PROPOSED" SolarEdge Programming* > 0000 <100,1,00,Y> ----meaning = 100% power, 1.00 power factor, point is > active > 0001 <0,1.00,Y> ----meaning = 0% power, 1.00 power factor, point is active > 0010 <30,1.00,Y> ----meaning = 30% power, 1.00 power factor, point is > active > 0011 <0,1.00,Y> ----meaning = 0% power, 1.00 power factor, point is active > > Is this doable? > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > List Address: [email protected] > > Change listserver email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. > org/maillist.html > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org > > > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > List Address: [email protected] > > Change listserver email address & > settings:http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html > > List rules & etiquette:www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios:www.members.re-wrenches.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > List Address: [email protected] > > Change listserver email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. > org/maillist.html > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org > > > -- Mac Lewis *"Yo solo sé que no sé nada." -Sócrates*
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