Firstly, thanks Will for setting up this forum, and also for the helpful YouTube videos about HomeAssistant! (I've managed to get the RS485 interface running using your instructions)
This is a great place to discuss ideas, and it's not FaceBook!
I have recently had a Hybrid installation; 19 off 380W panels, an H1-5.0-E inverter, and 2 HV2600 batteries.
I like the kit, but didn't have a great experience with the installers and hence why I'm posting my question to the forum rather than consult the original installers.
I have 2 questions:
- Is the 5kW inverter sufficient for a solar setup with (in theory) a peak generation of 7.22kW? (or is it standard practice to "de-rate" the inverter assuming that the panels are not 100% efficient)?
- The installers claimed that the panels can generate power faster than the batteries can be charged (which seemed reasonable), but also claimed that adding more batteries wouldn't make any difference, ie more batteries would still charge at the same rate (but I assume would charge for longer) and hence there would still be same peak excess power. Is this correct?
Basically I'd like to retain as much generated power in the batteries rather than sending it back to the grid, and am trying to work out if I should get more batteries and if so, how many.
Many Thanks
Martin