New solar setup and AIMS inverters

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Stuck
Stuck Registered Users Posts: 6
Hey all, I am new to solar power and have been lurking on this site and a few others . I have found some very useful information here and there are some very knowledgeable people on this site.

I am considering an AIMS 8kw pure sine wave inverter for a whole house off grid system. Has anyone had experience with this unit and can share some feedback?

I am in the planning stages so I am sill doing homework.

For those who may ask, my continuous load is about 4300 w and peak loads about 6200w. However I have left room for future expansion. My intended battery bank is 48v 890a from a used forklift. And am planning on 3- 5 48v arrays - putting out 920whrs each, 5 hrs min a day.

Any feedback on this setup is also very welcome.

Comments

  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Welcome to the forum.

    Do not walk away from the AIMS inverter. RUN! As fast and as far as you can!

    Second, a continuous 4300 Watt load? All day? That is an astounding 103,200 kW hours. It is quite impractical to supply that kind of power from batteries. Methinks your numbers may be wrong.

    So lets start where off-grid systems design always start: getting the loads right. Buy a Kill-A-Watt meter and start measuring things you use now where you live. It will give you some idea of how much power you really use. Peak Watts is important, but Watt hours daily is vital.

    For example that forklift battery at most will supply about 30kW hours. It would require at least 5.5 kW of array, and that would be at 25% DOD (9kW hours).

    Do not wager that you will have 5 hours equivalent good sun per day either.

    Loads first, battery bank size second, array size third. And getting the load size minimized is essential.

    BTW why do you want to go off grid? That too is an important question. It will not save you money if grid is available.
  • Stuck
    Stuck Registered Users Posts: 6
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Thank you Cariboocoot!

    You pointed out a fundamental flaw in my assumptions!

    The kil-a-watt meters I've seen seem to consider 115 v receptacles only. The ac units are all wired to 230v outlets, most everything else is 115v. Are there alternative meters or 220/230 v killawatts out there ( Amazon draws blank). I guess I can use the utility meter.

    Since I'm still in planning, I took a look at a few electric bills . It averages out at approx 1400 kWh per 30 day cycle. That's 47 kWh per day, which sounds a lot better than adding up appliance loads.. Ha.

    The intent is to supply power and have enough battery backup for nighttime loads. Granted the ac units probably cycle a lot less, and there are a few hours that lights are on. Does it make sense to proportion loads at 2/3 1/3 : day to night? I'll do a check at the utility meter to verify if that makes sense. How should I factor that into the load or battery sizing ?

    The battery is already available - the question is if it's sufficient or should I look for another or additional.

    As for your last question - it's part about the economics - breaking even would be good for me, but I'm going with the "green" agenda -and lastly, some like race cars or horses, like to fiddle so why not look into a solar project, it definitely won't hurt :).what else am I going to do with a forklift battery?
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Let's make sure we're talking North American power standard here: 240/120 VAC 60 Hz.
    There are some European versions of K-A-W meters meant to operate on 230 VAC 50 Hz.
    Yes, the NA standard used to be 110/220 and also 115/230 depending on what point in time and which utility you use. It's also had some weird numbers like 117 and such but we ignore them.

    There's nothing for measuring the 240 VAC loads in NA except standard clamp-on Ammeters which don't run up totals. So you have to calculate that yourself, and with things like air conditioning your guess is as good as anyone's; the cycle time will vary with ambient conditions. That makes them hard to predict.

    If you've got grid the off-grid is not likely to save you a dime. The equipment amortized over its lifespan (nothing lasts forever) divided by the Watt hours produce comes down to a cost that's many times what grid power is almost anywhere.

    If you want to use solar to save money, consider grid-tie. It can be viable depending on your location (amazing differences in prices, costs, incentives from place to place).

    If you've got a forklift battery you want to make use of, don't worry about having enough power: you can arrange for the grid to take over when the battery gets low or just leave the heavy loads on grid. It's all a matter of selecting the right equipment and wiring it up correctly. Obviously you can't expect to get that 47kW hours from the battery.

    Which brings us to Rule #1: conservation. This is also Rule #2 and Rule #3 because it works for you no matter which type of power you have: grid, grid-tied, or off-grid. You just can't help but save money that way. :D

    Now let's say you have this battery and want to design a system around it to see what you can do with it. Is that about right? We already have a fair idea of what kind of power it can produce and what is needed to recharge it. Where do you want to go from there?
  • Stuck
    Stuck Registered Users Posts: 6
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    It is North American standard wiring 115/230, but the location is in the Caribbean. It's the same as North American standards.

    As for conservation, it's as good as it gets in these parts. Ac is a priority , but the house is zoned and only used when people are in it. Typical installations are split units by room. Lights can be upgraded or phased out over time, but starting where we are, it's only going to get better :) ..

    I'm having to redefine what I can actually do with the battery. I was aiming for a full off grid system. That's not happening.

    I would like to make good use of the battery though.

    Like you said, switching to grid is possible if the batteries run low, but I would like it to be able to power the whole house. Let's go with inverter sizing - is it as straight forward as using the load and adding some contingency? 47kwh plus ?%

    Array sizing can be next. We do get about 10 hours of sun a day, I halved that previously. I also have 1600 sq ft of roof that I can use 450 of for panels . What can we do with that?

    Oh I failed to mention that it's wired with a manual transfer switch on the mains so I'm trying my best not to mess with what's already in the walls.

    I appreciate the help, the learning never stops :) !
  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Seriously consider grid tie, my system peaks this time of year at about 72 kWh on a prime day.

    A typical 250 watt panel is about 65.43" x 38.98" or 17.75 sq ft. Your 450 sq ft roof if fully populated will be about 25 panels or 6250 watts STC assuming there are no local set back requirements. That is exactly half my panel install and I live in a prime solar location.

    Depending on the net metering plans available in your area it could work. I produce power in Jan - May well in excess of my consumption, last I looked I had over 2000 kWh in my net metering bank. Today I am currently 25 kwh ahead on the day after running a full charge into one of the Volts (13 kwh) and running the AC all day and the pool pump for 3 hours.

    I get to consume that excess power I generated in the spring to supplement my Jun-Sept consumption, we have many summer days as high as 130 kWh. You can't do that with off grid, the storage is immediate and needs to be consumed by the next charge cycle, I could only class that as short term storage. Another caveat to off grid is that when the battery hits its peak charge, something has to be on and available to consume the excess then, like late in the afternoon after charging is complete, otherwise those solar watts go unconsumed and are wasted. This tends to make you size the off grid a bit larger to make sure you get a full charge and you stand the loses of filling a battery. With grid tie you get the full benefit of every watt you generate.

    Where are you located and what is the cost of your grid kWh? Do they have a net-metering plan? Is the grid power reliable?
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Inverter sizing is a matter of maximum Watts that will be used at any given time. (Actually maximum Volt Amps because power factor has to be considered for AC induction loads like many motors). Normally you will not run at this maximum, so any inverter sized for it will most of the time be running less than max. Don't rely on surge ratings for anything, even on good inverters.

    Array is sized to recharge the battery. Usually, that is. Some people have found it beneficial to increase the array size above what would normally used. This can be either to supply extra charging capacity on less-than-sunny days (you don't have any of those in the Caribbean, right? :D ) or to accommodate daytime-only loads. This might prove beneficial to you if you can arrange to run your A/C during the day 'directly' from the panels. For most of us the array will have at least some 'surplus' capacity which if utilized can improve the system's over-all efficiency. For example I turn on my water pump once the batteries are up and fill the pressure tank. Manually you can do a lot. If you need it automatic it becomes more complex. MidNite's Classic charge controller may be your friend here; it has a "Waste Not" function which can aide in managing 'surplus' panel power.

    Your 10 hours of sun may not be any help because they won't be hours of direct sun on the panels; that's where the power is. Otherwise we talk about "hours of equivalent good sun"; ten hours of daylight may yield 5 or 6 hours of "equivalent good sun". The alternative is to put the panels on trackers, which may not be as economical as just having more panels. You can point some East, some South, and some West to capture longer hours of daylight.

    450 square feet of roof to use. Could be around 5-6 kW array. Just about enough for that battery.

    BTW the hot temps down there will hurt: neither batteries nor panels like to be hot.
  • Stuck
    Stuck Registered Users Posts: 6
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Hmm, I think I'm getting lost again.

    For the loads , should the inverter be sized to the number of appliances likely to be running at the same time? I.e. Run a tally of the appliances to get consumption ? -4300- 6200w

    For the battery , look at the total consumption per day, 47kwh that was back calculated from the utility

    For the array , consider the charging requirements of the battery plus some load?

    Is that right?

    P.S. Happy Mother's Day to you all.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Stuck wrote: »
    Hmm, I think I'm getting lost again.

    For the loads , should the inverter be sized to the number of appliances likely to be running at the same time? I.e. Run a tally of the appliances to get consumption ? -4300- 6200w

    For the battery , look at the total consumption per day, 47kwh that was back calculated from the utility

    For the array , consider the charging requirements of the battery plus some load?

    Is that right?

    P.S. Happy Mother's Day to you all.

    Yes, that's pretty much it.
    The array sizing will automatically include some load handling if sized according to the peak current rule-of-thumb as the batteries will not draw full current all the time. Sometimes the array is increased in size to handle specific loads above and beyond the typical.
  • Stuck
    Stuck Registered Users Posts: 6
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Awesome.. So to the titled post, there is a sale on AIMS 8kw inverters- Model #: PICOGLF80W48V240VS
    I know you said run! .. But compared to a magnum.. The price and features that's being marketed can't be beat.
    Tell me more.
  • solar_dave
    solar_dave Solar Expert Posts: 2,397 ✭✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Stuck wrote: »
    Awesome.. So to the titled post, there is a sale on AIMS 8kw inverters- Model #: PICOGLF80W48V240VS
    I know you said run! .. But compared to a magnum.. The price and features that's being marketed can't be beat.
    Tell me more.

    Let's see, one magnum for many years or a AIMS times number of failures times number of years.

    You don't get something for nothing generally.
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Stuck wrote: »
    Awesome.. So to the titled post, there is a sale on AIMS 8kw inverters- Model #: PICOGLF80W48V240VS
    I know you said run! .. But compared to a magnum.. The price and features that's being marketed can't be beat.
    Tell me more.

    Hi Stuck,

    AIMS inverters still seem to be Hobby-Grade units, and the model you reference appears to be no great deal at all ...

    The Idle power about 100 Watts, or a bit more -- Far too great!
    The potentiometer control of the output current (battery Charger I think) is very bush-league.
    The specs on LVD and LV Alarm seem sketchy.
    MAX THD is quite HIGH.

    Have not read the entire manual, but this is not Professional grade gear from all appearances.

    Why would you want to be a person running the AIMS experiment, especially given their well-earned reputation.

    Yep, I am very traditional, but most of us buy inverter-chargers for the long haul. Quality inverters generally run without problems for 15 or so years (knock, knock).

    Regardless of a "sale", one seldom gets things that they do not pay for.

    Put on your Track Shoes, and run like the devil -- the fine details are what counts for RE Power Systems, and seems that AIMS has missed a number of them, just from a cursory look. When you get one of these things hung on the wall, you will probably discover a number of things that are poorly designed/missing, IMO. Good Luck, Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Stuck wrote: »
    Awesome.. So to the titled post, there is a sale on AIMS 8kw inverters- Model #: PICOGLF80W48V240VS
    I know you said run! .. But compared to a magnum.. The price and features that's being marketed can't be beat.
    Tell me more.

    Awful Inverters Made Stupidly.
    This is the company that makes a 10kW 12 Volt inverter with four parallel DC inputs drawing 200+ Amps each. Does that sound like a good idea?

    If you really need 8kW in inverter you should look at Outback Radian http://www.solar-electric.com/outback-power-radian-series-inverter-gs8048.html or stacking a couple of Magnums http://www.solar-electric.com/maenms4444wa.html or else dividing up the loads into separate circuits with dedicated inverters sized to need (lots of AC rewiring required there).

    Just do not buy an AIMS inverter. Not even if you are paid to haul it away.
  • jcheil
    jcheil Solar Expert Posts: 722 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Stuck wrote: »
    Awesome.. So to the titled post, there is a sale on AIMS 8kw inverters- Model #: PICOGLF80W48V240VS
    I know you said run! .. But compared to a magnum.. The price and features that's being marketed can't be beat.
    Tell me more.

    RUN!!!!!!!!!
    Trust us...these things are JUNK. There is a REASON they are 1/2 the price of a real Outback/Magnum inverter - think about it.
    If you were "playing/hobby" then sure go for it. But you are going to be DEPENDING on it.

    You are also really at the point where you might someday exceed the capacity of a single inverter anyways (and/or need 240v).
    You can stack the Outback/Magnum inverters to produce more 120 or split-240.

    I don't own stock in ANY of these companies, I have nothing to gain my you buying a real inverter from Outback/Magnum.
    Just trying to save you the pain that I (and many others) have gone thru with those inverters (and most made-in-china inverters).
    Off-Grid in Central Florida since 2005, Full-Time since June 2014 | 12 X Sovello 205w panels, 9 X ToPoint 220w panels, 36x ToPoint 225w panels (12,525 watts total) | Custom built single-axis ground mounts | Complete FP2 Outback System: 3 x FM80, 2 x VFX3648, X240 Transformer, FLEXnet-DC, Mate-3, Hub-10, FW500 AC/DC | 24 x Trojan L16RE-B Batteries 1110ah @ 48v | Honda EU7000is Generator and a pile of "other" Generators | Home-Made PVC solar hot water collector | Custom data logging software http://www.somewhatcrookedcamp.com/monitormate.html
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,466 admin
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Wow... bundle ties to "mount" a fan?

    Capacitor lead failed?

    is there black smoke on the heat sink in this picture?

    http://s149.photobucket.com/user/rgearhead/media/IMG_0095_zpsc51d2bc5.jpg.html

    And what appears to be some shock/vibration damage in various photos?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • nsaspook
    nsaspook Solar Expert Posts: 396 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    BB. wrote: »
    Wow... bundle ties to "mount" a fan?

    -Bill

    How is that going to even work more than a inch away from the fan. It's just recirculation of the same hot air unless there is some kind of duct to form a pressure differential. Those pictures are going into my bad designs file.
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Kludge is far too kind of a word for this "product" ... seems to be in the POS genre ... ooopppss genre is far too king as well.

    Thanks for posting the pics.

    There can be a benefit in circulating warm air inside an enclosure, particularly if the enclosure was designed to radiate and convect external air - IMO.

    Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • jcheil
    jcheil Solar Expert Posts: 722 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Vic wrote: »
    There can be a benefit in circulating warm air inside an enclosure, particularly if the enclosure was designed to radiate and convect external air - IMO.
    Vic

    But the irony is that there was obviously no plans for that fan in the original design, it was added in as a hack, to likely prevent/slow down a heat failure related issue (which obviously just happened). That's why it is rigged up with cable ties. No DECENT designer would call for a fan mounted with cable ties hanging in mid-air.
    Off-Grid in Central Florida since 2005, Full-Time since June 2014 | 12 X Sovello 205w panels, 9 X ToPoint 220w panels, 36x ToPoint 225w panels (12,525 watts total) | Custom built single-axis ground mounts | Complete FP2 Outback System: 3 x FM80, 2 x VFX3648, X240 Transformer, FLEXnet-DC, Mate-3, Hub-10, FW500 AC/DC | 24 x Trojan L16RE-B Batteries 1110ah @ 48v | Honda EU7000is Generator and a pile of "other" Generators | Home-Made PVC solar hot water collector | Custom data logging software http://www.somewhatcrookedcamp.com/monitormate.html
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    NO,jc, did not mean to say that this particular implementation was good, or acceptable practice.

    Was just trying to mention, that this has been done in acceptable ways in other products, and does help to distribute/equalize heat buildup, allowing the enclosure to radiate/conduct this distributed heat.

    The MidNite Classic CC, when using its Sealed option does just this, and, well. Sometimes, components, like large power inductors could use cooling, and these are often fairly difficult to adequately heat-sink -- fan/s can help remove this heat, allowing the use of a smaller component (perhaps).

    In the case of this AIMS "inverter", the heatsinks are really outside-in, dumping heat into the inside of the enclosure, and from all appearances, there is little or no provision for that enclosure to rid itself of the heat dumped inside.

    It is definitely a HACK job for fore to aft, a continuous string of hacks on an initial inadequate design, and perhaps serial cost-cutting thrown in.

    Am no expert, just opinions. Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.
  • jcheil
    jcheil Solar Expert Posts: 722 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Vic wrote: »
    NO,jc, did not mean to say that this particular implementation was good, or acceptable practice.

    Was just trying to mention, that this has been done in acceptable ways in other products, and does help to distribute/equalize heat buildup, allowing the enclosure to radiate/conduct this distributed heat.

    The MidNite Classic CC, when using its Sealed option does just this, and, well. Sometimes, components, like large power inductors could use cooling, and these are often fairly difficult to adequately heat-sink -- fan/s can help remove this heat, allowing the use of a smaller component (perhaps).

    In the case of this AIMS "inverter", the heatsinks are really outside-in, dumping heat into the inside of the enclosure, and from all appearances, there is little or no provision for that enclosure to rid itself of the heat dumped inside.

    It is definitely a HACK job for fore to aft, a continuous string of hacks on an initial inadequate design, and perhaps serial cost-cutting thrown in.

    Am no expert, just opinions. Vic

    Sorry I did not mean it that way. I knew you didn't find it acceptable. I was just adding insult to the injury of the product itself - not your comment :)
    Off-Grid in Central Florida since 2005, Full-Time since June 2014 | 12 X Sovello 205w panels, 9 X ToPoint 220w panels, 36x ToPoint 225w panels (12,525 watts total) | Custom built single-axis ground mounts | Complete FP2 Outback System: 3 x FM80, 2 x VFX3648, X240 Transformer, FLEXnet-DC, Mate-3, Hub-10, FW500 AC/DC | 24 x Trojan L16RE-B Batteries 1110ah @ 48v | Honda EU7000is Generator and a pile of "other" Generators | Home-Made PVC solar hot water collector | Custom data logging software http://www.somewhatcrookedcamp.com/monitormate.html
  • rgearhead
    rgearhead Solar Expert Posts: 38
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    hey guys, Im no electronic wiz, I was Once an ASE Certified auto Mechanic and have been a Stationary building Engineer for the last 20 years,So i been around equipment for quiet some time, And let me say my jaw dropped when I unscrewed and lifted off the cover, what a waste of $$$ , when i saw zip ties holding the fan and white blobs of silicone calk here n there willy nilly, my throat sank,

    Im still shocked it worked from day one.... it's still on my work bench at home, so if you want more pic's let me know before I heap it in the trash..

    please continue to warn people to run from Aim's and you can use these pic's as well...

    thanks Bob...
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    I hate to say "I told you so" but ...

    :D
  • nsaspook
    nsaspook Solar Expert Posts: 396 ✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters
    Vic wrote: »
    There can be a benefit in circulating warm air inside an enclosure, particularly if the enclosure was designed to radiate and convect external air - IMO.
    Vic

    Yes, there can be if it was designed for good passive convection in the beginning but in this 'design' the cooling effect for the minimal air flow (it seems to be pulling from near the heatsink over a chip on the board) seems almost counter productive unless it exausts to a vent port.
  • Vic
    Vic Solar Expert Posts: 3,208 ✭✭✭✭
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    Re: New solar setup and AIMS inverters

    Hi nsaspook, Sir,

    YES, in this exact case of this Aimless inverter, seems that there has been little top-down design. Something like, "we have this enclosure, so let's see what we can cram into it. Then a bunch of hacks to try to make it kinna work. Barely works for a few minutes as a prototype?? ... OK ship 'em! Or something like that.

    Understand people trying to save some money, but for things that do real work, it is hard to cut corners, especially on the design or implementation. Feel for have some of these hack-job "inverters"

    Was not trying to nit-pick you too much ... know that you know what you are doing. Good to see you posting here again. Vic
    Off Grid - Two systems -- 4 SW+ 5548 Inverters, Surrette 4KS25 1280 AH X2@48V, 11.1 KW STC PV, 4X MidNite Classic 150 w/ WBjrs, Beta KID on S-530s, MX-60s, MN Bkrs/Boxes.  25 KVA Polyphase Kubota diesel,  Honda Eu6500isa,  Eu3000is-es, Eu2000,  Eu1000 gensets.  Thanks Wind-Sun for this great Forum.