Surge / Lightening protecters - arresters...

alyaz
alyaz Solar Expert Posts: 114 ✭✭✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
I'd like to find out if anyone out there has purchased, for example, any of the Midnite Solar surge protectors or any facsimile that they are happy with. The Midnite Solar ones are about $100 each, so not sure it one needs to spend that much or not. Thinking of having a proper set up on both the Gen-set and the off-grid control panel...

http://www.midnitesolar.com/productPhoto.php?product_ID=285&productCatName=SPD

I've been told that these are suitable for both AC and DC installs? Feedback please?...


Regards,
3.3 kW solar.  3 Midnite Solar controllers; 5 lightening suppressors.  Magnum’s inverter; auto gen start, BMK.  Davidson 2 v FLA’s - 24v bank.  Perkins diesel gen.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Surge / Lightening protecters - arresters...

    i have a couple. and yes, they work for both as i have 1 for ac and 1 for dc. they won't advertise that they were triggering due to a surge. they are heavy duty and have leds to show they are on. be sure to not to apply voltages that exceed their working volts.
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #3
    Re: Surge / Lightening protecters - arresters...

    I got 2, one 300V for the 120VAC lines, one 115V for the 80V PV feed lines. They use a bank of LARGE MOV's in them, and are supposed to trigger well before the 6KV deltecs kick in.

    But if a direct lightning strike hits, I doubt anything would survive.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Surge / Lightening protecters - arresters...
    mike90045 wrote: »
    I got 2, one 300V for the 120VAC lines, one 115V for the 80V PV feed lines. They use a bank of LARGE MOV's in them, and are supposed to trigger well before the 6KV deltecs kick in.

    But if a direct lightning strike hits, I doubt anything would survive.

    i agree, but with the lowered trigger point and heavier movs in the midnite surge arresters they do increase your odds of survivability even if from a nearby lightning surge as an example.
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  • halfcrazy
    halfcrazy Solar Expert Posts: 720 ✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Surge / Lightening protecters - arresters...

    Here is a little video we did: http://www.midnitesolar.com/video/spd/spd.php

    We have been doing a few videos and have tried to add a fun flair to the educational portion. The second half of this video is shot in a lab that specializes in simulating lightning.

    Ryan
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  • boB
    boB Solar Expert Posts: 1,032 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Surge / Lightening protecters - arresters...
    niel wrote: »
    be sure to not to apply voltages that exceed their working volts.

    Unless it's from lightning !

    boB
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Surge / Lightening protecters - arresters...
    boB wrote: »
    Unless it's from lightning !

    boB

    well of course, lightning, but i don't think anybody will be applying it deliberately.:p i was just addressing the possibility of pv voltages being higher than the rating on the surge arrester.
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  • WaterWheel
    WaterWheel Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭✭
    #8

    I have 4 Midnight Solar surge protectors ( MNSPD300 ),    two are on the AC side and two on the DC side.

    Massive lightening strike the other evening in my front yard, two neighbors 300 yds away (closest houses to me) lost lots of stuff in their grid fed houses even being that far away.        All electric fences for 600 yards went down on several properties.

    I was the closest yet all I lost was things that grounded separately from the house wiring (inverter ground) such as electric fence, internet modem (phone line for modem grounds outside the house) and satellite which also grounds separately from surge protected house circuits.         Satellite system had 2 box covers blown off, 3 cable connectors and ground block burned, 1 cable melted inside the insulation, and inside dish box was fried.      My TV is undamaged.

    I strongly believe that without the surge protectors I would have lost a lot more.       They kept the voltages on the household wiring clamped down.         The satellite repair guy was impressed.

    Conext XW6848 with PDP, SCP, 80/600 controller, 60/150 controller and Conext battery monitor

    21 SW280 panels on Schletter ground mount

    48v Rolls 6CS 27P

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