In need of Conext Designer software 2.0

Hi my guys, please i need your help. I am trying to build a 10KW solar power for my home to support my home needs in case of grid failure and my cisco lab for my network devices, 1 cisco router 2951. 2 cisco 3750 switch and 1 Dell Server R610 with 717W with 1 HP AC for cooling running minimum 10 hours a day. I like the Schneider equipments because of the monitoring features.
40 x Suntech STP260-24 panels, Schneider XW8548 Inverter, Conext MPPT 80 600 solar charge controller, 8 x 12V 260A AGM Batteries.
My problem is i cant download the Conert Designer software 2.0 on their website to size the solar properly for my need. I will be very grateful if someone in this forum could help upload and share the software on 4shared or dropbox or any means to download the software.
Your response will be very much appreciated. Cheers
40 x Suntech STP260-24 panels, Schneider XW8548 Inverter, Conext MPPT 80 600 solar charge controller, 8 x 12V 260A AGM Batteries.
My problem is i cant download the Conert Designer software 2.0 on their website to size the solar properly for my need. I will be very grateful if someone in this forum could help upload and share the software on 4shared or dropbox or any means to download the software.
Your response will be very much appreciated. Cheers
Comments
http://solar.schneider-electric.com/product/conext-designer/
It appears to be sold by Schneider--So I am not sure you will find a "free" package floating around here...
However, we can at least help you with the major parts of the paper design/sizing of your system, if you wish...
For example, the 8x 12 volt 260 AH AGM battery bank seems awfully small for such a large array. That is only 520 AH @ 48 volt battery bank. For a 10,400 Watt array, our typical rule of thumb would be for a minimum of ~1,040 AH @ 48 volt battery bank.
And, if you are from UAE (guessing), the amount of sun you will receive is (fixed array, facing south, tilted to optimum year round collection):
http://solarelectricityhandbook.com/solar-irradiance.html
Abu Dhabi
Measured in kWh/m2/day onto a solar panel set at a 66° angle from vertical:Average Solar Insolation figures
(For best year-round performance)
Abu Dhabi
Measured in kWh/m2/day onto a solar panel set at a 66° angle from vertical:Average Solar Insolation figures
(For best year-round performance)
- 10,400 Watt array * 0.52 typical off grid system eff * 5.09 hours (January average) per day sun = 27,527 Watt*Hours per day of 230 VAC 50 Hz power for an average January day (other months would be more).
A typical full time off grid system would have enough stored power for 2 days and a maximum of 50% discharge. Such a battery bank would be:- 27,527 WH per day * 1/0.85 AC inverter eff * 1/48 volt nominal battery bank * 2 days * 1/0.50 max discharge = 2,699 AH battery bank nominal (guessing from your size of solar array.
Another way to look at the battery bank sizing, is that 5% to 13% rate of charge is recommended for solar charging of battery bank. 5% is good for backup and weekend/seasonal usage. For a full time off grid system, 10% to 13% rate of charge is recommended.- 2,699 AH * 59 volts charging * 1/0.77 panel+controller deratings * 0.05 rate of charge = 10,340 Watt array minimum
- 2,699 AH * 59 volts charging * 1/0.77 panel+controller deratings * 0.10 rate of charge = 20,681 Watt array nominal
- 2,699 AH * 59 volts charging * 1/0.77 panel+controller deratings * 0.13 rate of charge = 26,885 Watt array "cost effective" maximum
So, there are some guesses... Somewhere around a 1,000 AH to 2,700 AH @ 48 volt battery bank. And around a 10.3 kWatt to 27.0 kWatt array based on the little bit of information from what you have given so far regarding loads (working backwards).And is 27.5 kWH per day (January long term average) or (x30 days per month=) 825 kWH per month enough to run your loads? Computers, Air Conditioning, and even a Refrigerator consume lots of energy... Is this "enough" power (in January) to supply your needs? Other months will have more sun, but not that much more...
Do you need 1 day of backup power, or should it be 2 days?
How often does you power go down? You can get away with a smaller AGM battery bank, but deep cycling it will dramatically reduce its life span.
Will you have a backup generator?
-Bill
Thanks so much for this great info, your explanation had really made a whole lots of things much more easier.
Yes, "Conext" Designer software. I tried searching everywhere but couldn't download the software, so i thought someone with any version of the software here could help and share.
I will be planning for 2 days backup power, power goes down in this area like 2 to 4 hours a day, but not planning of using backup generator. I intend maximizing the solar energy we have in the country.
To simplify things now as per your explanation, kindly help clarify my doubts
1. 16x 12 volt 260 AH AGM battery bank minimum?
2. Will this battery bank be able to power this requirement for 24 hours or just 10 hours in a day as per the 10kW we are considering?
3. How many Conext MPPT 80 600 solar charge controller should i use and is the XW8548 Inverter okay for this requirement?
4. Will the 40 x Suntech STP260-24 panels be enough or i should add more?
5. With this usage and from your experience, like how many years life span will the AGM battery will use?
6. Do i need any other conext devices to optimise my systems?
Sorry for my funny questions as am still a beginner unlike you expert.
Thank you in anticipation of your response.
Warm regards
Generally speaking, that is extremely poor design for a system that cycles frequently. The problem with parallel batteries is the current does not tend to divide equally among the parallel strings when they are being charged. AGM batteries are particularly prone to the problem because of their low internal resistance.... the resistance in the wiring is 'magnified' by their lower resistance.
Parallel batteries work OK in standby systems where they spend their lives floating and seldom get cycled.
Each string of batteries will need its own fuse. That adds connections (more potential points of failure) to the system. Fuse size is tricky... if one string develops high resistance all of its current will pass through the other strings... if one of those fuses blows, the current will be divided among only two strings and their fuses will blow in a cascade of dollars spent.
The entire battery bank is only as good as its worst cell. When you have 4 times as many cells, you have 4 times the chance of getting a bad cell that takes down the entire bank. If you have a shorted cell somewhere, you may have overheating and thermal runaway in that string. Hopefully its fuse will blow. Or better yet, you got lucky and attached your temperature sensor to the overheated string which lowered the charging voltage enough to avoid thermal runaway, but left the remainder of the bank undercharged.
It is a good idea to frequently monitor the current in the battery strings for imbalances... as the imbalances get greater you may have some strings discharging into other strings at the end of the charging day. One bad cell can take down the entire bank before you notice there is a problem... when the lights go out, you've already missed the signs of impending failure.
If you can possibly build your battery bank from a single string of flooded batteries, I suggest that you do so.
--vtMaps
Please what configurations should i use to achieve the required battery bank if not using the parallel strings?
From what have read i may be wrong, seems i like the AGM or the Gel type batteries more than the flooded batteries due to maintainance issues. However i will look into this though.
Kindly help me answer my remaining questions i listed above.
Cheers
You have some math and numbers to run on what you really need and and making sense financially.
http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
E-mail [email protected]
There are European GEL batteries that say they can charge higher than 5% (C/20) rate of charge--Assuming the brands/models you can get locally are spec'ed that way--Perhaps they would be OK.
Remember that large Sealed Batteries (GEL, AGM) have a catalyst inside the battery cap/top of the battery which recombines the Hydrogen+Oxygen gases from charging back into water--And the catalyst (palladium or similar) do have a limited life. And once the catalyst fails, the batteries themselves quickly fail after that (vent gases/electrolyte, dry out and fail). You may be able to get new catalyst caps--But the would be expensive and you have to replace before batteries lose much of their "water".
Size your system (battery bank) first--The battery bank is really the "heart" of your system. Once you have the system (and loads) sized, then you can start looking at hardware to support those loads.
Remember too, electronics typically have a 10+ year life--Then need to be replaced due to failure.
-Bill
Secondly, you specify a very large number of solar panels, but dont say anything about the cost/quality of your grid supply service. If the overall grid energy is ok, just is unreliable, then, actually solar is not even indicated as being needed. All you need is an inverter, some batteries and a charger. Or, a UPS, and a genset, Both solutions will be considerably cheaper to build. Unless your grid power costs in excess off USD0.50/kWh, you can never hope compete on cost.
However, assuming, you really cant reduce your critical loads, and, that you really have it as your lifes dream to own and manage a solar system, then in this situation, lead acid is the worst battery you can choose. With their much higher charge and discharge rates lithium iron phosphate cells will allow you to use a much smaller bank. EV (lithium nickel mangenese) type batterys can also be used if you know what you are doing, allowing an even smaller battery again.
And last but not least, you just hate your power company, you hate the idea of it, or they quoted you 500K to connect, then, you can go to a full off grid design, in which case lead acid is still a good cost effective choice, and flooded cells are preferable, because they last longer. And, then, as before demand side conservation is the key to there being some change from 50K for the install.
You may have a hot climate with lots of sun, but PV is not now the expensive part of RE systems. Batterys are, and they dont much like heat. The hotter it is the shorter they last. Regular battery replacement is a fact of life in this business.
http://zoneblue.org/cms/page.php?view=off-grid-solar
Thank you once again, you have just answered all my questions and cleared my doubts. Your technical analysis and simplified approach to explaining issues is legendary. Please keep it up.
I will review all you said and look closely into adjusting all my load and hardware to get the best out of my solar.
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your opinion. Noted.
Thanks for your help, i am still a beginner but with your help i am more informed now and will do the needful to get the best solar system.
I need some help. i have the conext designer but don't think I can use it that well.
I want to add more than 1 MPPT to my design but I don't know how. Also, how do I add custom details to my design like me inputting the specifications of my panels (Vmmp, Imp and such)
Thanks in advance for the help guys