Schneider grid support and enhanced grid support.

jnmrcs

Hi.

I'm new to the solar thing. I've been reading about grid support and enhanced grid support trying to understand it. This is what I understand (please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong):

Grid Support:
  It will use my system to support the grid support until the voltage is the same as the recharge voltage in the controller.

Enhanced Grid Support:
  It will use my system to support the grid support until there is no more power from the solar panels.

Just in case my system is a XW6848 (inverter), 2 MPPT 60 (charge controllers). Both are Schneider and communicate between them.

Thanks in advance.

BB.

Welcome to the forum Jn,

The modern Hybrid AC inverters have a wide variety of configurable options that can support many different types of installations/requirements (and there are some limitation/technical issues that sometimes are an issue).

What is it that you are trying to do? I think talking in terms of what you are looking for will be less confusing the various configurations and hardware options that are out there.

There are some truisms... Grid Tied solar power system (solar panels=>GT Inverter=>main AC panel) are the cheapest/most reliable/least maintenance systems out there. And they typically generate power at less cost per kWH than even utility costs. However, the utility (and state PUC laws) have many rules and limitations themselves. And some of them either don't allow GT Solar power systems, or the rate plans do not make economic sense.

And any Battery Based AC inverter system (pure off grid, Hybrid inverter, etc.) tend to, at best, cost about the same as the peak rates of a utility (in California, my summer afternoons/evenings are ~$0.45 per kWH) to $1-$2+ per kWH (all up costs--installation, maintenance, battery replacement every 5-7 years, hardware replacement every 10+ years).

Hybrid AC inverter systems are amazing what they can do these days... They can do pure off grid (cost effectively) with automatic generator control (if needed). Act as a backup power system for a utilty power system. Or even feed back energy to the utility when the solar power available from the array is > battery charging and local AC load needs)--Again, at the pleasure of the local building department and utilty. (the AC inverter takes the "excess available solar energy" and pumps that back into the local power panel/utility).

And, a newer feature, some hybrid AC inverters can also do what is known as a Generator Support mode. Basically, you can have a 4 kWatt AC generator (to charge the battery bank when needed, run local AC loads through the hybrid AC inverter), and have your 8 kWatt hybrid inverter run >4 kWatt loads when the genset is running (4kW from genset + XkW from the battery bank + solar array => power to AC loads). Very nice when you have short term loads (well pump, perhaps an electric stove, hair drier, etc.) where the AC loads are greater than the genset output--The hybrid inverter "supports" the generator with additional power/current to the AC loads).

Anyway--There is a lot that can be done--Tell us a bit more about your needs and we can hopefully help with those.

-Bill

jnmrcs

Hi. Thanks for your response.

What I was thinking is in what of those (grid support or enhanced grid support) will help me more consuming less power from the grid. But I'm trying to understand them to know their differences. In the future I will be selling to the grid (but right now waiting on permissions and that kind of stuff) but in the mean time I wanted to take the most of my solar system.

Thanks, I hope to clarify what you were asking, if not ask me.