Genny Auto start

BBBargins

Hi tribe what a great resource, i have a ton of qiestions. I inherited an off grid cottage with a 8-10 year old solar system and trying to figure it out.  It has a older Outback CC and Inverter.. Overall size seems 1500 watts of panels and 24 volt battery bank Led acid,,  It seems under sized for current needs.. So we want to upgrade i expect around 2500 watts and go 24-48 volts.  The current systems has a complex bunch of rigged gadgets (Relays etc) to auto start the generator (works)  as the battery bank get Low.. The solar panels and genny are located approx 400 feet away from cottage which houses the main utility room etc,    My starting question are there recomended newer modern solutions to Deal with the Charge controller and Generator combo including auto starting/Auto shut off  etc,,, ?   Seems the best place to start..   

PS current generator set up is 8Kw system seems to be needed we are in Quebec Canada, direct sun is limited to max 3-4 hrs when sunny in winter .and now genny runs multiple times daily. We will upgrade capacity to rely less on genny but need/want it... Right now we have zero monitoring.. and have no idea on usage, errors, we are blind..

Any recomentations on integrated systems? Or solutions with add ons..  Many thanks 
BB

Estragon

Do you have an Outback "Mate" display?  There should be logs of various system data, normally accessed through the mate.  If not, I think at least some should be available using the charge controller display.

Outback is generally considered a top tier brand, but at 8-10yrs the gear is getting to a point where failures wouldn't be all that surprising.  Unless there's a compelling reason to switch to another brand, you could do worse than sticking with Outback for replacements and/or expansion.

Auto generator starting generally does involve a relay.  How complex depends on the generator etc.  If it works, I'd stick with it for now.  That said, I'm personally not a fan of AGS, especially if the system may be left unattended.

Assuming the batteries are flooded lead acid, it's good practise to check and record specific gravity regularly.  If this has been done in the past, it may be helpful to get these records.  In any case, this should be started now, and the health of the batteries assessed.  If they're in decent shape, you can take your time assessing needs and planning for future expansion.

BBBargins

100% Batteries are brand new but liking Lithium based on capacity.  Was told the Outback CC and Outback Inverter are different vintages and do not speak together.  <yes we uses the cabins are rentals and often are unattended or the city peeps / party peeps could not be trusted, Needs to be auto start  stop for Genny.  Does anyone make a turn key black box for the Genny some off the shelf management solution vs this jumble of wires, relays and solonides 

Estragon

Depending on the genny, something like the standalone version of this might work?

https://www.solar-electric.com/magnum-energy-me-ags-automatic-generator-start-1.html

mike95490

Lithium batteries need to be kept warm, above 40F preferably, but not inside the house.  If they fail, they release very toxic gases.