Small sweet inverter needed

plexed
plexed Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
Looking for an inverter similar to the MorningStar 300W Sine Wave, but with only about 100W capacity. Need automatic low-voltage disconnect and re-connect capability and low standby power consumption. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,623 admin
    #2
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    What is your load average power requirements? The SureSine 300 watt inverter (PDF Brochure) is >~80% efficient down to 30 watt loads or so... And has the low power search mode (if AC power is off during part of the day--0.7 watts in search mode).

    Or, can you power the load directly from DC power and avoid the extra inverter losses?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • plexed
    plexed Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭
    #3
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    Current power requirement is about 15W for some 120V LED night-lights that turn on for a specific amount of time after sunset, a few watts to run an electric fence, and maybe 10W to run a small ventilation fan.

    The fan and fence run on 12V and are working fine. I want to add the 120V light string to the setup.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,623 admin
    #4
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    That is a tough question... 120 VAC LEDs frequently use capacitors to limit current to them. And MSW (modified square/sine wave) inverters can actually cause the components to overheat.

    The cheap/low power solution would probably just any small 120 VAC MSW inverter. You can purchase one anywhere and try it with your LED string and see how it works out. If either fails--you probably are not out very much money.

    The true sine wave solutions (other than the SureSine) can be less expensive for a 125 watt or so TSW inverter ($150-$190 or so)--but they do not have the low power search feature or where you can turn the inverter on/off with a simple DC switch (low voltage control circuit connected to a DC timer for example). The others require fairly substantial DC switches/relays capable of 15+ amp switching.

    How are you planning on turning on/off the LEDs? Manual switch or some sort of automatic timer.

    For example, if you want something automatic, there are landscape solar charge controllers that can be set up to turn the lights on for 4 hours after sunset.

    The SureSine 300, because of its other features may still be the better solution to keep the system simple and versatile (TSW, low power search, digital signal for on/off) although it is more expensive at $265 or so.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #5
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    I've run several LED holiday light strings off a 75W cig lighter inverter, and they've run for weeks, just fine.
    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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  • RWB
    RWB Solar Expert Posts: 168 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    Here is what you are looking for.

    The best 150W Pure Sine Inverter Option available from my research.

    http://www.theinverterstore.com/the-inverter-store-product.php?model=pwri18012s#
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  • john p
    john p Solar Expert Posts: 814 ✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    If it me I would get the 300w one not the 180 watt one it only $20 difference and it be more useful for future if you want to add something else to run from it. and idle power consumption is .38 compared to .7a for the smaller one about 4 watts difference not that much
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  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    The AIMS 180w unit will suck the battery down to 10v and then almost certainly start beeping.

    With the SureSine you can set a dip switch for LVD at either 10.5v or 11.5v and with another dip switch you can turn the alarm off.

    Also, the 180w unit controls the fan based on load, but doesn't appear to have a standby mode, which the SureSine does - and the SureSine has no fan at all.

    The 180 looks like a nice unit for attended use, but for unattended operation I would go with the SureSine.
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  • plexed
    plexed Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭
    #9
    Re: Small sweet inverter needed

    Thanks dwh, that's the problem I have with all the run-o'-the-mill inverters out there. They don't like low voltage - they beep and then won't restart when the voltage comes back up.

    Would be nice if someone had a cheaper solution though.
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