Wind Turbine & Enphase IQ7 system integration success

WebPower
WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
I've successfully connected an Enphase IQ7 to a wind turbine. Working out some kinks. Maybe someone out there is interested and maybe has ideas for some final tweaks that I need to do. Its based on the KSU research but has some tweaks due to IQ7 characteristics that are different from the KSU Enphase microinverter.

power production 24hrs a day, solar in parallel with turbine to provide power to black box interface during the day.
9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,590 admin
    I would be very interested in you posting your configuration/testing/results here on the forum (you can do it in this thread).

    And more information about your wind turbine too (actual daily/monthly harvest, brand/model/etc.). Finding HAWT (horizontal axis wind turbines) that are reliable and harvest significant energy in "normal" winds has been a unicorn hunt around here.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    The IQ7 has some interesting quirks to it when you try to do 24 hour production. First, Enphase doesn't plot in Enlighten any power production at night. However, the IQ7 does produce power. Enphase turns off cloud reporting based on your location. So I'm in Virginia and nothing is plotted between 11pm and 4am. The problem with the IQ7 I have to still correct for, is a non-production mode it gets into at times. I'm not sure yet when that happens, but it happens at night. It's happened three times in the last week. You have to cold start the IQ7 to get it back into service. Because I'm always providing it a DC bias, you have to unhook both AC and DC to it for it to restart the fastest. The things I still have to implement are:

    automatic cold start of IQ7 sometime during the night

    Implement a boost converter to fully utilize power production of turbine in low winds

    Once I figure out this forum's way to operate I'll post some diagrams and pics.

    More discussion/description to follow. I've posted several entries in the Enphase Community forum as well. But no real interest it seems there.

    Pat
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Even though the connection of a turbine to an IQ7 is highly desireable, its not terribly easy, but also not too hard once the details are all worked out.

    As I mentioned, my system is based on the KSU research paper. However, the IQ7s operate differently than the M model of the research. My wind IQ7 starts producing power at 22.5v and then the MPPT clamps the voltage down to around 16v. I dont use a wind controller as they operate either at 12v, 24v, or 48v and the MPPT could really clamp at any voltage within the 15-48v spec. I use a diode bank from a wind controller I smoked during my testing. I tried a 24v turbine but its power curve is too high for my lower wind area. Many people write that they want to use batteries as the load bank for the turbine. With an on voltage of 22.5v and an MPPT clamping at 16v, i dont know of any battery that is compatible with those operating parameters. So like the KSU research, i use super capacitors. I didn't do the testing that KSU did to find the capacitance. I estimated based on their results.  I've moved to a 48volt 600W horizontal chinease turbine which my brother has loaned me to test with. Since I'm running at a nominal 16v, the turbine is de-rated to probably 200W or so. Its nice that the MPPT voltage is 16v in that the turbine produces power at a lower wind. However, I'd like to produce as low a wind as possible so thats why I'm looking at somehow adding a boost converter to the turbine for when its spin produces 5-16v as it wont produce power unless it has a load attached. 

    Since the wind isn't up all the time, just like the KSU research, you need to provide a DC voltage bias to the IQ7 so it stays in a standby or on condition. If "off" it can take over 2 minutes to produce power once the "on" voltage triggers the software to produce power. A 48v turbines power curve allows it to teach my 22.5v on trigger voltage at a lower wind speed. The super caps allow the IQ7 to stay on during no wind transitions and will also keep tthe IQ7 on for a longer time. From standby state, the IQ7 takes less than 30 seconds to go into production mode. 

    Since it needs a DC bias to keep the system working properly, why can't you use solar to power it you ask? Well, you can. I have 300 W of solar that provides DC bias to the system during the day. It powers a relay that turns off the DC power supply while the sun is shining. The solar and wind run in parallel. The only hurdle right now is overcoming the non-production mode that the IQ7 gets into sometimes. It has a high enough input voltage to turn on but doesn't. To overcome it, the fastest way is to do a cold start by removing both AC and DC from the IQ7. You can do it with simple relays once a day but why do a cold start if its not necessary. I'm looking at possibly using a small controller like a raspberry pi to make that kind of decision. Its a nagging issue that needs to be addressed. 

    I spoke with Enphase today and the IQ7 reported errors of power production after dark, before dawn, and commanded reset during or near the latest non-production event. The only error worth worrying aboit is the commanded reset which usually means the microinverter is at a  too low of DC input voltage to operate in standby and is shutting down or restarting. It could be a byproduct of my transition from solar to/from DC power. So i'm in the process of testing nightime power production using a power supply all night on it. I might have to do something fancy to get it to enter the non-production mode. Once i reproduce it i can figure out the proper correction/solution.
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,590 admin
    Interesting.

    What are you doing on the AC side of the micro inverter(s)? Are you using a PSW inverter (that may be optimized for running with GT inverters on the AC output) or something else?

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    It’s a normal Enphase grid tied install without battery. The grid is my battery. In the case of the wind micro, the AC does not go through an envoy. I have 6 other micros on that 240v line. It’s on my workshop power feed which is external to the house through a sub panel off the main breaker panel. We also have 22 micros on the house grid tied which are split between two breakers in an envoy combiner which go through a different sub panel. Those report through the envoy. I’ve not put an envoy at the workshop for its micros mainly due to being lazy. The cloud just isn’t happy and says I have a production/consumption error since there’s generation that it’s not seeing on a CT.

    the entire system is a self install with all appropriate approvals.the State of Virginia and Dominion Power are great in that way. I’m net metered. Next July I’ll have a good estimate of overall electric savings. Right now it appears instead of 2019’s $2200 Power bill, 2021 should be under $800. Aside from wind, everything was finally done this July. I have about 9500W of solar total. There is a 10000W limit in Virginia before they institute a monthly generation surcharge. Solar is well worth it if you can do it yourself. My break even should be under 8 years.
    pat
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,590 admin
    With the grid--You have "unlimited" energy storage... So now you are looking at having the choice of solar+GT Inverter vs HAWT+GT Inverter. This becomes a cost/maintenance choice between solar and wind turbine.

    My personal choice is usually solar power--Solar panels are (generally) cheaper and lower maintenance vs wind turbine.

    With GT Solar, you do not have "backup power" ability. In California, we (GT Power Customers) are required to use Time of Use billing...Currently, peak power is roughly 4 pm to 9 or 10 pm at night (high cost utility power)--In this case, having an energy source that can supply power when solar cannot--That could be of economic interest ($0.20 vs $0.40 per kWH hour for off peak/peak power costs).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    My playing around with the wind turbine interface is really just an expensive hobby challenge. In my area wind is not a cost effective solution that’s for sure. Once I get it all done I’ll compile a BOM and have a final cost for the interface. I’m sure it will make sense for some people.  

    another challenge I’m going to take on is building a smaller solar tracking system. I’m going to use it on the turbine controller. For any of this I’m not worrying about cost, more trying to see if I can do it. It’s a hobby so like all good ones, it’s a money pit. I do this, my brothers pour money into boats…mine’s much cheaper. haha

    I've always maintained that the most cost effective way to do solar with GT is to produce almost all your energy needs, no more. Net metering is perfect for that mantra. At your rates my payoff would be even sooner! And using a system with batteries that you can use the generated power during those peak hours would be good to have. Thank god I don’t have those issues.  Battery backup with my system would be fairly easy to implement due to the way my home’s power is configured. We have a portable generator so having the solar off during an outage isn’t a problem for us. I’ve had the generator solution way before the solar. And I agree that solar is the way to go. The only hassle is if you have a micro inverter fail. I had 5 fail all at once and it’s not fun changing it our by yourself with a 5 foot panel on top of it. 

    Pat
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Updates on progress. No non-production issue duplication yet. However,

    I have devised a method to perform a cold reset of the IQ7.
    HCW-M635 LVCO
    YX631 Time Delay Relay, mode C, 1 minute delay

    As a low voltage cut out, the HCW can be programmed to turn on at a higher voltage than the turn off voltage. Testing it, I can set it to 26v turn on, and 20v turn off. As the voltage slowly ramps up to the IQ7 turn on voltage of 22.5 volts, the M635 does nothing. once it reaches my set point of 26v it will turn on. That turn on triggers the YX631 to turn the relay on. AC to the IQ7 is across the NC of the relay, therefore it will open the AC to the IQ7 for one minute. Once the minute is over, the relay returns to NC resting state, powering the IQ7 back up and allowing the IQ7 to reboot. Since it's got 26v on the DC input, it will go into power production mode once boot up is complete. That in turn drops the DC of the super capacitor bank below 20v, turning off the time delay relay. Time delay relay off, powers down the YX631. In theory it should work..If the IQ7 takes more than one cold boot, I can handle that scenario with the same parts, just change the mode of the YX631 to keep repeating.

    So this will only happen if the voltage goes up past my IQ7 turn on voltage of 22.5v.

    Next thing being worked on is additional rectifier bank to put in parallel with the turbine output. I'm going to start plotting turbine voltage with a raspberry pi in preparation for a buck converter to produce power below the IQ7 nominal operating voltage. Stay tuned...

    Also, now that I figured out how to add pics, here are three plots from the Enphase cloud of the wind turbine's IQ7.Remember, there is solar in parallel with the turbine.

    First is normal morning turn on point from nighttime standby. Note the slight jump in green slope after 6pm which is the power supply turning on when solar is gone.
    Second is 40v DC non-production example. 3 times last week.
    Third is what happens when cold start occurs to correct from non-production mode
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,590 admin
    Is this still with your DC power supply "test source" or a real Wind Turbine?

    Getting real numbers from a real wind turbine installation has been far and few between here.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    This is with the turbine and solar combined. I'm almost where I'll be able to plot current and voltage for the turbine. Working on the programming now of the raspberry pi. I'd like to get an anemometer and couple that with the turbine measurements. That would give me the best idea of how its all working. I've got the second rectifier bridge installed and it's giving me independent voltage measurements from the turbine. This one will be for the voltage and the current measurement and tell me what is going to the super cap bank and then into the IQ7A. The bottom plot is for wind turbine today. The top plot is for a 420W dual sided panel/IQ7+ right next to one of the panels that powers the wind. It got a bit windy but was pretty cloudy until maybe about 1210 or so (we weren't home so don't know for sure). But you can see some influence of the wind. There were still clouds so I'm not entirely sure that some of the peaks aren't sun/cloud shading. If you compare the two, you see the wind IQ7A is much more noisy, which you could say is attributed to the addition of wind power. But the last little peak at the far right is wind only. That's where I inserted the additional rectifier bridge and was testing a boost converter into the circuit. It does add some measurable power. But I can't quantify it until I get the current shunt into the circuit and start gathering data. The little drop in DC at 5pm is where I was adding the rectifier in and shorted the super caps by accident. It's unusual that the IQ7 didn't turn off which is evident where it produced power from the boost converter add. Then the power supply comes on line and stabilized the DC at the end of the plot. Notice the daily peak of the wind plot where the IQ7 turns on and sucks all the stored power from the super cap bank. Most of the peaks are about 1 amp or so, about 15W it seems from the wind. That's where data collection will be helpful.

    I've never done this side by side comparison before. I'd say it's interesting and does show some added benefit from the wind.

    Pat







    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Since I've now got a solution for the non-production state, the main circuitry is working and should work on its own without intervention. Now I'm working on the final circuit diagrams. Here is a simple block diagram of the design. Detailed component circuit to follow...
    For simplification sake, the circuitry will not include power monitoring aside from a simple current and volt meter on the DC output to the IQ7. I'm working on that separately and have a raspberry pi installed measuring turbine current now to try to characterize the output of the turbine. I need to put an anemometer up and collect wind speed at the same time as turbine power so I can see what kind of power I'm actually generating from the turbine since I have solar in parallel with the turbine. Pat


    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Final design. Parts list to follow.


    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Parts list attached and listed below. Now that it's been running for the last two weeks with the non-production mode correction installed, I've had one instance which was self corrected by the system. That's the measurement in the plot below. Life got in the way of posting the parts list. It would be nice to see someone else build it who is in a more steady wind area. I've got the raspberry pi hardware and will be installing and calibrating the current measurements hopefully this weekend. Then I'll be able to get a real good idea on the actual power the turbine is generating. With my system, the power sent to the grid is a combination of solar, wind, and bias power supply. The power supply bias can be measurable as sometimes the wind and solar power production drops off in a graceful manner and keeps the IQ7 in production mode. When that happens, the power supply ends up providing about 0.6A @16v to the IQ7. That's why the 1 ohm resistance in the power supply part of the circuit. Otherwise if you have a sudden drop into the IQ7, the voltage drops too low and the IQ7 will actually turn off. Then you have about a 2 minute delay while it boots back up. In standby mode, the IQ7 takes around 50mA @16v. Here is the plot of the two weeks ago's production. The DC current plot gets really noisy looking when I have a nice windy day.

    The only caveat to my system is it currently DOES NOT have a fail-safe in case I lose grid power on a windy day. I'll need to add that by placing a 240v relay that diverts the output of the turbine to a dump resistor when the grid drops out. I'll update the diagram and parts list when I do. But aside from that, its working really well and is pretty hands off.

    Part                                                                                         Total                    Source

    LVCO, Onyehn 12-36v protection module, 6-60v output,           $ 7.50                    Amazon

    Voltmeter, MGI Speedware, 2-in-1 volt/ammeter, 12vDC             $18.99                   Amazon

    Penta Angel Double-Side PCB for SuperCaps, 2x8cm, Qty 5     $ 3.25                    Amazon

    Super Capacitors, 100F, 2.7v, qty 14, $4.33ea                           $60.62                  Amazon

    Diode Bridge Rectifier, 50A                                                         $11.69                  Amazon

    Time delay relay, Yister YX63 16A, 12-240VAC/DC                     $21.60                  Amazon

    12v DPDT relay, 8 pin, DPDT, xcell a12080100ux0286 Jqx-13F $ 3.90                    Amazon

    Relay Socket, NTE R95-121, 300V/10A                                      $ 5.99                   Amazon

    Power Supply, 15vDC 1.34A 20, Mean Well MDR-20-15             $20.15                  Amazon

    240v breaker, NB1-B16-2P                                                          $10.50                 FactoryMation

    Power Block, MDPB6-3162                                                          $15.85                 FactoryMation

    Power Block Cover, MPDB-6263, qty 2, $3,90ea                         $ 7.80                  FactoryMation

    Salon DIN Rail Mount Adapter/Prototype PCB Kit                        $10.99                 Amazon

    Enclosure, 11x14x5, BC-AGS-28383                                           $46.65                 FactoryMation

    Enclosure mounting rings, BC-B50-BP                                        $ 4.80                  FactoryMation

    Green LED, E08R-245G, 24v                                                      $ 8.50                  IndustrialeMart

    R1, 1 ohm, 10 W power resistor                                                  $ 4.00                   Amazon

    R2, 50 ohm, 5 W power resistor                                                  $ 3.85                   Amazon

    D1, D2 , 6A10-T, 6A, qty 2                                                          $ 0.84                   Digikey

    Din Rail, DR3535-05E                                                                $10.00                   IndustrialeMart

    Din rail block end cover, qty 4, .38ea                                         $ 1.52                    FactoryMation

    Din rail end clamps, qty 4, .17ea                                                $ .68                      FactoryMation

    Din rail blocks, qty 10, .33ea                                                      $ 3.30                    FactoryMation

    Din Rail jumper pins, CCS2.5/6, 6 pole, qty 2, $0.78ea              $ 1.55                    FactoryMation

                                                                                              Total: $284.52

    Pat





    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    To give a little bit of an update. Using solar to power my circuitry during the day right now can be a bit glitchy. Today I noticed that the output was at 7.5v. With low solar output, it's just enough to power the 12V relay I have. That turns off the power supply and puts the IQ7 in the "off" mode. I'll tweak either by upping the resistor value or put in another LVCO that will supply power to the relay. Set it to something like 15/17v so that in the morning, at night, or a really crappy cloudy day the relay isn't cycling so I can keep the IQ7 in standby if no wind. Just little tweaks to get it all to work smoothly.

    As usual, I'll update the design as I tweak it. I'm in the midst of adding the dump loads and also shunt resistors (for power measurements) to the circuit for the one off chance of no grid on a windy day (think snowstorm). stay tuned....
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Happy New Year everyone! Here's your New Year's present...

    I've updated the design to include the dump load in case I lose grid power. It's been running flawlessly now for about a month. I don't have to intervene with it at all now that the low voltage cutoff is installed and operating properly. Here is the final design. Updated parts list to follow. Once I get the wiring cleaned up I'll send pictures of the final product.
    Pat


    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What's the purpose of a supercap bank ?   Why not plain caps which last longer ?
    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 ,

  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Its all about the energy produced by the turbine and stored while waiting for the IQ7 to turn on and take the energy. Read the research here: https://krex.k-state.edu/dspace/handle/2097/8754.

    Pat 
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    OK, I see how that works, I'm surprised the micro inverter has such a slow response time.   Will the supercap bank be fused ???
    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 ,

  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Sorry, I had a reply but never posted it.

    No need to fuse it. The caps will only supply as much current as the micrioinverter takes. Ive regularly seen the initial surge over 10 amps. But it won't last long and I don't think its necessary.

    Pat
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • zehnmonkey
    zehnmonkey Registered Users Posts: 1
    @WebPower I'm also in VA with an enphase system looking to do this.  What part of VA are you in and could I come check it out and take some notes?
  • BEWIND
    BEWIND Registered Users, Users Awaiting Email Confirmation Posts: 1
    I would like to learn more about this. We are interested in taking the wind power, storing energy into a 24 / 48 volt battery system, then attaching the micro inverter to the battery directly. since operating voltage is 22-60 VDC  the inverter should disconnect if the battery is lower than 22 volts. any ideas how would be the best solution to do so.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    You'll have to test it out since it all depends on the operating point of the microinverter. Using a 48v system would cause the system to operate a bit differently. By turning off the micro inverter when the battery gets low, you'll have to wait for the turn on delay of a minute or two which might not be a problem. You'll need to change the equipment to account for a higher operating voltage. You could just use a larger number of super caps instead of the cost of batteries. You will get more energy out of the turbine running it higher. But you need to also ensure the mictroinverter input voltage doesn't get too high in case something happens to the battery bank. If it's just gusty wihout a steady wind and the battery bank is depleted, you'll have constant on off happening unless you have hysteresis built into the circuit. By keeping the inverter at the standby voltage, it will be able to respond better to this kind of power production mode. Having some delay in pulling power from the battery should give smoother operation. 

    I had borrowed the 48v 500W 3 blade turbine I used to design and test the system was and I gave it back so the system hasn't been running for a while aside from the 200w of solar hooked to it. I have a new 500W turbine that has 5 blades. It need the hope the it will generate more power since my design operates at a lower voltage than the turbine is rated. I'm characterizing the turbine now and will post the details.
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,020 ✭✭✭✭
    I have Enphase equipment from 2010, 10kw system.  If there's a voltage OR frequency deviation it will drop source for 5 minutes, then try to re-synch.  I don't think that the inverter can source from a battery, they require frequency and voltage within programming parameters to function.  The function is to take solar energy, dc, and convert to ac for export to the grid.  

    The battery voltage on my system also rises and falls as the wind puts more or less power into the system.  You can hear fans (kitchen, bathroom etc) ramp up their speed as the wind rises and reduce speed as the wind dies.  I think this would cause any Enphase equipment to disconnect and re-connect (or at least try to) repeatedly.  They are finicky.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Enphase microinverters will take all the battery will give. As long as the battery voltage stays above the operating voltage. To start it, you need a voltage at least at the turn on voltage of the particular microinverter.  The input is DC. So frequency doesn't apply to the input, just the output for power production and synchronization to the grid. Solar, battery, it's all DC that the micro will utilize no matter the source. A DC power supply is great for characterizing the particular micro you are planning to use.
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Have bought my own 500W turbine and installed it. However it has an internal power transfer issue. The windings appear fine but it only has power on one leg of three.  I've done some characterizing of it and will post that soon. Once I get it back operational I'll redo the characterization to make sure it wasn't acting up when I was bench testing it. I'm starting to think it might have.
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • PeteWilliams
    PeteWilliams Registered Users Posts: 1
    Hi WebPower, really appreciate the details you've shared for your set up!

    I'm looking at doing this with my enphase system. I'm looking at adding an additional IQ7A to the existing system (14 existing, total of 16 available as per enphase specs). Excuse my ignorance but Is there any reason why you didn't do this? 

    Either way there will be elements applied from your findings. I'm not sure how the inverter will operate with something intermittent as wind, keeping in mind i don't need it to only operate when there is no solar. The main goal is to capitalise on wind generation 24/7, whenever there is wind and monitor this data through the existing enphase system.

    Any advise here would be appreciated.

  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    Hi Pete,
    The whole goal of the circuit is to provide an appropriate interface of a wind turbine to the IQ7. The intermittent nature of the turbine coupled with the operating parameters of the IQ7s require a "black box" to make them live together in harmony. Ive gone through 2 different wind turbines as I'm sure I've mentioned. Playing with the turbine integration with the IQ7s isn't going to save anyone any money from what I showed on construction costs unless your in a great wind area. It's more of a hobby/challenge to see if it could be done. Well, after giving my brother back his turbine, I finally bought the same one I borrowed from him. a 500W one. I put it up and it didn't seem to produce much power like I mentioned above. I got replacement parts and now it works great. I also changed to a slightly longer blade and can't be happier with the low wind performance. I'll post on a different chat the details.

    I've effectively run out of roof space for productive solar. We have trees around us that limit our sunlight. And I was interested in trying to get power all hours. An interesting note is Enphase has changed their cloud reporting. They now report power production at night. Maybe they changed it for all those electric vehicle people out there as it might have something to do with accuracy in reporting usage. I put the turbine back into service on the evening of the 6th and it got windy on the 7th. You even see a little wind on the night of the 8/9 where previously there was no power production (flat line) since the turbine wasn't up yet.




    The circuitry is working great. I have glitches in keeping the IQ7 in standby mode at dawn and dusk. But the system handles it fine. Since I'm powering it during the daytime with 200W of solar, the relay that turns on the power supply for the night time bias has about a 1/2 or so that it won't turn on and the solar doesn't produce enough energy to keep the bias high enough for standby. But if it's windy enough, the turbine will keep it going like it did this week. All in all, it's working great and I might get enough power to get closer to even on annual usage vs. generation.

    Mind you, the wind power production isn't that great because I'm only allowing the turbine to run at 1/3 of rated voltage. With the 200W of solar, I don't want to risk blowing the IQ7 if the turbine produces more power. The current design would allow for probably an 800W to 1KW 48v turbine if you use AC to supply the bias in the circuit full time. Then the IQ7 would have enough reserve to handle 1/3 power on one of those turbines.
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • 0ffgr1de
    0ffgr1de Registered Users Posts: 1
    WebPower, First thanks for the "hobby" research.  I to have an Enphase system and was looking into how to integrate wind with it.  I am also located in Virginia.  I would be interested in looking at the setup you have done if possible.  I live in an area that is pretty consistently windy and am looking to be 100% electric bill free.  
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    As you can see from the latest plot, it's windy. I'd be careful if going to a larger turbine as you're  probably going to need a larger capacitor bank. The one i have now works well to store up energy whike the inverter boots up on occassion..it regularly dumps over 10A to the inverter. I know  that's only 150W but you'll need to make sure the wire used can handle the 400W that the inverter is rated at. Not producing huge amounts from wind, but I only need about 800KWh of power over the year to make me even with usage and generation. Some tree trimming this month should help too. Last month we also reached the point where generation exceeds usage and the meter starts its negative ride backwards until the end of summer.  Our happy point in power production that happens a lot earlier in the calendar year than that point where you finish making more money than will be payed the IRS for the year.






    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.
  • WebPower
    WebPower Registered Users Posts: 86 ✭✭
    The current design de-rates the turbine considerably. I've tried two different 48-24v buck (switching) power supplies and one blew the output and the other the input. With the second one I was able to observe a considerable increase in power generation for the short time it worked. The amount of rotation on the turbine rises considerably when it is allowed to operate at the rated voltage. I saw turbine rectified voltages in excess of 70v and instantaneous power approaching 100W. I've ordered a supply rated higher than 96v to hopefully get more headroom and not smoke it. I'll revise the circuit diagram once I get it working reliably. The location of the dump load in my setup has to change to before the new power supply.
    9000+W grid tied IQ7 22 panel rooftop and 6 panel ground combination with 1 additional IQ7 connected to 500W wind turbine+200w solar+2 IQ7s with 300W+600W on the RV grid tied when it's in the driveway.