Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT

WillWinston
WillWinston Solar Expert Posts: 45 ✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
I plan to be off grid by the end of the year with a wind and solar system

I made a really bad mistake


I bought a KIPOINT brand name "pure sine inverter" off eBay from a fly-by-night outfit in Taiwan

the 220 VAC output was 84 VAC on one leg and 134 VAC on the other

I am afraid to use this POS on anything important due to the huge imbalance in the output legs

They will not refund my money or repair the unit (they say it is just fine the way it is )

soooo

I am looking for a good inverter in the 48 V DC in and 220 VAC out in 4 to 6 KW range (I will be running a deep well pump and a few machine tools -- so I need a fairly large power unit)

any recomendations ?


Oh and I'm new here

lots of really great posts and information --I am really enjoying it
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Comments

  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT

    Only one choice for that power and voltage, Xantrex XW-6048
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  • WillWinston
    WillWinston Solar Expert Posts: 45 ✭
    #3
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT

    Is this a good inverter in your opinion ?

    seems I read elsewhere of problems with some swithes or some such
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  • Solar Guppy
    Solar Guppy Solar Expert Posts: 1,989 ✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT

    XW-6048 is the best inverter on the market

    Put a load on the one you have first and recheck the voltage, you need load on the unit to test, try a small light bulb
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  • WillWinston
    WillWinston Solar Expert Posts: 45 ✭
    #5
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT

    I might try a load but I do not think it will make any difference

    in the course of many emails they basically admitted that one leg was low (82 VAC) and offered a 'kit' that would raise it to about 94 VAC
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  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT

    We do see an awful lot of this, don't we? People buying "bargain" solar equipment that turns out to be crud. The worst I ever saw was an 8kW 12V unit (made in China, naturally) that had four DC wire sets to feed it. No, I wouldn't want to be anyplace near it! :p

    Another viable option for people with high over-all wattage requirements is to divide up the loads and use multiple inverters. It may sound crazy, but there are some advantages. Such as:

    1). start small and grow your system as you can afford it.
    2). use of lower stand-by current inverter for 'over-night' loads like light bulbs.
    3). if one inverter goes, you still have power without running the generator.

    But you have to plan in advance for this sort of thing. How many of us do that? :p

    If you want me, I'll be on the roof. But now installing more PV's, darn it!
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT
    WillWinston wrote: »
    I might try a load but I do not think it will make any difference

    in the course of many emails they basically admitted that one leg was low (82 VAC) and offered a 'kit' that would raise it to about 94 VAC

    if you wish to get rid of the inverter here then you should obtain that kit for it as everybody here is aware of it and would have to pay extra for it once bought from you as it now would be without a warranty being second hand now.
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  • PhilS
    PhilS Solar Expert Posts: 370 ✭✭✭
    #8
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT
    WillWinston wrote: »
    I made a really bad mistake

    I bought a KIPOINT brand name "pure sine inverter" off eBay from a fly-by-night outfit in Taiwan

    Don't kick yourself too hard... they hardly look like a 'fly by night' outfit since they've been selling since '02 and have a 99% rating on 1600 feedbacks. In looking through the feedback it's almost all favorable (tho hard to read some of them due to language difficulties). Although shipping on the big inverters looks expensive, other than that, I could've bought from their site without being very concerned.

    I DID see one of the few negative feedbacks exactly like your situation (maybe it IS yours) and it didn't seem like it was resolved satisfactorily. And shipping back and forth for warranty repairs would double the cost of most of those inverters they sell.

    AND of course, anybody searching here for KIPOINT will find this thread.

    But after looking at their eBay store, you are being too hard on yourself for buying from them IMO. Live and learn. Been there done that and have the t-shirt (it says BZ on it).

    And SolarGuppy's suggestion of measurement under load is a good one. Let us know the results... but I'd suggest a bigger load than a light bulb.

    Phil
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  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    #9
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT
    WillWinston wrote: »
    I might try a load but I do not think it will make any difference

    in the course of many emails they basically admitted that one leg was low (82 VAC) and offered a 'kit' that would raise it to about 94 VAC

    From what I understand, SG designs and also tests this type of equipment for a living. Maybe you should pack that inverter up in a box with a case of scotch (or whatever) and ship if off to SG in Florida for a real no-BS evaluation.
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  • crewzer
    crewzer Registered Users, Solar Expert Posts: 1,832 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT
    I am looking for a good inverter in the 48 V DC in and 220 VAC out in 4 to 6 KW range (I will be running a deep well pump and a few machine tools -- so I need a fairly large power unit)

    any recomendations ?
    Another option is a pair of OutBack inverters. For example, a stacked pair of sealed FX3048T's will deliver up to 6 kVA continous at 120/240 Vac at 60 Hz. A stacked pair of vented VFX3648's will deliver up to 7.2 kVA continous.

    See: http://www.outbackpower.com/products/sinewave_inverter/off_grid/
    and: http://www.outbackpower.com/pdf/brochures/Off_Grid_Power_Solutions.pdf

    HTH,
    Jim / crewzer
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  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    #11
    Re: Large Inverter for off grid -- NOT KIPOINT

    The SMA Sunny Island 5048 (5kW) is a very nice piece of equipment as is to be expected from top notch German engineering. I don't think SMA are that big in the North America yet, but they're huge in Europe/Africa/Middle East. There are a few features that the Sunny Island has that are not always available in other inverters:

    - It allows you to boost the inverter power with the generator power, so a 5kW inverter + 3kW generator will let you pull 8kW.
    - It allows AC coupling of solar and wind inverters which means that you don't use charge controllers. This can be good if you have long distances between power producers and the batteries as everything can run on 230V. Which also simplifies wiring. You don't have to use this, you can also couple normal charge controllers.
    - Its State of Charge measurement is extremely sophisticated in that it actually counts the Ah going into and coming out of the battery and uses this together with the voltage + temperature sensor to estimate the state of charge. Most inverter chargers just use voltage and temp. If you using other charge controllers then you should install a shunt in between them and the battery so that the Sunny Island can still tally up the Ah.

    These inverters really stand in their own class and are typically used to power entire villages: http://www.windandsun.co.uk/Projects/eigg.htm
    and http://download.sma-america.com/smaprosa/dateien/4988/YUNNAN-11_BE4907.pdf
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