I purchased an Grid tied Aims 6000 watt inverter/charger by mistake for my off-grid system. I like all the features of this unit but it does not have a provision to connect my Pv array. My question is, should I send it back or will a solar charger work with this unit? Will two chargers work on my system while the generator is running or will that harm my batteries
48 volt aims inverter charger mistake??
- Thread starter Sam Lane
- Start date
Are you sure about that? What is the actual model number? I did not know Aims had grid tied inverters.
It is normal that an off-grid stand-alone inverter does not have solar input, except when you have an all-in-one unit, which the Aims inverters are not. These inverters are connected to the battery. Your solar array goes to an MPPT charge controller. The charger aspect is just so you could charge the battery from the grid (or generator), but this is not a 'grid-tied' inverter.
Aims picoglf60w48volt 120/240 diagram shows input for land based and generator input but has no provision for pv input. If I keep this unit and add a solar charger that will also charge when the generator is on will both units charging my batteries at the same time harm them
Ok, so not a 'grid tied' inverter, but an inverter that can charge your batteries from the grid or a generator (grid tied means coupling to the grid to send power to the grid). It is normal for inverters to not have a PV input (only all-in-one systems have that).
Adding a solar charge controller will do just fine. Both units can charge at the same time, but you usually only use the generator to charge when there is no sun and you're low on battery.
Adding a solar charge controller will do just fine. Both units can charge at the same time, but you usually only use the generator to charge when there is no sun and you're low on battery.
I'm at 63 degrees north in Finland. I know what it means to have no sun in winter 
MichaelK
Solar Wizard
Now you need to supply a few more details as to how many panels you have, and what size/type of battery you have? You need to match the Voc of your panel arrays to whatever controller you buy, and also the total amps the controller can feed to the batteries.
Keep in mind that less expensive charge controllers usually have amperage limits in the 20-40A range, and are not well suited to large battery banks. Details here will help us give you good advice on exactly what kind of controller you need.
Looking at the manual, it appears that you can wire your generator into the AC-input to charge the battery bank independently or at the same time as your charge controller is connected. Aim's is somewhat different in that it's the first inverter I've seen that does not have a neutral included for generator charging?
Keep in mind that less expensive charge controllers usually have amperage limits in the 20-40A range, and are not well suited to large battery banks. Details here will help us give you good advice on exactly what kind of controller you need.
Looking at the manual, it appears that you can wire your generator into the AC-input to charge the battery bank independently or at the same time as your charge controller is connected. Aim's is somewhat different in that it's the first inverter I've seen that does not have a neutral included for generator charging?
I find no advantage to having an all-in-one unit. To many points of failure. My Aims inverter/charger has served us well over the past 5 years without issue. My array consist of 6 40amp mppt controllers, and have had to replace some of them more often than I like. But losing one, or even 2 (yet to happen) would not affect us, as we can still function until a replacmeent arrives. I do plan to upgrade my inverter l to ones that are Stackable, probably the Victron multi plus, sometime next year. Then I will consider the system fully redundant.
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