Nimrod5
New Member
I have an off grid 40 in northern MN. I was given 1600 watts of panels and a Midnite Solar Kid charge controller. I need to buy a 48 volt battery bank and an inverter/charger or an AIO.
The biggest load I would like to run is a stick welder that runs fine on 240 volts and 20 amps of grid power. I do plan to add more panels and, if necessary, another charge controller later so I will buy a bigger battery bank and inverter/charger than I need at first.. I may do LiFePo4 batteries if I can put them in a root cellar so they don't freeze.
I have looked at inverter/generators and am seriously considering the Schneider SW 4048. It is a low frequency inverter that can handle large surge loads for a long time relative to high frequency ones. It has 120/240 volt output. It is one of the better ones for durability. The thing that sets it apart from the others is the way it handles a generator input. It does not require a 240 volt genny. It will take a 120 volt genny input and charge the batteries and/or add the genny input to the inverter output. If the inverter out put is 240 volts it will split the genny's 120 volt output and add add half the genny's output the each leg of the inverter's output. Correct me if I am wrong. I will need to connect a genny in the winter and have a 120 volt one.
All the other inverter/generators and AIOs that have split phase output require a 240 volt generator. I would have to buy a new generator. Anybody know of another inverter/generator or AIO that handles a 120 volt genny? Any comments for or against the Schneider SW 4048?
I do realize that if I go with the SW 4048 I will need to buy another charge controller when I add to the battery bank and panels while an AIO now won't need another charge controller.
The biggest load I would like to run is a stick welder that runs fine on 240 volts and 20 amps of grid power. I do plan to add more panels and, if necessary, another charge controller later so I will buy a bigger battery bank and inverter/charger than I need at first.. I may do LiFePo4 batteries if I can put them in a root cellar so they don't freeze.
I have looked at inverter/generators and am seriously considering the Schneider SW 4048. It is a low frequency inverter that can handle large surge loads for a long time relative to high frequency ones. It has 120/240 volt output. It is one of the better ones for durability. The thing that sets it apart from the others is the way it handles a generator input. It does not require a 240 volt genny. It will take a 120 volt genny input and charge the batteries and/or add the genny input to the inverter output. If the inverter out put is 240 volts it will split the genny's 120 volt output and add add half the genny's output the each leg of the inverter's output. Correct me if I am wrong. I will need to connect a genny in the winter and have a 120 volt one.
All the other inverter/generators and AIOs that have split phase output require a 240 volt generator. I would have to buy a new generator. Anybody know of another inverter/generator or AIO that handles a 120 volt genny? Any comments for or against the Schneider SW 4048?
I do realize that if I go with the SW 4048 I will need to buy another charge controller when I add to the battery bank and panels while an AIO now won't need another charge controller.