I am a beginner with no solar background. I am working with an electrician. I want to install a Victron system through a sub panel. The main panel currently has a 200A breaker on it with a Generac 22kW generator backup. I want to move the Generac generator to two Victron Quattro 10kVA inverters. I want the generator to charge a rack of 10 SOK 48V 100Ah Pro server batteries if solar is not adequate. I would prefer not to use the grid to charge the batteries. I want split phase. I don't want to feed back to the grid. As I understand it, 2 100 amp breakers are put into the main panel. L1 and L2 are connected to the Quattros through AC in-1. A neutral from the main panel is connected to a bus bar. Two neutrals are connected to the same bus bar. These two neutrals are connected to the Quattros. After this initial step is completed, I want to plug the generator into AC in-2. The Quattros will then be connected to the sub panel through AC out-1. The batteries will be connected next. The solar will be connected last. I will post photographs as we make progress.
Beginner Victron Install
- Thread starter tnsolar
- Start date
Brucey
Solar Wizard
You may want to consider putting the generator on AC in 1 as that's the default input for a Quattro (assuming there's power at AC in 1 and 2). And then grid on AC in 2.
Bluedog225
Texas
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2019
- Messages
- 3,006
Heck of a beginner install.
And welcome!
And welcome!
Current Connection says that the grid should be plugged into the AC in-1 on the Quattros. Suppose the grid is supplying 100A going into Quattro 1 through AC in-1, and 100A going into Quattro 2 through AC in-1. Each Quattro is capable of generating 8000W at room temperature. The output amperage is a combination of the input grid amperage plus whatever is coming from solar and batteries. If we wire the sub panel split phase like it is for the main panel, AC out-1 from Quattro 1 and AC out-1 from Quattro 2 could be connected into the sub panel through the main breaker of the sub panel. A bus bar would be used to connect the neutrals from Quattro 1 and Quattro 2. A single neutral would be led from this bus bar to the main breaker in the sub panel. Is a 200A breaker the correct breaker given that 200A is going into the Quattros from the grid and also that we won’t use any more amps than what is already used in the main panel?
Brucey
Solar Wizard
Go with their advice then, assuming they understand that you want your grid connection to be a rarely used backup to your primary ac source which will be your generator.
Brucey
Solar Wizard
Ok my apologies, I see now you don't want the grid to charge your batteries, but you still want grid pass through for your loads.
I have a 22kw Generac standby generator that is tripped by the loss of 240 volts from the grid. The model number is G0070431. I want to connect it to two Victron 48V Quattro 10kVA. The start stop switch from Atkinson Electronics won't work. Has anyone ever reconfigured a Generac standby generator such that it would play nicely with the start/stop signals that are sent out by Victron?
DIYrich
Solar Wizard
I think the Generac is two wire start. Why don't you use the two wire generator control of the Quattro? I don't think you need the Atkinson.
It is hard to enable autostart on a Generac standby generator, so I am considering another solution. The 22Kw Generac G0070431 is currently on a transfer switch. The Generac turns on if the grid goes down. The Grid and Generac are connected to In 2 on the Quattro Inverters. If the grid is up, all the power going into the inverters is grid, whereas if the grid goes down, all the power going into the inverters will be the Generac. Would this be okay? Can I limit the amperage on In 2 such that the Generac is not over stressed? Atkinson Electronics suggested that I put a line filter on generator input. Is a line filter a good idea if the power going into In 2 is the generator? Would the line filter have minimal impact on grid power?
An interlock switch is on our sub panel. The interlock switch is set up such that the power going into the sub panel is either grid plus Generac or power from the inverters, which could be a combination of things, including power from the grid or Generac, batteries, solar, or power from a portable generator.
I want to get a second portable generator that would only be used if the batteries are low and solar is inadequate to charge the batteries. The portable generator would be connected to In 1 on the Quattros. I want to get a portable generator that can use the start/stop signal sent out by the Quattros. An Atkinson switch may be required for this start/stop signal. I am thinking a 10Kw-15Kw portable propane generator. It would also be on a line filter. Is 10Kw-15Kw about right?
Is this mix of AC inputs okay for the Quattros, and am I using the correct In 1s and In 2s?
An interlock switch is on our sub panel. The interlock switch is set up such that the power going into the sub panel is either grid plus Generac or power from the inverters, which could be a combination of things, including power from the grid or Generac, batteries, solar, or power from a portable generator.
I want to get a second portable generator that would only be used if the batteries are low and solar is inadequate to charge the batteries. The portable generator would be connected to In 1 on the Quattros. I want to get a portable generator that can use the start/stop signal sent out by the Quattros. An Atkinson switch may be required for this start/stop signal. I am thinking a 10Kw-15Kw portable propane generator. It would also be on a line filter. Is 10Kw-15Kw about right?
Is this mix of AC inputs okay for the Quattros, and am I using the correct In 1s and In 2s?
