Eg4 mini split and charging batteries

[RyGuy]

I really like the concept of the solar mini splits. I tend to think in off grid terms. It just depends on location and use case. Say you are in a sunny area year round and your aio is maxed out on loads and have adequate pv, or you want headroom on the inverter output for random high use moments. Key is having ENOUGH PV input durring the times it needs to run.

For my planned off grid home in the PNW we will have excess PV production june-september and tapering to winter. Winter will be interesting. As much as I like the concept, to truly make sense for this situation I would need to install a switch that sent the mini split pv to the aio in the cloudy seasons and mainly heat with wood or gas. May as well run of inverter all the time.

If on grid, even here, I can see the use. Buy it, hook it up to grid as you would an normal system. Then watch for a screaming deal on used panels on CL or marketplace. Even if its just a fun hobby thing to see if you can save money over a few year period.

 

[Sundog33]

I really like the concept of the solar mini splits. I tend to think in off grid terms. It just depends on location and use case. Say you are in a sunny area year round and your aio is maxed out on loads and have adequate pv, or you want headroom on the inverter output for random high use moments. Key is having ENOUGH PV input durring the times it needs to run.

For my planned off grid home in the PNW we will have excess PV production june-september and tapering to winter. Winter will be interesting. As much as I like the concept, to truly make sense for this situation I would need to install a switch that sent the mini split pv to the aio in the cloudy seasons and mainly heat with wood or gas. May as well run of inverter all the time.

If on grid, even here, I can see the use. Buy it, hook it up to grid as you would a normal system. Then watch for a screaming deal on used panels on CL or marketplace. Even if it’s just a fun hobby thing to see if you can save money over a few year period.

I hear what your saying but, in my opinion The cost is negligible.
$1200 for the mini Split, got a sweet deal on Signature Solar on Hyundai 305w panels for $105 bucks ( now they are $88 bucks - what a deal).

So with 4 panels and mini and accessories I paid about $2000. Got $1200 bucks back as a tax rebate.

So for an $800 dollar system it will be paid off in a year with utility savings, then it’s just money in the bank.

But, sure. You could make a switch out of 2 shut offs and a Y connector cable if you really needed those extra panels.
Just remember that will be a combined power output then and higher amps.

 

[Sundog33]

The main bulk of a home power needs is heating and cooling.
That would be an excellent hobby to squash that expense with an $800 investment

 

[Sundog33]

For my planned off grid home in the PNW we will have excess PV production june-september and tapering to winter. Winter will be interesting

Just to note. I was surprised how much power I got in winter.
There is a trade off of how much sun and temperature. The cooler it is the more efficient panels work. In the height of summer with your panels so hot you can bearly touch them the less power your going to produce.

 

[Sundog33]

So here is my take on it…

If your looking at an off Grid location you’d certainly have to go battery bank.

But for the other 80% of people not choppin wood and burning propane, living in the suburbs the hybrid mini is a great alternative to the barrage of salesmen knocking on my door wanting to put Solar on my roof. If I had a dollar for every shmuck knocking on my door and coming up to my at Sams and Depot I could pay my utility bill off ! Lol

Grid tied roof Solar is the biggest scam going. If the power goes out, you’re still out of power. You basically farm out your house selling what power you harvest to the electric company then buying it back at a higher price with delivery charges. So then you’re now paying the install company monthly payments and still paying the electric company for what you use. It’s a joke! And my neighborhood is loaded with these houses who got sucked into the deal. Most regret it.

For people in the suburbs it just makes sense to me to augment my power usage with this cheap easy to install hybrid system. I don’t see the need to spend thousands of dollars collecting high end inverter, charge controllers and large battery banks to do what I’m after. I have a 600w battery bank system that can give me power in a blackout but I wouldn’t want to tie the hybrid into that system because I would need to upgrade all the components to allow for that power draw. That would be a much more expensive route for bacically the same outcome.

I try to turn people on to these Hybrids on this site but get allot of backlash from people who want to be hardcore off grid. And that’s fine, buts it’s not for everyone.
Every Jackass who asks me about Solar on my roof I scold and tell them my story and that Hybrid Mini Splits are what they should be selling and that their solution is Crap!

Anyway, That’s my 2 cents.