On my last install I got lazy and ordered a Lynx Battery-In 
As did I - from Dad to Dad. 
Now to install it … with the smoke just waiting to leave me high and dry.
Even got 85v fuses to install inside it.
We completed another one on Friday. This time a 45kva system. This install was mainly designed for daytime use as this shop only operates in normal working hours. They use just under 12kWh from 17H00 till 08H00. Budget played a role in this design, but space were left for a 4th inverter per phase as well as more batteries in the future.
Consist of nine 5kva Multiplus 2’s, 17.5 KW Fronius, 250/100 Smart Solar, 30kWh Bsl battery bank, 46 x 555Watt Longi panels (25530whp) and a backup generator.
Panels is n North-East, North-West configuration.
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Jaco,
Was it certification of the inverters that cemented the choice to go with 3 x 5 instead of a 15 Quattro?
Or another reason?
What do you think this choice added to overall cost and functionality?
Adding a fourth 5kva per phase rather than another 15kva. 10 Kva were just too small for current load, and using a 15kva now would have resulted in adding another in the future.
The customer indicated that he might require another 4 kw inverting power per phase in the future.
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It was actually a lot cheaper than using a 15kva Quattro. Currently the 5kva Multi 11 is dirt cheap in SA. Basically 50% of its price in November last year.
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Yes, I noticed the gap between each triple and I considered this reason as a possibility.
This is good to know, as I hope to be retired in ZA in August. I already have a host of PV inverters, MPPTs and switchgear that I have purchased over the past few years.
I haven’t bitten the bullet on the hybrid inverters, batteries and panels yet, but it will be this year. It’ll be a 30-45kVA-ish system as well.
If the 5kVA prices are still low towards the end of the year that would also influence my final design.
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This week’s contribution to the Blue world.
Client using roughly 40kwh per day. We installed two 5 kva Multiplus 2’s, 20kWH BSL battery bank, RS450/200 MPPT and 20 x 555 Longi Panels. As you can see, space has been left again for another Multiplus and another BSL. Using a Carlo to send access PV power to non Essential loads.
Today we have the honor to help a Forum member install some panels on his DIY install. Gladly he chose a Victron.
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Been running round a bit for two weeks, but here is another.
3 x Multi RS Dual MPPT, 20kWh Freedom won, and 32 x 550 Watt panels on the roof.
Space left for another FW as well as a fourth inverter as soon as Parallel gets sorted out.
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Last Friday we completed this installation.
2 X 5kva Multiplus 11, 2 x 5kWh BSl Powerline and 8 x 550W Longi’s.
The client has extremely low consumption but sometimes uses woodworking machinery, therefore he opted for 10kva inverting power to compensate for short periods of high consumption. Only reach about 45% SOC during nights and PV array a bit oversized for his usage.
This was a remote quotation and we missed the fact the the client had an old Conlog meter, one of those that trips. I know how long it takes to get approval for the Reverse current token and the approval letters from the Muni, so I knew I had to make a quick plan to keep this meter from tripping constantly.
I decided to use three extra assistants. General Flag and 2 x Programmable relay assistants. In short, the system will disconnect from the grid in normal use and only connect to the grid when the SOC reach 15%. It will then charge the battery to 25% and disconnect again. Using the assumption that 15% will only be reached in the night and only if there was too little sun to fully charge the batteries. This way we ensure that we will only draw power from the Conlog and never risk sending anything back that can trip the meter. On friday we started the system with the 50% SOC that the batteries ship with and the first night we reached the 15%. We needed 2.5kwh from the grid that night and 0kwh ever since. So far the client is running offgrid.
EDIT. Interesting thing about the BSL powerline is that the warranty on the battery increases from 10 - 15 years if matched with a Victron inverter.
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We upgraded this system in Mtunzini Natal. Added An Inverter, MPPT and panels a while back, and now added some more panels, MPPT and replaced a Pylontech bank with a FW30/24. Space left for another one since there is no available stock currently.
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This install in Mtunzini was also completed on our last trip.
We added another 2 BSL 7kw and another 9 x 550W Longi’s Now we still need to complete upgrade the Home installation.
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Firstly, you and your team clearly know your stuff and take pride in what you do.
If you don’t mind me asking, looking at current prices, was there a particular reason to go 2 X 5kVA vs a single 10kVA? Unlike @Phil.g00’s question about the Quattro vs MPii, NRS certification should not be an issue, and the prices I see put a 10kVA very close to 2x 5kVA.
The Murphy’s Law phobia in me says 2 X 5kVA leaves you with something should one inverter develop issues, but Murphy’s Evil Twin whispers that two inverters add complexity.
My take, having had to get involved with 3 x Victron inverters installed for exactly that reason.
Victron inverters tend to last long.
So, the day you need to replace one of the parallel connected ones, being years later, chances are good that the same firmware range/model won’t be available from Victron. They give you a new one under warranty, but it is not the same firmware, as happened. 2nd hand, yes, as I arranged a deal that the seller could sell to a buyer thereby solving his (same) problem. The buyer wanted to add, but his model was not around anymore.
Just a thought to ponder on.
The two 5kva’s is much cheaper than one 10kva. We have only installed 2 x 10kva Multi 11’s and both blew mosfets within a year after installing leaving the client without power. In both cases we used 5kva MT 2’s as lone units till the 10kva got replaced. IOM and not everybody here will agree, I chose the 2 x 5kva any day. My choice is based on all the installations we have done and I feel the 5kva is more reliable and leaves you with some redundancy should you need it. (Highly Unlikely).
Thanks for the compliment sir.
EDIT: Just realized it was 2 x 8kvas that failed and not 10kva as mentioned above.
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I client had a 10kva Quattro installed 2 years ago on a three phase system and in his main DB the phases were combined and everything fed from the one 10kva. He had very limited space for the inverter and everything was installed into a little triangular space in the corner of his garage. The client asked us to upgrade the installation by adding 2 more 10kva inverters and to return his DB to three phase. We needed a frame to mount on as we could not drill below the DB on the right hand side, there were just too many pipes running down making drilling into that area impossible.
Previous install was done with grey trunking. We had to move the one inverter to an area where we could install all three Quattros. He also wanted the alteration to be done with white trunking as the garage needs some paint and he wants to paint the original trunkings white. This last part bugs me a lot. It hurts my eyes to see the different colour trunkings, but can understand the clients reason and went on with the installation.
The old inverter was in the area marked with green.
We allowed for and prepared for a 40kva 3 phase genny to be added to the system. Everything in place, just waiting for the genny.
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Thank you Jaco. Redundancy is a plus in my book (and Murphy wrote the foreword).
Not to open a can of worms but in terms of retail pricing definitely looks like a fairly steep reduction recently on the bigger units (seeing prices of around R15K on the 5kVA and around R28K on the 10kVA). No idea what prices installers get etc.
Anyhow, let me return to play simulated Victron Tetris with a certain wall while pondering MOSFETs… or should that be mosFRETS… 
EDIT: forgot to ask, was the aircon put in specifically for the 3 x Multi-RS install (looks unlikely that the “room” would have had aircon) ?
I’m looking into getting a larger Multiplus II, but now you’ve made me nervous. Could it have been a bad batch, or were they purchased far apart?
What is your experience with the 8kVA models?
Thanks!
Your question made me realize I had it wrong, it was 8kva’s giving the issue with mosfets. My point with 10kva vs 2 x 5’s were only that you’ll have redundancy.
At the time of our failures about two years back I heard that other installers also experienced some issues. Lately I have not heard of more units failing so it might have been batch issue.
I am pretty confident that any unit currently on the market will be reliable.
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