I need an inverter to pair with a Hubble AM-5. I live in a block of flats and do not have the option to put up solar panels. I am looking to store power from the grid only. A lot of the discussion around inverters seems to be how well they handle solar integration. All I need is something to simply invert current. Could I get away with a Luxpower? Any other suggestions? Thanks!
You are basicly doing a UPS fr the apartment.
It seems that the regulations are very thin when doing UPS, as most regulations are to prevent feedback in case of a problem.
So in theory you can get away with any system, but I would still suggest you get something that does have some certification. That means your system will be safe.
You can get into the air with a plane your uncle build himself in his backyard, but would you rather fly with a Boeing/Airbus instead that you know can land as well?
Get the best system for your budget that you can. Not the cheapest.
I installed a luxpower for my sister this past weekend in an apartment. The whole appartment runs off the inverter but she have a gas stove and geyser. There was a 24v fivestar inverter previously and I replaced with luxpower with 48v battery.
Already had an external changeover so basically the output of the inverter is only connected to loads when the grid fails.
I see there are some Lux Power models on the Cape Town SSEG list. So some of them has paperwork.
I have no idea what the quality of a Lux Power is like. Visually it looks a lot like a Voltronic. They are fine for a UPS, but they have a shorter design life. Where a Victron Multiplus has a design life of 10 years and even more, your cheaper units often have a design life of only 5 years, and a warranty of only 2 years.
On the other hand, inverters that are solely operated as UPSes don’t work as hard, and so you typically get at least the design life plus a couple of years out of it. So yes, it is probably fine if you’re just looking at a UPS.
They have 2 ranges that I’m aware of. The SNA looks like a voltronic, that’s the cheap one (and it’s not on the list). The LXP looks more like a sunsynk, but I don’t think it is. They have a 5kW, 10kW and 12kW LXP.
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Just a few more ideas:
For Future Proofing, get an NRS-certified inverter, for when you move, to go grid-tied.
If not moving anywhere in the near future, consider an Axpert UPS … IF it is cheaper … forget it has an MPPT … Remember it again when the “shoe hits the bum”, at least you can make a plan.
The bigger bastard is what is the best battery to get, that can last as long as @plonkster indications of how long inverters can last …
Isn’t there still the consideration of a Type-B RCD or is that only a problem when PV comes into the mix? If it is still an issue, presumably the OP should account for a safe installation…
Technically you need a type B RCD everywhere that DC can be generated - so all HF inverters. But with the cheapest I could find being ~R3.5k, I doubt you’ll find an installation with one unless the owner bought it himself…
IIRC, it seems to only be a legal requirement with NRS097 (the inverter certification is dependent on a type B RCD on the output).
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Yeah, but I guess “legal” doesn’t imply “safe”. Okay so to be safe, the OP should just factor in a Type B RCD if going for the HF type inverters, even if just used as a UPS.
What Borat said. Technically, anywhere there is the possibility of DC leakage. But nobody is going to do that if the RCD costs more than the inverter.
Also, can I just say how utterly useless the filter function at RS components is for finding type-B RCDs. You see this, and you think this is it… because “type AC” is in that list:
Now in that list you will find an ABB FS401M-B25/0.03, which costs R4500, and though expensive, is less than the inverter. Alright, so you open up the spec sheet, and what do you find?
Seriously… I don’t have time to trawl through everything!
One of these will probably end up being more than the price of a Luxpower SNA landed…
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Times 23. R13800. And then SARS will want VAT as well. There are inverters that are cheaper than that.
@MackWhitney , apologies for the derailing, but what we’re getting at is that if you are serious about safety (and I mean, more serious than the average SA sparky), you’ll install an old-school LF-design inverter, that is to say, you want a Victron Multiplus. Then you can use a normal cheap RCD without any of these worries.
Make no mistake, I don’t have a type-B RCD either. But I need to start looking into it, because I’m about to fit a Multi-RS… which is an HF jobbie.
Does it have EN 61008 certification, or which is the one that is SABS equivalent again?
But seriously, that’s not a source I would like to use for any safety-related equipment…
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Does it have EN 61008 certification, or which is the one that is SABS equivalent again?
I doubt it and don’t care if it tests out OK. It’ll stand up in court and offer enhanced safety protection.
Not having one won’t do either.