Pro Power OnBoard with Autotransformer -- to work around the bonded neutral issue?

[Fastnf]

Not yet. Just went live with the enphase system about a week a go after getting approval from the utility company. I am going to see if I can get enphase to work with me so as not to void the warranty. I will post once I have more info.

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[v2h8484]

Enphase only supports an approved list of standby generators that can be connected to the generator input port on the System Controller for battery charging. Also, you have to buy a license to enable generator support.

 

[Lilburnedbear]

Not yet. Just went live with the enphase system about a week a go after getting approval from the utility company. I am going to see if I can get enphase to work with me so as not to void the warranty. I will post once I have more info.

Have you had any luck on integrating your Propower Onboard with the Enphase system. I have a PB and an Enphase system too. Just curious...

 

[Fastnf]

Have you had any luck on integrating your Propower Onboard with the Enphase system. I have a PB and an Enphase system too. Just curious...

I looked into it from the stand point of recharging the enphase batteries. There is a protocol for charging the batteries from a remote generator but it is way more complicated than I was looking for. It entails disconnecting from the grid and isolating the batteries to charge them. Not really what I was looking to do. I have attaced a copy of the tech brief below.

In addition I discovered that the enphase batteries are only 90% efficient so you loose power while charging and then again while discharging. So I decided that it just make more since to power items directly from Pro Power on Board (PPOB). In my case I have four large power items. My variable speed inverter heat pump, my water heater, my dryer and my well pump. During an outage only the heat pump and the well pump are critical. The well pump only runs two or three times a day for a few minutes to charge the pressure tank, so it is not going to drain the batteries.

That leave just my heat pump as a large drain on the batteries. So I decided it was just easier to put in a marine grade UL listed three pole transfers switch on the heat pump. I can then run the heat pump off the truck and the lessor loads off of enphase batteries. This allows me to use the PPOB as back to my batteries which are back up to my solar which is my main source of power as I usually export to the grid.

The marine transfers switch's are fairly small and reasonably priced in the 30 -50 amp sizes. If you have a larger sub panel they range up to 150 amp. So combining a Marine transfers switch with a sub panel gives more flexibility with amps and wire size than the standard Genrac 30 or 50 amp transfers switch. Also if you install two transfer switchs, one for each PPOB inverter you could acess the full 9.6 kw of PPOB. One for 120 volts (double pole ) and one for 240 volts (three pole). The marine transfer switchs completly disconect from the grid so there is no chance of back feed. They have three positions 1. grid power (shore power) 2. off (no power source) and 3. Generator (PPOB).

 

[Lilburnedbear]

Yeah thanks for this.

I still think that Enphase is missing the point on this as the tech brief deals with using a portable generator as a recovery tool for Enphase batteries that have been depleted below the State of Charge that allows the PV system to work and charge them. What i had hoped (and probably you too) is that PPOB would be able to be used to charge the bank either simultaneously or independently from the PV array for mostly automated whole house backup. I have to believe that this is possibe with programming of the Smart Switch to accept the PPOB generator like the 3 portables it notes in the brief but im sure there's all sorts of issues with pairing that i cannot comprehend.

The marine grade transfer switch is interesting - so you are runing just the heat pump off PPOB with the MGTS in some housing between your main panel and the heat pump unit?

 

[Fastnf]

The marine grade transfer switch is interesting - so you are running just the heat pump off PPOB with the MGTS in some housing between your main panel and the heat pump unit?

I have a fused disconnect next to the heat pump. I am planing on installing the Marine Grade Transfer Switch (MGTS) between the main panel and the disconnect. This way I can either run off the main panel which is also from the enphase batteries or I can flip the switch and power it directly from the PPOB and the heat pump is still protected by the fused disconnect.

I have run the heat pump off of the enphase batteries which are also 7kw but not PPOB. The heat pump is a high efficiency Mitsubishi mini split so I can select to run on partial loads so as to minimize the load on the batteries.

I have tested the transfer switch set up on the well pump during an outage but haven't worked through the permit with the the county for the heat pump yet. Well that and I have several other remodel projects going that need attention first.

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