Thinking about getting an inverter?
All you need to know about getting an inverter installed in your home.
Sunsynk is leading the way with our revolutionary energy storage systems and inverters.
What are Solar Batteries?
Solar batteries can also be known as storage batteries, what a lot of people don’t know is you don’t need solar panels to use them and they will still save you money!
A battery is a device that stores electricity – similar to when you charge your mobile phone. You plug it into a charger overnight so that you are able to use your mobile phone all day without it being connected to the mains. Solar batteries work in a similar way to this to operate your household necessities.
What is the purpose?
Electricity prices in the next year are due to soar. The UK predicts a 50% increase in wholesale energy costs, which will in turn increase most people’s electricity and gas bills by 50%.
A battery's purpose is to save you money on your energy bills. The way in which it does this is by charging up overnight, this power is then stored so that in the day/peak times you can automatically release the power from your battery that was stored overnight.
How do they work?
A battery on its own will not work, you will have to connect it to another device which is called an inverter. You may have heard the term inverter, especially if you have solar panels on your roof. But the type of inverter that connects to a battery is very different, this is called a storage inverter.
What is the difference?
An inverter is a device that converts DC electricity into AC electricity, DC stands for Direct Current which is what we get out of batteries and solar panels. AC stands for Alternating Current, which almost everything in the world runs on as it allows the transmission of power across long distances. In order to connect your battery or solar panel to the mains then you will need to convert the DC electricity into AC electricity – this is done via an inverter.
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Inverters have been around for a long time but in the most recent years have become more sophisticated, especially with the popularity of solar panels. The solar panels would link together and connect to a grid using a grid-tied inverter, often called a string inverter. This was revolutionary as the solar panels could connect directly to the mains electricity supply. When the sun is shining the solar panel would produce power, which would then feed into the mains electricity. This is called AC Coupled/Grid-Tied. If more electricity was produced than being used then the power would be fed back into the grid, you would then be paid by the utility for the excess power, this is called export power. The tariffs available for export power are very little compared to the cost of installation, as well as the cost of energy when the sun is no longer shining can be expensive.
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Sunsynk Bi-directional Inverter
Sunsynk and our partners have invented a new type of inverter, called a bi-directional inverter. It is a device that connects the battery and your mains AC connection. This allows you to fast charge a storage battery during the day when AC power is cheap, saving the excess power that you’re not using, so that you can use your stored power in the evenings when energy prices are higher. An additional device called a CT coil, which is included with the inverter, is used to detect any power that is not being exported and prevent it from feeding back to the mains.
What if I already have solar panels?
If you have solar panels then even better, but it’s not necessary. The energy from the solar panels can be connected to the inverter directly or if you have an existing system our inverter can be added alongside it. When the sun is shining the excess power that you are not using will be used to charge your battery. Without the battery storage, you may be selling your excess electricity during the daytime for a few pence per kilowatt-hour. As for in the evening you could be buying the power back from the electricity company at more than 20 times the price.
Three things you should know about choosing a battery:
The power rating and depth of discharge. Generally, batteries used in our power storage systems are lithium phosphate. Most batteries are sold by giving them a Kilo-Watt Hour (KWH) Rating. The larger KWH will mean bigger battery systems.
Sunsynk batteries are sold in 5.2KWH building blocks, meaning that the batteries can store and release 5.2kW hour of power.
The battery size that best suits you depends on your monthly power consumption and the size of your solar array (if you have solar panels).
If you choose to generate power from a solar array it is necessary to know how much DC power the panels make.
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Our most popular setup in the UK is with one single battery, you can begin with this set up but depending on your power requirements you can add more batteries to the system at any given time.
The life of the battery. All batteries are expensive – one important thing to consider is their life expectancy. The harder you work on the battery, the shorter its life span will be. Therefore it is best to use a high-quality battery, cheaper batteries will cost you more money in the long run!
Sunsynk use battery cells that are produced by CATL, which produces the cells for leading automotive brands such as Tesla Automotive and BMW. We consider these to be the most efficient cells available on the current market, we want your system to function efficiently for as many years as possible.
How much power can you charge and discharge at any one time? The last thing to consider is the C rating, this is the maximum power that you can charge/discharge the battery at. Sunsynk batteries have a C rating of 0.5.
Installation
Our batteries can be can situated in a cabinet, mounted on a wall side-by-side or simply floor mounted. The battery connects to the inverter by two cables, positive and negative. These are heavy cables due to the current that flows in and out of the battery, it is five times that of the energy coming out of the inverter.
All batteries have on-board computers that communicate with the inverter which is called a BMS (Battery Management System). In all cases the batteries must be compatible with the inverter, otherwise, the system cannot work properly.
10 Reasons to use the Sunsynk Inverter and
Battery Storage
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1 - It is a Bi-directional Inverter that can convert direct current into alternating current and alternating current into direct current. Therefore we can charge or discharge batteries at the same rated power.
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What does this mean?
Firstly, a separate charger is not required as we use the power of the inverter in reverse to charge the battery storage. If an inverter is rated at 3.6kW, it can both charge and discharge the battery storage at the same power of 3.6kW enabling on-grid and off-grid functions.
This means that you can charge your battery storage from the mains AC when the tariff is cheap and then discharge the battery to power your electronic devices ( the ‘Load’ ) when the mains AC tariff is expensive to use ie; Peak hours 5pm - 9pm .
To achieve this, after installation, the Sunsynk Inverter can be programmed via its touch screen or remotely via the Wi-Fi connection so that power can be fed in the correct direction at the chosen times.
The installation of battery storage along with a bi-directional inverter provides the user with an efficient means of reducing the amount of power consumed by an average European household. In the event that your power demand exceeds the power coming from the inverter and batteries, the inverter will simply allow additional energy to be taken from the grid.
2 - It has MPPT [Maximum Peak Power Tracking] that allows the inverter to handle a solar array up to twice its size. For example, a 3.6kW Bi-directional Inverter has a 7.2kW MPPT which allows it to connect to a solar array of 7kW.
What does this mean?
The inverter is fitted with an input port which connects to the solar array. The port has the facility of MPPT which allows the inverter to maximise the energy available from the connected solar panels at any time during their operation.
During any day, the output from the solar panels ( the ‘array’) will vary as sunshine changes its strength due to clouds and the angle of the panels. This means the power coming into the inverter will decrease at times. Now that the input has an MPPT circuit it can constantly monitor and find the optimal voltage current array from which maximum power can be obtained all the time.
The Sunsynk 3.6kW Inverter matches 90% of UK-sized housing and allows the user to connect to a substantial solar array up to 7kW in size. Further enlargement is available due to the MPPT facility and other inverters and corresponding solar panels can be attached if more power is required.
3 - It can divert excess power to your hot-water appliance automatically by power-shaving.
What does this mean?
When the solar panels are producing power, the system is set for Zero Export so that the power generated goes to the electrical appliances ( the ‘load’) Any surplus power is shaved off and sent to appliances such as water heaters or into the battery storage for use later. This can be organised by adjusting the settings on the inverter.
At the rear of the Sunsynk Inverter there are three connection ports :-
1. The right-hand port is the grid connection.
2. The middle port is the auxiliary port and this has many different uses such as;
​(i) A connection to a hot water tank to use extra power once the battery storage is full.
(ii) A generator for an off-grid system that can be activated by the inverter.
(iii) The port that should be used if additional inverters are connected.
3. The left-hand port is where the house fuse board is connected when running an Off-grid system.
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Therefore the middle port can provide power to appliances by power shaving extra power when the batteries are at maximum capacity.
4 - It has a colour touch-screen LCD which displays an easy-to-understand flow chart that contains the status of the inverter to help the user understand what the inverter is doing in real-time.
What does this mean?
This places the Sunsynk Inverter in a class of its own, especially the 3.6kW model that has its own touch screen that provides detailed information covering Battery / Power Supply / Solar Generation / Load (Appliances) / Battery Storage and Grid Power. Further display pages allow the user to set the functioning of the system ie; power export and power storage.
5 - Unique Information Screen design. This allows the user a clear understanding of solar power production, battery charge status, the discharge of power and grid power consumption.
What does this mean?
After observing the status of the system the user is able to see how much power is being produced, how much is feeding into the house and how much is going into the battery storage. The user can adjust these amounts via the touch screen.
6 - Our amazing platform and App that enables you to have full control of the system. With the attachment of the Sunsynk Data Logger, the user of a Sunsynk solar system can remotely monitor and change any settings via a PC or mobile phone from any location around the world (provided there is an Internet connection).
One-button programming can configure the inverter by using the Settings page on the Sunsynk Web Client and the user can choose from a list of recommended configuration files to suit applications and to speed up the installation process.
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What does this mean?
This allows the user to have confidence in the system by remote monitoring via mobile devices. Both the owner and the system manager can see what's happening and make corrections where necessary.
The process of connecting your data-logger to the Wi-Fi is straight forward:-
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Plug-in Data Logger and ensure the red light comes on.
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Go to Wi-Fi setting on mobile / laptop and look for an available connection EAP- ***** (***** are the last 5 digits of the serial number on the data logger)
3. Select the correct connection and then enter password 12345678
4. Once you have connected to the EAP connection you need to connect it to your own Wi-Fi. To do this open the internet browser and search IP address 10.10.10.1
5. After connecting, click ‘Scan’ to search the Wi-Fi list and you should see your Wi-F
connection.
6. Select your Internet / Wi-Fi connection, enter the password and click ‘Connect’
7- Push Notifications. These are when the system automatically notifies the owner of any changes that might include Load-Shedding (Power Outage), Low Battery or other major issues.
What does this mean?
As mentioned before, the user can be confident of being notified via a text or WhatsApp message when something is going wrong with the system or if a power outage has occurred. This is dependent on Internet connection. However, the notification process will allow user sufficient information to ensure the system operates efficiently.
An example of notifications is below:-
8 - The system can operate both in On-Grid and Off-Grid modes. It can also be set as an Uninterruptible Power Source (UPS) where the inverter is combined with battery storage and connected to the main domestic power circuit via the LOAD output and can be programmed to provide power when the mains power is cut or there is insufficient power. This ensures your essential appliances remain with power.
What does this mean ?
On-Grid mode means that your Inverter can take DC electricity generated by a solar array and convert it into AC electricity before sending to to the mains grid. In addition, it takes AC power from the grid and supplies it the batteries (to use later) and provides power to the load.
Off-Grid mode means the system relies on DC power generated by solar panels, wind turbines or generator and supplies DC power to the battery storage or AC power to the load.
A UPS can provide emergency power when an input source or mains power fails. The difference between a UPS and an emergency power system is that it provides near instantaneous protection from power interruptions by supplying power from the battery storage. This will protect appliances such as computers , fridges and medical equipment where an unexpected power disruption could cause problems to the user.
A Sunsynk Bi-directional Inverter can achieve all of the above by visiting the LCD touch screen and setting the system operations.
9 - More than one inverter can be set in parallel to form larger systems.
What does this mean?
When inverters are connected in parallel their power output expands and their reliability improves. System redundancy also improves.
System redundancy also improves.
The diagram demonstrates a parallel set-up with one inverter acting as ‘Master’ and two inverters acting as ‘Slaves’.
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The settings can be accessed via the control screen:-
It is also necessary that if the inverters are set in parallel mode, the batteries should also be connected in parallel as this increases the stability of the system.
This will able the user to have a stable enlarged system with a larger solar array and expanded battery storage system. Sunsynk inverters are designed to do this.
10 - Excellent After-Sales Support - Sunsynk operate a European Call Centre that can answer customer queries and clarify any questions with follow-up calls when required. The call centre will ensure the correct Sunsynk staff is assigned to the correct query raised by a customer.
What does this mean?
Customers can link-up with the designers and engineers who created the inverters they are using.
South Africa
Office
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
+27 10 100 3589
United Kingdom
Office
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
+44 151 832 4300
Hong Kong
Office
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
+852 3704 4979
Australia
Office
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
+61 7 3155 5555
Mainland Europe
Office
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
+31 40 798 7136
Canary Islands
Office
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
+34 822 112 079
Our Batteries
Solar batteries also known as storage batteries, you don’t need solar panels to use them & still save money!
Our Bi-Directional Inverters
We have a new type of inverter, called a bi-directional inverter. A device that connects the battery and your mains AC connection.
Already have solar panels?
Find out what we can do for you if you already have solar panels installed in your home.
Choosing your batteries
Find out what battery size best suits you.
Installation
Our batteries can be can situated in a cabinet, mounted on a wall side-by-side or simply floor mounted.
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10 Reasons
We have listed 10 reason why to use our inverters and battery storage systems in your home.