Sigenergy (PointGuard) Home system with generator input (Pro Power Onboard).

[tearitupsports]

Does PG allow you to back-feed the grid with a bi-directional meter so you can take advantage of a utilities surge demand payment with the battery? (ie PGE has a program were they'll pay you to supply power back to the grid during high demand times)

Yes I believe it can. I have never tried it as I use only self consumption based on time of use but it does have an export mode for utilities that will pay you for exported power.

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[Citizen0]

Wow, I'm impressed with this system! I want one . It seems very "plug and play" with impressive specs!

The only downside I can see is that the controller/inverter is always the top module, thus if you start with one battery the wiring and pipes will be at height 2. If you add another (or more) battery modules then the inverter height will change and the wiring/pipes will be too short. I guess you can "future proof" by leaving enough slack in the wiring and adjust the pipes as needed.

I understand why. The battery modules are 160 pounds each vs 77 for the controller/inverter. A fully stacked unit would be too top heavy to be safe.

 

[kaisersose]

The PointGuard components were just shy of $10k most of which is the batteries. The backup panel, extra breakers, generator inlet components and wire/conduit added about $1k more.
It was DIY so no labor cost.
I will get $3k back from the federal tax credit, and am also on a time of use plan, which will create a pretty fast ROI. That's why I got the extra battery capacity.
I already had a 5kW solar system which was about $12k fully installed 9 years ago, and has almost paid for itself already.

Now for someone to duplicate this with the minimum system possible (PG Load Hub, PG Inverter, PG 5kWh battery, generator inlet components) where you could do a whole home backup, I think you could get this down to about $6k in total equipment + whatever the labor would be. This assumes you just bring your meter connection to the load hub, and then the load hub to the existing panel. As of right now this would qualify for the tax credit.
This would get you about 9kW of continuous power with the truck and battery working together. This system is quite simple, so the install time is just a couple of hours assuming you don't have long cable runs. Full commissioning takes about 10 minutes.

The other option would be to just get the PG Load Hub, PG inverter, and PG V2X. It would cost about $500 more. Also without a battery it would only work while the truck is plugged in, but would be viable because it would also be your home charger, and the inverter would be the same labor as a normal home charger.

The nice thing about PG is how easy it is to expand later. I first installed mine with a single battery. It took me less than 20 minutes and no wiring changes to add the second battery in.

Would you say anybody, with basic electricity experience, could DIYit or you are an expert and that's why you could to it yourself? It would be nice to save on the installation costs if it's safe enough for me to do it. In my experience install costs for solar/home batteries are very expensive, almost overpriced because most battery systems don't distribute directly to consumers, so the installers take advantage of that excusivity. That's another nice feature of PoitGuard, that you are not "locked in" to the installers that are certified by the manufacturer.. Like Enphase and others..

 

[tearitupsports]

Would you say anybody, with basic electricity experience, could DIYit or you are an expert and that's why you could to it yourself? It would be nice to save on the installation costs if it's safe enough for me to do it. In my experience install costs for solar/home batteries are very expensive, almost overpriced because most battery systems don't distribute directly to consumers, so the installers take advantage of that excusivity. That's another nice feature of PoitGuard, that you are not "locked in" to the installers that are certified by the manufacturer.. Like Enphase and others..

So it is not technically DIY. It does require a certified installer. My friend is a master electrician and we both went through the courses.
it is extremely simple for people with good electrical knowledge and i did DIY the installation but my friend did check everything and we commissioned together on his login.
when signing up as an installer they do link to the license database for electrical licenses.

 

[tearitupsports]

Minor update: I just received my second Sigenergy inverter as well as the V2X module. Install coming by this weekend.

 

[JohnsonEJ23]

Nice! I'm curious to hear how the two inverter setup works for you now that I'm realizing I'm losing potential solar energy due to the 11.4 kw inverter max. Wasn't a big deal at all at first, but not that the sun is getting higher in the sky, I'm seeing clipping. I also still need to try turning on an AC unit to see what the draw is. We haven't needed to turn them on yet since installing the system...

 

[tearitupsports]

Nice! I'm curious to hear how the two inverter setup works for you now that I'm realizing I'm losing potential solar energy due to the 11.4 kw inverter max. Wasn't a big deal at all at first, but not that the sun is getting higher in the sky, I'm seeing clipping. I also still need to try turning on an AC unit to see what the draw is. We haven't needed to turn them on yet since installing the system...

Once they were installed, the system picked up the extra equipment automatically. They sort of work as one unit.
I have a little issue with self consumption mode right now, but I will see if charging everything overnight fixes that.
I haven't tried V2X yet, but was able to charge the truck for a few minutes with the new unit.

 

[Runaway Tractor]

Minor update: I just received my second Sigenergy inverter as well as the V2X module. Install coming by this weekend.

Also looking forward to seeing thisthis! I don't use solar at all, and I have a very nice inlet setup for ProPower. But the seamless V2X would be amazing to get working.

 

[22legit2quit]

Pretty nifty, I’m considering it.

 

[tearitupsports]

Also looking forward to seeing thisthis! I don't use solar at all, and I have a very nice inlet setup for ProPower. But the seamless V2X would be amazing to get working.

Hopefully I can test it this weekend. It’s all installed. The wall bracket is the last remnant of the ford/Sunrun system.

 

[JohnsonEJ23]

Once they were installed, the system picked up the extra equipment automatically. They sort of work as one unit.
I have a little issue with self consumption mode right now, but I will see if charging everything overnight fixes that.
I haven't tried V2X yet, but was able to charge the truck for a few minutes with the new unit.

Great news! What kind of EV charge rate did you see? I'm assuming that it is still limited to a 25kw EV charge rate (with grid/battery/solar), or does that get faster if you throw another inverter into the mix?

I've found that I have to click "start" in the app after I plug in my truck to initiate the bidirectional behavior. If you find a way to achieve that automatically, please let me know! If it is during my programmed "charge" schedule time, then it starts right away without clicking the button in the app.

 

[tearitupsports]

Great news! What kind of EV charge rate did you see? I'm assuming that it is still limited to a 25kw EV charge rate (with grid/battery/solar), or does that get faster if you throw another inverter into the mix?

I've found that I have to click "start" in the app after I plug in my truck to initiate the bidirectional behavior. If you find a way to achieve that automatically, please let me know! If it is during my programmed "charge" schedule time, then it starts right away without clicking the button in the app.

The grid input (for DC charging) is capped at 11.4kW no matter how many inverters you have. That 25kW in the stack limit still will exist too.
The main reason I have 2 inverters is for more grid export.

The 2 systems are synchronized though. It will charge and discharge the stacks at different rates so that their percentage goes up and down evenly. I thought that was pretty cool. The main screen just shows total capacity among all stacks and their combined percentage.

 

[v2h8484]

Hopefully I can test it this weekend. It’s all installed. The wall bracket is the last remnant of the ford/Sunrun system.

Clean setup. Do you still have a HIS installed? If so, curious how the things work with 2 different systems installed.

 

[tearitupsports]

Clean setup. Do you still have a HIS installed? If so, curious how the things work with 2 different systems installed.

I tried and tried to make the 2 systems work togther. The HIS usually tripped out after the truck started to push power. One time the 2 inverters would fight each other switching between charging/discharging every 1-2 seconds.
I then tried to use the HIS through the Signergy generator input, but that never worked either, as the sigenergy switches to follow the generator, and the HIS could not create a signal without the neutral forming transformer.
My HIS is packed up in a box about to go to a new home. I am all in on the Sigenergy now.

 

[Runaway Tractor]

Hopefully I can test it this weekend. It’s all installed.

Does it stand between the main panel and a subpanel? I assume there is something standing between your gear and the home's main power feed that allows it to operate disconnected from the grid? Are the inverters handling that themselves?

The wall bracket is the last remnant of the ford/Sunrun system.

A lasting monument to incompetence

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