Off grid inverter used on grid

Joined
Dec 11, 2018
Messages
12
I recently got 2 250 watt solar panels can I use an off grid inverter to lower my power bill if I'm not interested in selling power back to my utility company (as I don't hink I'll have much extra)?
 
AFAIK, if it doesn't have a grid connection you'd have to disconnect the part of your house you want to run on the panels from the grid. (the inverter probably wont' have a way to sync it's output with that of the grid)

If it's not switchable back and forth, then you'd need sufficient battery storage to run the stuff on that section at night and at any other time the panels aren't making enough power to do it by themselves.
 
Something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Automaxx-Hybrid-Inverter-between-priority/dp/B01MY6UDOI/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1544936226&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hybrid+inverter&dpPl=1&dpID=41lIV4EhGkL&ref=plSrch
 
Yes, you can lower your bill, but not the way you want to. Off grid inverters have no way to hook up to your house. You would need a battery bank and run things directly off of that.

All that inverter you linked does is allow you to charge the battery bank with ac as well as dc and run direct off the battery through the inverter or direct off ac. It's basicly a UPS without an internal battery.

If you are looking for a cheap grid tied option, there are plug in grid tie inverters that plug right into your house outlets available online, but I wouldn't trust them.

You could also do what I did. I built a box with a female ac outlet and two male ac plugs with a dpdt switch between them. One plug goes to my house, one to the inverter and I plug whatever I want into the outlet. I can switch how anything plugged in is powered on the fly.
 
Thrillhouse said:
I recently got 2 250 watt solar panels can I use an off grid inverter to lower my power bill if I'm not interested in selling power back to my utility company (as I don't hink I'll have much extra)?
No.

Your choices are:
1) Get a permit and use a grid tied inverter to feed back to the grid, thus lowering your bill.
2) Go off grid (battery + off grid inverter) and use the power that way. Note - this will be a lot more expensive than grid power.
 
Thrillhouse said:
Something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Automaxx-Hybrid-Inverter-between-priority/dp/B01MY6UDOI/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1544936226&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hybrid+inverter&dpPl=1&dpID=41lIV4EhGkL&ref=plSrch

That will work, but there are a few caveats. First, you can't do this setup without having a battery bank - solar output fluctuates, you need a way to stabilize your output. Second, you want a pure sine wave inverter, so you don't have to worry about what you're plugging into it. The one you mention above I don't believe is a pure sine wave - they state "bypass mode", basically when the inverter passing through city power, then it will be pure sine wave. Finally automatic transfer switch - they provide some weird number for the transfer time - "transfer time: 15m".

There are some really good (pricey) inverters designed for this application, such as Victron Quattro and MultiPlus. If anything, just look at them for reference designs.
 
cricketo said:
Thrillhouse said:
Something like this
https://www.amazon.com/Automaxx-Hybrid-Inverter-between-priority/dp/B01MY6UDOI/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1544936226&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=hybrid+inverter&dpPl=1&dpID=41lIV4EhGkL&ref=plSrch

That will work, but there are a few caveats. First, you can't do this setup without having a battery bank - solar output fluctuates, you need a way to stabilize your output. Second, you want a pure sine wave inverter, so you don't have to worry about what you're plugging into it.
Third, you really want an MPPT charge controller if you want to get the best use out of your panels. That has a PWM charge controller.
 
Back
Top