Off-Grid energy Standalone Power Essential System User Manual Download Page 11

Standalone Power : Essential System™ : User Manual 

Copyright © 2014 Off-Grid Energy Australia Pty Ltd 

 

10   

Inverter/Charger 

 
The Outback Inverter/Charger is a robust battery inverter/charger that converts DC 
battery bank voltage into mains 230V power. 

 
When required, the Outback Inverter/Charger converts DC electricity from the battery bank into regular 
230V 50Hz AC appliance friendly electricity for use. When the battery bank becomes low on charge it can be 
recharged via the internal battery charger and a conventional 230V AC fuel powered generator set. 

Inverter/Charger Operation 

The Inverter/Charger has been pre-programmed before the installation to optimize its operation for your 
specific requirements. The settings should not need adjusting. 

(See disclaimer)

 

Status LED Lights 

The top three lights on the inverter/charger indicate battery charge status at night only; where a separate 
battery status indicator is installed the inverter battery status indicator lights will be blanked off to prevent 
confusion. The bottom three-inverter status lights indicate: 
 
The 

Green inverter light 

illuminates when the inverter is operating normally; if the light is flashing the 

inverter is in Power Save / Search mode (Note: Power save/search mode is not normally activated). 
 

Flashing yellow AC In light

 

indicates power is being received from the generator set and is being 

monitored for 60 seconds while the generator is allowed to warm up.   
If the yellow light continues to flash after this time this indicates the generator is not delivering voltage or 
frequency within a safe range therefore the inverter/charger will disallow connection for safety reasons; the 
generator will require repair or adjustment.  
If the yellow AC In light does not flash at all no power is being received, recheck all plug connections are 
correct and all circuit breakers are switched on. 
  
The 

Yellow AC In light

 

changes to solid yellow after 60 seconds once 

the fuel generator 

power is 

transferred to the inverter/charger and switchboard, to indicate correct operation. 

 

The 

Red error light 

indicates when an error fault condition has occurred with the inverter/charger. See the 

Trouble shooting section

 

o

 

Battery Status information – 

(See Battery SOC)

 

o

 

LED’s and other status messages – 

please refer to the separate Outback User Manual provided

 

o

 

Start-up and Shutdown procedures – 

instructions displayed on Inverter/Charger. (Also see 

Troubleshooting)

 

 
 

WARNING 

o

 

Do not touch or forcibly pull any electrical wiring connected to the inverter. 

o

 

Do not remove/open the inverter’s front cover. 

o

 

Do not switch on the inverter if you observe any damaged or exposed cables. 

Use 

Battery management and power delivery 

Configuration 

DC Bus systems 

Inverter Input 

Batteries – via DC switchboard 

Inverter Output 

230V AC to house loads – via AC switchboard 

Charger Input 

230V AC from fuel powered generators 

Charger Output 

Regulated DC Voltage for charging batteries – via DC switchboard 

Summary of Contents for Standalone Power Essential System

Page 1: ...Securing your power and your future Standalone Power Essential System User Manual ...

Page 2: ...Standalone Power Essential System User Manual Copyright 2014 Off Grid Energy Australia Pty Ltd 1 This page is intentionally left blank ...

Page 3: ... Layout 9 Inverter Charger 10 Battery Bank 11 Checking Battery State Of Charge SOC 12 Charging the Batteries 13 Charging using Automatic Controlled Generators Auto start 15 Solar Photovoltaic Array 16 Solar MPPT Charge Controller 17 AC Switchboard 18 Circuit Breakers 18 Switchboard Meters 18 DC Switchboard 19 Fuel Powered Generator set 20 Auto Starting Generator 22 Manual Starting Generator 22 Tro...

Page 4: ...ontains important information about the operation servicing troubleshooting and limitations of the off grid system Retain this document in a safe and accessible location for future reference Contact Off Grid Energy Australia if you need any further advice This user manual has been produced and published by Off Grid Energy Australia Pty Ltd This document cannot be replicated copied or saved on publ...

Page 5: ...ing purposes for example it means Kilowatts delivered calculated over a one hour period A Kilowatt hour is the product of Volt x Amps x Hours x 1000 One Kilowatt hour 1000 watt hours Kilowatt hours are sometimes used to measure battery energy storage capacity it is calculated by multiplying Amp hours by the battery bank nominal voltage e g 1000Ah battery storage capacity C100 rating x 48V battery ...

Page 6: ...ge appliances simultaneously then your system may automatically shut down to protect the inverter and batteries Tip There is additional power available at times when your renewable energy is producing E g solar panels during sunlight hours or when your fuel generator is running This power gets layered added to the peak power capacity of the Inverter Charger Therefore these are ideal times for usin...

Page 7: ...ar array wiring ELV class voltage up to 120 Volts DC may be present which can deliver an electric shock although a shock from this class of voltage would not normally be lethal it can cause a person to fall from a height and sustain lethal or very serious injury An Extra Low Voltage class battery bank if mishandled or short circuited can cause extremely high current discharges which can cause seve...

Page 8: ...onitor the energy and power that you are using o Compare this usage over days weeks or months kWh o Alerts you when you use excessive Instantaneous Power kW o Information stored can be downloaded to personal computer Press the top Function button to change the information displayed from instant to average Further instructions are available in the separate Efergy manual provided Instant Average His...

Page 9: ...r action directly charges the battery bank at a lower voltage advantageously as the voltage is stepped down the current is stepped up by a similar ratio When 230V AC power is required the Inverter Charger draws power from the Battery bank DC and inverts converts the power into 230V AC for normal household use via the AC switchboard To cover times of poor solar input or increased demand a generator...

Page 10: ...for safety compliance reasons WARNING o Various components operate at high DC and AC voltages Apply caution at all times o Do not touch or forcibly pull any electrical wiring connected to the system o Do not switch on your system if you observe any damaged or exposed cables o No smoking or naked flames in enclosure area o Keep spark producing equipment and machinery away from the battery bank AC S...

Page 11: ...nitored for 60 seconds while the generator is allowed to warm up If the yellow light continues to flash after this time this indicates the generator is not delivering voltage or frequency within a safe range therefore the inverter charger will disallow connection for safety reasons the generator will require repair or adjustment If the yellow AC In light does not flash at all no power is being rec...

Page 12: ... Lower temperatures temporarily decrease available capacity but higher temperatures decrease battery life expectancy and should be avoided Temperatures above 40 C should be avoided as far as possible by implementing good cross ventilation and shading etc WARNING o Keep batteries well ventilated with good cross air flow o Keep battery enclosure locked at all times o Keep battery area clean from dir...

Page 13: ...battery state of charge approximation as per this voltage reading Make sure you select the correct system voltage column and present operating status Night Day Generator since the relationship between voltage and state of charge is variable depending on its mode of use 3 Mate2 display The battery voltage can also be read remotely using a Mate 2 display controller if this option has been installed ...

Page 14: ...r at least two full hours to complete an absorption cycle this will bring the batteries close to full charge o This chart is only approximate Temperature current flow and battery capacity will influence the readings At night Sunny day Voltage Generator running Voltage State of charge SOC What to do 50 4V 57 0V 57 0V Great keep this up and your batteries will last a long time Nothing 49 2V 56 0V 57...

Page 15: ...to the inlet socket on the equipment board 2 Start the Generator manually 3 Allow the generator to run until the battery charger absorption set point voltage is reached 4 Stop the generator at this time this procedure should achieve a SOC level of about 80 only Equalisation Charge Procedure Recommended min 2x per year Battery equalisation is an important battery maintenance process that is usually...

Page 16: ...g does not occur automatically and requires manual intervention When necessary switch the generator auto start controller from Auto mode over to Manual run mode and follow the Equalise Mode Charging instructions above It is most important to remember to switch back to Auto mode when complete With an auto start controlled generator the bulk only mode is not recommended because of the higher possibi...

Page 17: ...er will cut power production back at times to ensure the battery bank is not being charged too quickly or is not being overcharged WARNING o Do not touch or forcibly pull any electrical wiring connected to the solar array o Do not touch or come in contact with a solar module if it is found to be broken or has cracked glass risk of electrical shock o Be very careful when cleaning panels at heights ...

Page 18: ... interconnected with the inverter charger and cannot be used to adjust Inverter or auto start functions or parameters Programming of the MPPT can only be adjusted by the use of a password Adjustments to programming of the MPPT or inverter without prior approval from Off Grid Energy Australia are prohibited Unauthorised adjustment may affect your warranty For a full operational description of your ...

Page 19: ...e Sub board circuit isolator this is typically proved at the household switchboard Generator Circuit breaker Isolating Switch This provides over current protection or allows manual isolation of the 230V AC fuel powered generator set Contactor marked cont Note Not applicable to EM model Inverter chargers This device automatically isolates any generator sockets or plugs from the AC switchboard once ...

Page 20: ... o Repairs o As part of the system restarting procedure o When vacating property for extended periods so that electricity is not required o EMERGENCY disconnect in the event of a major malfunction or fire etc HRC fuses are located in the handle of the assembly as per picture Always follow the official shutdown procedure displayed adjacent to the inverter charger If a shutdown procedure is not disp...

Page 21: ...e properly ducted away from the generator and a good supply of fresh air is available in the generator enclosure o If the generator has an auto start function always disable this function before any maintenance work begins via Auto Start Enable Disable Switch installed adjacent to the generator o Do not smoke near the generator and its fuel storage area o Beware of moving parts during use o Beware...

Page 22: ...microwave oven or other electronically controlled variable speed or variable power loads in use e g Inverter type washing machine or inverter type air conditioner etc Automatic Power Transfer When your generator set is started and after a one minute warm up delay power will be automatically transferred to the house as well as the battery charger without the need for user intervention Power transfe...

Page 23: ...uire more instantaneous power than is available from your inverter charger capacity then start and run the generator set to assist allow warm up time first Make sure your gen set has sufficient capacity for the required task the inverter charger will not support the gen set with heavy loads The battery bank should ideally receive a full recharge every ten days from the generator if they haven t re...

Page 24: ...ard due to system overload Reduce system load and reset the circuit breaker Try to identify the reasons for this failure and implement strategies to avoid further deep battery discharge This failure is detrimental to battery health and service life and must be avoided Cause Reason Solution Very low battery state of charge Battery preservation See next trouble shooting question Excessive instantane...

Page 25: ...re usually caused by the generator set not running at exactly the right speed this can affect clocks which count mains frequency to keep time only when the generator is running The generator set should run at exactly 50Hz or 3000 revolutions per minute 2 pole generator to keep good clock time Notes o Clocks that have quartz time keeping are not affected by generator speed o An inverter type genera...

Page 26: ...e sure you don t lose any generator instruction manuals o Carry important spares for the generator set At minimum carry spare fuel oil coolant maybe a fuel filter spark plug for petrol generators and some suitable hand tools o Carry a spare set of battery bank fuses fuses should be replaced in sets only o Carry an extension cord that is long enough to reach directly from a generator set socket int...

Page 27: ...ers terminals and covers Monthly Check the temperature sensor is correctly bonded to a battery cell Bi Annually Ensure battery bank receives full charge See Battery Charge page 16 Every 10 days Ensure battery bank receives full equalisation charge See Battery Charge page 16 Beginning end of winter Solar Array Check clean dirt off panel surface to ensure optimal performance mop or cloth Twice a yea...

Page 28: ...a warranty If you have lost misplaced your original invoice please contact Off Grid Energy Australia for assistance If you require a copy of our standard terms and conditions please contact us Outback Inverter Charger 2 year manufacturer warranty Batteries 3 2 year manufacturer warranty Solar Panels 25 year manufacturer performance guarantee 80 of rated output Outback MPPT Solar Charge Controller ...

Page 29: ...ntact Us In the event of equipment malfunction modification or upgrades or if you have any questions please contact Off Grid Energy Australia 3 62 Pym St Dudley Park SA 5008 National Office 3 62 Pym St Dudley Park SA 5008 service offgridenergy com au www offgridenergy com au 1300 334 839 08 8312 5507 ...

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