Ross,
In your part of the world, when you get that installed, you will need to run the genny once a month just to see if it still works..
Yes, and on those rare events I've previously managed to go more than a month without having to run it, I have run (or let the inverter autostart) it, just to remind it what it has to do. Being propane-powered, at least the fuel doesn't go off!
Maybe you will find something you can do with all the extra power.....
I'm musing with the idea of running a chiller (in summer), which we can then use to provide cooling over the hottest part of the day, and into the evenings. In winter, reversing the chiller to provide additional heat into the hydronics. It's just a thought, but it's something we could do with the "surplus".
If your inverter can stand a grid tie on it's tail, then one of those too.
The Selectronics specifically states it can, although it's a fairly expensive one by the looks of it.
The selectronics are very very good devices, but criminally expensive.....
Yes, but when your back is against the wall, you do what you have to. Due to bad design or circumstances, power is absolutely necessary here. Want water? Need the pressure pump. Want to get back into the house? Need the proximity card.
Want to flush the dunny? Effluent treatment plant needs to be running (at least a few times a day). Etc, etc.
This unit cost a little over $7K including freight.
It claims 5kW continuous. 6kW for an hour or something, and 12kW for 30 seconds or a minute.
It's installed in a "nice" environment (no salt air, no rodents, insects, children, dust, etc. No rapid temperature changes, not much temperature variation over a year (perhaps down to 18C overnight in winter and up to 28C daytime in summer)
It is perfectly happy running the dishwasher, the washing machine, water pump and effluent system, microwave, etc, etc.
Haven't tried it with the welder yet, but I have little doubt it'll do it fine.
The biggies run everything I can throw... but the 6kw o/load will throw after 30 mins at much over 6.5kw or more....and just minutes at 8kw, and almost instantly above that.
I have 20A breakers on the power circuits. 63A on inverter itself and 32 on the generator.
I really need to get a "spare" inverter, but it'll have to wait.
I just splashed out on a new standby generator, something a little smaller than my home-brew baby. It's a 5kW inverter unit (7KVA). Having a nice, clean, 50Hz output will make the inverters job a little easier, be kinder on my domestic loads, and should I ever have another inverter failure, should be able to limp along on the inverter-generator until a replacement can be sourced. At least, that's the plan!