Page 45 - Energize May 2022

Figure 1: Ecotrades qualified engineers benefit from continuous industry training

Figure 4: Equipment moved outdoors for better cooling performance

Figure 2: Racks of equipment

Figure 3: 36 000 BTU air-conditioning keeps the high power inverters
functioning optimally Figure 5: Screen shot of the power analysis screen

Performance of the Victron remote management Ecotrades used its own fleet of delivery trucks with hydraulic
system lifting gear to maintain propriety of every stage of their installation
The Hartswater project on the Victron remote management (VRM) contract. A great deal of time will have been invested in the
platform can be viewed in real time without visiting the site. The pre-assembly stage of a bespoke system – so it’s vital to maintain
‘advanced’ tab provides an analysis of power input/output, and integrity between factory and installation site.
demonstrates how the 25 daisy-chained VE.Can solar charge The greatest power demand on the farm is from a number
controllers synchronise their output. of 30 to 40 kW water pumps, served by step-up/step-down
Overall system control is provided by the Cerbo GX. This transformers. The pumps send water through hundreds of metres
installation demonstrates how well the new Cerbo GX performs of hose from the reservoir to sprinkler irrigation outlets.
even near its design limits with 25 MPPT solar chargers; 6 Fronius There are also four homesteads on site – all of which now
solar Inverters; 135 kVA of inverter power; and Solar MD lithium benefit from the introduction of a reliable energy source.
batteries with huge capacity, all connected to each device. No
problems were experienced. Relay-triggered generator start
Incidentally, using VRM one can examine system data for The Solar MD Lithium batteries in this installation can withstand
almost any time-range, from the last hour, few hours, day, being discharged completely more than 4000 times, but last longer
days, week, month or months, back through the lifetime of the if they are not depleted below 20% state of charge. For this reason,
installation. This is really useful when you want to analyse and the Cerbo GX was programmed to auto-start the generators if this
compare how a system performs throughout the seasons, or as a threshold was reached, using one of the on-board relays available
result of some change or new event. for just such a task.

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