Typhoon season is starting up again for us in Japan, and after purchasing a home in the sticks, I've found out the hard way that when heavy winds hit, we are the first to lose power (and the last to get it hooked up). We installed a 4000 watt grid tie solar system, and in the process got a package deal.. so everything in the house is electric now. Oven, water heater, etc.. Bought an LP shower heater and stove for emergencies, along with a 2300 watt generator. The genny sits in it's own concrete storage bunker just outside, and originally I ran extention cords everywhere. I prefer to connect directly to my breaker box.. a little no-no called backfeeding. I took the bus strips coming off the main breaker completely off.. isolating the house. Connected my 100vac to the load side of the first top breaker. Turning it on energizes the top bus strip (supply side), and I switch on the next two (Only need 3 breakers for the essentials). Any thoughts on this? I cannot find a transfer or interlock switch here. Can add pics if needed. Tks..
Sure Don, What you need is an interface/switching system. Fortunately, with cross industry application, you do not have to go custom, which would cost you two arms.. UPS or, uninterruptible power supply; for computer systems. We setup my dad's grid for the house, with a box of 12 x 6v deep cell batteries. The UPS, comes with a small 12v battery, now, it's hooked up to 6 doubles. You could run the whole panel, but I'd recommend a sub-panel, between the UPS for your "3-breakers". Just hook up what needs to be...starting with the furness blower motor. No power-no blower-no heat. Sucks at -40 in the winter here. The box will have to be costomized for what you are hooking into it, I mean connection points along the power conversion circuit. Like remove the bat and inverter, tie in gen? How's the solar interfaced? You must have a bat bank?
No battery bank, and the solar system is tied into the grid before the main breaker. The inverter/controller is run on one of the 100vac breakers I don't use, so no power feedback if those are off. I guess what I am asking, is there any chance of injury to repair crews or the like IF I physically disconnect all wiring from the main breaker. I don't mind shutting everything down, walking out to the generator, and wiring everything up after the power goes out.
Don't forget to unhook the ground cuz you will feed back on that ok might feed back on that so as long as u unhook all wires that could feed back should be ok but I'd rather have a switch box. My old man is still looking for a switch box he likes to hit to switches turn key on genny and walk off
There is a small single ground inside the box.. not sure where it leads.. but all the conduit is PVC. None of my wall sockets have a grounding plug on them either.
That's a little different all I know is dad has to buy this 400 dollar box to be able to use ours so it hasn't happened yet nice genny thou 8000 wats
Yes, Japanese setups follow different codes. My generator is only 100vac, so seems to me that a transfer switch is a bit overkill. I'd like to run generator only outlets inside the home, but everything is concrete.
