Hi all.
We have now been running our off-grid system (AC500 +2 X B300k with 1.1kW PV) for around 6 months - autumn into winter. It’s been a largely positive experience which I will cover in a separate post soon.
In the meantime, I’d be interested in others comments about the efficiency of these units. From the app, I can see how much power we have consumed (AC and DC) and how much power we have generated (solar and AC petrol generator). So this shows how efficient the set up actually is.
power consumed = 213.7kWh
power generated = 327.57kWh
So overall round trip efficiency = 65.2%
This seems quite low to me. I’m wondering if others are getting similar results.
I’m also wondering if having the DC output on all the time (we run all our lights which are 12v from the 12v output) is lowering the efficiency. Would we be better off running the lights from an AC outlet with an external step-down transformer?
Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated.
Hi @JimRivers, We appreciate you taking the time to test the performance of your AC500 and B300K.
The AC500 + B300K is a large-scale power station. Comparatively, its self-power consumption is higher, which further affects the testing efficiency.
With smaller DC loads (like charging phones), the unit’s base power consumption (self-discharge) becomes a significant factor, skewing your results
Larger loads minimize this effect, giving you a truer measure of actual capacity.
For the most accurate capacity measurements, we recommend using a load of around 1000W during testing.
AC500
The Self-comsumption is 11W when AC500 is on, DC and AC are off;
The Self-comsumption is 30W when AC and DC are on.
B300K each
The Self-comsumption is 2W when standing by.
The Self-comsumption is 5W when working.
The running time = Battery capacity × DoD × η ÷ (load power + Self-consumption).
DoD refers to the Depth of Discharge, η is the local inverter efficiency.
DoD=95%, η=90%.
DoD may vary depending on ambient-operating temperature and discharge rate.
Load power and charging time are measured in watts and hours.
Note: 1) The formula is NOT suitable for inductive loads with compressors, like refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.
2) The above data is for reference ONLY.