Electric Power from Hybrid Using EG4 Solar Inverter?

This is a general knowledge-base thread as an overview of available solutions. It would be great to have a link here to a new thread you would start for discussing these units you're interested in, and the discussion specific to those units could happen on that thread. It's not so great for that discussion to take up space here.

 

That would be a pretty good title. Maybe better with the EG4 closer to the front since that'd be what it's about. Something like "EG4 solar inverter for electric power from a hybrid".

If you want to go start that thread, and it's not clear how to add a link to it here, I'll be happy to add the link.

You can start a thread by going to the top of the list of threads in any appropriate forum, and using the big "Post New Thread" button at the right.

 

It would be good to include the model you are interested in. A quick check on the eg4 website for a 3kw unit at $750 found a unit shown below. Yes it is 500 vdc input max but it requires a 48v battery bank. Maybe there is another solution?
https://eg4electronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/EG4-3000EHV-48-Inverter-Users-Manual-1.0.6.pdf

 

I'm guessing rj was looking at the vendor's "NOTICE: This inverter does not support battery-less operation." If a youtuber has demonstrated that it actually does, then cool. I wonder why the vendor said that, though. Is it possible the youtuber didn't consider or test every condition the vendor does?

Maybe a link in this thread to the youtube clip in question could help shed some light.

Have you spent much time yet learning how the electrical system in the Prius works? The battery voltage is 201.6 volts nominal. You might see it as low as 190ish at quite low charge, or 240+ when being charged.

You don't see anything like 500 volts back there ever. The motor-generators can reach that voltage, but the "boost converter" that's one of the internal components of the car's inverter assembly is completely responsible for boosting the battery voltage to the higher voltage for the motors, or bucking the motor voltage back to the lower voltage for the battery. You wouldn't ever see 500 volts except sometimes on the leads to the MGs themselves, or inside the inverter assembly on the IPM buses.



The voltage you see at the battery isn't something that swings around wildly because the engine starts or stops. It swings around under control of the HV control ECU deciding what rate of charging or discharging to apply.

"Doesn't register", by the way, typically isn't what you'd see on a voltmeter exposed to a voltage above the scale. Usually there will be an overrange indication for that case. If there's a way you can get some additional practice in the use of your meter in advance of digging much into the Prius high-voltage system, that might be a good idea.

 

I think you are digging deeper than your safety can tolerate.

As I mentioned before, you should list the model number of the solar inverter under consideration. They are rarely if ever made for use without the 48v battery or similar as a necessary buffer in a system specifically designed for a widely variable solar input. The model I found that matches your power, price and brand says the 48v battery is required.

I would contact the manufacturer if such contact is remotely possible. No support now would indicate no support later when the real issues figuratively (or literally) explode on you.

 

Definitely interested in the results of your experiment. Since the AIMS unit is no longer available this might be a viable option at a relatively low cost. I'd have a thermal camera on hand to image the eg4 component temps while in operation. I would recommend having some sort of 48V battery connected - even if it is a 48V e-bike battery (~$200).

 

The EG4 3000EHV-48 should work like you're thinking. I'm thinking about using one of these hybrid inverters in my RV to charge the 48V battery bank. I'll be towing the Prius behind as a toad on a car dolly. I plan to wire in an Anderson connector to where to bolted connections are to the traction battery in the back. This wire I could spool out easily to wherever the car is parked around the RV. It would plug into the PV (solar panels) part of the inverter and in my case charge up the 48V battery. I'll have a disconnect switch before it goes into the inverter and as long as the Prius is powered off my high voltage wire between the Prius and RV would be dead on both ends. Start the Prius and turn on the disconnect and the hybrid inverter should think it's hooked up to solar panels. In my case once my 48V battery is charged I'd shut off the Prius until it needs to be charged again.

There is a company that has been doing this for many years using and inverter wired up to the traction battery. Just google: plugoutpower (I'm new here so I can't post links)

How you're wanting to use the EG4 inverter should also be possible without the 48V battery hooked up to power AC loads according to this video on Signature Solar's Youtube channel. Again, I can't post links but the video is named:
New AMAZING Inverter! EG4 Electronics 3000EHV-48! 3000W Inverter, 5000w MPPT, 80A Battery Charger

I don't see any reason it wouldn't work. Of course, we're talking very high voltage DC power here that would kill anyone dead so do be careful.

 

Any updates? I'm thinking about adding some solar in the next year or two. I was watching one of Will Prowse videos and saw his hand-truck setup using this EG4. I thought that a Prius could use it to generate power during an outage. so I did a search and ran across this thread.