This article summarizes the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of the SMA SMART HOME Planning Guidelines.
The guidelines provides support when you are planning an energy management system with the system solution SMA Smart Home.
FAQs:
1) Is it possible to measure currents of more than 63 A per line conductor with the SMA Energy Meter and/or Sunny Home Manager 2.0?
2) Can I only use the Sunny Boy Smart Energy within the SMA Integrated Storage System?
3) Can I also use the Sunny Boy Smart Energy as an off-grid system or as a battery-backup system?
4) Is the Sunny Boy Smart Energy compatible with other battery types?
5) Is the SMA Integrated Storage System also available with a larger battery capacity?
6) Is a three-phase implementation of the SMA Integrated Storage System also possible?
7) Can devices with BLUETOOTH interface also communicate with the Sunny Boy Smart Energy?
8) Can devices with BLUETOOTH interface also communicate with the Sunny Boy Storage?
9) Can existing PV systems be retrofitted with the Sunny Home Manager or the SMA Flexible Storage System?
10) Do any limitations apply to the PV System when using the SMA Flexible Storage System?
11) Can PV inverters from other manufacturers be installed together with a Sunny Island or a Sunny Boy Storage?
12) Which batteries can be used with the SMA Flexible Storage System?
13) Which battery capacities can be implemented with the SMA Flexible Storage System?
14) Is it possible, in addition to the PV system, to connect other AC sources to the SMA Flexible Storage System?
15) Can I connect a single-phase system for intermediate storage of energy to a three-phase PV inverter?
16) How much maintenance work does the SMA Flexible Storage System involve?
17) Will I receive information on the Sunny Boy Storage in Sunny Portal?
18) What rated power does the Sunny Island have?
19) What rated power does the Sunny Boy Storage have?
20) Is it possible for two Sunny Island or Sunny Boy Storage devices to feed in via a single phase?
21) Can I use a Sunny Island or Sunny Boy Storage only within the SMA Flexible Storage System?
22) Can the Sunny Boy Storage be operated with three phases?
23) Can the Sunny Island or the Sunny Boy Storage without a Sunny Home Manager limit active power feed-in of a PV system?
24) Can the Sunny Boy Storage be used as WLAN access for PV inverters?
1) Is it possible to measure currents of more than 63 A per line conductor with the SMA Energy Meter and/or Sunny Home Manager 2.0?
From firmware version 1.02.04.R of the SMA Energy Meter, installations with more than 63 A per line conductor are possible if one external current transformer is used for each line conductor. SMA Solar Technology AG recommends current transformers designed for a secondary current of 5 A. The current transformers should have at least accuracy class 1.
2) Can I only use the Sunny Boy Smart Energy within the SMA Integrated Storage System?
If no automatic load control is required, you can also equip a PV system solely with the Sunny Boy Smart Energy. With this option however, you implement only the intermediate storage of PV energy. To use the Sunny Boy Smart Energy without the Sunny Home Manager, you require an SMA Energy Meter and a router/network switch for the Internet connection to Sunny Portal.
3) Can I also use the Sunny Boy Smart Energy as an off-grid system or as a battery-backup system?
The Sunny Boy Smart Energy must not be used in off-grid systems or in battery-backup systems since it cannot provide its own utility grid. To set up an off-grid system or a battery-backup system, SMA Solar Technology AG offers the Sunny Island (for information on the Sunny Island in an off-grid system and in the SMA Flexible Storage System with a battery-backup function, see www.SMA-Solar.com).
4) Is the Sunny Boy Smart Energy compatible with other battery types?
No: The Sunny Boy Smart Energy must only be operated with the Battery Pack Smart Energy of type “BAT-2.0-ASE-10”.
5) Is the SMA Integrated Storage System also available with a larger battery capacity?
No: The Sunny Boy Smart Energy is fitted with one Battery Pack Smart Energy with a battery capacity of 2 kWh. The usable battery capacity of the SMA Integrated Storage System therefore amounts to 2 kWh. Increasing the battery capacity through an additional Battery Pack Smart Energy is not possible.
6) Is a three-phase implementation of the SMA Integrated Storage System also possible?
No: Parallel operation of multiple Sunny Boy Smart Energy devices is not possible.
7) Can devices with BLUETOOTH interface also communicate with the Sunny Boy Smart Energy?
No: The Sunny Boy Smart Energy has only two Speedwire interfaces. These enable fast and secure communication but require a connection with network cables.
8) Can devices with BLUETOOTH interface also communicate with the Sunny Boy Storage?
No: The Sunny Boy Storage, however, is equipped with a Speedwire and WLAN interface.
9) Can existing PV systems be retrofitted with the Sunny Home Manager or the SMA Flexible Storage System?
Yes: New and existing PV systems can be retrofitted with the Sunny Home Manager or the SMA Flexible Storage System.
10) Do any limitations apply to the PV System when using the SMA Flexible Storage System?
No: The SMA Flexible Storage System is technically independent of the peak power of the PV system. Whether the intermediate storage of PV energy on site makes economic sense will need to be evaluated in each individual case:
- Use Sunny Design Web to design and evaluate an SMA Flexible Storage System (for Sunny Design, see www.SMA-Solar.com).
- Use the method described in this document to design and evaluate an SMA Flexible Storage System (see Planning Guidelines SMA Smart Home, Section 7.8, page 51).
11) Can PV inverters from other manufacturers be installed together with a Sunny Island or a Sunny Boy Storage?
If you want to retrofit an existing PV system with the Sunny Island or a Sunny Boy Storage for intermediate storage of PV energy, but do not require active power limitation, you can use PV inverters from any manufacturer. Active power limitation may be stipulated by the grid operator or may bring financial rewards due to local legislation (e.g. the PV storage incentive program in Germany). If the active power limitation is required, the selected inverters must ensure the limitation.
12) Which batteries can be used with the SMA Flexible Storage System?
The Sunny Island supports all lead-acid batteries of types FLA and VRLA as well as various lithium-ion batteries (see Planning Guidelines SMA Smart Home, Section 7.7, page 51). The Sunny Boy Storage supports selected lithium-ion batteries (see Technical Information “Approved batteries and battery communication connection” at www.SMA-Solar.com).
13) Which battery capacities can be implemented with the SMA Flexible Storage System?
The battery capacity for an SMA Flexible Storage System with Sunny Island can be freely selected within a wide range.
The Sunny Island supports lead-acid batteries of types FLA and VRLA as well as various lithium-ion batteries. It is important to observe the capacity:
- Lead-acid batteries with a capacity of 100 Ah to 10000 Ah can be connected.
- Lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 50 Ah to 10000 Ah can be connected.
This corresponds to a maximum storage capacity of 480 kWh for a battery with 48 V and 10000 Ah.
The battery capacity for an SMA Flexible Storage System with Sunny Boy Storage is prescribed by the lithium-ion battery used.
14) Is it possible, in addition to the PV system, to connect other AC sources to the SMA Flexible Storage System?
You can also connect other AC sources to a Sunny Island or Sunny Boy Storage, for example, a combined heat and power plant (CHP plant). Keep in mind that within the SMA Flexible Storage System, the Sunny Home Manager does not support wind power inverters or CHP plants.
If your system combines various AC power sources (e.g. PV system and wind energy inverters or CHP plants), then the Sunny Island can only detect the PV inverters and limit their power. No wind power inverters or CHP plants are displayed in Sunny Portal for the SMA Flexible Storage System.
Since the data from wind power inverters or CHP plants is not taken into account by the Sunny Island, the data calculated in Sunny Portal and the displayed diagrams may be inaccurate.
15) Can I connect a single-phase system for intermediate storage of energy to a three-phase PV inverter?
Yes: Single-phase battery-backup grids can be connected to three-phase utility grids.
Note: With single-phase Sunny Island systems for intermediate storage with three-phase inverters, the optional battery-backup function only works to a limited extent since, in the event of a grid failure, the three-phase PV inverter can not be used for battery recharge (see Planning Guidelines “SMA FLEXIBLE STORAGE SYSTEM with Battery-Backup Function” at www.SMA-Solar.com).
16) How much maintenance work does the SMA Flexible Storage System involve?
The Sunny Island and the Sunny Boy Storage are largely maintenance-free (see operating manual of the inverter). Information on battery maintenance can be obtained from the battery manufacturer.
17) Will I receive information on the Sunny Boy Storage in Sunny Portal?
Yes: The Sunny Boy Storage is equipped with a Webconnect function as standard. The Webconnect function enables direct data transmission between the inverters of a small-scale system and the Internet portal Sunny Portal without any additional communication device and for a maximum of four inverters per Sunny Portal system. It is also possible to integrate the Sunny Boy Storage into Sunny Portal via Sunny Home Manager.
18) What rated power does the Sunny Island have?
For intermediate storage of PV energy in Germany, the output power of the Sunny Island is limited to 4.6 kW per phase due to the standard requirements.
19) What rated power does the Sunny Boy Storage have?
For intermediate storage of PV energy in Germany, the output power of the Sunny Island is limited to 4.6 kW per phase due to the standard requirements.
20) Is it possible for two Sunny Island or Sunny Boy Storage devices to feed in via a single phase?
No: Only one Sunny Island or Sunny Boy Storage per phase is allowed to feed in.
21) Can I use a Sunny Island or Sunny Boy Storage only within the SMA Flexible Storage System?
If no automatic load control and no limitation of the active power feed-in are required, you can equip a PV system solely with a Sunny Island or Sunny Boy Storage and do without the complete SMA Flexible Storage System installation. With this option however, you implement only the intermediate storage of PV energy.
For a purely Sunny Island storage system, the following SMA products are required:
- Sunny Island 4.4M / 6.0H / 8.0H (SI4.4M-12 / SI6.0H-12 / SI8.0H-12)
- SMA Energy Meter
In a Sunny Island storage system, the SMA Energy Meter must be connected directly to the Sunny Island via a network cable. The Sunny Island receives no data regarding PV generation. This means that the Sunny Island cannot display some of its parameters, e.g. the increased self-consumption values.
For a purely Sunny Boy Storage system, the following SMA products are required:
- Sunny Boy Storage
- SMA Energy Meter
22) Can the Sunny Boy Storage be operated with three phases?
No: The Sunny Boy Storage can only be operated with one phase.
23) Can the Sunny Island or the Sunny Boy Storage without a Sunny Home Manager limit active power feed-in of a PV system?
Yes: The Sunny Island or the Sunny Boy Storage without a Sunny Home Manager is able to limit active power feed-in of a PV system under the following conditions:
- Only the following device types may be used with the Sunny Island for the active power limitation: SI4.4M-12 / SI6.0H-12 / SI8.0H-12.
- A maximum of three PV inverters can be installed in the PV system.
- All PV inverters in the PV system must be equipped with Webconnect function.
- An SMA Energy Meter must be installed.
24) Can the Sunny Boy Storage be used as WLAN access for PV inverters?
No: As all network participants, PV inverters also need a direct WLAN access.
The complete guideline can be found in the download area at https://www.sma.de/en.html with search keyword: “Planning Guidelines – SMA SMART HOME”