Are batteries the ONLY DC option for a hybrid inverter?

ian123

I have a solis 5kW inverter, and 5kWh pylontech battery. Assuming the 5kW inverter has a 5kW load from the house, then once the battery is full, there appears to be nothing else I can do with the DC connection. I have ~8kWp connected to the inverter, so will experience clipping once the battery is full and there is a 5kW load in the house.

I have seen on occasions where I've gotten as high as 7.5kW PV gen showing on the solis app, with 2.5kW going to the battery and 5kW going to the house. Once the battery is full the system clips to 5kW.

If there was another DC load available - i.e. such as a DC hot water heater, i could take this "clipped 2.5kW" and put it to some use. Is there any DC BMS (or similar contraption) that could allow both DC batteries and a DC hot water heater to be connected to the DC output of the hybrid inverter and manage sending DC to the hot water once the battery is full? I have an EDDI, and it can take AC surplus - but that does not address the clipping option (I don't use it for various reasons).

Note I have seen the internal temp of the 5kW inverter creep up when operating at the ~7+ kW, but well within the temp operating limits.

SD_DRACULA

There is no DC output on these inverters, you're only sending AC to the grid & backup ports so the short answer would be no afaik

Your only other option would be to increase your battery capacity so you capture more of the extra power but probably only worth it if you can also export the battery to grid later for some extra FIT like a few folk here are doing for some decent payback.

ian123

There is a DC output (ie the 'backup port') feeding the batteries - so I don't understand why there is no circuit/bms that could be used to multiplex this DC output between the battery and another DC consumer - like a DC hot water heater/immersion heater