Products that make your Sun2000/1000G2 GTIL even better
The Sun2000/1000 is an inexpensive (under $400) grid tied inverter with a unique feature of having a limiter (current transformer or CT) that prevents power from being exported back to the grid. Unfortunately, the reliability of these units are not on par with similar inverters costing more than 2-3 times. Some might think that's what you get for buying a cheap product. You get what you pay, right? Well, wouldn't it be nice if it doesn't have to be this way? We took one apart and were impressed with the quality so we wanted to find a way to keep the product from failing and make it better at a reasonable price. For under $180, we think we did by offering three products that will improve your Sun2000/1000.
SunScreen. Protection from brownouts This is a DIY kit that you install inside the Sun2000/1000 which can improve your unit's robustness and reliability. If you live an area where the utility grid is unreliable such as during thunderstorms, construction work, etc., then this product is for you. SunScreen is basically a mini UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) that keeps the power flowing to the most critical parts of the inverter (namely the inverter's microcontroller and the transistor driver circuits) so that your inverter does not experience brownouts. When a microcontroller is in a brownout state (basically partially on and off, as when its supply voltage is right below the minimum recommended level), the firmware is in an unpredictable state. This can cause the outputs that controls the power transistors to inadvertently turn on at the wrong time resulting in widespread damage to the inverter. SunScreen ensures the inverter's microcontroller is running 100% of the time during a brownout so that the outputs are always controlled as designed to allow it to properly react to changing conditions as for both the AC and DC sides.
The included rechargeable battery lasts at least 11 hours on a full charge and when the the battery is too low, it will automatically turn off in less than a millisecond never allowing the microcontroller to go into the brownout state. The battery automatically recharges when the grid power is restored. The battery life should exceed the life of the inverter. SunScreen is maintenance-free.
Installation is easy and involves just unplugging an existing cable, and plugging it onto the SunScreen board and then plugging SunScreen's cable to where the first cable was unplugged.
SunBeam. The most advanced remote control for the Sun2000/1000 This is a DIY kit that allows you to remotely control your Sun2000/1000 via a web browser and/or a MQTT broker using WiFi. Not only can you remotely monitor your inverter's status, but you can remotely modify any of the power generating parameters. It is much better than the cloud-based WiFi option which only allows for remote monitoring and no changes to any of the settings of the Sun2000/1000. SunBeam has no cloud dependency so it will always work even if we go out of business and you're in total control of all your data forever. SunBeam's MQTT feature allows you to integrate third party home automation and graphing software such as Home Assistant. In addition, you can have other MQTT devices interact directly with the Sun2000/1000 such as chargers or consumption meters. SunBeam is installed inside your unit. Installation is easy and involves just unplugging an existing cable, and plugging it onto the SunBeam board and then plugging SunBeam's cable to where the first cable was unplugged. The antenna is fed through one of the vent holes.
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Split CT Kit for split phase power The Sun2000/1000 is shipped with only a single CT (current transformer) used to limit the power exported to the grid. This only works well if you have a balanced load which is not a practical use case. The Split CT Kit is a modified CT called Split CT and a Y Cable Adapter. This kit is designed to be easily installed and to provide accurate results regardless if the loads are balanced or not. There is also no need for any calibration/adjustments and it works with your existing stock CT to save you money. Note, the Split CT Kit is only needed on the odd inverter if you have an odd number of inverters. For each pair of inverters, you can use the included CTs and hardwire them all in parallel or just purchase a Y Cable Adapter and Splitter Cable for a cleaner installation. For example, if you have 5 Sun2000/1000s (all on 240 V), then you will need to purchase 1 Split CT Kit, 2 Y Cable Adapters and 2 Splitter Cables.