Xantrex Technology XW6048-120/240-60, XW4024-120/240-60 manual Batteries, Battery Bank Requirements

Step 4: Wiring the Inverter

Batteries

See the FAQs section of the Xantrex Web site for information on determining battery bank requirements.

Consider the following recommendations for battery use.

•Use only the deep discharge types for inverter applications.

•Use the same battery type for all batteries in the bank.

•Use only batteries from the same lot and date in your battery bank. This information is usually printed on a label located on the battery.

CAUTION: Damage to Equipment

The XW Inverter/Charger is intended to operate with batteries as its source of DC power. Do not connect DC power sources, such as PV arrays, wind turbines, or micro-hydro turbines, directly to the XW Inverter/Charger without a battery. Connect DC power sources to a charge controller such as the XW Solar Charge Controller instead. If DC power sources are connected directly to the inverter, the DC rating of the inverter can be exceeded and the inverter can be damaged.

Battery Bank Requirements

The DC voltage of the inverter must match the nominal voltage of the system and all battery-connected devices. If the inverter is a 24-volt inverter, then the battery bank and all battery-connected devices in the system need to be configured for 24 volts.

Important: The minimum recommended battery bank is 100 Ah. The inverter is designed to operate with batteries and should not be operated without them. Also, do not allow the battery bank to become completely discharged. If the voltage of the battery bank falls below 10 volts, the XW Power System will not operate.

Battery Cable Requirements

	WARNING: Fire Hazard
	Undersized cables can overheat and melt, creating a fire hazard when subjected to heavy (peak)
	loads. Always use a cable of proper size and length, rated for the amperage of the inverter and
	batteries.
	Important: Use only fine-stranded copper cables for battery and inverter DC connections. Do
	not use coarse-stranded wire, as the lack of flexibility may damage battery and inverter terminals.
Battery cable length	Runs should be kept as short as practical. Length should not exceed 10 feet (3 m). For best
	performance, the positive and negative cables should run alongside each other. Avoid
	cable loops.
Battery cable lugs	Battery cables must have crimped copper compression lugs or crimped and soldered
	copper compression lugs. Soldered connections alone are not acceptable. Lugs must be
	rated for use with fine-stranded cable.
Overcurrent	For safety and compliance with regulations, battery overcurrent protection is required.
protection	Fuses and disconnects must be sized to protect the wiring in the system and are required to
	open before the wire reaches its maximum current carrying capability.

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