Net metering - hybrid solar inverter system question

[coltonk]

TL;DR Summary

solar inverter

Does anyone know of a manufacturer who makes larger inverters (15-20KW) that can use either an AC or DC generator to product power for net metering. Ive searched for days and all I come up with is systems that require solar panels to do the net metering. I'm not trying to power any loads, just want to do the net metering. I cant believe that there are no commercially available grid-tied inverters that simply take either AC or DC and send it back to the grid via net metering.

 

[Ken Fabian]

TL;DR Summary: solar inverter

Does anyone know of a manufacturer who makes larger inverters (15-20KW) that can use either an AC or DC generator to product power for net metering. Ive searched for days and all I come up with is systems that require solar panels to do the net metering. I'm not trying to power any loads, just want to do the net metering. I cant believe that there are no commercially available grid-tied inverters that simply take either AC or DC and send it back to the grid via net metering.

Not sure what you are after. Net metering is not strictly a product of the inverter type, it is how the system is wired to the meter and the type of meter - and crucially, what the rules about it are. Inverters and grid connections need to conform to appropriate local requirements.

Different places, different rules. Earliest grid tied solar around here (Australia) connected so that any feed-in to the grid sent old style disc meters backwards but such meters and net-metering are anachronisms and meters now count feed-in separately to power drawn from grid, each with separate pricing - which may change according to what time of day and how much feed-in, imposed daily or monthly limits etc.

If you still have an old style power meter upgrading it to the required type is a requirement to connect solar here. There are moves towards grid operator capability to remotely turn feed-in off and on according to grid management needs.

 

[coltonk]

I understand net metering, local power company requirements and NEC code related to net metering, but I need to know about the inverter, specifically whether any grid-tied inverter is offered by any manufacturer that can perform straight net metering from a generator to inverter to the power grid. Other than solar, I can not find any manufacturer that supports this. Grid tied inverter are made to perform the need tasks to tie into grid power including protecting the people working on the grid during a power outage. I am hoping someone on here can point me to a group of manufacturers that offer the equipment. Existing solar inverters are an option and I can probably make that work but I would much prefer an AC system that can take incoming AC power and preform the phase match along with any other power company requirements at a cost as inexpensive as solar inverters.

 

[Rive]

You can start by looking up manufacturers for biogas and micro-hydro system components.

 

[The Fez]

I don't think you are going to find what you are looking for. Even in large wind farms, where the turbines in the nacelles produce AC power, it is then converted to DC before being fed to in inverter to connect to the grid.