Douglas A. Mycko
Doug Mycko — Owner, SolarMan Consulting, LLC — Hawaiʻi
Douglas A. Mycko, also known as Doug Mycko, is the owner of SolarMan Consulting, LLC in Hawaiʻi. His work focuses on off-grid solar power, battery energy storage, inverter and charge-controller systems, system design, commissioning, equipment troubleshooting and support for both modern and legacy renewable-energy systems.
More Than Two Decades in Solar
Douglas Mycko has worked in the solar industry for more than two decades, with extensive hands-on involvement in battery-based and off-grid electrical systems.
His technical background includes system design, equipment selection, installation support, programming, commissioning, diagnosis and troubleshooting.
That experience includes both current equipment and older renewable-energy systems that remain in service throughout Hawaiʻi.
OutBack Power Expertise
A major area of Doug Mycko's technical experience is OutBack Power equipment.
Many homes and off-grid properties in Hawaiʻi continue to operate OutBack systems installed years ago. Although newer inverter platforms have entered the market, those existing OutBack systems still require programming, troubleshooting, maintenance, repair and knowledgeable technical support.
SolarMan's OutBack knowledge includes Radian inverter systems, older FX and VFX inverter platforms, FLEXmax charge controllers, MATE system controllers, system communications, inverter stacking, battery charging, generator integration and diagnosis of legacy systems.
The SolarMan Technical Article library is being expanded to preserve and publish useful information for owners and technicians working with this large installed base of OutBack equipment.
Battery and Inverter Systems
Fortress Power
SolarMan works with Fortress Power inverter and battery equipment, including ENVY inverter systems, battery communications, parallel inverter systems, programming, commissioning and troubleshooting.
Pytes Energy
SolarMan is expanding its technical coverage of Pytes lithium battery systems, including rack-mount batteries, larger capacity battery systems, inverter communications, battery commissioning and compatibility with modern inverter platforms.
Discover Energy Systems
SolarMan's battery-system work includes Discover battery equipment and the communications required for integration between lithium battery management systems and compatible inverters.
MidNite Solar
SolarMan's technical library includes MidNite Solar inverter and charge-controller equipment, including Rosie, Mini Rosie, Hawke's Bay and Classic charge-controller platforms.
Sol-Ark
SolarMan works with modern Sol-Ark hybrid inverter systems, including battery integration, generator operation, programming, grid-backup applications and off-grid system design.
EG4
SolarMan follows and works with emerging EG4 inverter, battery and solar-powered air-conditioning equipment as these products become increasingly relevant to residential solar and battery systems.
Solar Charge Controllers
Charge controllers remain an important part of many battery-based renewable-energy systems.
Doug Mycko's technical experience includes OutBack FLEXmax controllers and other charge-controller platforms used in off-grid systems, as well as the interaction between PV array configuration, controller input limitations, battery charging and system programming.
SolarMan's technical library will also cover MidNite Solar charge-controller products and troubleshooting of both modern and legacy charging systems.
Hydroelectric and Hybrid Renewable-Energy Systems
Douglas Mycko's renewable-energy experience is not limited to photovoltaic systems.
He also has hands-on experience with small hydroelectric and micro-hydroelectric systems. These systems can involve substantially different design considerations from solar-only systems, including available head and water flow, continuous generation, diversion loads, battery charging and integration of hydro generation with solar and other off-grid power sources.
Hybrid solar and hydro systems can be particularly interesting because hydroelectric generation may continue during hours when a photovoltaic array produces little or no energy.
Water Pumping and Grundfos Equipment
Water pumping is another important part of off-grid system design.
SolarMan works with Grundfos pumps and the electrical requirements associated with operating water pumps from battery-based power systems.
Pump systems require consideration of both energy consumption and instantaneous starting or operating power, making the pump an important part of inverter, battery and generator sizing.
Solar Hot Water
Solar hot-water systems are another established area of Douglas Mycko's technical experience.
His background includes solar thermal collectors, solar hot-water storage tanks, circulation systems, Grundfos circulation pumps, controls, system design and troubleshooting.
SolarMan's technical coverage includes SunEarth solar thermal equipment and the relationship between solar hot-water systems and the overall energy requirements of off-grid homes.
For an off-grid property, reducing electrical water-heating loads can have a substantial effect on the size and operating demands of the battery and inverter system.
Technical Troubleshooting
One of the central purposes of SolarMan Consulting is helping people understand why a renewable-energy system is not operating the way it was intended to operate.
Troubleshooting can involve far more than replacing a piece of equipment. A problem may originate in programming, communications, battery configuration, firmware, wiring, system architecture, PV configuration, generator settings, charge parameters or the interaction between equipment from different manufacturers.
SolarMan Technical Articles are intended to explore these issues in detail rather than provide generic solar summaries.
SolarMan Technical Articles
The SolarMan technical library is being developed as a reference for homeowners, DIY solar customers, installers, electricians and technicians.
Subjects include equipment setup, programming, communications, compatibility, repair, troubleshooting, commissioning, battery systems, inverter systems, charge controllers, water pumping, solar hot water and other aspects of off-grid renewable energy.
Two types of material are published:
- SolarMan Technical Articles — researched technical information based on manufacturer documentation and other authoritative sources.
- SolarMan Field Reports — articles based on actual SolarMan installations, commissioning work and troubleshooting experiences.
Visit the SolarMan Technical Article Library
SolarMan Consulting, LLC — Hawaiʻi
Douglas A. Mycko operates SolarMan Consulting, LLC in Hawaiʻi, with a focus on practical renewable-energy systems and the equipment required to keep those systems operating.
The continuing goal of SolarMan's online technical library is to make detailed equipment information, troubleshooting knowledge and system-design information easier to find for people maintaining both new and existing renewable-energy systems.