How big a load can a SAPS run, and can it handle motor starting?

Vantara delivers 30 kVA of continuous inverter output per unit at 25 °C, standard and configurations available up to 90 kVA continuous. AC output is 230/240 V with total harmonic distortion under 2% and maximum efficiency of 96%.

Surge capability is usually the deciding specification, not continuous rating, and it is where most off-grid systems fail in service. Inductive loads, bore pumps, irrigation, compressors, workshop machinery, refrigeration, draw three to six times their running current at start. 

Vantara’s connection capability:

Duration	Capability
Continuous, 1 hour	115 A
5 minutes	135 A
1 minute	150 A
5 seconds (motor starting)	200 A
Short circuit	320 A peak

That 200 A five-second surge is what lets a Vantara start a pump without oversizing the whole system to cover a two-second event. The alternative, specifying a system twice as large as the continuous load requires, is how off-grid projects end up with capital cost that kills the business case.

Tell us at design stage what the largest single motor on site is and whether it has soft-start. During initial system start-up, sequence the load bring-up in steps rather than applying all loads at once. This manages inrush current and protects the system from unnecessary stress at commissioning.