The Battery Thread (Solar / Inverter)

[maxxis]

I had a similar issue, I connected to the dongle AP using my phone then re-enrolled it to my WiFi network. How is the WiFi signal at the site of installation?

Pretty good actually. At least 3 bars on the mesh and 2 on the main router.

I do have some questions about the inverter though

Is the default config out the box to use the batteries when the panels aren’t available? I’m missing something here.

Will double check available settings as soon as the slave battery is fully charged.

 

[Mzezman]

Pretty good actually. At least 3 bars on the mesh and 2 on the main router.

I do have some questions about the inverter though

Is the default config out the box to use the batteries when the panels aren’t available? I’m missing something here.

Will double check available settings as soon as the slave battery is fully charged.

Ok cool so at least it's not a connectivity thing. Also try give the dongle a static IP

What do your system mode screen look like and what do YOU want to happen?

 

[maxxis]

Ok cool so at least it's not a connectivity thing. Also try give the dongle a static IP

What do your system mode screen look like and what do YOU want to happen?

I want to be as independent of Eskom as possible.

I’d like to have the house be on batteries during the night and on PV / Eskom during the day if needed.

 

[maxxis]

 

[AchmatK]

View attachment 1211158 View attachment 1211160 View attachment 1211162

You will need to enable the timer and then set the battery SOC limit that it will stop using the battery and different times.

When load shedding is announced then I just increase the SOC value.

Do you have any loads before the inverter it is everything in the inverter?

 

[maxxis]

You will need to enable the timer and then set the battery SOC limit that it will stop using the battery and different times.

When load shedding is announced then I just increase the SOC value.

Do you have any loads before the inverter it is everything in the inverter?

Geyser is the only thing that is non-essential

Is the timer the standard practice the if you want to use as little grid as possible?

 

[Sayf777]

Geyser is the only thing that is non-essential

Is the timer the standard practice the if you want to use as little grid as possible?

Check the next few days what's your base load (I.e. when you sleeping).

Tick priority load, enable timer. 9-17:00 should be 100%

5pm-9pm at 70%, 9pm-1am- 50%, 1am-9am- both at 20% and check your usage over the next few days.

If there's load shedding you'll need to play with the timer

 

[AchmatK]

Geyser is the only thing that is non-essential

Is the timer the standard practice the if you want to use as little grid as possible?

Yes. If you want to use at little grid as possible, otherwise its just a glorified ups.

Remove the tick from limit to load if you want excess solar to run your geyser during the day or from batteries at night.

I have a Geyserwise on my geyser so when load shedding is announced I simply change the times to not have the geyser come on at night.

Depending on your battery you could set the SOC down to 10% and increase or to 50% to 70% if you are expecting load shedding and not sure if the batteries will last you during these sessions at night.

 

[maxxis]

Thanks all. Will look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.

For now im just worried about the two batteries sitting at 99% and still drawing 130w to 150w.

By now I would have wanted to be on the batteries.

 

[Mzezman]

Geyser is the only thing that is non-essential

Is the timer the standard practice the if you want to use as little grid as possible?

Definitely monitor your usage (especially base) so that you know what's a safe % to set the SOC.

With my 1 4.8kWh battery I can go from 11pm to morning on the battery alone and be left with 30%. With your 2 hubbles you should be good to not use eskom for more than that

It'll take a few days to find your routine

 

[Mzezman]

Thanks all. Will look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.

For now im just worried about the two batteries sitting at 99% and still drawing 130w to 150w.

By now I would have wanted to be on the batteries.

Is it the house drawing 130-150w?

 

[maxxis]

Is it the house drawing 130-150w?

650w total draw from the grid. House using maybe 450 to 500w.

Why would the batteries charge to 100% each but now stuck on 99% when connected together

 

[maxxis]

 

[Mzezman]

650w total draw from the grid. House using maybe 450 to 500w.

Why would the batteries charge to 100% each but now stuck on 99% when connected together

There is some inverter draw in that 150-200... but not sure about the 99%... maybe that's a Hubble oddity? @SnYpEr any thoughts

Here's mine for comparison

 

[maxxis]

Maybe it is just the first charge that is causing it.

Will keep an eye on it.

 

[maxxis]

This is an interesting one. I set the following start exporting to the grid again for a bit.

It immediately started exporting from my batteries at 5kwh flat. That cant be right.

What would the correct config be to export excess solar once the batteries are charged? I’ve now setup my timer as per the settings recommended above.

 

[AchmatK]

This is an interesting one. I set the following start exporting to the grid again for a bit.

It immediately started exporting from my batteries at 5kwh flat. That cant be right.

What would the correct config be to export excess solar once the batteries are charged? I’ve now setup my timer as per the settings recommended above.

View attachment 1211192

Tick zero export and unticked the other tray

 

[AchmatK]

Also what meter do you have?

 

[maxxis]

Also what meter do you have?

Old English wheel.

Ticking zero export turns the export to grid off right? Regardless of “Solar Export” being ticked.

 

[AchmatK]

Old English wheel.

Ticking zero export turns the export to grid off right? Regardless of “Solar Export” being ticked.

So I have the same meter.

I have zero export ticked and solar export ticked.

Limit to load is unticked.

What this does is that if the batteries are full it will export excess solar to the grid and your meter will spin backwards.