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Graphing "grid watts" with clusters


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This comes from a discussion started in another thread, where the "Grid Watts" reading on the ICC dashboard graph is misleading when inverters are in utility (bypass) mode, but also have PV array input charging batteries. In these circumstances it looks from the graph like all power is being drawn from the grid - which can be alarming/confusing.

Perhaps the "Grid Watts" value needs a name change then because it is not really ALL grid watts when the inverters are in utility bypass and the PV array is charging the batteries. This could be alarming because the user may think they have configured the inverters to charge the batteries from the grid whenever the inverter is in bypass mode. That is certainly what it looks like in this graph and I went down to the basement to check that setting when I say this.

Basically, when the Axperts are on utility the "Grid Watts" shows "Total Watts" (grid watts + pv array watts), which are not necessarily all grid watts. But then when the Axperts are in solar/battery mode the "Grid Watts" on the graph is a true grid watts reading (but in this case it is always 0 so that doesn't help). Only when the Axperts are on utility and there is no PV array input is that "Grid Watts" line an accurate representation of what is really happening. For users with 500+ Ah battery banks it could be alarming to suddenly think that they are charging them from the grid - that's what it looks like on the graph.

Suggestions for improving this?

 

ICCgridwattserror3.PNG

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Please attach a screen shot from the pi and not MQTT as it only reads values from the pi. If the pi is wrong MQTT WILL BE WRONG

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

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If i look at the chart. Yes that is wrong because there it calcs pv together with grid. If the app cant see in wich inverter mode you are all calcs will be wrong.

Also which version are youn running and what type of inverters namly the inverter name

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

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19 minutes ago, Manie said:

If i look at the chart. Yes that is wrong because there it calcs pv together with grid. If the app cant see in wich inverter mode you are all calcs will be wrong.

Also which version are youn running and what type of inverters namly the inverter name

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 

The app is reading the inverter mode correctly. These are Axpert 5KvA. Have changed the image above to show the graph on ICC.

ICCgridwattserror3.PNG

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I will have a look at it. There must be an error in the code.

Does others also have the same error

Thanks for pointing that out. Will have a look at it tonight

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

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Just to clarify for others who may report on this, the Axpert MKS-1-5KvA has four modes for power input source priorities, which are configured in the settings on the inverter. I have mine set to "SBU", which means that the inverter will never allow a battery bank to be charged from grid power, only from PV array power. However, if you have your inverter configured in another mode, it may allow grid power to charge your battery bank. If this is the case then the graph shown in this thread may not necessarily be incorrect. In my case it is incorrect because it should not show grid power as contributing to battery charging watts. Just make sure you know which mode your inverter is in before you try to diagnose this.

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5 hours ago, Manie said:

I will have a look at it. There must be an error in the code.

Does others also have the same error

Thanks for pointing that out. Will have a look at it tonight

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 

ICCutisbu.png

Cluster:  3 Axpert 5kva (2014) + 1MPPSolar 4Kw (2016)   

At 14:00  Cluster was changed manually from Uti to SBU mode.

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1 hour ago, Tejota said:

 

Cluster:  3 Axpert 5kva (2014) + 1MPPSolar 4Kw (2016)   

At 14:00  Cluster was changed manually from Uti to SBU mode.

Looks identical to what was happening with my very similar installation.

What's more ICC on the pi froze again today. Pi was fine but ICC stopped sending data and became unresponsive with a blank interface. I have unplugged it and reverted to my old AICC for Windows for the moment.

Maybe this misreading of grid watts error and the freezing are related if there is an error in the code?

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36 minutes ago, incagarcilaso said:

Looks identical to what was happening with my very similar installation.

What's more ICC on the pi froze again today. Pi was fine but ICC stopped sending data and became unresponsive with a blank interface. I have unplugged it and reverted to my old AICC for Windows for the moment.

Maybe this misreading of grid watts error and the freezing are related if there is an error in the code?

What's really confusing is that you said the app freez. Here is my app Running hours. 

But its fine its your choise !!. You know a bad power supply can also have a problem / USb cable etc. 

I will continue writing the app for myself and use it. 

pi runtime.png

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I have send you a mail to test the app, which fixed the problem. I did try and fixed the Issue @Don had when he charge the batteries from grid and does not add to grid watts.

But it seems you rather want to post negatively here rather than sending me a mail or a PM.

You can keep using AICC , there is also a thread for it.

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14 minutes ago, Manie said:

I have send you a mail to test the app, which fixed the problem. I did try and fixed the Issue @Don had when he charge the batteries from grid and does not add to grid watts.

But it seems you rather want to post negatively here rather than sending me a mail or a PM.

You can keep using AICC , there is also a thread for it.

Oh, @Manie, no not at all. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound negative. I think ICC is a great app and want to get it into operation. When I said that I had swapped back to AICC today it was just to let you know that I couldn't continue to report on what was happening with ICC. I didn't realise you were going to be able to diagnose and fix the issue so quickly so I didn't want to lose monitoring and feeding into PVOutput.org. I want to get ICC on the Pi back into operation.

You could be right about the freeze - maybe it was caused by a loose power cable or bad USB connection. I only mentioned it to help diagnose this issue as I wondered if it was related. I'll look for your email now.

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47 minutes ago, Manie said:

What's really confusing is that you said the app freez. Here is my app Running hours. 

 

Yes, my ICC had been running for more than 200 hours before this freeze. I'm sure it was caused by a power issue to the Pi or a loose USB cable, but just mentioned it in case it was related to the "grid watts" read error.

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9 hours ago, Manie said:

But anyway I will ask @Don to test for me 

Manie, you know I am prepared to test anytime. I send you screen shots of things that are not right. At the same time I make suggestions to add things or move things around. You fix them and send me the new file and I test again. That is the way we have been doing it, until we get to a stage where there is nothing left to fix or to change. 

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"Here is the mail i send you at 18:30. But anyway I will ask @Don to test for me."

Fine @Manie as @Don also has Axperts. I wasn't at my computer when you sent me the e-mail yesterday but would happily have tested.

At any rate I can report back on the effects of the fix on my system, since no two are the same. Not sure exactly what @Don has in his installation but we may be getting slightly different results because of older or newer models or different firmware versions. For that reason I'm happy to test here also if that helps. I'll check the firmware version on my Axperts as well since that could help with diagnosis of any issues.

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4 minutes ago, incagarcilaso said:

we may be getting slightly different results because of older or newer models or different firmware versions

No, firmware changes for instance how long the MPPT will do bulk charging etc. Firmware has nothing to do with values. A 1000 watts or 50 volts is what it is. Firmware does not change values. 

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Just now, Don said:

No, firmware changes for instance how long the MPPT will do bulk charging etc. Firmware has nothing to do with values. A 1000 watts or 50 volts is what it is. Firmware does not change values. 

Was not thinking of it changing values but how ICC on pi might behave with different firmware versions.

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1 minute ago, Don said:

It will behave the same. You tell it get that value, it will get that value, whether you have a Pi 2 or a Pi 3.  

But the ICC coding has to be written around Axpert firmware coding, surely? If there are only slight differences in the firmware coding it could produce different results, I thought.

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