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Must be on the UPS side of the software in general then. I hope they do fix it in a firmware update. I am sure there are lots of people that can't run panels and just needs to use the system as a load shedding UPS.

The installer told me the issues I was experiencing was specific to the 8kw Sunsynk and the Ecco batteries when using it in UPS mode (no panels). They have notified Sunsynk about the issue and it should be addressed in a future update. I have since installed panels and the batteries are behaving as expected now.

Thanks for all the information @system32, it is appreciated. Would setting up the System1 page as described not have the exact same behavior that I have now? Batteries charges to 99%, power comes from the grid, batteries get used during load shedding. Or does the Use Timer do something different that I might not be aware of? 3kW charging still leaves me with enough capacity. Usually charging is complete within an hour as I'm not dipping that low. The installer also said that if you start using more than 5kw it will reduce the charging current because Priority Load is selected. I'm not to sure about the N/E relay. What is the effect of enabling it if I don't have an external N/E relay? What is the purpose of this mode?

Hi @system32, as requested:

I had a Sunsynk 8kW inverter and 4x Ecco 5kWh LFP batteries installed last week. The system is currently used as a battery backup only with panels being added early next year. I have some concerns with the SoC on the system and just want to find out what is normal and how to go about debugging what is not. Day 1 the SoC got up to 100% and then bounced around between 100% and 99% for a bit. Once load shedding kicked in the SoC went to 99% for a bit and gradually dropped as expected. Day 2, 3 and 4 was much of the same apart from the SoC only touching 100% for an instant after charging and then staying at 99% flat. Day 5 it would almost immediately drop from 99% to 97% at the start of load shedding. Day 6 saw that go from 99% to 96%. Day 7 was 99% to 95%. Day 8 is now 99% to 94% but also charging back up to 98% for quite a while before going to 99%. The LiBms screen on the inverter does show stats (and no alarms) so the comms is working fine. On the LiBms screen it shows a Battery charge voltage of 56.0V and Battery voltage of 55.88V at 99% SoC (SoH at 100%). The Batt charge screen under Battery Setup had the following values: Float V 55.2V, Absorption V 57.6V and Equalization V 57.6V I changed those values to Float V 54.0V, Absorption V 56.0V and Equalization V 56.0V but that does not seem to make a difference (I suspect the BMS overrides it). Once the SoC gets to 99% the battery is constantly drawing a small bit of power, between 7W and 22W) and the battery voltage is fluctuating between 55.88V and 55.90V. I had a look at the BMS on the battery itself and I am seeing some OVP entries which makes me think the inverter is trying to charge the voltage too high. A couple of questions from my side: 1) Is the SoC behavior expected/normal? (still balancing out over the first couple of cycles?) 2) Is it normal for the SoC to not go up to 100%? (again, maybe related to the first couple of cycles?) 3) Should I be changing the Batt charge settings? 4) Is it normal for the battery to draw a small bit of power when full (or 99%)? (or is it trying to charge it up further than it can considering the OVP records?) 5) What is the best way for me to confirm that everything is in order? (I'm sure I'm gonna have a harder time with the installer a month from now if there are actually issues.) Any assistance or information would be greatly appreciated.

Doing that requires more rows and leaves less space between the panels. I have a couple of installers coming to do more site visits this week. I'm yet to get a definitive answer here. I think my safest bet is just to build a frame that has no spacing and have the panels stacked on top of each other. That way self-shading is a non-issue.

Thank you @mzezman. I was actually able to find a link @Speedster posted as a result of this: https://www.jinyi-solar.com/Solar_Basics/solar-collector-spacing-calculator.html If I am using the calculator correctly, I should be able to fit 2 rows of 6 panels. At 2384mm for the longest panel I am looking at (660W) it seems I need a distance of 1215mm between the panels at my location which I should be able to do with the 6m space that I have.

Hi, I need to plan my solar panel layout on my garage (flat surface). The usable area is about 8m x 6m and I am looking to fit 12 x 545W panels (or 12 x 660W panels). These panels are 2261mm x 1134mm (or 2384mm x 1303mm). This means I can either fit the panels in a 6x2 config or 3x4 config. What is the optimal angle for the panels (in Pretoria)? I've read ~26 degrees. Is that correct? How do I determine how much space I need between the rows as to not cast any shadows on the panels? Any advice on how to best plan this would be appreciated.

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it. The King model sounds right for my needs. I think adding the Riot Cloudlink would be the better option for me. Any idea where I can confirm if the Riot will work with this Kodak?

I'm looking for an inverter (without solar) that is to be used for load shedding and power cuts. I want to ensure that my devices (fridge, TVs, computers, consoles) stay on and don't get damaged. The Kodak King with UPS states the following: "Kodak's King Off-Grid inverter is perfect for areas where grid electricity is less stable because it produces smooth 230V AC at all times, whether the grid is available or not. This is great for efficient running of appliances, but crucial for an uninterrupted supply for important loads such as servers or ATMs. Robust UPS (uninterrupted power supply) for essential loads with zero transfer time" Is this UPS and zero transfer time unique to Kodak and/or this model? Will this inverter work with Hubble Lithium AM-2 batteries?

Would this be a good kit to buy? https://solaradvice.co.za/product/growatt-es-5kw-fusion-4-8kwh-lithium-ion-load-shedding-kit/ Is SolarAdvice a good place to buy from? Will the Growatt ES be right for my needs? Is Dyness a good battery option? I have no idea what I'm doing so I'd rather ask before wasting my money.

An electrician came around to have a look at my db board setup. Looks like I will have to have another db board installed as I can't have essential and non-essential in the same box. I should get a plan/drawing back from him in a couple of days that I can present to the owner to see if I can get approval for the install. I'm hoping I can ask for some advice or information regarding the rest of the components here... I figure a 5kw inverter would be more than enough for my needs. My first question is what is the difference between say a R10k Growatt inverter vs a R20k Sunsynk inverter vs a R30k Victron inverter if they are all 48V 5kw? I'm not really sure what features or specifications to look at when comparing inverters so I would really appreciate some pointers here. The second questions is similar but for the batteries. What are the differences between something like Freedom Lite, Hubble and Pylontech? Any specific reason for me to go for one over the other? I'm leaning towards building something with a 5kwh Hubble (AM2 I think?). Perhaps start with 1 battery and add a 2nd one if necessary.

Thanks for the heads up. Will definitely try to avoid this. The idea at this stage is to split my db board into essential and non-essential (geyser and stove). Then have a switch which can toggle the essential portion between the grid and the inverter (so that I can just switch it to grid when I remove the inverter if I leave). So I should be able to run everything on the plugs as normal without issues (I hope). I have someone that is going to help me with the install but he is not certified so I'm trying to get hold of someone that can confirm whether the install plan is correct (certifiable) and will be able to inspect and provide a CoC once the install is done.

Thanks for the feedback. Good to hear that these type of solutions are indeed possible.

Thanks. I would not mind seeing more detail on this setup.

Thanks for sharing. That looks quite nice. Do you mind sharing the components and costs on that?

Thanks for the feedback. We had someone over today to look at the db board and draw up a plan to present to the owner. Once/If he approves the plans then we can look at what gear we need to get for the system.

Or would something like this be a better way to get started: https://www.solar-shop.co.za/backup-power-kits/558-sunsynk-5kw-inverter-hubble-li-ion-5kwh-package-solar-ready.html?search_query=hubble&results=7 Then I can just add another 5kWh batter if/when necessary?

Thank you kindly for the detailed feedback @Shadders. I really do appreciate it. The Mecer unit does seem like an easy plug and play option. My only 2 concerns with it are the capacity and the noise. I suspect any solution that I install in the living room is going to have a noise factor to consider. I definitely would like to get some kind of lithium battery setup instead if possible. My budget and my requirements might be changing as I've just come off 6 hours without power. I might have to look at a more complete solution. What I'm planning to do is speak to the owner about getting the DB board prepped for an inverter solution. Hopefully I can then just get a inverter and battery setup hooked up to that and remove it if/when I have to move to a different property. (Is this a sensible solution?) The BD board is in the garage btw, so this will also help with moving the noise out of the living/working areas. If I go that route, would something like this be a reasonable kit? https://www.solarwaysuppliers.co.za/product/5kw-sunfree-10-lite-back-up-pack/ I've heard good things about the Freedom batteries. Not sure about Sunfree though?

Would a system like this be easily convertible into a portable type of system and would it be appropriate for a living room setup? https://www.solarwaysuppliers.co.za/product/3kw-growatt-hi-power-lite-back-up-pack/

I'm looking for a battery backup solution but it needs to be portable because I am renting. I need it for 2 TVs, 2 consoles and a soundbar. The setup peaks at about 770W. Usually it draws around 270W to 550W. I would like to get through load shedding slots (2.5h) with this but the area also has unstable power delivery. Power cuts out for 5-10min from time to time. (Once or twice a week maybe). The obvious starting point for me was looking at something like this: https://www.geewiz.co.za/long-run-ups-inverter-battery/5373-mecer-2400va-inverter-2x-100ah-batteries-8-hour-battery-life-kit-1440w.html Mecer 1440W + 2x 100Ah trolley Napkin math says I can get around 1.7h at 600W to 50% discharge. I suspect that I could add 2 extra 100Ah batteries to the setup but I'm not sure how the charging circuit would cope with that. Given a budget of around R20k, what other options should I be considering for my requirements?