johanp

Quick update. So I've had zero issues with the Mecer 200AH + RCT Axpert 1kw combo, and only managed to run it down once recently when I accidentally bumped the power plug out of its socket without noticing.
Upgrading to a fully installed Deye system now, but I can HIGHLY recommend this for running TV and other electronics, I even had a fridge/freezer connected to it.
 
The only caveat is that it's VERY noisy, so it needs to be installed in a garage or far away from people.
 

Quick update: I got a delivery of another batch of SmartDeyeDongles. All the installed dongles are working really well. Had 0 failures and they operate without a single CRC error. One customer swapped the M/C(microcontroller) around which fried the M/C board but we managed to replace the M/C and it has been plain sailing ever since. Also had some great successes with one customer saving more than the cost of his SmartDeyeDongle in the first month.
 
The latest firmware version supports an upgrade function which will give you access to the latest firmware upgrade going forward. Existing customers can contact me to get this upgrade flashed. 
My website also supports web-flashing (to enable overseas clients to flash their own circuits).
I am also close to release a Split-Phase and 3Phase version of the firmware.
 
If you have a 3Phase 12kW Deye/Sunsynk and would like to be an early tester, please contact me and together we can test and optimise your house. 
 

Just a quick update - great service from Romtech. Battery arrived today via Courier Guy. 
 
Also, there are 2x 2050mm cables in the box, as well as the short ones. 👍🏼

Just adding Solar Assistant <> HomeAssistant integration allows this as well (through mqtt)

Hi @Richyrich
The integrations which enable you to change the inverter settings are (as far as I am aware):
- ESP32 & RS485
- USB - RS485 using the KellerZa integration
- @iiznh 's ESP32 & RS485 with custom firmware 
At the moment you can't write settings with the Sunsynk or Solarman integrations out the box but I think you can do it with the Sunsynk integration using the extra NodeRed flow. 
 
 

@Richyrich Yes both are available. It did put considerable effort towards getting all the available values on the inverter (reverse engineering what I could), wrote several workarounds for the bugs in the framework so it would work. There are something in the 140 entities (granted some are for the american split-phase setup and not useful to us in SA) I provided my workarounds to the opensource community to help them overcome some limitations. 

My thinking was that I could save someone a couple of weeks of their time it must be worth something to them. Build the hardware, test it, polish the software so the whole experience is a smooth 10 minute setup.
But some people want to build their own dongle, that is cool too
Thank you @johanp for answering. I see you are enjoying the dongle you bought.
You can toggle grid charge and specify the Amps that the grid must charge. You could easily change these via automations if you need different profiles for different days
The time of use menu allows you to change the time (formatted as a time) power, SOC, and the charge settings you can get the exact same values than the time of use menu on the inverter. You could add an automation that changes your time of use for each day of the week, (eg my weekend usage is different than the week)

First. 

Second:

Hi
That’s very possible with this:
 

 
and Home Assistant. 

Just a quick update - great service from Romtech. Battery arrived today via Courier Guy. 
 
Also, there are 2x 2050mm cables in the box, as well as the short ones. 👍🏼

Update: hi All, so, after a struggle I managed to get my battery repaired under warranty, and it was made known to me that I was given grace….
the bms was faulty, and they replaced the bms

Awesome, I've sent you a message via Carbonite.

Just a note that the battery cables might not have the Lugs at the ends - you MIGHT have to install those

Found the user manual PDF which answered my question. 👍

I would happily leave it at 20A - that's only 0.1C for a 200ah battery. I intend to charge mine at 50A or 0.25C. Most lithium recommendations I've seen are around 0.5C max for continuous and 1C max intermittent. 
I generally like having the inverter DC low cut off higher than the battery BMS. This way the inverter cuts on it's own terms rather than there being a chance the BMS might cut first. This is unlikely though as there is almost always some voltage drop across the cables from battery to inverter, so the inverter tends to read lower. Raising this value will reduce your total capacity but increase the life of your battery.

Do you have CAN working on your bms? I’d be very surprised- but good luck with it.
It’s very tricky to get CAN working properly- as mentioned before if your bms has it- unfortunately doesn’t mean it is programmed and talking to an inverter- you do need the software and all programmable parameters of your cells (there are almost 100 programmable paramaters on some Of the bms models!)
They are notoriously easy to blow- and please please be careful- you are working with high currents - lethal. If you dont have experience or are qualified in electricity- you are playing with dangerous things. 
 
last bit of advice is for 300+ amp bank and single inverter you need the correct inline fuses - probably 400 amps- and at least 50MM battery cables- these are expensive. Thats part of the reason the 3 - 5kW lithium batteries are usually built as 100A- you can then use 35mm cables and 160A fuses- which are very common and affordable. Large high current banks are not recommended for home use- rather parallel smaller amp banks..
 

So this is now exactly my plan. I'm going to combine 4 of these into one big box with my 8-16S, 320A Smart BMS that I currently run. The layout works nicely in that I can put them all side by side and have easy connections using the existing cables and even use the current cell monitoring cables adapted into the BMS. Will be quite a big, heavy box though, so might have to rethink that once I've got them all together.
Will definitely post some pictures of it once I'm done!

From my limited understanding this is is a 4s BMS @ 12v 200amp ?
Technically it should be possible to replace the BMS with a 16s BMS @ 48v 200amp which offers canbus, 485,  monitoring etc. (daly or equivalent), it would also be possible to keep the pouch cells in their existing plastic "containers" effectively building a 9.6/10 kw battery. Alternatively one could just replace the 4s BMS with a parallel capable bms or one which provides canbus.
 
 
 

Unfortunately not:(
cant find much detail on that device, but have a feeling it’s a RS485-serial/usb converter. So might “talk” to your axpert, but the intelligence comes from the bms side- and doubt the said bms will have the same level of detail to feed and control the inverter.
There is no quick fix or easy way to fake “can/rs485” comms unfortunately. It is Very complicated to get right- the reason so much money is spent on certification for any specific brand of battery to be compatibly with the different inverter brands. The guys building batteries will tell you the same- it’s months and months of work/coding/testing etc
If you want to future proof- get rid of the axpert, Buy something decent like a 5 or 8kW sunsynk/deye (full hybrid inverter) - and start with a battery like the am-2 hubble or similar..
efficiencies of hybrids vs - lets be honest and call the axperts what they are : “cheap and nasty” - is a long other topic….  Of course this all costs money- but if you look at backup power as a requirement for the next couple of years, rather invest in the correct kit now that will last 5-10years, have 5 & 10 Y guarantees- for  30% more upfront - or go as cheap as you can and in 2 years have to replace it all again…
Whats that saying “goedkoop koop
Is duur koop” - thats why these forums exist I suppose- for free advice from users who's already done it all (a few times)
 
 
 

This is where lithium replacement batteries require more understanding..
without CAN you have to set them correctly- never equalise a lithium battery. So for axpert type inverters without comms, or these batteries without comms just a basic bms, you have to follow the manufacturers specs. There should be a bulk or float or both V value, then perhaps something called absorbtion and also equalisation. Float is max the manufacturer says what is termed as “full” bulk is sometimes a little more. Equal and absorb must be the same, sometimes these could be “bulk”, and any setting around de sulphate/equalise every x days” should be disabled or set to 0.
As an example on a custom 5kW 48V lithium and a sunsynk- the float for the specific battery and it’s bms and amount of cells are: 54V. Absorb and Equal both 57.6V, and days set to 0. 

The axperts name them differently-
and your values will be different- but it’s important to set them correct. 
 
Remember a difference of just 2V on the top For lithium (so 50V vs 52V) is almoat 50% capacity! Same applies to a float of 13.5V might be 100% and 12.5V 40%….
this is why it’s important to understand why an inverter with CAN, and a battery with CAN Is worth it- you loose at least 30% usable capacity without it- something to consider perhaps when a “replacement” costs  only 20% less …
 
 
 
 

Late to the party, not sure if anyone has replied on this. But you should not be using AGM settings for these batteries. AGMs charging and float voltages are way higher than Lithium. I believe the max you should be using is 53.2v float and charge. So it will likely be USE setting.

When this thread started several moons ago who ever thought it would result in such enriching discussions. Thanks to @Igubu @JaseZA @Rooney Hat  @YellowTapemeasure and everyone else that's been contributing so much knowledge, sharing their experience, and providing wisdom.
Together we'll beat the power woes!

That's an old spec sheet, The older Hubble S-100 (with serial # prefixes starting with DS) can be configured in series or parallel, but not both. The newer Hubble S-100 batteries (with serial # prefixes starting with HL) can be configured up to 4 batteries in series with 4 batteries in parallel.
New spec sheet is here: https://www.hubblelithium.co.za/uploads/1/3/5/0/135079623/hubble_lithium_s-100_a4_pamphet_v2.2.pdf

So the only real danger I can see with paralleling with individual BMSes is the chance for measurement inaccuracies between them. So with two batteries in parallel, for example, one could decide that 98A is too much before it shuts down while the other measures slightly higher and shuts down at 100A. When the first shuts down early, suddenly the second sees the full 198A before it shuts down. Maybe the BMS won't like that and cause a failure? Same could go for pack voltage at low cut-off. These are fringe cases but still something a manufacturer has to be prepared for... These are my speculations at least.
The only way Hubble or Vision could get around this is to have very accurate measurements of current/cell voltage or to communicate between BMSes. I'm pretty sure none of them have some secret Comms protocol so it must be the accuracy? Either way, if you're just looking for more capacity then I see no issues in paralleling if you're staying away from low cut off. If you're wanting to parallel to draw more than 100A and closer to 200A then maybe think twice.

From the hubble spec sheet:
prismatic
I cannot say this enough: dont buy a battery based on capacity on paper, with lithium especially- there are many more components that decide if its something that will last or a cheapie… capacity/ volts not everything- you can build 8-cell or 16-cell batteries, both seem “similar” but the latter a lot more actual capacity..
 

Honestly it is worth (for those who
have not purchased yet) buying something like this rather than the slightly cheaper variants- they are also local in Jhb and Ctn - so support is at hand- I have seen some
hubble talk on the forum as well- unsure if they are resellers - I only know of a CT based installer/reseller, perhaps you can buy rrp from the direct (no idea)?
 

The newer versions of the Hubble S-100 can be place in both serial as well as parallel configurations.
"This means that a bank of 16 batteries can be configured at 48V, with a maximum discharge and charge rate of 400A and 200A respectively"
https://powerforum-store.co.za/collections/featured-products/products/hubble-lithium-s-100-12-8v-1-2kwh