G-Man

Hi all I had a 5kw Goodwe inverter with 3 x Pylontech 3000 batteries in Jhb, providing backup for lights, 6 TV's, WiFi and a large fridge/ freezer in a 5 room (+ owners apartment + domestic quarters) guesthouse. That worked really well and the only time we flattened the batteries was if the grid was down for extended periods when substations blew up. I have now relocated to Knysna (heaven on earth) where I have built a house and installed a Sunsynk 8kw with 2 x 5kw batteries and 14 x 540w Enersol panels. Just my wife and I living in the house. I have turned off the grid and managing the loads with timers, and it is all working pretty well, but I feel like the SS batteries drain faster than the Pylontech ones I had in Jhb. This may be unfounded, I haven't done the numbers, but from 98% SOC in the late afternoon when we turn minimal LED lights on, only the double door fridge running and we usually use the microwave for maximum 15 minutes, maybe boil the kettle once (with minimal water), and watch TV for a couple of hours ... the SOC in the morning will be around 50%. I'm also not too impressed with the Enersol panels performance in cloudy conditions, but maybe I need to monitor this more closely. Any thoughts or similar experiences?

Thanks everyone for the input. The quote did not specify a brand but the installer agreed to my terms that JA panels were a condition. The thing about the Enersol being monocrystalline and the JA being mono perc - is that a biggie?

I would value the opinion of you knowledgeable people - I ordered a solar installation which includes 8kW SS inverter, 2 x 5 kWh SS batteries and 14 JA 540 W panels. The panels were delivered and installed today and halfway through the installation I noticed that they are Enersol 540 W panels. In looking online for comparisons, it seems the Enersol are monocrystalline while the JA are mono perc, which is apparently newer, more efficient technology. I don't want to be unnecessarily difficult - Should I accept the Enersol panels or insist on the JA which were agreed to?

Hi there - did you ever get any feedback on these batteries? I have several quotes for my installation and one of them includes Green Deer batteries, which I had not heard of

Item: Pylontech US3000 Battery Brackets - 1 set Age: New/ unused Price: R400 Payment Method Accepted: EFT/ Cash Warranty: N/A Packaging: N/A Condition: New Location: Randpark, Johannesburg Reason: I have a battery cabinet Shipping: Buyer can arrange Collection: In Randpark Link:

Hi Vince - just wondering if you ever sold these or had any interest in them? I have a few myself that I want to get rid of

"simply dump it and go for another make ..." sheesh, are you made of money? I don't think the inverter is a bad make or can't do the job, just need to figure out what's causing this issue. Goodwe's service locally may not be the best, but they are trying to help. The inverter was bought and installed Nov 2018 - I imagine it's out of warranty.

Just an update - the inverter still did not charge batteries from PV when the grid was down. It just provides exactly enough to support the load, but sends nothing to the batteries. If the grid is up, it will take the minimum from the grid whilst supporting the load and charging the batteries.l I am working with Goodwe support who are trying to be helpful. They upgraded the firmware remotely - I didn't think that would help as I have quite recently upgraded the firmware to the latest version ... I was right, it didn't help. They have now "escalated" (are you as tired of that term as I am?) to their team who are supposed to be checking the settings. This issue only becomes a problem when we don't have grid power for more than a day ... which unfortunately does happen with our unstable grid, cable theft and substations blowing up. We have experienced this in our area (Randpark) 3 times in the last 2 years - no grid for between 2 and 4 days. Does anyone else find the options available in PV Master a bit limiting? For example there are times during the day when the load is quite high and at the same time the batteries are charging, requiring substantial draw from the grid. Then a bit later the load is low, batteries are fully charged and there is still hours of sunshine, which could have been charging the batteries.

This is the 2nd time I have typed the following, don't know where the first one went? The grid eventually came back on just after 18:00 last night. A few hours later, still no charge going to batteries - I was very concerned and started imagining dollar signs. I went through the advanced settings again checking that all the settings suggested by everyone were checked - they were. So I again checked the "Battery Activated" and "charge immediately" options (this hadn't helped previously) and hit reset. Hallelujah - started charging slowly ramping up to eventually somewhere around 3300W. Very exciting ... but at the same time concerning. Why would the inverter not charge from the PV during the day when the grid was down? I really want to understand that so I don't have this situation again. Batteries were still charging nicely and up to about 50% when loadshedding kicked in at 22:00. Instead of the inverter/ batteries taking over seamlessly, the inverter must have tripped because there was no supply. Would this have been because there was a big load when the grid supply stopped suddenly? I was half asleep by then so didn't do anything about it. This morning I awoke to load shedding again (I'm sure people from abroad must read this and not believe we live like this), but the backup system was working properly, with the batteries at around 45%. Today all is good and everything working great. I hope Goodwe Support can answer some questions tomorrow ... or Pylontech? Thanks to everyone for all the advice and help, it is much appreciated and I have learnt a lot.

Youda I’ve now tried the self defined battery option. After it resets and boots up again, the inverter provides no power to anything (it does this always, regardless of batteries selected or which mode etc). So I shut the batteries down, then the PV (effectively the inverter), give it 10 mins then turn the inverter back on. Once it has booted up, it provides power to the load. Then I turn the batteries on and a few seconds later there’s no supply from inverter. Everything reads zero.

Yes they are on, I have had to a activate them a few times while trying different settings, by holding down the red button for a couple of secs. The not charging problem started when they were still at 20% soc.

Oh yes of course - those are fine, the batteries were still supplying power even though only at 19% last night.

Actually I haven’t -where is the fuse?

Tried the off grid mode as suggested, still not charging, throttling PV production to suit load, nothing going to batteries, even though bms status still normal. going to try the self define option now

Cables all correct and secure. Youda where do I find lead acid battery - is it the “self define” option?