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Keith

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Everything posted by Keith

  1. Good day Plonkster. So yesterday pm i disconnected the smart meter modbus. Got the Fronius comms cable and ccgx direct onto the router. i have had a look at the last 12 hours vrm output. Still a few PV errors but they don't seem to affect the charging. They are momentary, maybe a timeout? The reason why the load seems to fall away when the error is there is because the output power is the sum of the number ccgx gets from the fronius plus what the multi is measuring on the output. so if the ccgx get nothing from the fronius (error probably i asked but got no response?) then it logs an error and the measured load. Charging continues, fronius is happily generating, but for some strange reason did not respond, time out maybe? So i think possibly a few things. initially the fronius firmware update i installed when i did zero feed in set up messed with the wifi strength, so i got bad comms. Fronius is on the edge of my router range. Then i reinstalled the smart meter to try something different. This worked ok. But i had already ordered an ethernet cable and at the same time Fronius had a new firmware to fix the wifi strength. Seems if one leaves the Smart meter in and modbus connected to the Fronius (monitoring only) it might clash with the CCGX tcp modbus communication (well, i have a LOT less errors and they don't seem to be affecting the operation). So my understanding on VRM logging is that irrespective of the log interval it will still log every change of state. Thus in the log you had yesterday the log lines are not 30 minutes apart. Thanks for all your responses. Think a whole lot of issues combined, but seems to be running nicely now.
  2. maybe it only looks bad on the VRM trends. I took a look earlier. Monday is wash day so not much spare PV. Still there was a few control points. I exported some out of VRM. I note that every so often there is an error, without a reason code. normally at night i would get the code in that field. Should not be as i have a cable in for the comms. Wondering how i can track this. PV pumps all the time it is not disconnecting, and as far as i know the Fronius is always present on the ccgx, don't see it disappearing as was the case when i was on wifi and fronius missed with the wifi power. Attached PDF output of VRM 17Perth_20190819-1000_to_20190819-1507 1.pdf
  3. However, in the case where these are sitting on the grid, the frequency can not be changed by the multi. Only if it disconnects off the grid and runs on inverter can it dictate the frequency. Thus they are not using frequency in the case of fronius to do pv reduction. if one selects the fronius inverter on the ccgx devices. In the table below L1, 2, 3. There is a value of inverter limit. In my case when it is not limited it is 4000w it seems this is sent to the fronius as a set point. Ccgx then changes this number down to whatever new set point below 4000 is needed. Then as matters settle the number gradually climbs back up, slowly. This must be sent to fronius by modbus tcp. It is also recorded in the last column of the vrm data download. I find the multi very sluggish to increase charge power, it seems the first priority is to reduce the fronius power. I have asked victron but that community site is most unresponsive. And i am not the only one who sees the pv limit operating in stead of increasing charge power.
  4. Thanks. No problem setting up the fronius. Just below the fronius zero feed switch is a no if things are not right in the settings but mine is yes. So ill check on how well it is controlling. i was also concerned with the frequency in ess start at 50.2 hz and i have been seeing eskom drifting up to 50.36 hz on vrm. But in the documents it has start at 51 hz. So i went in earlier to change that. Confusing documents. 1. Says no need to change the frequency. Next point 2. Says change it and gives a table for 50 and 60 hz . Note that it is not necessary to change the default settings in the Assistant. Complete the rest of the Assistant and write the new settings to the MultiPlus or Quattro. Table for settings for 50Hz and 60Hz frequency State 50Hz 60Hz . Start 51.0 60.2 Hz Minimum 52.7 62.7 Hz Disconnect 53.0 63.0 Hz More information on adding Assistants is here.
  5. Thanks. No problem setting up the fronius. Just below the fronius zero feed switch is a no if things are not right in the settings but mine is yes. So ill check on how well it is controlling. i was also concerned with the frequency in ess start at 50.2 hz and i have been seeing eskom drifting up to 50.36 hz on vrm. But in the documents it has start at 51 hz. So i went in earlier to change that. Confusing documents. 1. Says no need to change the frequency. Next point 2. Says change it and gives a table for 50 and 60 hz . Note that it is not necessary to change the default settings in the Assistant. Complete the rest of the Assistant and write the new settings to the MultiPlus or Quattro. Table for settings for 50Hz and 60Hz frequency State 50Hz 60Hz . Start 51.0 60.2 Hz Minimum 52.7 62.7 Hz Disconnect 53.0 63.0 Hz More information on adding Assistants is here.
  6. Hi I pulled in an ethernet cable for the comms between Fronius and my router. Also assigned to ccgx/multi to do the control/charge. a comment i got from one installer where i got my Multi from said the control is bad because 1. that comms to the battery must be good else ess dont work well. (My system has Li-ion and the bms not supported. So the Multi is the charge controller. Is this a problem? and would a BMS 700 make matters better? Victron ESS says if the multi is the only charger i dont need a BMS) 2. I dont have DC MPPT on my system. (Well that would add an additional pv source and add another thing to control... So i am not entirely convinced that it is not handling things well because i lack a MPPT on DC side.) All loads are on AC out 1 and 2 so i dont need a victron power meter. the Multi does this measurement. however, would a meter improve the control?
  7. So i set grid down yesterday to 250 W. Primo still on 0 W. last night no grid charging. and earlier on the system started charging. had a look at the PV graph on VRM portal. di do a little pull back at about 1148, that's ok. tried a little lower than 250W but then it is a bit close so i think for now i will leave it at 250W and watch it. Much better results. i am going to add a MPPT 250/60 with 8x330 Wp panels on the DC side and doubling the battery capacity, now 200 Ah. plus at some later stage i can add PV on MPPT2 of the Primo, in a different direction to extend the noon harvest into late afternoon. getting there, slowly, bit by bit. first screen shot is today smart meter/Primo control. second screen shot is ccgx/multiplus effort.
  8. This seems to be profound! currently i have the Multi grid set at say 250 W. On my Primo i have it set at 0 W. So my logic is saying that the PV is trying to neutralize the 250W by pushing harder. correct?
  9. Thanks. makes some sense. however, if the multi is in a battery mode "with life" there is only a few hundred W charge. As soon as i change that to "Without life" then the charge goes up, in an observed instance from 900 W to 1.3 kW. it might have been better to have access to that 70 W (although it could be some proportional value? who knows?) to eliminate effects of fluctuating load. the Multi is particularly fast in cutting the Fronius output if a load is switched off. for example an Iron switching on/off often as the thermostat operates. then the PV limit shown on the Fronius device page starts stepping up little by little. In the control mode i have now i have a grid setpoint quite high 500 W. i had tried higher values when the ccgx was in control but that did not seem to help. if the grid is below the 500 at night then there is nothing that now tries to meet the 500, it just draws whatever the load is. Ill watch it a few days and see what the graphs say. previously the PV on VRM looked like a rugged tooth shark got hold of it....:)
  10. Both with and without battery life unnecessarily limits my pv. Without life has less limiting. So i am not sure why in my case it is not operating right. assume you have fronius zero feed-in on ccgx or venus? yesterday i had zero feed-in with the smart meter control and good charging. with ccgx in control up to 3% feed-in and poor charging.
  11. I had to implement the Fronius Zero feed-in on my CCGX/Multiplus because the Grid meter was changed to an electronic meter. i have all my load on the Multi put 1 and 2. Fronius is on Output 1. Zero Feed-in works but is limiting the PV while there is plenty of charging to be done. setting ESS to without Battery life increases charge but still have PV limiting especially with fluctuating load. The charge limit is not holding it. if i switch to keep batteries charged then i get better charging but then grid draw goes up... so this is not working for me... I notice also that CCGX will drastically reduce PV output, very quickly, and then it takes its time to bring it back, bit by bit... I have now switched Zero Feed-in on CCGX off. Re-installed my smart meter onto the Primo. My logic is that the Multi must get on with it function of charging etc. When the multiplus starts exporting the smart meter will pick it up and pull back PV. At least i am hoping that this direct control will be quicker than the sluggish Multiplus/CCGX. Should this set up work? Anything else i could have done to the "official" way of linking Victron to Fronius to make it work better? Any settings that i need to pay attention to for it to work well, either with the smart meter, or CCGX way? i know they cant work together and i gather that Victron say it cant work any other way?
  12. When the batteries are running high amps the relays still chatter away. I would think it is some sort of dynamic cell balancing. Now added inverter limit on the multi to have a controlled maximum discharge rate. Battery and battery voltage is much happier, plus one should get closer to specification out of it.
  13. No the batteries are not communicating with each other. They wired up according to the manual, but run light sill blinking. Anyway I am not too concerned about it. They now just got to get on with it, and are doing just that. am a bit worried that the multi is not pushing the charge but rather throttles the fronius when I have excess solar. I would have thought the multi should push 40 Amps, SOC was 96%. Taken them off battery life so I can push the soc boundary to see what they capable of. actually I would not mind adding 2 to my rack.... and putting in some MPPT charge support on 8 x 330 Wp panels. Next bonus payout
  14. The spacing of multiple ESM is 5 U per battery, which is about 225 mm. This file will be useful for those with this model battery. Esm 48100a1 esm-48100a1 user manual.pdf
  15. Changed orientation of the batteries to manufacturers specs.....
  16. From the album: Keith’ Gallery

    Huawei batteries now mounted in a rack.
  17. I did not think there would be any difference. But if Huawei say don’t stand them up, then best to put them in a rack. I made one out of 40 mm angle, took one length of 6 m an cost me R96 so why not.... when they stood on the floor if the discharge was in the order of 45 A each it sounded like lots of relays chattering away. I’ll see if it does the same in the rack when I catch it up at 90 A. It may just be that the relays have an up side?
  18. The battery spec is Float at 51 V I have 2 of these batteries on a victron Multiplus.
  19. Found another sticker on one of my batteries. Had a different model, Huawei, esm 48100A1 has very similar specs but you can download installation manual, which I found very useful. No need to connect the can bus to the CCGX. I figured out all the ess voltages from the manual and it is now working very well. i have a fronius on ac out and zero feed in working also.
  20. Oh I have sub sequent to the picture made a rack for the batteries and mounted then horizontal as they should be.
  21. I re did all the ess voltage settings to match the Huawei manual. Now I have it working very well and my calculation of Wh out of the battery and change in soc match. So far so good, don’t need the CAN bus to work the multi and CCGX is doing it well enough.
  22. Early days but rather disappointing that the bms is not compatible with the victron although both are CAN. I got them half price so that should have been a warning signal. The Solar Warehouse, say no more?! Problem if you on pension and finances don’t stretch to pylon or b box... battled to get information as they were sold as Li-ion Tech battery lit 48120B but they actually ESM 48100A1 from Huawei. So i could get more information. But that don’t help, they don’t even communicate on their own bus to each other. i am using the multi built in bms, when finances are settled i might add a bmv 702. Or try using the digital outputs on the battery into the 2 contact assistant bms in the ess.
  23. I started research into solar 2 years ago. Choose to go with a Fronius Primo 4.1. Great that it has 2 mppt and 1000 V DC. Commissioned 1 Jan 2018. Have 15 renewsys 315 Wp on MPPT1. just added a Victron Multi, ccgx and li-ion batteries to the system so that i can more fully utilize excess solar.
  24. Keith

    img_4178.jpg

    From the album: Keith’ Gallery

    © Keith Arnold

  25. Keith

    img_4176.jpg

    From the album: Keith’ Gallery

    © Keith Arnold

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