Hi there,

I have Luxpower SNA5000WPV inverter, and 2x 5.1Kwh CFE lithium ion batteries.

I noticed that the installer has connected them to the inverter without data cables, and on the inverter put them as lead acid batteries.

I have two questions:

1) If I leave them as lead acid, what A do I need to set on the inverter? (50A, 100A, 150A, 200A, 250A)?

2) If I change them to lithium ion on the inverter (which I think would be recommended surely? As they are lithium ion?), I can set it to battery type [6] (see here chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://luxpowertek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Luxpower-compatible-list_20220414.pdf) , which I believe is the setting CFE batteries with Luxpower inverter. In terms of the cables I need, (1 from the slave battery to the master battery, and 1 from the master battery to the inverter) - can anyone please help me with where I can get these? (Setting under 2.3.2. here chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://luxpowertek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SNA5000WPV-UM-210604.pdf for the cable from the battery to the inverter, and here for CFE cable chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.solar-europe.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CFE-5100S-User-Manual.pdf under 4.6 for the cable between the two batteries).

I am based in JHB near Rosebank, and am hoping someone can let me know if this is correct, and if so where I can such cables?

Thanks

 

On 2022/10/16 at 2:59 PM, skipperster said:

Hi there,

I have Luxpower SNA5000WPV inverter, and 2x 5.1Kwh CFE lithium ion batteries.

I noticed that the installer has connected them to the inverter without data cables, and on the inverter put them as lead acid batteries.

I have two questions:

1) If I leave them as lead acid, what A do I need to set on the inverter? (50A, 100A, 150A, 200A, 250A)?

2) If I change them to lithium ion on the inverter (which I think would be recommended surely? As they are lithium ion?), I can set it to battery type [6] (see here chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://luxpowertek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Luxpower-compatible-list_20220414.pdf) , which I believe is the setting CFE batteries with Luxpower inverter. In terms of the cables I need, (1 from the slave battery to the master battery, and 1 from the master battery to the inverter) - can anyone please help me with where I can get these? (Setting under 2.3.2. here chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://luxpowertek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SNA5000WPV-UM-210604.pdf for the cable from the battery to the inverter, and here for CFE cable chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.solar-europe.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CFE-5100S-User-Manual.pdf under 4.6 for the cable between the two batteries).

I am based in JHB near Rosebank, and am hoping someone can let me know if this is correct, and if so where I can such cables?

Thanks

 

Hi, I can help or have you come right already? 

Daryn 

Solar-Me-Now

083 3964260

On 2022/10/16 at 2:59 PM, skipperster said:

Hi there,

I have Luxpower SNA5000WPV inverter, and 2x 5.1Kwh CFE lithium ion batteries.

I noticed that the installer has connected them to the inverter without data cables, and on the inverter put them as lead acid batteries.

I have two questions:

1) If I leave them as lead acid, what A do I need to set on the inverter? (50A, 100A, 150A, 200A, 250A)?

2) If I change them to lithium ion on the inverter (which I think would be recommended surely? As they are lithium ion?), I can set it to battery type [6] (see here chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://luxpowertek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Luxpower-compatible-list_20220414.pdf) , which I believe is the setting CFE batteries with Luxpower inverter. In terms of the cables I need, (1 from the slave battery to the master battery, and 1 from the master battery to the inverter) - can anyone please help me with where I can get these? (Setting under 2.3.2. here chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://luxpowertek.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/SNA5000WPV-UM-210604.pdf for the cable from the battery to the inverter, and here for CFE cable chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.solar-europe.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/CFE-5100S-User-Manual.pdf under 4.6 for the cable between the two batteries).

I am based in JHB near Rosebank, and am hoping someone can let me know if this is correct, and if so where I can such cables?

Thanks

 

 

You will need a standard CAT5 data cable (I had one in the box with the inverter)
Your battery is configured in menu option #3, select Battery Brand "2" (Pylon)

on the battery configure the Dip switches as follows (Row number 2 with a Master and slave):

The documentation is not quite correct... see: 

 

 

 

Hey there,

Thanks yes so I updated my cabling setup, and set the battery code to 2, rather than 6. Although this seems to work, I’m not sure it’s optimal to not be on 6 which is the recommended battery code for CFE on the LuxPowerTek inverter.

To be honest, I’m still not sure I’m getting the most out of my system. The weird thing is when I wake up, it says it’s down at say 10% charged, and charges up till around 55/60% odd, and then jumps to 100%.
 

I had really crumby initial installers, and then the installation was pretty much sorted out by a good electrician. What I’m not sure of now, is whether the settings and system are optimized.

Open to suggestions 

13 hours ago, skipperster said:

Thanks yes so I updated my cabling setup, and set the battery code to 2, rather than 6. Although this seems to work, I’m not sure it’s optimal to not be on 6 which is the recommended battery code for CFE on the LuxPowerTek inverter.

Why aren't you using code 6, does it give a communication error on the inverter? Code 2 is for the pylontech protocol which is also lithium, this should be querying the bms for charge voltages etc. just the same as code 6, but code 6 will use a different protocol. If code 6 gives a communication error and code 2 doesn't then I would think code 2 is the correct one to use.

13 hours ago, skipperster said:

To be honest, I’m still not sure I’m getting the most out of my system. The weird thing is when I wake up, it says it’s down at say 10% charged, and charges up till around 55/60% odd, and then jumps to 100%.

This does seem strange, either there is a comms issue with the battery and the inverter is guessing the SOC from the voltage or there is a problem with the battery itself, either a bad cell(s) or incorrect SOC calibration due to incorrect charging. Do the SOC readings on the inverter match the SOC lights on the battery when it does this?

What are your charge voltages on the inverter for bulk and float? These 'should' be set by the bms if comms are working, but perhaps they are incorrect somehow.

Thanks Jumper - per heinzg's post above, the indication was that the documentation was not right - and to rather set to Pylontech than CFE battery code?

44 minutes ago, skipperster said:

Thanks Jumper - per heinzg's post above, the indication was that the documentation was not right - and to rather set to Pylontech than CFE battery code?

If code 6 is the recommended battery code for CFE and it doesn't give any communication error then I would use code 6.

Thank you - so when I change to brand code 6, as guided by LuxPowerTek documentation, then take a look at what happens.

Note - no error message, but says feeding in at 999Ah - whereas when I put it onto the Pylontech brand code 2, I think goes to like 200Ah.

18 hours ago, skipperster said:

no error message, but says feeding in at 999Ah

Yeah, that's definitely not right, it looks like the pylontech setting is the correct one if it shows the correct storage capacity at 200Ah for 2 batteries and seems to indicate that the communication is working and your cables are correct.

Are you able to see what the bulk and float charge voltages are set to when you are on the pylontech setting?

Thanks Jumper - afraid I'm quite new to all this, so not even sure what your question above means nor how to check!

4 minutes ago, skipperster said:

Thanks Jumper - afraid I'm quite new to all this, so not even sure what your question above means nor how to check!

These are settings 7 & 8 in the same menu where you are changing the battery setting 3. These are the charge voltages used by the inverter and should be automatically set by the battery BMS, I just want to be sure that they are set correctly for your battery or if there is a problem with the communication.

Also note down setting 10, to see if the inverter is trying to run off battery voltage or SOC... this might be the cause of the sudden jump from 60-100% when charging. If it is using the voltage, that is not a great indication of the actual SOC with lithium batteries.

So when I scroll through the settings, it skips #7 and #8, which I assume is a good thing as means being set automatically.

On 10, it is set on SOC.

It is currently on 60%, so I guess will monitor over the morning and see if it does the 'skip' to 100% now that I changed it to battery code 6...

7 minutes ago, skipperster said:

So when I scroll through the settings, it skips #7 and #8, which I assume is a good thing as means being set automatically.

On 10, it is set on SOC.

It is currently on 60%, so I guess will monitor over the morning and see if it does the 'skip' to 100% now that I changed it to battery code 6...

OK sounds good, keep an eye on it and also note down the voltage of the battery as reported by the inverter when it gets to 100%.

So I continued to have issues with this.

I ended up then doing a firmware update to the inverter, which then seems when I switched back to the CFE battery code 6, seems to now work better.

Will monitor for the next while and see, but seems like the firmware update might have been the magic required.

Ok so now I have a new issue with the system…

I just woke up, and there is loadshedding.

the inverter says the batteries have 63%, but they are not discharging at all.

My settings are for discharge cutoff at 20%. 
 

Anyone with similar issues or ideas?

 

Ok so now I have a new issue with the system…

I just woke up, and there is loadshedding.

the inverter says the batteries have 63%, but they are not discharging at all.

My settings are for discharge cutoff at 20%. 
 

Anyone with similar issues or ideas?

What is the error message(code) on the screen?

No error code…

 

No error code…

Maybe you pressed eps off?

Where would I check that aetting

Hi all,

Please take a look at my app’s summary of a day of my system. It’s really sunny today, and what I don’t understand is why it looks like the batteries almost like “leak” SOC even when not drawing from them? 

16 hours ago, skipperster said:

Hi all,

Please take a look at my app’s summary of a day of my system. It’s really sunny today, and what I don’t understand is why it looks like the batteries almost like “leak” SOC even when not drawing from them? 

Some BMSs have what is called an intermittent charging function which will stop charging at 100% and only allow discharge until a certain percentage before charging again, so the battery doesn't sit at 100% all the time.

The 'leak' is probably inverter self consumption and any spikes the battery absorbs while the mppt adjusts to an increase in load.

Thanks Jumper.

And what do you think about the spikes down to 0% SOC in the early AM?

9 minutes ago, skipperster said:

Thanks Jumper.

And what do you think about the spikes down to 0% SOC in the early AM?

Now that you mention it, it looks like the inverter might be guessing soc from voltage... those spikes down to 0 could be due to the voltage sagging down near the cutoff voltage setting under load and then the 'leak' would be the battery voltage settling from bulk down to float after fully charging.

Hi Jumper,

Thanks yes thats an interesting take.

Below are my inverter settings - do you (or anyone) perhaps have any suggestions as to what I should change to address this issue?

The alternative is to bring an technician to troubleshoot the whole system etc - which I guess is an option but I dont know a good technician for this.