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Guide: Setting up Greenrich batteries with Kodak inverters (and many other Voltronic inverters I assume)

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Posted

Hi Everyone

Based on my questions here (https://powerforum.co.za/topic/16209-greenrich-up5000-settings-with-kodak-og-72/#comment-147176), I phoned Greenrich's technical support to get some answers. According to their tech support, here is the best way to use a Greenrich battery with a Kodak inverter (This works for my Kodak OG 7.2 and 10)

  1. The BMS cable pinout is the same as a Pylontech BMS cable. If you need to make your own it is basically a two core crossover cable, the pinouts are:
    • On the kodak side:
      • Pin 3: RS485B
      • Pin 5: RS485A
    • Battery side:
      • Pin 7: RS485A
      • Pin 8: RS485B
         
  2. On the Kodak inverter, under option 5, choose PYL for Pylontech batteries. It will set the correct battery values for the Greenrich and allow BMS comms between the inverter and the batteries. I have 2 inverters (A Kodak OG 7.2 and Kodak OG 10), although some of their settings differ, most are the same. The settings below were copied from solar assistant (as set by the inverter when I chose PYL under option 5):
    • Battery type: Pylontech BMS
    • Shutdown battery voltage: 45.0 V
    • Back to battery voltage: 52.0 V
    • To grid battery voltage: 48.0 V
    • Battery float charge voltage: 57.0V
    • Battery absorption charge voltage: 57.0V
    • Max charge current: 80A (This is set higher on the Kodak OG 10)
    • Max grid charge current: 20A

 

I am waiting for a RS232/USB cable as I plan to use Solar Assistant to optimize the settings a little more and run some automations myself, but so far the setup above has been working really well as a basic setup.

Edited by Gustav du Plessis

  • 1 month later...

Okay you were right, I made the cable and tested it.

1+2 on battery and 7+8 on inverter did not work

I turned the cable around so it was

1+2 on inverter and 7+8 on battery - boom inverter is happily talking BMS

Thank you for this thread it helped me sort out my issue.

  • 1 month later...
On 2023/01/13 at 11:08 AM, Gustav du Plessis said:

Hi thank you very much installed mine today and this helped alot.

just want to know when adding another battery do you just use the cable that comes with them? Or do you need to also make a custom cable to connect the batteries to each other?

95BB897D-AA67-4457-BA31-991DD382AC1F.jpeg

On the Kodak OG7.2 

Setting 1 
Would SBU or SUB be the preferred setting?

1. I would have assumed SBU would be preferred as it would reduce the utility bill, however with programme 12 (Back to utility) set at 48V, the system cutoff during loadshedding last night. Prog 13 was set to 51V. and there was no comm cable.  Prog 29 set at 44V - Will adjust in accordance withthe above and put in comms.

2.  IF SUB is utilized, would it Solar be used concurrently with Utility in the event thatthere is a shortfall on the PV generation to cover load.

 

1 hour ago, Firoz said:

On the Kodak OG7.2 

Setting 1 
Would SBU or SUB be the preferred setting?

1. I would have assumed SBU would be preferred as it would reduce the utility bill, however with programme 12 (Back to utility) set at 48V, the system cutoff during loadshedding last night. Prog 13 was set to 51V. and there was no comm cable.  Prog 29 set at 44V - Will adjust in accordance withthe above and put in comms.

2.  IF SUB is utilized, would it Solar be used concurrently with Utility in the event thatthere is a shortfall on the PV generation to cover load.

 

Hello,

I have the Voltronic Axpert/Synerji MKS 5K off grid inverters. My settings are SBU, 05: USE, 12: 48V, 13: 50V, 26: 52.5V, 27: 51.5V, 29: 42V, no coms. It works fine.

You can reduce utility bill only with the amount of energy (kWh) you harvest with PVs and the battery capacity to store the harvest.

  • 2 weeks later...
On 2023/04/13 at 11:36 AM, Firoz said:

On the Kodak OG7.2 

Setting 1 
Would SBU or SUB be the preferred setting?

1. I would have assumed SBU would be preferred as it would reduce the utility bill, however with programme 12 (Back to utility) set at 48V, the system cutoff during loadshedding last night. Prog 13 was set to 51V. and there was no comm cable.  Prog 29 set at 44V - Will adjust in accordance withthe above and put in comms.

2.  IF SUB is utilized, would it Solar be used concurrently with Utility in the event thatthere is a shortfall on the PV generation to cover load.

 

Yes if you care for saving battery for shedding then SUB would do as you say in 2  supplement from eskom and save some battery but the battery can still run down quite far if bad weather and load exceeds solar especially if the back to grid doesn't suit your battery config

The back to grid setting

If you have a 15s 48v battery there would be a chunk of battery in reserve still

If however you have a 16s battery 51.2v the 48v back to grid would leave the battery close to empty , and thus may leave you short for shedding

  • 2 months later...

Using OG-PLUS 5.48 with Greenrich UP3686. When using the PYL settings the BMS communications seem to work (hexagon flashes) but Watchpower reports that the bulk and float voltages are 57v which are too high and are not editable with this setting - is it the BMS providing these voltages or is it pre-programmed in the PYL settings? Any advice on how to use lower voltages. We prefer not to use the USE settings as the SoC is then very inaccurate.

The pyl batteries charge at 53V so its not pre pre programmed. 
also keep in mind that greenrich batteries charge at a much higher voltage. 57v is ok mine is at exactly the same voltage. The amperage tapers down as it reaches a higher SOC and then stops charging. 
if something does go wrong and the battery doesnt like the charge voltage it will turn of and go into alarm. 
Keep it on the pyl setting with the pyl cable that came with the inverter and you should not have any problems

Edited by Bronwynn

Thanks Bronwyn.  So confirms the 57v comes from the BMS. With this setting when close to full charge the battery keeps cutting out due to overvoltage protection, and the inverter then tries again to charge. Stop start every few seconds for ages with fans spinning up and down.   Elleyhill are now advising 56v. 

Thanks. Yes, we have been using USER settings, but the SoC calculated by the inverter based on voltage is then often way-off.  But maybe they can release a firmware update.....

  • 7 months later...

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