June 27, 20197 yr Author Thanks Isimobile. This is a recap of my efforts yesterday. Just a refresher, the multiplus was set to UPS mode with no connection to the grid, with the invertor supplying lights and the lounge of power (solar day, batteries night). From what I saw, the batteries were drawn down to around 65% in the mornings, when the son will charge the batteries, with everything being charged around 11 in the morning. The rest of the day the solar was being wasted it appears. Up to yesterday I saw the two Pylontechs, the two MPPTs, the Grid Meter and Multiplus under Device List on the Venus. I may be mistaken about seeing two Pylontechs, but I can recall something like that. So I installed the VE.Config, connected to the Inverter, and tried the settings as per the Victron site, augmented by the data available on this forum from various sources. But, now, when I remove the invertor from the grid the power goes off, so some-where I did something wrong. And I can only see one pylontech batttery, and the red led (low battery) keeps on blinking. Just to check the settings: Tab: General - 50Hz, Shore limit is 16A with Overruled by remote selected. - Battery monitor enabled Tab: Grid - South Africa. Tab: Inverter - Voltage output = 230 - Shut-down V = 47 - Low restart 51V - Low prealarm 48.5V Not selected Power assist (should this be enabled?, I cannot recall changing this) Shutdown on SOC Tab: Charger - Enabled - Lithium batteries - Fixed, Absorption 53.2V, Float 53V, Charge Current 35A, absorption time 1 Hr, Interval, 7 Hr. Here, when I select Battery type to LiFePO4, it changes the Absorption voltage (56.8) and float voltage (54), which, when I reset it, default the Battery Type to "No corresponding default" Tab: Virtual Switch - Do not use Tab: Assistants - ESS (Used settings provided here) On the Venus I now only see the one battery Under ESS: - Mode: Optimized with BatteryLife - Grid Meter Installed - Inverter AC output in use - Phase compensation enabled - SOC set to 25% for now - BatteryLife state: Sustain. There is no other option, nor does it allows me to change that to anything else. Any idea what I missed ?
June 27, 20197 yr 2 hours ago, MorneDJ said: - BatteryLife state: Sustain. There is no other option, nor does it allows me to change that to anything else. There's your problem. So let me explain how you end up in Sustain. If the battery is pulled below the dynamic cut-off curve, the Multi goes into sustain. In this mode it charges with around 5A. It stays there until the voltage rises 1.2V above the sustain voltage. Your sustain voltage is most likely set too high. I actually had a case of a machine in France where the guy had his sustain voltage set to the same level as float. Poor thing could never get out of sustain... Sustain should be LOW. It should be something like 3.2*15 = 48V. It's only there to nurse your batteries when they are really low. I even think I noted once that sustain would incorrectly default to something high.
June 27, 20197 yr Author Just a massive shout-out of thanks for @Jaco de Jongh and, I believe, @plonkster for their help. I find that I do not work 100%, as I love watching the sun minimizing my electricity account.
July 2, 20197 yr On 2019/06/27 at 1:46 PM, MorneDJ said: massive shout-out That's good to hear. Sorry about tripping your power at that one point... always better to have the inverter bypassed while working on it 🙂
July 3, 20197 yr Author Lol. No problem as I was not at home. I just need some time to to post photos and my installation, but I need to neaten the wires a bit. I find lying in bed thinking how I can optimize my current installation, as the battery is flat early in the evenings already (the darn geyser ...), but I need the hot water (AirBnB flat at my house on the same circuit). The geyser is set to start at 10 AM, then the battery is about 60% and the geyser is finished at around 13:00. It appears if the battery is fully charged at this time. Then, from around this time it seems if most of the solar power is wasted, with some used over the rest of the day when some-one boil the kettle and open the warm water tap. The geyser is set to draw power between 10:00 and 17:00. For now I am thinking about: - There is a second solar geyser that I do not use. The solar part is not working and it barely heat the water to lukewarm, even after the service by the agents earlier this year. I am thinking of installing a 2KW element and put it on a timer to use energy from around 13:00 to 16:00. Hopefully this will pre-warm the water a bit before it enters the second geyser. Both are 200l. Keep on checking usage to learn the system. - Perhaps change the main geyser element to 2 KW. Will see what happens once I change the first geysers' element. - Save for a third Pylontech battery.
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