Hi all

I've just got my ICC hooked up to my newly installed Axpert King parallel setup (2 inverters). First off, I only have one Pi running at this point, but believe that I need two, one for each inverter.

Anyway I'm running in SUB at the moment as I have a Narada lithium battery and obviously these inverters don't monitor SOC very well, so I'm just waiting on a cable from the good ICC people before switching into SBU.

I'm looking at my PV and Grid graph and it seems rather odd, with constant drop offs in PV and grid kicking in I believe to make up the momentary shortfall.

Any thoughts? I can't imagine this is normal behaviour, so maybe settings related? Or wiring?

Could it be just clouds?

Otherwise, it sounds like the dreaded PV pause. There is also a PV freeze, but you don't show that. Also, your PV power only occasionally falls to actual zero, often it's around 100 W.

Do you not have many panels connected?

What is your main firmware version?

Don't think its clouds, looks pretty clear today.

How would I show PV freeze? 

I have 9 x 330w panels running to the two inverters. From what I can tell if I look at the display on each inverter simultaneously, the combined PV input reading is fairly constant, with one dropping as the other one goes back up in a sort of seesaw pattern. But the fact that there is still grid power being utilised to power what is a relatively small load demand (around 300w at the moment) is concerning. 

Adding more of the parameters might shed some light? I have the charger source set to solar only, so perhaps all the solar production is being used to charge and thus grid is needed to supply load?

Edited June 4, 20197 yr by miles

Uhm, just a though. Have seen that pattern on Axperts in the past here on the forum, was discussed at length, where the MPPT drops, goes back up the next moment.

Not sure if that could help.

18 minutes ago, The Terrible Triplett said:

seen that pattern on Axperts in the past here on the forum

You're probably thinking of this topic.

As you said @Coulomb the fact that it isn't dropping to zero probably points to this not being the same issue.

I fiddled with some settings, by changing to SBU and setting the max PV charge current to 40A (from 20A) the pattern has changed significantly.

19 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

You're probably thinking of this topic.

Nope, more like about 2-3 years back. We also saw that with the software we developed, how the MPPT "resets" or some such on the Axperts. Quite a few of the then active members discussed it in depth here on the forum. 

Any case, was just a thought.

6 hours ago, miles said:

I have 9 x 330w panels running to the two inverters. From what I can tell if I look at the display on each inverter simultaneously, the combined PV input reading is fairly constant, with one dropping as the other one goes back up in a sort of seesaw pattern.

Hi Miles. Please can you clarify something here. Did you connect 9 Panels to each inverter? Or 4 to the one and 5 to the other. Or did you try to share 9 Panels by connecting them to both inverters. If you did the last, it will explain why you see the seesaw pastern. Connecting the same panels to both will sent the MPPT's into a kind of "hunting" mode. In short , both machines need their own PV array and PV cant be shared like Battery's. 

7 hours ago, miles said:

I only have one Pi running at this point, but believe that I need two, one for each inverter.

The way I remember from the time I used ICC , parallel setups only require one instance of the software running, somewhere is a settings where you  need to select "Parallel" mode.    Just confirm with the supplier. 

Thanks Jaco. 

So I checked the PV input to the inverters. As you suspected, it was running to both. I have 2 strings of 3 on one part of the roof and 1 string of 3 on another which seem to be combined and then run in to the first inverter followed by a connection from the first to the second inverter. 

 

1 hour ago, miles said:

I have 2 strings of 3 on one part of the roof

My recommendation will be, take this to the one inverter. 

1 hour ago, miles said:

and 1 string of 3 on another

And this to the second inverter, and maybe add some more panels in the future.

Splitting them should solve your problem.  

14 hours ago, miles said:

As you said @Coulomb the fact that it isn't dropping to zero probably points to this not being the same issue.

I fiddled with some settings, by changing to SBU and setting the max PV charge current to 40A (from 20A) the pattern has changed significantly.

The thing im finding really weird is that your grid watts are going into the negative scale. As if power is being sent back to the grid? Not sure if it has something to do with the parallel setup.

Edited June 5, 20197 yr by RichieRich

morning MilesI had a simmelar problem, 28 was set at parralel, 30 was set at all, so all our settings was correct,( the PV should not be interconnected) Our fault was the current sharing cable was the wrong way arroun, a easy mistake to make, left must be left and right miust be right, and now we have a happy customer.

9 hours ago, Jaco de Jongh said:

My recommendation will be, take this to the one inverter. 

And this to the second inverter, and maybe add some more panels in the future.

Splitting them should solve your problem.  

Thanks. It seems my installer either didn't check his chap's work properly, or doesn't fully understand a parallel setup. As an interim measure I disconnected the inverter-to-inverter PV wiring (ie leaving all 9 panels connected only to the first inverter). Not ideal I know, but the panels are at least all facing the same direction on the same roof face. I'll sort the 1 lonesome string out properly this weekend and run it in to the second inverter.

I definitely intend adding panels to that part of the roof in the future. This was just to get going.

On the upside my PV production now looks normal.

7 hours ago, RichieRich said:

The thing im finding really weird is that your grid watts are going into the negative scale. As if power is being sent back to the grid? Not sure if it has something to do with the parallel setup.

Agreed, that does look rather odd. Not sure what it's about.

2 hours ago, Pieter Annandale said:

morning MilesI had a simmelar problem, 28 was set at parralel, 30 was set at all, so all our settings was correct,( the PV should not be interconnected) Our fault was the current sharing cable was the wrong way arroun, a easy mistake to make, left must be left and right miust be right, and now we have a happy customer.

Thanks Pieter. Mine looks right. Did this solve the negative grid watts or erratic PV production for you?

Edited June 5, 20197 yr by miles

On 2019/06/04 at 4:56 PM, Jaco de Jongh said:

The way I remember from the time I used ICC , parallel setups only require one instance of the software running, somewhere is a settings where you  need to select "Parallel" mode.    Just confirm with the supplier. 

Just a note on this bit...I tried parallel in the settings using Axpert 5kva Parallel but it doesn't work. Apparently one needs an entire second Pi with its own instance of ICC to work with King's in parallel.

1 hour ago, miles said:

Apparently one needs an entire second Pi with its own instance of ICC to work with King's in parallel.

Outch, thats not nice. 

On 2019/06/07 at 3:14 AM, Jaco de Jongh said:

Outch, thats not nice. 

That seems to be fixed in Axpert King firmware version 71.80 and removable display firmware.

This post had the firmware update. The author (not me) has removed the links, for fear of people updating firmware with the wrong hardware. In any event, the firmware is now known to exist, so at least you can remind your reseller that this is the case, and can you have the appropriate update for your hardware.

Edited June 17, 20196 yr by Coulomb
"may be fixed" → "seems to be fixed", removable display is not Bluetooth

4 minutes ago, Coulomb said:

That may be fixed in Axpert King firmware version 71.80 and removable display / Bluetooth firmware.

Thanks a lot Coulomb, @Manie might find this useful. 

Yes thanks a lot chaps, much appreciated.

Yes Ari upgrade successfully yesterday and it working in ICC the same as the normal PIP / Axpert inverters. 

Where did you get the firmware @Manie

3 hours ago, miles said:

Where did you get the firmware @Manie

I do not have the firmware. Follow the link @Coulomb posted . 

Sorry I thought when you said you have upgraded you meant firmware. Have followed the post instructions from Coulomb. Thanks

Edited June 13, 20197 yr by miles

adding myself to this thread as i have also fallen victim to this issue. 71.50 firmware on both the king's that i have installed. manufactured date is 09/2018

anyone had any luck with mustek and upgrading firmware or even them understanding the issue?

On 2019/06/12 at 7:14 PM, Manie said:

Yes Ari upgrade successfully yesterday and it working in ICC the same as the normal PIP / Axpert inverters. 

Hi @Manie which of the inverter options must be selected for a King parallel setup to work through one ICC now with 71.80?

On 2019/06/19 at 10:46 PM, miles said:

Hi @Manie which of the inverter options must be selected for a King parallel setup to work through one ICC now with 71.80?

Axpert 5kva parallel and number of inverters to the amount you have