I recently installed a solar system with 3KW of PV panels and a Axpert SOL-I-AX-5P64 INVERTER and 2 x 3KWP Schubart LiFe batteries.

There are very vague specifications available for these batteries and I am wanting to find out the best settings for the charge and float voltages.

I have it set up as 30 A max charging current, with 54.8 V CV and float voltage of 53.2 V with a 44.2 V cut-off.

The system has now twice shut down completely with a tracked voltage of 47 V when cutting out and loosing communication with the WatchPower software despite the software showing the 44.2 V as the cut off. 

There are no specs wrt the number of cells and their layout or what BMS system/control is installed.

Any information available through this forum?

Does anybody in South Africa know, what the settings on a Victron BMV should be for this battery? Nobody so far can tell me what the settings should be. It connect to a Raspberry Pi ICC via USB , and also the Inveter Via USB to the Pi.

My setup:

1 x Mecer Apert 5kW inverter

2 x Schubart 48V 3Kw LiFe batteries connect in parallel

12 x 360w SolarPanels - 6 per string in series - 2 strings g to Combiner box and then to Inverter

Thanks in advance.

Hi Francois,

 

Are you still using the Schubart batteries on your setup?

Hi Kevin

I still have the two Schubart batteries in my system. Once you spend the money on the most expensive part of the system it is not worth changing them.

They do not communicate with my Charger/inverter though so the settings on the inverter are important.

And no. I never did get any information from the supplier on the battery construction and the battery management system shuts the battery off at 46 volts even if its for a second or so making it a frustration.

I would not buy these batteries due to lack of support of any kind, but thats what the installer put in with the belief these were better than the socalled Chinese batteries despite these being of Chinese origin.

If you want any more info please contact me.

I have a 5kWh Scubart LiFe baatery installed with a Mecer 6kW inverter.System trips(and mostly auto reset) when a load of more than approx 800W is applied. It would sometimes also trip with minimal load (less than 500 W) being connected.In all cases the battery lights would indicate a full or almost full charge and voltage ss indicated on the inverter showing more than 49 V.Cut off voltage is set at 46.5V as recommended by Solarman.Any advice please

Hi JanV

When you say the system trips, do you mean the battery shuts down or does the inverter shut down?

What settings are you using for your system? Check that the battery type is set to "user" and that all the voltages are appropriately set for the charging voltage and float voltage and that the cut off on the inverter is matched to the battery (which on my system is 46.5 V).

I do find that the batteries are very sensitive to high current draw and very easily drop below the cut-off voltage of the battery management system despite being almost fully charged. A very brief drop below the cut off voltage switches the battery off and that triggers a shutdown of the inverter. If you don't stand and watch what is happening you don't catch the triggering incident, like something being switched on or using something with a high current draw. 

I have two 3KW batteries in parallel and can happily run a 2KW kettle for about 6 minutes with my setup during the day when there some sun. The battery voltage will drop very low during that time and would sometimes shut off the battery and that causes the system to die. No auto-recovery. Manual battery reset - after switching the main switch on the battery off, then pressing the reset button on the battery for about 5 sec, waiting till the lights have finished all their Christmas tree show and a few seconds more before switching the battery main switch back on. Sometimes I need to reset all the settings on the inverter if it shuts down that way, with the biggest problem being the return to the default of gel batteries and a very high charging voltage and a higher battery cut-off voltage.

Hope this has helped but feel free to drop me more questions if you dont come right.

I have now given up on my Solarman installation.Zero support from company and actually being sweared at and chased out of their shop.Battery clearly not able to deliver what one could expect from just about any other manufacturer.C value not specified( very poor spec sheet) but seems to be about 0.2 max.

Well here we are after just on 3 years of use of Schubart LiFeP 3KWP batteries and the first one that has always shown a different state of charge has failed. The total voltage measured on the battery when disconnected from the circuit is 11.8 V while it is a 48 V battery and gives no lights at all except during the reset process.

Have not had much joy with Solarman, who appear to be the sole supplier of the battery, in the past and not much hope by the installer that the warrantee will be honoured. 

I am an optimist so lets see how they respond. 

Yip, I have had the exact same issues as all mentioned above. One battery died and he said he would repair it under the warranty. He never said I had to pay for the repair and his answer was;  he does not know how my system is set up or used. JP (from SOLARMAN) actually GAVE met the settings via mail! FFS!!!.

He made me pay before I could get the battery back - it still has the exact same problem. He never gave me a report of what was wrong with it either. When I ask, he ignores my e-mails and phone calls.

But I have now reported him to the Consumer Complaints Board. They gave him 15 working days to respond, which will be on Thursday!!

Watch this space!

On 2022/03/06 at 3:12 PM, Kevin Sheasby said:

Hi Francois,

 

Are you still using the Schubart batteries on your setup?

Yes, I do. I have 2 x 3kW + 3 x 4kW = 18kW. I spent a lot of money on them, and all I want is for this JP character to own up to his inferior product and honor his Warranty.