I have recently replaced my 8 Sonic gel batteries with a pylontech 3.5kwh. I use a RCT Axpert 5kva inverter with 4 canadian solar panels. Is it essential to install the raspberry pi also?

 

6 hours ago, David Botha said:

Is it essential to install the raspberry pi also?

I assume you mean ICC running on a Pi

Essential? No

Beneficial? Yes

Apart from giving you more detailed insight into the performance of your system, it allows for both time-based or SOC-based (based on data from the Pylon BMS with the Pylon Comms cable) switching between SBU/SUB and Utility rather than the voltage guesstimate of the Axpert - which means you get a much more precise control of you system. Another benefit is that it enables you to change settings on your system from anywhere via VNC instead of having to be standing in front of your inverter

From my experience, I can highly recommend ICC and would always purchase it again

6 hours ago, David Botha said:

pylontech 3.5kwh

Just as a side note: I trust you have read about the charging voltage recommendations here in the forum (instead of using the voltages from the Pylon manual)

On 2020/08/01 at 6:35 PM, David Botha said:

Is it essential to install the raspberry pi also?

I also think it’s not essential to install a pi, but having such a battery with the built-in bms makes it quite easy to hook up your battery to a laptop to view the status in batteryview software, thats if you don’t go for the ICC and pi.

@David Botha  The advice you received above is sound and valuable. I have been using ICC-Pi since it became avaliable and the  control and monitoring of your solar system is just too good to not install it. I have also flashed my 2 Axperts with @Coulomb and @weber's much improved firmware. Also flashed my Internet router with Gargoyle free firmware which has OpenVPN built in. As @wolfandy said, you can control your setup remotely and with the router VPN,  safely from anywhere in the world via the Internet. All these benefits are just too important to ignore. Besides it is a lot of fun too.