Konrad Posted August 16, 2020 Posted August 16, 2020 Good Evening all members I am looking for some advice on ESS setup for a Victron Multiplus ii 5KVA 48-50/70. I have 12 x CS 360 watt panels 250/70 Smart solar MPPT BVM712 Batteries are DC Rebel Gen2 LiFePo4 210Ah batteries 4 in series for 48V and 10KWh. These batteries have an internal BMS that protects against over and under current as I understand. I know the charge and discharge specs, but does anyone have experience with such batteries coupled to a Victron Inverter? Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you Quote
Louisvdw Posted August 17, 2020 Posted August 17, 2020 12 hours ago, Konrad said: DC Rebel Gen2 LiFePo4 210Ah batteries Those batteries does not have any communications from the specs I see on the website. If the battery does have comms that can talk the the Multiplus it does improve some aspects of the overall system, but that is not required. I don't have these batteries, but my batteries currently does not talk to the rest of the system. I also use the Multiplus in the ESS mode and it works perfectly. As your battery does not have communications, you will have to set the parameters for charge/discharge when you install the system. In an ESS these settings will come from the SmartSolar MPPT. Just connect to the MPPT using your phone and the VictronConnect App and make the changes in Settings -> Battery Max charge current = 70A (batteries can do 80, but your MPPT only 70) Battery preset = User defined (the Lithium battery options might be close, so you can try them as long as they are not larger than what your battery can do) Absorption = 56.8V Float = 54V Keep Equilization Disabled Here is my battery settings: And the specs for your batteries. You are doing 4S. Also when you set up the inverter settings in the Multiplus for ESS limit your inverter to 80A max. Quote
Konrad Posted August 17, 2020 Author Posted August 17, 2020 Thank you @Louisvdw. I just needed some reassurance before I commission. Those batteries seem to be good value for money. Only time will tell. I will just set BMS to “other” during the setup. Thank you for your input. Quote
Gerlach Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 Oohhhoooo @Konrad get your self ready for some headaches. I know of 4 setups with this batteries where it was a massive #$&@*#. And have seen with my own eyes. Local installer in capetown is using them in his installs. One of my friend friends, well 3 of them used this installer. The ine setup was 4s2p setup. Month later he pick up that something isn't lekker, so my friend pop in to go check. One was already charging over 18v , 2 bms units already blown and one under volts. The installes, same stories. This batteries act the same like lead acid batteries where need a ballancer unit lile HA02 between them to keep the batteries ballance because the battery next to the other battery don't no what is doing and all that sort of stuff. What can happend to is, the bms charge fits open on the one batterye, then all that charge will run to the other batteries over charging them, or the other don't even charge then. There was a massive fight on FB between a buyer and the brand name you posted because he had the same problem. Batteries only lasted a few weeks. Quote
Konrad Posted August 18, 2020 Author Posted August 18, 2020 @Gerlach which inverters were used at your friends installs? Quote
___ Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Gerlach said: I know of 4 setups Friend of mine was here some months ago, with a similar-looking battery, though I cannot remember the brand name. Dead. He was told the Victron 12V charger would lift it out... but it had no effect at all. I think they junked the battery in the end. Quote
Gerlach Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 37 minutes ago, Konrad said: @Gerlach which inverters were used at your friends installs? @Konrad Growatt and Sunsynk. I added a pick to show how they look inside Quote
Gerlach Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 22 minutes ago, plonkster said: Friend of mine was here some months ago, with a similar-looking battery, though I cannot remember the brand name. Dead. He was told the Victron 12V charger would lift it out... but it had no effect at all. I think they junked the battery in the end. @plonkster same storie with this and this installed was on your side of the valley to. Maybe same installer batteries. My vriend try to charge them and see if they can get them up and running. No luck to. Quote
___ Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 (edited) 15 minutes ago, Gerlach said: My vriend try to charge them and see if they can get them up and running Could be the same guy even. Happened right around the time our lockdown started. We may be talking of the same friend of a friend. Boeta (probably a nickname) arrived here in his Disco... we had one last look but the battery would not even accept a charge current. Looked very similar to the pictures above. Edited August 18, 2020 by plonkster Quote
Konrad Posted August 18, 2020 Author Posted August 18, 2020 What I have heard when these batteries”trip” out the BMS sensed over or under current and the only wat to restart the BMS is to jump start it with another 12V battery. Never done this before. Only heard about it. Quote
Louisvdw Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Gerlach said: @Konrad, looking at these pictures of the inside, I would advise you to rather get a real battery instead. You can build a DIY battery like Gerlach and myself did (check out https://lithiumbatteriessa.co.za/ ) , or buy something like Pylontech, Dyness, Freedomwon that can talk to the Multiplus inverters. Quote
___ Posted August 18, 2020 Posted August 18, 2020 4 hours ago, Konrad said: What I have heard when these batteries”trip” out the BMS sensed over or under current and the only wat to restart the BMS is to jump start it with another 12V battery. Never done this before. Only heard about it. I heard the same thing. Presumably, the BMS itself loses power, and it needs to get power from somewhere in order to allow power to go to the cells. In that case, using a good battery charger should have been enough to raise the voltage and restart the BMS. When we tested it, the battery charger was applying 14.5V (absorption), but putting an ampere meter in line showed mere milliamps flowing for short periods... almost as if there is some kind of electronics in there that's trying, but not succeeding... Battery was under warranty, so we decided not to... uhm... investigate any further. Also, not sure it was the same battery as this one. But it looked identical. Konrad 1 Quote
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