diy solar

diy solar

Sol-Ark Inverters 8 and 12K

Hopefully Solark or someone else will come up with a solution to the data issue. I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't want owners to have the data. Maybe they just didn't make it available because very few have requested it.

I just got an update too.
 
Understand but if the data wasn’t transmitted out it wouldn’t need encryption. If you wanted to transmit data, then enable encryption. The 1984 reference on my part my have been a stretch but being forced to use their service was my point.
Therefore open source data collection on site would fix that.
As for using cellular data, that’s an added expense for $7K I shouldn’t HAVE to need. Additionally we have very poor cellular service even though we use Verizon. Sol-Ark did an update Tuesday March 30, this week. I did exactly that, ( iPad as a hot spot ) to get my updates this time. Got it connected, receiving data Monday evening before leave our off grid build site. When I logged on mid morning on Tuesday to check it, my data connection was lost @ 10:52 pm Monday night. So, cellular connection isn’t good for me. I hope you all understand where I’m coming from?
I completely understand.
I'm thinking that you can communicate with your BMS via CAN since it won't talk to SolArk. Then, monitor your PV in and AC in/out for the rest of the picture.
I know it's extra equipment (ie. Cost) but you could get better data that way.
Not terribly difficult to set up. A few shunts and a datalogger. There may even be cheap equipment special designed for that.
 
I see the Sol-ark is now listing the OrionBMS ($$$) under their supported battery vendors (https://www.sol-ark.com/battery-partners/) Has anyone seen any discussions on the specifics of what communications & capabilities they share? I would guess that having at least one supported BMS now opens the door to a DIY solution with inverter <=> BMS communications.
 
Long post - apologies but will try and cover a few things - for those who already understand BMS/CAN etc - please skip over most of it.

One of the big advantages of CAN is accurate SOC, and control for the charge/discharge are now handled by the BMS.

An issue with SOC determination using V is a drop when under load which affects it - some inverters are better, some standalone shunts etc also "learn" but the inverter still looks at the V rating. To use an example - your lithium bank might be sitting at 51V idling, and the SOC (varies on all batteries) would be roughly 80% (just an example on a 48V nominal battery) - it's not linear - so 49V might be close to 20% SOC, 50V 50% etc. When you add substantial load (couple of kW) you will experience a drop in V - sometimes 1.5-2V depending on load -this is normal - so the inverter suddenly see's the battery drop from 80% to 20% - and depending on your settings might switch to utility. Remove the load - it recovers back to 51V - this switching causes inaccurate SOC readings, and not very efficient. You would see this on battery SOC graphs as big steps in %. Also means you have to set the V levels as an estimate for cutoff/low - recharge/full etc - all in V (The Sol-Ark has a % estimate that tries to match V - but it's still estimate) - if you use CAN or RS485 (different protocols but the same end result) - you are are measuring accurate V per cell direct from the BMS- regardless of load. So the inverter gets "told" what the correct SOC level is by the BMS. Also makes the programming much easier for levels - you simply choose "low battery = 20%"- or "keep it between 40% and 80% during X time of the day." as an example. The BMS also controls charging/discharging etc - so no need to program the values - keeps it within the recommended parameters of the cells. Using an external shunt, running it through the learning process will of course work, but it's another component, something else to buy, and only does 1 thing - gives you SOC - something which the BMS already does.

There are PHD papers on the web trying to explain the determinations of SOC in Lithium cells - it's complicated math.

With regards to @Craig's post question "why is it complicated" - it isn't on paper, but can you just buy any DIY BMS, hook up a network cable and it works - absolutely not. There are many details and technicalities around al the different cells, charge curves, all sorts of math around when to start throttling charging, how to calculate SOC etc - and every bms out there and every cell is different. That's part of what you pay extra for when going for a branded battery - they have engineered both hardware and software to match perfectly, and spend many hours making sure THEIR BMS talks to the inverter - probably paid some fee's also for inverter manufacturers to develop code, certify their battery etc. This is why often firmware upgrades add more batteries to the list of supported ones for CAN/RS485.

It is changing though - so BMS companies are trying to make it easier - the trick is to know which ones.

Another issue not mentioned is connecting multiple batteries in parallel. How does CAN then work? In the branded battery world you often have little dip switches to indicate which battery in the stack is "master" and then slaves, as well as ID them say battery 0,1,2,3 - for example a 4x 48V 100A Dyness pack (so 400A @ 48V) - each battery has a BMS that controls it's own cells - your inverter now needs to understand there are 4x packs each with potentially 12-16 Cells, and each to be managed separately. In the DIY space this sometimes worked using RS485 as a protocol and then a small little hub to broadcast all RS485 info - but CAN is much better - no hubs needed. This is important if you want to build out larger banks. Without intelligence you will run into many issues with parallel banks where BMS's now fight each other, require buzzbars etc.

Tried a few brands of BMS with the Sunsynk - none of them with success - and finally (after searching for months) found one that seems to do it all - talks direct with Deye/Sol-Ark/SunSynk/Ohm (all from the same factory - rebranded), have master/slave ports built in to build out larger banks etc. Have ordered and waiting for stock to test it out.

For those that are keen : Seplos is the brand. They have a very active youtube channel, of course they also make and sell their own DIY kits - very impressive stuff - (and priced accordingly!) - but they do sell the BMS on it's own - so for those that are keen to give it a go - https://www.seplos.com/ Last time I checked they were around $150 for a single 100A 48V BMS (unsure of min order limit) + shipping.

I found another post this forum where the manual was uploaded - so maybe worth a read - but for this use case - they do seem to talk to Sol-Ark fine on CAN. https://diysolarforum.com/resources/seplos-48v-100a-bms-specification.77/history

The specific BMS I'm referring to is the 100A 48V one in the download link - unsure what other size and configurations they have.

If you prefer something that "just works" and is "plug & play" - then branded batteries is the way to go - does not have to be the most expensive ones, there are very good 2nd life ones out there that already work over CAN with many inverter brands - but yes it will be more expensive than a full DIY - but many of us like to fiddle and make it work over time :)

Alternatively setup your battery as AGM-V/% - set you levels accordingly and accept 20%-30% less usable capacity (which in the long run will make your cells last longer anyways). Your BMS will still offer protection for low cutoff, overcharge, temperature etc (if those are features of your BMS).
@IguBu Thank you for this information, very helpful, and good to know that this BMS might work with the Sol-Ark, which I have. Do you have a Sol-Ark 12K or some other variant of the Sunsynk? I was looking at the Seplos site and it seems they have a higher power version of this BMS as well which I would be even more interested in: https://www.seplos.com/sale-1370706...-bms-monitoring-system-battery-managemen.html -I'm looking forward to your evaluation of this BMS. Thank you! -Keith
 
Tried a few brands of BMS with the Sunsynk - none of them with success - and finally (after searching for months) found one that seems to do it all - talks direct with Deye/Sol-Ark/SunSynk/Ohm (all from the same factory - rebranded), have master/slave ports built in to build out larger banks etc. Have ordered and waiting for stock to test it out.
@ IguBu
Did you ever tried it out?
Curious minds want to know please.
 
I'm looking for any information or suggestion on a BMS for the Sol-Ark 12k. So far the Batrium is my front runner. Orion is second.
@solardad has a Batrium with his Sol-Ark and has a great graphical display through RPi and Grafana. Just curious how the Batrium performs and how it works with Sol-Ark?
Also, I'm looking to see if anyone has used the Orion line of BMS with the Sol-Ark 12k that may have any feedback. Actually, anyone that can provide their experience with either Batrium and/or the Orion BMS would be great?
I like the Orion because it will communicate with Sol-Ark through the Can port. I've not seen a lot of info about Orion and so far the customer/tech support is slow in response to my questions.
Batrium seems to be a great product, there are a lot of videos and info out there. I like the fact that Batrium can offer up to 28AH of active balancing with the Watchmon Core kits with the Longmons or Blockmon M-8 cell monitors. Plus expansion kits are available if adding cells in the future.
I need to handle around 300-500amp at peak draw. Both BMS options seem to offer options to handle this amperage.
I'm building a 4p16s LiFePo4 battery bank from 280ah cells. Just curious if anyone is willing to share their battery layout options that have built a 4p16s system? I'm hoping to lay them out in a way to make my bank a 28" wide X 48" long to fit my space. Let me know what you guys think, suggestions and questions?
 
I'm looking for any information or suggestion on a BMS for the Sol-Ark 12k. So far the Batrium is my front runner. Orion is second.
@solardad has a Batrium with his Sol-Ark and has a great graphical display through RPi and Grafana. Just curious how the Batrium performs and how it works with Sol-Ark?
Also, I'm looking to see if anyone has used the Orion line of BMS with the Sol-Ark 12k that may have any feedback. Actually, anyone that can provide their experience with either Batrium and/or the Orion BMS would be great?
I like the Orion because it will communicate with Sol-Ark through the Can port. I've not seen a lot of info about Orion and so far the customer/tech support is slow in response to my questions.
Batrium seems to be a great product, there are a lot of videos and info out there. I like the fact that Batrium can offer up to 28AH of active balancing with the Watchmon Core kits with the Longmons or Blockmon M-8 cell monitors. Plus expansion kits are available if adding cells in the future.
I need to handle around 300-500amp at peak draw. Both BMS options seem to offer options to handle this amperage.
I'm building a 4p16s LiFePo4 battery bank from 280ah cells. Just curious if anyone is willing to share their battery layout options that have built a 4p16s system? I'm hoping to lay them out in a way to make my bank a 28" wide X 48" long to fit my space. Let me know what you guys think, suggestions and questions?
I read on the forums here that the Seplos BMS are compatible with the SolArk.
I'm planning to try one, but haven't got around to buying one yet.
They had a max current of 100A, but I have seen higher current ones lately. I don't want to be a beta tester, so I'm waiting to be sure their design is solid.
 
I'm looking for any information or suggestion on a BMS for the Sol-Ark 12k. So far the Batrium is my front runner. Orion is second.
@solardad has a Batrium with his Sol-Ark and has a great graphical display through RPi and Grafana. Just curious how the Batrium performs and how it works with Sol-Ark?
Also, I'm looking to see if anyone has used the Orion line of BMS with the Sol-Ark 12k that may have any feedback. Actually, anyone that can provide their experience with either Batrium and/or the Orion BMS would be great?
I like the Orion because it will communicate with Sol-Ark through the Can port. I've not seen a lot of info about Orion and so far the customer/tech support is slow in response to my questions.
Batrium seems to be a great product, there are a lot of videos and info out there. I like the fact that Batrium can offer up to 28AH of active balancing with the Watchmon Core kits with the Longmons or Blockmon M-8 cell monitors. Plus expansion kits are available if adding cells in the future.
I need to handle around 300-500amp at peak draw. Both BMS options seem to offer options to handle this amperage.
I'm building a 4p16s LiFePo4 battery bank from 280ah cells. Just curious if anyone is willing to share their battery layout options that have built a 4p16s system? I'm hoping to lay them out in a way to make my bank a 28" wide X 48" long to fit my space. Let me know what you guys think, suggestions and questions?
@Shawn Hayes So the Batrium does not connect to the Sol-Ark. I confirmed the other month since they (Sol-Ark) had listed Batrium as a partner but they have since updated their page & pulled the name. Supposedly Orion works but I do not know anyone with that setup outside of @Ampster but I don't think he wants to switch out his Outback for a Sol-Ark yet... ;-) The graphs that I have shared on the forum are strictly from the Batrium that I monitor via a RPI that stores the data in influx DB and feed grafana which is the display/visual. This was built roughly a year ago and the bulk of my 'learning' came from this forum: https://secondlifestorage.com/

I have a Watchmon4 with the cell mon 8s, monitoring a total of 32 cell groups, 2 banks of 2p16s (64 total cells), expensive setup. I oversized my total storage to stay well within the upper and lower rated limits of the cells, 3.385 and 3.05. In that range I have not seen my cells deviate more than .01-.02 mv and as a result the Batrium has done 0 balancing. I have not taken advantage of the relays but have plans to in the future. In short I am under utilizing the features that I paid for. I think if I had a different cell chemistry, the ones that go boom, then I would leverage out of the box more of the BMS features and/or the BMS would be 'working' like balancing cells but these LifePO4 cells have been outstanding in every way.

BTW - a 300-500a draw is a crazy amount that would exceed the sol-ark 12k, ex. 500a * 53v is 26.5kw.. you would need at a min. 2 Sol-Arks to hit that amount, assuming that is a surge, which only can be sustained for 10 secs or so I believe.
 
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I think there is a big difference between "works with" and "communicates with". The term "connected" to me could be a contactor or a FET controlled by a current sensor or individual cell voltage measurements.
In the DIY EV world most BMSs can communicate with motor controllers and chargers using CANBUS. The same is true with production EVs but the protocol may be proprietary.

I do not know why it has taken so long for hybrid inverter manufacturers to implement such communication.
 
I do not know why it has taken so long for hybrid inverter manufacturers to implement such communication
Just to clarify in the case of the Orion BMS, I have seen integrations with Victron and Schneider. REC has some as well and there maybe a few more. Perhaps that was one of the goals of NEC 2020 rules about ESS (battery storage systems).
 
@Shawn Hayes So the Batrium does not connect to the Sol-Ark. I confirmed the other month since they (Sol-Ark) had listed Batrium as a partner but they have since updated their page & pulled the name. Supposedly Orion works but I do not know anyone with that setup outside of @Ampster but I don't think he wants to switch out his Outback for a Sol-Ark yet... ;-) The graphs that I have shared on the forum are strictly from the Batrium that I monitor via a RPI that stores the data in influx DB and feed grafana which is the display/visual. This was built roughly a year ago and the bulk of my 'learning' came from this forum: https://secondlifestorage.com/

I have a Watchmon4 with the cell mon 8s, monitoring a total of 32 cell groups, 2 banks of 2p16s (64 total cells), expensive setup. I oversized my total storage to stay well within the upper and lower rated limits of the cells, 3.385 and 3.05. In that range I have not seen my cells deviate more than .01-.02 mv and as a result the Batrium has done 0 balancing. I have not taken advantage of the relays but have plans to in the future. In short I am under utilizing the features that I paid for. I think if I had a different cell chemistry, the ones that go boom, then I would leverage out of the box more of the BMS features and/or the BMS would be 'working' like balancing cells but these LifePO4 cells have been outstanding in every way.

BTW - a 300-500a draw is a crazy amount that would exceed the sol-ark 12k, ex. 500a * 53v is 26.5kw.. you would need at a min. 2 Sol-Arks to hit that amount, assuming that is a surge, which only can be sustained for 10 secs or so I believe.
Thanks for the info @solardad. Based on the research that I’ve done so far, the Batrium BMS it’s still the front runner to me. I know that it does not communicate with Sol-Ark through the CAN port but I think it’s the BMS for me.
I was planning a 4P16S battery layout. (64 cells) You are doing dual 2p16s (64 cells) battery packs? Do you feel doing it that way is better, equal to or doesn’t make a difference to a 4P16s layout? Using one Batrium BMS and monitoring each group, how many cellmon 8’s are you using?
Thanks for the link to the second last storage form so that I can do a little bit more research on how to monitor the Batrium with the raspberry pi style set up.
I should also note that do have dual Sol-Ark 12k’s stacked in parallel. As for needing 300 to 500 amps, that would be peak if everything were to kick on at once. Obviously we know that is not real world. After reading your reply I guess I should clarify that and it was my mistake not to state that more clearly. And that is probably on the high side as I do not have a complete list of everything yet, therefore I guess I am over sizing my solar system and my battery pack as well.
 
@Shawn Hayes So the Batrium does not connect to the Sol-Ark. I confirmed the other month since they (Sol-Ark) had listed Batrium as a partner but they have since updated their page & pulled the name. Supposedly Orion works but I do not know anyone with that setup outside of @Ampster but I don't think he wants to switch out his Outback for a Sol-Ark yet... ;-) The graphs that I have shared on the forum are strictly from the Batrium that I monitor via a RPI that stores the data in influx DB and feed grafana which is the display/visual. This was built roughly a year ago and the bulk of my 'learning' came from this forum: https://secondlifestorage.com/

I have a Watchmon4 with the cell mon 8s, monitoring a total of 32 cell groups, 2 banks of 2p16s (64 total cells), expensive setup. I oversized my total storage to stay well within the upper and lower rated limits of the cells, 3.385 and 3.05. In that range I have not seen my cells deviate more than .01-.02 mv and as a result the Batrium has done 0 balancing. I have not taken advantage of the relays but have plans to in the future. In short I am under utilizing the features that I paid for. I think if I had a different cell chemistry, the ones that go boom, then I would leverage out of the box more of the BMS features and/or the BMS would be 'working' like balancing cells but these LifePO4 cells have been outstanding in every way.

BTW - a 300-500a draw is a crazy amount that would exceed the sol-ark 12k, ex. 500a * 53v is 26.5kw.. you would need at a min. 2 Sol-Arks to hit that amount, assuming that is a surge, which only can be sustained for 10 secs or so I believe.
@solardad i was curious about cellmon 8 vs the longmons? Why you chose the 8? It seems the 8’s are the obvious choice because they’re easier to mount to the batteries. Just curious of your thoughts?
thanks for the great info btw...
 
@solardad i was curious about cellmon 8 vs the longmons? Why you chose the 8? It seems the 8’s are the obvious choice because they’re easier to mount to the batteries. Just curious of your thoughts?
thanks for the great info btw...
What you said - "the obvious choice". longmons in my view are perfect for 18650 packs due to their dimensions, cellmon 8s are perfect due to their dimensions for prismatic cells.
 
I oversized my total storage to stay well within the upper and lower rated limits of the cells, 3.385 and 3.05. In that range I have not seen my cells deviate more than .01-.02 mv and as a result the Batrium has done 0 balancing.
@solardad so would your 3.385 (around 99%) be set @ 54 volts, that’s your 100%.
Also your 3.05 (around 10%) is set around 49 volts be your 10%?
I was planning a 4P16S battery layout. (64 cells) You are doing dual 2p16s (64 cells) battery packs? Do you feel doing it that way is better, equal to or doesn’t make a difference to a 4P16s layout? Using one Batrium BMS and monitoring each group, how many cellmon 8’s are you using?
 
@solardad so would your 3.385 (around 99%) be set @ 54 volts, that’s your 100%.
Also your 3.05 (around 10%) is set around 49 volts be your 10%?
I was planning a 4P16S battery layout. (64 cells) You are doing dual 2p16s (64 cells) battery packs? Do you feel doing it that way is better, equal to or doesn’t make a difference to a 4P16s layout? Using one Batrium BMS and monitoring each group, how many cellmon 8’s are you using?

@Shawn Hayes Here are my settings:

Absorption: 54.5v (3.406 / cell)
Float: 53.8 (3.3625 / cell)

(see screenshot for everything else)

I use Smart Grid mode and my shutoff is 49.6v

WRT battery layout - I don't think it matters outside of the extra cabling / breakers / fuses and that fact that the batrium will have that much more to try and balance if needed. I think the key with any setup is the initial balance and confirmation of any weak / runaway cells. Ideally you weed those out and you should be good to go. In my case I had one cell that was weak that I ended up pulling out for peace of mind but in reality I probably would've been fine given my gingerly settings. In my case I have 32 cell mons given the 2 X 2p16s setup, one on each 2p group (total of 32)

Also do you have a build thread started? I wouldn't mind seeing your setup given you have two Sol-Arks.
Screen Shot 2021-05-13 at 7.25.52 PM.png
 
@Shawn Hayes Here are my settings:

Absorption: 54.5v (3.406 / cell)
Float: 53.8 (3.3625 / cell)

(see screenshot for everything else)

I use Smart Grid mode and my shutoff is 49.6v

WRT battery layout - I don't think it matters outside of the extra cabling / breakers / fuses and that fact that the batrium will have that much more to try and balance if needed. I think the key with any setup is the initial balance and confirmation of any weak / runaway cells. Ideally you weed those out and you should be good to go. In my case I had one cell that was weak that I ended up pulling out for peace of mind but in reality I probably would've been fine given my gingerly settings. In my case I have 32 cell mons given the 2 X 2p16s setup, one on each 2p group (total of 32)

Also do you have a build thread started? I wouldn't mind seeing your setup given you have two Sol-Arks.
View attachment 48908
@solardad Thanks for sending the screenshot and your actual Settings, that helps!!
As for the battery layout, the advantage to me for doing a dual 2p16s layout is the fact that if something happened to one bank you still have another 48 V bank to operate with. So it made me think about if I really wanted all 64 of my batteries in one bank.
In doing a 4p16s bank, I was thinking that I would only need one cellmon 8 per 4p cell group, being in parallel the voltage is shared. My concern is what if you develop a “bad” cell in a 4p group? You may not know it if I’m only “monitoring” each group, not each cell?
I do not have a build thread. I did have my system installed by a professional. It was too much for me!! It was only early January I started getting really deep into learning more about the battery setup & options. Since getting on forums I’ve learned so much, but I still do not think I could installed my entire system myself. However I have discovered that the LiFePo4 batteries seem to be my most cost effective option that gives you the most kilowatt hours. I am completely off grid, however we did include an option for grid connection if we ever had/decided to do that at some point. But that is not my objective. Here are a few pictures: Manual throw switch to use for solar or generator only if solar is down for any reason, a 20-KW Cummings Oman propane generator, critical loads combiner panel, grid combiner panel (if ever connected to grid) and a manual grid only or solar/generator only switch. I’m only using 4 AGM batteries for temp power, that’s why I am now working on getting the LiFePo4 info, batteries and other items needed to build my battery bank. Hopefully around 57kwh. So I can use all the info/experience on this forum as I can get.
0C4D38E2-6753-4AAD-9455-A9FACAC36755.jpeg0F03E88C-4660-4D3E-B263-FB5A0565875B.jpeg616FE20E-F74E-4CEE-B7A4-3FC87EC73D46.jpeg26545B75-D27F-4B45-AD01-795D7B315047.jpegCDCDB0E6-E3AE-4549-8D90-E3C10F5CE762.jpeg
F61A32E4-FFBF-4F73-8B5F-633D2DD3BB53.jpeg
 
@solardad Thanks for sending the screenshot and your actual Settings, that helps!!
As for the battery layout, the advantage to me for doing a dual 2p16s layout is the fact that if something happened to one bank you still have another 48 V bank to operate with. So it made me think about if I really wanted all 64 of my batteries in one bank.
In doing a 4p16s bank, I was thinking that I would only need one cellmon 8 per 4p cell group, being in parallel the voltage is shared. My concern is what if you develop a “bad” cell in a 4p group? You may not know it if I’m only “monitoring” each group, not each cell?
I do not have a build thread. I did have my system installed by a professional. It was too much for me!! It was only early January I started getting really deep into learning more about the battery setup & options. Since getting on forums I’ve learned so much, but I still do not think I could installed my entire system myself. However I have discovered that the LiFePo4 batteries seem to be my most cost effective option that gives you the most kilowatt hours. I am completely off grid, however we did include an option for grid connection if we ever had/decided to do that at some point. But that is not my objective. Here are a few pictures: Manual throw switch to use for solar or generator only if solar is down for any reason, a 20-KW Cummings Oman propane generator, critical loads combiner panel, grid combiner panel (if ever connected to grid) and a manual grid only or solar/generator only switch. I’m only using 4 AGM batteries for temp power, that’s why I am now working on getting the LiFePo4 info, batteries and other items needed to build my battery bank. Hopefully around 57kwh. So I can use all the info/experience on this forum as I can get.
View attachment 48915View attachment 48916View attachment 48917View attachment 48918View attachment 48919
View attachment 48920
That is a nice and clean setup. Very impressive!
 
I don't think it matters outside of the extra cabling / breakers / fuses and
@solardad
Just curious if you (and others) will share more info on how folks do battery cabling, breakers & fusing? I know some people do things differently? This is the area where I’d like input on what’s best. Pictures are great or diagrams either...
I am thinking a high amp DC main switch or disconnect and/or high amp fuse between the batteries and Sol-Ark, closest to the batteries. So any experience with a higher amp & 48v battery setup would be greatly welcomed.
I know named brand items are more dependable than generic electronic parts.
 
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