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EG4 18kPV Q+A general thread

Gavin Stone said:
I still haven’t. I meant to test it weeks ago. I’ll have to put that on the list. Unless someone else has info on it.
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rhino said:
Has the 18kPV been tested to see if it has any power on the PV lines when connected to battery and/or grid and the PV array is disconnected (so there should not be any power on the PV lines). This is an issue on some other AIOs and people have been shocked because of this and wondered if this was addressed with the 18kPV.
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Not as the correct way of doing so here and in my experience would not trust my findings but this is what I did: I have an array mounted to a hay wagon. I move it around to follow the sun at times. On this particular evening one of my wheels got on top of pv wires pulling them apart at mc4 connectors. It was pitch black dark (night time) at the time this happened. In the dark I reconnected my lines with new mc4 connectors touching the bar copper lines with my fingers and reinstalled the lines together. After wards I realized the 18kpv was still running and powering loads. My lines do go to a combiner box but I had not shut off any thing before hand. I never felt any tingle what so ever. I don't recommend any one trying to do this period and might open up some critical thinkers here calling me a dumb dumb but nothing happened. My combiner box is grounded not that it matters.
 
Farm Boy said:
Not as the correct way of doing so here and in my experience would not trust my findings but this is what I did: I have an array mounted to a hay wagon. I move it around to follow the sun at times. On this particular evening one of my wheels got on top of pv wires pulling them apart at mc4 connectors. It was pitch black dark (night time) at the time this happened. In the dark I reconnected my lines with new mc4 connectors touching the bar copper lines with my fingers and reinstalled the lines together. After wards I realized the 18kpv was still running and powering loads. My lines do go to a combiner box but I had not shut off any thing before hand. I never felt any tingle what so ever. I don't recommend any one trying to do this period and might open up some critical thinkers here calling me a dumb dumb but nothing happened. My combiner box is grounded not that it matters.
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PV mounted to a hay wagon that rolls around the pasture. The epitome of "Try that in a small town".
 
hi,
Is it possible to use time of use settings to charge/discharge the battery? I get free power after 8 pm so I would like to charge the battery after 8 pm and discharge starting at 7 a.m. From reading the manual, it looks like it is supported. Just want to know if anyone is using this setting. Apologize in advance if a similar question has been answered here.

page 59:

thank you
 
one more question. Does the input have to be 100A? A little confusing. I only have 40 amps(8 AWG) coming to from the subpanel and don't plan to change the wiring at this time
1690769307578.png
 
ohsolar said:
hi,
Is it possible to use time of use settings to charge/discharge the battery? I get free power after 8 pm so I would like to charge the battery after 8 pm and discharge starting at 7 a.m. From reading the manual, it looks like it is supported. Just want to know if anyone is using this setting. Apologize in advance if a similar question has been answered here.

page 59:

thank you
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I recall reading...somebody does that because they get free power after 8 or 9 pm
 
Markus_SignatureSolar said:
You can do a 60amp feeder but if you are using the 200amp pass through then that won’t be good will it.
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so right now what i have is

main panel -->8awg/40 breaker --> victron multiplus 3k --> subpanel (40 amp breaker) (120v)

want to change to
main panel -->8awg/40 breaker --> eg4 18k/Schneider 6k xw pro --> subpanel(40 amp breaker) (240v)

this should work right?
 
Yes that will be okay because the circuit breaker will protect the wire and that is what you are trying to do. However you will need to limit the power draw of your inverter otherwise it could try and pull too much and keep tripping your circuit breaker. The setting in the eg4 would be peak grid shaving I think. And/or limit the charging current.
 
ohsolar said:
so right now what i have is

main panel -->8awg/40 breaker --> victron multiplus 3k --> subpanel (40 amp breaker) (120v)

want to change to
main panel -->8awg/40 breaker --> eg4 18k/Schneider 6k xw pro --> subpanel(40 amp breaker) (240v)

this should work right?
Click to expand...
as long as you limit input amps to 50 and have a breaker on the input side it is fine
 
ohsolar said:
one more question. Does the input have to be 100A? A little confusing. I only have 40 amps(8 AWG) coming to from the subpanel and don't plan to change the wiring at this time
View attachment 160245
Click to expand...
no it does not have to be 100 or 200a but many run the entire house on teh 18kpv as it can pass 200a from the grid to the house. if you have yours wired from a breaker in the panel or a sub-panel it can be feed with less amps but can only power that amount of load from grid. solar or battery will be determined by the amount of each you have connected to the inverter. just remember if you're feeding it from a sub panel then where are you connecting the load to? another sub-panel?
 
rmacgurn said:
no it does not have to be 100 or 200a but many run the entire house on teh 18kpv as it can pass 200a from the grid to the house. if you have yours wired from a breaker in the panel or a sub-panel it can be feed with less amps but can only power that amount of load from grid. solar or battery will be determined by the amount of each you have connected to the inverter. just remember if you're feeding it from a sub panel then where are you connecting the load to? another sub-panel?
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cool
main panel -->8awg/40 breaker --> victron multiplus 3k --> subpanel (40 amp breaker) (120v) --> critical loads

so the subpanel has the critical loads and they do work just that they are only on one phase(120v). With the 240v, i should be able to use both phases and run heavier loads (like an AC with the softstarter)
 
ohsolar said:
cool
main panel -->8awg/40 breaker --> victron multiplus 3k --> subpanel (40 amp breaker) (120v) --> critical loads

so the subpanel has the critical loads and they do work just that they are only on one phase(120v). With the 240v, i should be able to use both phases and run heavier loads (like an AC with the softstarter)
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if using mini splits with high seer then they only draw 6-9amps (12,000 to 18,000 btu) on 240V, no experience with 120V ac units.
 
rmacgurn said:
if using mini splits with high seer then they only draw 6-9amps (12,000 to 18,000 btu) on 240V, no experience with 120V ac units.
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Will be upgrading to 240
main panel -->8awg/40 breaker --> eg4 18k/Schneider 6k xw pro --> subpanel(40 amp breaker) (240v)

and will try to get my AC unit on it(already with softstart on it). With softstart LRA 30A. RLA around 12A. Hopefully it all works :)
 
Anyone know anything about the grid charging the battery when ac grid charge isnt checked? Its on pv charge first.

Also if I turn off the breaker from the grid it shuts down the load side. Until I reset the inverter then it transfers over to ups correctly. It does this daily. Normal light is on no alarms.
 
JonathanW said:
Also if I turn off the breaker from the grid it shuts down the load side. Until I reset the inverter then it transfers over to ups correctly. It does this daily. Normal light is on no alarms.
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Do you have "run without grid" checked?
 
Zapper77 said:
What's your grid cutoff SOC/voltage set at under discharging?
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I’ve played with it. Set it 0 SOC 50v etc doesn’t seem to have any affect.

Yes run without grid is checked.


It transfers correctly after the inverter resets
 
JonathanW said:
I’ve played with it. Set it 0 SOC 50v etc doesn’t seem to have any affect.

Yes run without grid is checked.


It transfers correctly after the inverter resets
Click to expand...
Did your batteries drop below the grid cutoff set point prior to having the issue?
 
JonathanW said:
Anyone know anything about the grid charging the battery when ac grid charge isnt checked? Its on pv charge first.

Also if I turn off the breaker from the grid it shuts down the load side. Until I reset the inverter then it transfers over to ups correctly. It does this daily. Normal light is on no alarms.
Click to expand...
what firmware are you on? FAAB-1010, FAAB-1011, fAAB-1010, fAAB-1011 don't have grid assist unless you enable grid sell.
make sure when you are not using battery closed communication with the inverter you must select Battery charge/discharge control: VOLT not SOC.
CHARGE FIRST (PV) is when you don't want to discharge the battery to support the load.
if you are using Battery charge/discharge control: VOLT and you don't want to charge the battery from the grid, when On Grid Cut Off is reach, make sure the Derate Vbatt (V) is 1 volt less than the On Grid Cut Off.
If you are using SOC, try setting the On Grid Cut Off (20%) higher than the Off Grid Cut Off (15%)..
 
@Luxpower_Gilbert I see a limitation in the product when using battery banks with different BMS vendors. It seems like this product does not have its own internal coulomb counter and hence can only use voltage and not SOC control. Is there a spare serial port on this device that could connect to an external shunt like the victron smart shunt to get SOC as a way to use SOC control?

Currently I have an Outback Skybox and it does internal SOC calculations even without battery communications.

1690968578933.png
 
goldserve said:
@Luxpower_Gilbert I see a limitation in the product when using battery banks with different BMS vendors. It seems like this product does not have its own internal coulomb counter and hence can only use voltage and not SOC control. Is there a spare serial port on this device that could connect to an external shunt like the victron smart shunt to get SOC as a way to use SOC control?

Currently I have an Outback Skybox and it does internal SOC calculations even without battery communications.
Click to expand...
I have reported this too and I know it is on the list of improvements.
Right now my EG4 says 80%, direct BMS says 64% and my shunt says 65%.
 
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