diy solar

diy solar

Search results

  1. W

    Growatt SPF 5000 ES not respecting settings

    I think it is more likely that your batteries are the issue. If you have a BMS that averages, and your batteries are 18%, 23% and 25%, the master BMS should be reporting 22% to the Growatt If you have a BMS that sends the highest under charge, and the lowest under discharge, you will get either...
  2. W

    Power station build - choosing battery

    Late to reply again sorry, but yes, I believe the probability of getting exactly what you paid for when you are a one-time purchaser are very low. "one-time purchaser" is not a slight or pejorative, its just a fact that you won't be on anyones top-buyer list like a retailer or wholesaler might...
  3. W

    Power station build - choosing battery

    With respect to your copy/pasta from alibaba.com ... I've said it before, but i think it's still valid; getting ripped off when you have no pre-existing relationship with a foreign supplier is the norm (for some countries), particularly for cells/batteries, where B,C,D grades etc are hard to...
  4. W

    Learner set up

    @NZ12VOLT What's your cell number?
  5. W

    QR decoder parsing differences

    Yay for good deductive reasoning. Top marks to @zcskywire2 That would have been easier if the cell manufacturer had the info in an open format easily available.
  6. W

    QR decoder parsing differences

    A QR code is just bytes, with a particular encoding (and represented graphically). That might be text, symbols, binary, characters from various ASCII code pages - it all depends on the author's decisions. This is the same issue with computer files - the file is only unambiguous if the file...
  7. W

    What is a combined MPPT/PWM Solar Charge Controller 100A?

    To veer off topic for a moment ... To some extent, there is a valid justification to using the acronym "PWM" in the specs of an MPPT controller, but no justification or weasel-words that will make it ok to add "MPPT" to a PWM controller specs. With a true MPPT controller, there is a PWM element...
  8. W

    LOLs on this controller

    @pollenface : Can you list some brands with fans? I've never seen one with a fan, but a quick search found a Kavolet on Amazon with a fan, and one self-branded one from FAZCORP (a NZ solar retailer) and some plans to 3d print a cowling for small computer fans to help a victron stay cool.
  9. W

    LOLs on this controller

    Here's a trader on TradeMe that is claiming that PWM are the most common controller used, and this is because they "do not use moving parts like MPPT controller" Do any of you have enough PHDs between you to work out which are the "moving parts" in an MPPT controller? Maybe the trader is...
  10. W

    Pylontech battery in parallel with DIY Battery

    From what i have learnt, with CAN, the inverter is passive and just listens. The BMS sends periodic messages, so the inverter just needs to know which protocol to expect. The requirements seem to be only 2 things; correct protocol set on the inverter, and messages arrive in a timely manner...
  11. W

    LOLs on this controller

    Sad news for everyone on the forum (and members of the public who are not aware of the scam); In typical TradeMe style, it seem that our comedian trader on TradeMe has been shut down, but the scam sellers are still up. Another case of TradeMe shooting the messenger, blessing the scammers.
  12. W

    LOLs on this controller

    @pollenface : What problems did you have? I've designed/installed/troubleshoot many epevers, and other than a small number of outright failures (battery terminals becoming short circuited, or the dreaded click-click but no screen, or just totally dead) i've had few issues. The Epever do seem to...
  13. W

    Have I stuffed up this LiFePO4 cell?

    @RLP : Not sure where you are in NZ, but give the guy at roar power a call - he has lent me time on his cell testing machine to check 8 cells on a 24v battery for me, and found a bad cell. He might also have spare cells that might be a match for your cells, as i know they have EVE cells in some...
  14. W

    Victron MPPT over panelling

    Bjorn; That's a good point, but lets take that (impractical) idea further; what size fuse would you use? Lets say you have a 100/30, and your panels are a massive array of panels with pairs of my current favourite panel ( 430w N-Type TOPCon, with 30 year linear power output warranty ) which has...
  15. W

    Victron MPPT over panelling

    I feel that some forum viewers might have missed some points on how the SCC works (this applies to Victron but maybe not other SCC); All this is presumed to be at STC - Standard Test Conditions - and your conditions may be above this, but probably below it. The panels produce a Voc when in full...
  16. W

    LOLs on this controller

    They are at it again ... you have to applaud the creativity in the listings. Reading the listings, it seems to me that they are frustrated with TradeMe staff not doing any policing of fraudulent listings. I've noticed that since TradeMe were aquired by Fairfax in 2006, Fairfax (or the TradeMe...
  17. W

    Learner set up

    Also ... great to see he has used a label kit. This could save somebody a lot of head scratching, because although its all sooooooo obvious to everybody here, to somebody new to solar every box looks the same, and every wire looks the same gauge. Its also a huge help when a user is at the other...
  18. W

    Learner set up

    Hi @NZ12VOLT , your system is looking fantastic. You have a well optimised layout with tidy wiring. The ASNZ code says that cabling has to be supported at least every 300mm (ie secured to the wall, in conduit, in cable trays, or some other method that prevents something pulling on the wires...
  19. W

    147 volts dc will not pass thru breaker (yes, breaker is on)

    Connector location is important too - the MC4's should be fine in all weather, but i prefer to help the MC4 out (and also make for a tidy installation) by using stainless cable clips to keep the cables hidden under the panel frame, out of the sun and rain. In NZ, the regs say that on a roof...
  20. W

    Storing heat in sand?

    @MyK3y - how are you getting on with this project? I have a couple of acquaintances trying similar projects
  21. W

    Solar Economy, is it healthy?

    This might be of interest to Australian/NZ installers (but i would expect they already know as it has been discussed very often); AS/NZS 5033:2021 has been updated, removing the mandate for DC isolators to be installed on household solar systems if other safety measures are followed. These...
  22. W

    Off-grid and happy, can you guess what inverter I am using?

    One nice feature of the victron; wireless (bluetooth, on SmartSolar devices) between controllers enables them to talk and sync their mode changes, so a RAIC is possible (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Controllers, an acronym I just made up). I've plotted the numbers (for NZ dollars, before the...
  23. W

    off grid system

    Late to the party here, but getting ripped off when you have no pre-existing relationship with a foreign supplier is the norm (for some countries), particularly for components like inverters, panels, and cells/batteries, where B,C,D grades etc are hard to spot from A grade. Not so bad for...
  24. W

    Victron Charge Controller Price Crash

    That opinion doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. Maybe its a USA thing. I don't know who you mean by "other popular brand products" but Victron is a brand i know, and although i've lived in UK and USA for short stints, NZ is a market I know. "Influencers" in NZ aren't a big thing - most people...
  25. W

    Learner set up

    Tracer Manual I think this covers all the Epever Tracer controllers.
  26. W

    Learner set up

    Don't give up, we're nearly there! Page 18 of your manual tells you what depends on what. I'll try to attach a copy so everyone can see too. I think there may be other "this-depends-on-that-setting" too, that are not in the manual. Let me know what your Equalize charging voltage is set to - if...
  27. W

    Learner set up

    I think @Rednecktek was meaning the charging voltage should be 13.8, not the eq voltage, and your charge voltage is already 13.8. Your charge controller will have (for lead batteries) three modes; normal charging (it outputs the "charge limit voltage", 14.6v for you), equalisation (14.6v for...
  28. W

    Learner set up

    Yeah - There's a lot of that on the web, we all need to get better at quoting our sources. At least when you try to quote your source, and it starts with "someone told me ... " rather than "the manufacturer of XYZ battery says ..." you can jolt yourself into rethinking the validity of the idea...
  29. W

    Learner set up

    Thanks @Rednecktek - That's a good prompt to discuss battery life. Generally, regardless of the chemistry of the battery, the lower you set your charge limit, and the higher you set your discharge limit, the longer the battery will live for. The flip side to that is that you have paid some $...
  30. W

    Learner set up

    If you are getting over-voltage problems with your inverter, change the Equalization voltage to 14.4, then save, then change charging voltage to 14.4, save, then wait for full sun, full battery, and see if the error still exists. Repeat the process, going down by 0.1v at a time, you should be...
  31. W

    Learner set up

    All the settings can be changed- its just that some are only allowed to be in a range, and often the lower or upper bounds are set by other settings. For example i think you can't change the charging voltage to 14.5 while the Equalization voltage is 14.6 - you have to change Equalization voltage...
  32. W

    Learner set up

    Great documentation. I'll make one post per settings so that others can disagree or comment "Equalize duration 0 minutes, because 1 battery not 2" Equalization is to bring each cell up to the same voltage as the others. On a flooded lead battery you boil the crap out of the cells to do...
  33. W

    Learner set up

    Thats cool NZ12volt - lots of people use these, they just don't last too long but if we can get your settings perfect you can get a good life out of it. The great thing about car batteries is that the scrap value is about $5nzd. A scrap battery might not start a car (100A to 300A or even more...
  34. W

    Learner set up

    @NZ12VOLT - remind me; what is your battery chemistry?
  35. W

    Learner set up

    That looks like an Epever MT50 display unit. With the Epever controllers, there are a bunch of rules (for example, Undervoltage reset has to be greater than the undervoltage alarm), and the Epever isn't very user friendly when it comes to telling you which rule you have broken. I find that when...

diy solar

diy solar
Back
Top