Batrium is great for 16s+, 32 cell+ systems. For our large property high voltage gets you further distances with less voltage drop. 48v was my goal from day one for our ground mount system. We are fully off grid which meant we needed a lot of kwh. But how do you manage 32 cells, or even more in the future?
We chose MPP bc of a long history of working off grid in Australia for over a decade. Easy generator start/backup, all in one, etc. I got 2 6000w inverters for $2200. You can make the LV6548s do split phase 240v for normal american breaker panels or use one inverter for 120v single phase to each leg in the panel if you don't have 240v appliances. Then I have a backup inverter (our current situation). It also does 250v DC for long distances from the panels, 8000w max, plenty to charge 28kwh w one inverter. Although two would be great when I get the other 24 panels up.
BMS options for large batteries:
The Chargey BMS is great and my second choice, but it needs 4 SSRs to address heat issues and power at all ends effectively for two 16s batteries. They don't communicate between 16s batteries paralleled and the cost was going to be $850ish.
Daly are more prone to break and still has the parallel issue, but can do 16s. $175 each for 300amps out.
Overkill BMS does max 8s
Electrodaucus didn't have 16s 48v and only had 8s at the time, and wasn't setup do do 32 cells
That lead me to Batrium which doesn't have the current run through the device like Daly or Chargery. Which one do you need and what's up with all the names. I went to the site and scratched my head for 2 hours until I found the comparison video. The parts all cost too much but without all the cell monitors its a bit cheaper ang priced like the chargery but can do 32 cells together.
Basic explanations:
Mon = think cell "monitor"
Leaf mon = Nissan leaf monitors
They connect to a mini computer = watch mon
Long mons and blockmon M8s are other monitors like a leaf mon, but that attach to block type cells that have m8 posts or are long cylinders for example.
Then came the watchmon 4 " wm4" video and I knew I had what I needed, but it only did 15s. Hu? Why? WTF? Well it was to work with batteries that had 15 cells. The Chinese calb/eve/Lichen cells in 16s to make 48v hadn't gotten cheap and popular yet.
So I emailed them and the funny ladies at batrium kept me updated on a new 16s system that was in the works. I wouldnt need all the expensive monitor attachments, just balancing wires like the wm4. It became the Watchmon Core (computer) and K9 (16s monitor)
K9 and costs:
With the k9 you can do 16s and have six of those batteries. That would be 84kwh. Without all the exspenive leaf mons, long mons, etc, the price for the Core with shunt, expansion relay board, and two K9s was $850. Oh and it had a testmon which tells you if all your balance leads are setup correctly so you don't fry your bms. You can get that price down for 32 cells to about $650 without the shunt, relay expansion board.
Support:
I ran into a known MPP usb glitch that prevented me from updating the core firmware but Maxine at Batrium figured that out quickly for me. I sent her a youtube video of my setup and what I tried to do and where I got stuck. She seemed to know the issue right away.
Amazing Software:
The software has a lot of check and balances, pun intended. It has a lot of auto features to update firmware easily. There is a wizard for the setup, tool sections, etc. It's super easy and even wifi setup and remote monitoring with that wifi was a breeze like setting up a fire stick or chromecast. With the shunt I just can't get watts produced and used separately from the inverter just an average + or - going in or out of the battery. All the data was great for remote monitoring my solar shed in the house until I figured out the glitch with the MPP watchpower wifi app.
Final wish:
My wish is unrealistic - My biggest con/wish is for a dozen hours of videos explaining everything and that they were smaller videos organize by name rather than how to install "device name". Some wm4, wm5, or core videos show different settings like shunt, soc estimates at first startup, and much more.
There is just so much, like what the white light on the core means vs blue,
what all the settings in the app do,
what wavy charting of the cell voltages at high SOC means in theory
When to choose active balancing vs letting it just balance on its own all day
Basically enough to teach me
But if you watch all their videos eventually all the parts seem to be discussed somewhere in one of the videos. The help icon in the program is really good too. Also the support articles are good for learning as well. You just have to read and watch everything even non core/k9 stuff.
I'm happy, and the 32 cells look happy. Well, I'm off to bed it's late (1:13am) and I have a 1300 ft fence to start tomorrow, so pardon the grammar.
This was an interesting video for learning:
We chose MPP bc of a long history of working off grid in Australia for over a decade. Easy generator start/backup, all in one, etc. I got 2 6000w inverters for $2200. You can make the LV6548s do split phase 240v for normal american breaker panels or use one inverter for 120v single phase to each leg in the panel if you don't have 240v appliances. Then I have a backup inverter (our current situation). It also does 250v DC for long distances from the panels, 8000w max, plenty to charge 28kwh w one inverter. Although two would be great when I get the other 24 panels up.
BMS options for large batteries:
The Chargey BMS is great and my second choice, but it needs 4 SSRs to address heat issues and power at all ends effectively for two 16s batteries. They don't communicate between 16s batteries paralleled and the cost was going to be $850ish.
Daly are more prone to break and still has the parallel issue, but can do 16s. $175 each for 300amps out.
Overkill BMS does max 8s
Electrodaucus didn't have 16s 48v and only had 8s at the time, and wasn't setup do do 32 cells
That lead me to Batrium which doesn't have the current run through the device like Daly or Chargery. Which one do you need and what's up with all the names. I went to the site and scratched my head for 2 hours until I found the comparison video. The parts all cost too much but without all the cell monitors its a bit cheaper ang priced like the chargery but can do 32 cells together.
Basic explanations:
Mon = think cell "monitor"
Leaf mon = Nissan leaf monitors
They connect to a mini computer = watch mon
Long mons and blockmon M8s are other monitors like a leaf mon, but that attach to block type cells that have m8 posts or are long cylinders for example.
Then came the watchmon 4 " wm4" video and I knew I had what I needed, but it only did 15s. Hu? Why? WTF? Well it was to work with batteries that had 15 cells. The Chinese calb/eve/Lichen cells in 16s to make 48v hadn't gotten cheap and popular yet.
So I emailed them and the funny ladies at batrium kept me updated on a new 16s system that was in the works. I wouldnt need all the expensive monitor attachments, just balancing wires like the wm4. It became the Watchmon Core (computer) and K9 (16s monitor)
K9 and costs:
With the k9 you can do 16s and have six of those batteries. That would be 84kwh. Without all the exspenive leaf mons, long mons, etc, the price for the Core with shunt, expansion relay board, and two K9s was $850. Oh and it had a testmon which tells you if all your balance leads are setup correctly so you don't fry your bms. You can get that price down for 32 cells to about $650 without the shunt, relay expansion board.
Support:
I ran into a known MPP usb glitch that prevented me from updating the core firmware but Maxine at Batrium figured that out quickly for me. I sent her a youtube video of my setup and what I tried to do and where I got stuck. She seemed to know the issue right away.
Amazing Software:
The software has a lot of check and balances, pun intended. It has a lot of auto features to update firmware easily. There is a wizard for the setup, tool sections, etc. It's super easy and even wifi setup and remote monitoring with that wifi was a breeze like setting up a fire stick or chromecast. With the shunt I just can't get watts produced and used separately from the inverter just an average + or - going in or out of the battery. All the data was great for remote monitoring my solar shed in the house until I figured out the glitch with the MPP watchpower wifi app.
Final wish:
My wish is unrealistic - My biggest con/wish is for a dozen hours of videos explaining everything and that they were smaller videos organize by name rather than how to install "device name". Some wm4, wm5, or core videos show different settings like shunt, soc estimates at first startup, and much more.
There is just so much, like what the white light on the core means vs blue,
what all the settings in the app do,
what wavy charting of the cell voltages at high SOC means in theory
When to choose active balancing vs letting it just balance on its own all day
Basically enough to teach me
But if you watch all their videos eventually all the parts seem to be discussed somewhere in one of the videos. The help icon in the program is really good too. Also the support articles are good for learning as well. You just have to read and watch everything even non core/k9 stuff.
I'm happy, and the 32 cells look happy. Well, I'm off to bed it's late (1:13am) and I have a 1300 ft fence to start tomorrow, so pardon the grammar.
This was an interesting video for learning:
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