EG4 6000XP practical with 115VDC?

[AZ Solar Junkie]

I have a 4000 watt array. My first ounce of solar starts at 60 watts

By usable, I meant when it actually starts

It starts tracking / pulling in some power at around 120 volts...

Here's my pitiful solar coming in right now due to the sun angle shading most of my panels by the house. I can't do anything about it - have the panels in the backyard as far from the house as I can get them. They get full sun in the summer, but are sadly mostly shaded all day by November.

 

[ATX]

I have a 4000 watt array. My first ounce of solar starts at 60 watts

By usable, I meant when it actually starts

Any idea what is the PV input voltage at 60W? Because EF Delta Pro starts at 40W, its mppt ranges from 12v-150v.
Edit: Thanks for posting the screenshot of power and voltage

 

[ATX]

It starts tracking / pulling in some power at around 120 volts...

Here's my pitiful solar coming in right now due to the sun angle shading most of my panels by the house. I can't do anything about it - have the panels in the backyard as far from the house as I can get them. They get full sun in the summer, but are sadly mostly shaded all day by November.
View attachment 181564

Thank you for this!! I have two arrays in the backyard facing West and South because of shading and for flattening the curve since Delta pro’s MPPT is limited.

 

[HighTechLab]

I just found that the MPPT won't start drawing current whatsoever unless the voltage was above 125.0v, and when the MPPT started at 125V, once the voltage dropped below 122v then the MPPT stopped drawing power from the supply.

More than happy to make a video on this a bit later, but I did this test on the demo unit right in the middle of tech support while they were on the phone. Not exactly a studio-quality environment.

 

[n2aws]

I just found that the MPPT won't start drawing current whatsoever unless the voltage was above 125.0v, and when the MPPT started at 125V, once the voltage dropped below 122v then the MPPT stopped drawing power from the supply.

More than happy to make a video on this a bit later, but I did this test on the demo unit right in the middle of tech support while they were on the phone. Not exactly a studio-quality environment.

this is great info!

 

[cs1234]

Thank you for this!! I have two arrays in the backyard facing West and South because of shading and for flattening the curve since Delta pro’s MPPT is limited.

You could put both arrays on the same circuit if you found some solaredge optimizers (which will convert each panel to 40vdc output), even with them facing different directions.. you would also need the key / piece of equipment that tells them to run even without communication with a solaredge inverter.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong in how solaredge optimizers work. My impression is they will make every panel on your system output 40vdc at whatever amperage it can get from them. So in ATX's case, if they series all six of their panels with solaredge optimizers (and the pieces that lets them run with non solaredge inverters), they would have 240vdc (almost all the time) at whatever amperage each panel supplies, added up.

 

[ATX]

I just found that the MPPT won't start drawing current whatsoever unless the voltage was above 125.0v, and when the MPPT started at 125V, once the voltage dropped below 122v then the MPPT stopped drawing power from the supply.

More than happy to make a video on this a bit later, but I did this test on the demo unit right in the middle of tech support while they were on the phone. Not exactly a studio-quality environment.

Your test settles it! No need to bother putting together a video.

Glad you validated this for me. 122V is considerably higher 100V (+-) 10% that EG4 has on their documentation.

 

[Quattrohead]

Forget about the solaredge optimizers without an actual solar edge inverter, that key does not exist in the USA and never has.
Perfect test Dexter, thank you.

 

[cs1234]

Forget about the solaredge optimizers without an actual solar edge inverter, that key does not exist in the USA and never has.
Perfect test Dexter, thank you.

That's too bad.

 

[ATX]

You could put both arrays on the same circuit if you found some solaredge optimizers (which will convert each panel to 40vdc output), even with them facing different directions.. you would also need the key / piece of equipment that tells them to run even without communication with a solaredge inverter.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong in how solaredge optimizers work. My impression is they will make every panel on your system output 40vdc at whatever amperage it can get from them. So in ATX's case, if they series all six of their panels with solaredge optimizers (and the pieces that lets them run with non solaredge inverters), they would have 240vdc (almost all the time) at whatever amperage each panel supplies, added up.

Thank you for thinking on this. My preference is to invest in storage, that's really what gravitated me towards PowerPro+6000xp.

@HighTechLab - Can a firmware update lower the starting voltage? Is your Demo unit up to date?

 

[zanydroid]

Forget about the solaredge optimizers without an actual solar edge inverter, that key does not exist in the USA and never has.

You can buy hacked SE optimizers on AliExpress to adapt panel voltage to a voltage you ask them for and with RSD disabled. There’s a few threads here talking about it. Of course this is not a code compliant approach.

Presumably they have some variant of the mythical key.

 

[yabert]

I have 3 panels in series and no room to expand.

What about higher voltage panel like SunPower E20-435-COM who give 73-85V?
Seem like an expense who can simplified many things.

 

[HighTechLab]

@HighTechLab - Can a firmware update lower the starting voltage? Is your Demo unit up to date?

Ah, good point. I just asked my team to update it.

EDIT: updated firmware, low-voltage did not change, but it seemed to track things a bit quicker and more consistent. May be the placebo effect but I would say it's a good idea to do a firmware update.

 

[ATX]

What about higher voltage panel like SunPower E20-435-COM who give 73-85V?
Seem like an expense who can simplified many things.

Oh not reinstalling the array! I'll save energy left for 300lb power pro ? and wait for 3000xp

 

[Quattrohead]

Here is the MPPT startup on my Lux 12k/EG4 18kPV. Sorry I chopped the top, it's voltage, current and power.
It is cloudy today.

 

[42OhmsPA]

For comparison sake to 'tier 2' equipment I'm attaching my SRNE ASF (MPPT wake up is 125V) startup from this morning, foggy and cloudy.
MPPT1 is 240VOC
MPPT2 is ~362VOC, might still have some snow on the panels.

 

[ATX]

Here is the MPPT startup on my Lux 12k/EG4 18kPV. Sorry I chopped the top, it's voltage, current and power.
It is cloudy today.

You have provided excellent information!!!

What are your thoughts on this result? At 6:42a, your EG4 18K started production. The specs below show operating voltage for 18K starts from 100v and at 6.42a, your PV input is exactly 100v!

I am not sure why 6000XP did not fire up at 100V when Hightechlab used power supply.
Question - Is your EG4 showing the exact same power that your array is producing? For e.g. Delta Pro shows less than array output because it subtracts (~100W) for powering itself. My thinking is that, you array may be producing higher voltage than EG4 18K app is showing.

Specs for 18K - https://eg4electronics.com/backend/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/EG4-18KPV-12LV-Spec-Sheet.pdf

 

[timselectric]

Wow, that's a lot of typos. lol

 

[ATX]

For comparison sake to 'tier 2' equipment I'm attaching my SRNE ASF (MPPT wake up is 125V) startup from this morning, foggy and cloudy.
MPPT1 is 240VOC
MPPT2 is ~362VOC, might still have some snow on the panels.

This is great comparison. Its really odd that 6000xp did not wake up at 100v as per specs, even when tier 2 equipment accurately works.

Solar Wizard’s 18K PV did wake up at 100V in his test (not a lab test so still some more vetting needed)

@Will Prowse - Can you please consider testing lower end of PV input voltage of AIO inveters that you review on your YT channel? EG4 6000XP has PV input starting from 100V but it appears to start only at 125V.
Reason: Your testing/review will help customers that have PV array designed under 150V for portable solar generators like Ecoflow delta Pro and interested in expanding their setup using AIO inverter.
Additional info: EG4 18K PV appears to start at 100v PV input but not 6000xp. (see production graph picture from Quattrohead above)

 

[Zapper77]

Just buy a specific MPPT designed for 48v. I have a 150/35 Victron MPPT that claims to start when solar rises (something like) 5-12v above the current battery voltage.