EG4 6500EX-48 still drawing power from grid in SBU mode

[FurryAlpaca]

Recently upgraded to 2 EG4 6500EX-48 in split phase 240, connected to grid/main panel for pass through/charging, which are feeding a critical loads panel. Have 3 EG4 batteries connected. I noticed that when in SBU mode, with batteries charged (set at 20% for back to grid, 50% back to battery), both inverters consume about 53 watts each at night, when PV isn't available. The rest of the loads are completely supported by the batteries. During the day when PV is available no power is consumed from the grid. Is this normal? I was previously running 2 Growstt SPF 3000TL LVM-ES in a similar configuration and don't remember noticing anything like this?

 

[TomH fwtx]

There Is another member on here who is having what sounds like a similar issue with a 6000EX, which is what I have. I do not remember which forum it was in. Let me see if I can find it.
Here it is: Akitawpo posted in the thread that I had started about issues with my EG4 LL V2 batteries. Here is what he said:
“So...the cable sent was labeled backwards. The eg4 label is attached to.the battery side. Managed to figuere out the dip switches with BMS Tools and have main battery on address #1. And second battery on address #2. Did the firmware update also. 3 days now without error 61. Thank you Ben. So...the cable sent was labeled backwards. The eg4 label is attached to.the battery side. Managed to figuere out the dip switches with BMS Tools and have main battery on address #1. And second battery on address #2. Did the firmware update also. 3 days now without error 61. Thank you Ben. On another note I have a ticket currently on tier 2. When on sbu mode Im seeing 80watts drawn from the utility when there is no solar and working with the batteries.”
Hope that helps.

 

[FurryAlpaca]

Thanks Tom, appreciate you digging that up! @akitawpo, when you get a response could you let me know what they say? I suspect we're not the only ones having this problem?

 

[Clifton]

I have this issue too with the 6500ex's. When I am not concerned with battery depletion over night, I flip the breaker off going to the inverters which forces then to consume from the batteries.

 

[Texican]

This is also true with my mpp lv6548 inverters.

They each use approx 40W when on SBU when solar is not avbl at night. I believe its because with no solar the utility is the standby source and its monitoring/syncing with the grid. thats a big guess
so this is not just an eg4 issue

I also wish this were not the case. Im tempted to turn the AC IN breaker off at night and rely only on the Batts with no backup. however with my net metering Im getting juice for 5.5 cents/kwh as long as I send in more than I take out. so not worth my trouble so far

 

[FurryAlpaca]

Thanks for the input, glad to hear I'm not the only one. Agree it's not ideal, it's costing me money to run my inverters that are supposed to be "off grid", but was concerned that something may have been wrong with my units.

 

[Zapper77]

Recently upgraded to 2 EG4 6500EX-48 in split phase 240, connected to grid/main panel for pass through/charging, which are feeding a critical loads panel. Have 3 EG4 batteries connected. I noticed that when in SBU mode, with batteries charged (set at 20% for back to grid, 50% back to battery), both inverters consume about 53 watts each at night, when PV isn't available. The rest of the loads are completely supported by the batteries. During the day when PV is available no power is consumed from the grid. Is this normal? I was previously running 2 Growstt SPF 3000TL LVM-ES in a similar configuration and don't remember noticing anything like this?

Normal. My system does the same thing. I suspect it is the inverter idle load, is powered by the grid. The idle load increases when the MPPT turn on in the morning and evening. Once solar starts producing more than the idle draw...the draw from the grid declines.

 

[DanielS]

Thanks for the input, glad to hear I'm not the only one. Agree it's not ideal, it's costing me money to run my inverters that are supposed to be "off grid", but was concerned that something may have been wrong with my units.

This is expected…you can drop the breaker if you want to save the grid power, but the need for the consumption is to be able to stay frequency locked with the grid. Without it you wouldn’t be able to transfer between battery and grid with minimal transfer time. Definitely arguable that it shouldn’t be that much, but it is what it is.

 

[Adam De Lay]

That’s interesting because I don’t see any draw from the grid when my system runs off the batteries. Solar Assistant shows 0W.

Just curious, but what do you have set for option 16 (charger source priority) on both inverters? You’ll have to check them both because this option doesn’t replicate between inverters.

 

[FurryAlpaca]

That’s interesting because I don’t see any draw from the grid when my system runs off the batteries. Solar Assistant shows 0W.

Just curious, but what do you have set for option 16 (charger source priority) on both inverters? You’ll have to check them both because this option doesn’t replicate between inverters.

Agree, I observed the same with regards to running on batteries, or on grid when there's enough PV coming in to cover that load.

I had them both set to SNU, I was playing around with them tonight and changed them both to OSO, I'll take another look tomorrow and see if that makes a difference. I have two IotaWatts running which is how I noticed, one in my main panel and one in my critical loads panel, my Solar Assistant doesn't show that draw either.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Sounds good. I was just wondering because SNU would charge the battery from the grid and if your max charging current (11) was set low, that would account for the “trickle charge” coming from the grid.

 

[FurryAlpaca]

Oh, that's interesting, I suppose there could be something there? Solar Assistant showed 0w on the batteries but there might be some kind of trickle charge happening it's not reporting. Since I set to SBU and OSO tonight I should be switched over to grid by morning, will see what it's doing then.

 

[Adam De Lay]

Great! Looking forward to hearing what you find out!

I’m actually messing around with using CSO (16) and 2A (11) on a single inverter to cover the “cost” of the inverter power draw when the inverters are in bypass mode.

 

[Skypower]

Ok, my curiosity got the better of me. I did have a clue there was something up because my “peak period” has been showing a tiny draw when I never connect, just a few cents so I thought it was a faulty meter. Even thou Solar Assistant says zero grid, my clamp meter says otherwise. There IS a 42 watt grid load that each of my LV6548 are pulling in SBU mode. Apparently the inverter doesn’t report grid use to SA in that mode. If this is the biggest issue, no big deal. At least it’s not back trickling a back feed like some grid tied inverters do.

 

[Adam De Lay]

I had forgotten that you actually program the idle consumption into Solar Assistant specifically for it to use when in grid-bypass mode. So it makes perfect sense why SA is showing 0W draw when in SBU (because it just adds the programmed value to the load) and yet the clamp meter shows a draw still.