EG4-6500EX Multiple Problems Unable to reach Signature Solar for Support for over 6 weeks

[PreppenWolf]

Charge for lifepo4 is usually 58.4V to 100%.

 

[BenFromSignatureSolar]

56.2V is what you need for 100% on all EG4 48V batteries.

If you get up to 58.4V consistently you will likely run into some issues over time.

 

[PreppenWolf]

Ah. Then @TurbineTester does Solar Assistant have editable reference reporting voltages? You'll need to edit 100% to be 56.4V. My Overkill App let's me manually set personal voltage steps for percent reported.

 

[uncle.driftwood]

I'll correct Daniel on this. Yes, we will send you the cable for free.

Will you refund people who had to purchase the cable already to try and solve issues? It should be included!

 

[TurbineTester]

Ah. Then @TurbineTester does Solar Assistant have editable reference reporting voltages? You'll need to edit 100% to be 56.4V. My Overkill App let's me manually set personal voltage steps for percent reported.

I emailed SolarAssitant and this was the response:The SoC is determined by the inverter. You can try using the "Emulated BMS" in SolarAssistant to see if it provides a more accurate SoC:
Let SolarAssistant perform it's own state of charge (SoC) calculation by counting power flowing in and out of the battery. This is a good fallback option for anyone who can't get a real BMS reading. It's less accurate than a Victron BMS but much more accurate than the standard voltage based readings of an inverter.

That means i'm back to the original problem that the inverters are not communicating with the Batteries correctly because if i leave the battery setting on EG4 i was getting the error 61. Now that i have the updated firmware i'll try the EG4 setting to see if they will correctly communicate the battery SoC.

 

[TurbineTester]

Well still getting a constant error and loud alarm "61" on the 2p2 inverter. @BenFromSignatureSolar Shouldn't these two inverters communicate with each other so that if the batteries are connected to 2p1, then 2p2 will get the same information and not alarm all the time?

 

[PreppenWolf]

Are you trying to parallel or 120/240 spilt phase them?

If split phase, do you have 2P2 set to 180°?

 

[TurbineTester]

Are you trying to parallel or 120/240 spilt phase them?

If split phase, do you have 2P2 set to 180°?

They are set to split phase, 180

 

[TurbineTester]

Still getting wild voltage fluctuations after the firmware update. See picture but the range is from 107v-133v.

 

[BenFromSignatureSolar]

Still getting wild voltage fluctuations after the firmware update. See picture but the range is from 107v-133v.

Could you dm me your info? This is a bit strange and I would like to get uppity in touch with our tech team to work through this.

 

[Robert Simpson]

I have been trying to reach tech support for almost 6 weeks, using various contact methods. First issue, my inverters are outputting fluctuating voltages rangine from 105-133 v causing lights to flicker and other wierd things. Second, i think one of my inverters may have a faulty MPPT as it is not shoing up in solar assistant when monitoring. I have solar assistant data for about 5 days showing what i am talking about. It's been very difficult and extremely frustrating trying to reach someone there for technical support with these inverters. I have filled otu two "contact us" forms, two+ weeks ago and today. I have called multiple times and been on hold for over an hour with no answer on the tech support line. I have attempted multiple times to "keep my place in the que and receive a call back" and that hasn't worked, as the call either disconnects before confirming my number or i don't get a call back. I try to answer any calls that appear to come from a 903 area code, but other calls may go to voicemail as i get MANY spam calls each day, but if they are calling and not reaching me i would expect them to at least leave a voicemail. I have not received any voicemails from Signature Solar. I received one email from a person named Travis at Signature Solar on the 4th November about the error 61 battery communication problem on my inverter and his suggested fixes didn't work. When i emailed him back stating such i never got a reply. Then i tried to also get his support through email for the output voltage problem. I have not received resolution to any of these issues and have not received any email reply from Travis since his initial email on November 4, despite emailing him back TWICE trying to get help. I have also called the sales line, spoke with a very nice lady there who said she would "hand deliver a message for someone in Tech support to call me back that day" and i STILL have not received a call back. What else can i do to try and contact Signature Solar to get the help i need? I'm running out of options other than complaining on public forums and very much prefer to just get the system i paid for working correctly. Below is a sample of one of the voltage spike/drop periods from the 2p1/2p2 inverter setup i have.View attachment 125661

Additionally, for some reason Solar Assistant is only showing inverter one on the MPPT2 graphs. I assume this is a problem because I am assuming each inverter have two MPPT controllers, and that solar assistant is capable of monitoring both. I can see both voltage a current on both PV inputs on both inverters on the LED control panel, so either solar assistant just isn't picking up the second PV string on inverter two, or the MPPT is not actually doing anything. *note these graphs are a different time period from the output voltage graph.
View attachment 125667
View attachment 125668
View attachment 125669
View attachment 125670
I can see where it does correctly dial back almost all PV power once the batteries are charged but why is inverter 2 not showing on MPPT 2 graphs?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

For what it is worth, I have had similar experience with Sig Solar's tech support. It is basically non-existent. I understand that they (like everyone else) are having trouble finding bodies, but the ones they have found seem to be just that, warm bodies, and not much else. I suspect that your issues are FAR beyond the abilities of the tech support folks I've talked to. There may be someone there who can help you, but you probably have a better chance of winning the lottery than of getting hold of that person. I just gave up and don't even bother to contact them any more, since they rarely even respond and when they do, it is not with anything helpful.

 

[PreppenWolf]

If you run one inverter at a time as a standalone unit, do both fluctuate voltage or only one?

 

[TurbineTester]

For what it's worth, now that i have them engaged, they are following up wtih me regularly, getting more data and reaching out. They seem both knowledgable and willing to help. I just had a really hard time getting them to get engaged after my initial conversations.

 

[ClydeSolar]

I have the same issues with flickering lights and Inverter 2 not showing up for MPPT2.

The lights flicker when a large load kicks in like the water tank element. My system is a stand alone system with no grid power and is set for SBU.

All 4 of my solar arrays use to show up in Solar Assistant until I did the latest update for the solar assistant software (software version 2022-10-30).

Both of my EG4 inverters are connected to the solar assistant orange PI via a RS232 to USB cable (one cable per inverter connected to the PI).

Conclusion: the latest solar assistant software update caused inverter 2 for MPPT2 not to show up. This is a solar assistant issue that needs to be fixed.

 

[ClydeSolar]

I emailed SolarAssitant and this was the response:The SoC is determined by the inverter. You can try using the "Emulated BMS" in SolarAssistant to see if it provides a more accurate SoC:
Let SolarAssistant perform it's own state of charge (SoC) calculation by counting power flowing in and out of the battery. This is a good fallback option for anyone who can't get a real BMS reading. It's less accurate than a Victron BMS but much more accurate than the standard voltage based readings of an inverter.

That means i'm back to the original problem that the inverters are not communicating with the Batteries correctly because if i leave the battery setting on EG4 i was getting the error 61. Now that i have the updated firmware i'll try the EG4 setting to see if they will correctly communicate the battery SoC.

EG4 i was getting the error 61.

this error is from the battery to inverter cable, flip the connections around to solve the problem.

 

[Quattrohead]

The lights flicker when a large load kicks in like the water tank element

This is quite understandable and can happen with mains power too. More of a concern is when the lights are generally flickering, twitching, nervous, jumpy whatever you want to call it.

 

[ClydeSolar]

Solar Assistant provided solution to fix inverter 2 not displaying for MPPT2

SOLUTION:
"On the configuration page, click disconnect, then select both, then click connect."

make sure both inverters are highlighted in the configuration section then connect again. This worked for me.

 

[TurbineTester]

Yes i have had both displaying properly, i forgot to update that here.

 

[ClydeSolar]

This is quite understandable and can happen with mains power too. More of a concern is when the lights are generally flickering, twitching, nervous, jumpy whatever you want to call it.

So far I'm not really impressed with the EG4 inverters.

I keep getting electrical brown outs when ever i introduce a load to my system.

The other day I was using my dewalt hand held circular saw that plugs into the wall and every time I puled the trigger to cut wood the lights and everything connected would fade and almost black out.

The EG4 inverters can't even handle a circular saw without causing a brown out electrical effect.

Anyone else having this kind of a problem?

Is there a fix?

 

[kromc5]

So far I'm not really impressed with the EG4 inverters.

I keep getting electrical brown outs when ever i introduce a load to my system.

The other day I was using my dewalt hand held circular saw that plugs into the wall and every time I puled the trigger to cut wood the lights and everything connected would fade and almost black out.

The EG4 inverters can't even handle a circular saw without causing a brown out electrical effect.

Anyone else having this kind of a problem?

Is there a fix?

I have run my circular and miter saw with no issues, I would definably investigate more or contact support. Are the loads balanced decently on the two units?