EG4 Lifepower4 48V Top Balancing Firmware.

[Markus_EG4]

I have it set @57.1 and wont go above 99% 55.5v. That's what i'm not understanding.

I keep seeing this problem accrue randomly. I have talked to the engineers and they say not to worry about it if it still says 99%. They say that’s normal.

You want to worry when you start seeing 96% or lower. But anything above that is not a concern.

 

[Zapper77]

I have it set @57.1 and wont go above 99% 55.5v. That's what i'm not understanding.

Also keep in mind that anything over 54v is basically full.

 

[ChillnGrill]

So if I do a capacity test I would get full capacity even at 55v? I have had a problem since I put the batteries in service. I have called SS and no one can explain the problem to me. When I was running with the pair of eg4 6500 I had to constantly put inverters in use mode because of going overvoltage. I have tried everything that SS ask me to do. I just want to be able to use full capacity of my batteries.

 

[Markus_EG4]

So if I do a capacity test I would get full capacity even at 55v? I have had a problem since I put the batteries in service. I have called SS and no one can explain the problem to me. When I was running with the pair of eg4 6500 I had to constantly put inverters in use mode because of going overvoltage. I have tried everything that SS ask me to do. I just want to be able to use full capacity of my batteries.

Do you have close loop set up with the 18k?

 

[Markus_EG4]

So if I do a capacity test I would get full capacity even at 55v? I have had a problem since I put the batteries in service. I have called SS and no one can explain the problem to me. When I was running with the pair of eg4 6500 I had to constantly put inverters in use mode because of going overvoltage. I have tried everything that SS ask me to do. I just want to be able to use full capacity of my batteries.

Pm me please I want to look at your system and see if I can help you out.

 

[n2aws]

I have it set @57.1 and wont go above 99% 55.5v. That's what i'm not understanding.

The latest firmware for the lifepower4's has voltage set at 57.6. Just an FYI.

If you have severe cell imbalance, you may be reaching a single cell overvoltage long before your pack hits 57.1. I'd bypass your solar, set your voltage to something like 56.0 (since you are saying it won't charge beyond 55.5). let it stay there for a couple days to top balance the cells. when it finally goes to 56.0, set it to 57.1, wait for top balance.. then go 57.6. But make sure you have the latest firmware, so the top balancing algo is tweaked to utilise this.


I know it sucks, but.. battery maintenance is a thing.. I suspect we'll occasionally need to top balance our packs. I've mentioned this on the forum before, but I have specifically setup my packs as 2 separate stacks. that way I can "disconnect" 50% for maintanence such as this. when done, I can do maintenance on the other 50%, without needing to disconnect my solar setup.

 

[ChillnGrill]

Ive already been through all of that over the last couple months. Thats why I had enough already.

 

[n2aws]

Ive already been through all of that over the last couple months. Thats why I had enough already.

Have you connected BMS-Test to the batteris to find out which one is stuck at 55.5? and which cell is overvolting?

 

[ChillnGrill]

I have but not in a few weeks.

 

[ChillnGrill]

I thought the new firmware would fix the problem. It hasn't yet.

I have jump through a lot of hoops trying different things. Very frustrated....

 

[adobopr]

So if I do a capacity test I would get full capacity even at 55v? I have had a problem since I put the batteries in service. I have called SS and no one can explain the problem to me. When I was running with the pair of eg4 6500 I had to constantly put inverters in use mode because of going overvoltage. I have tried everything that SS ask me to do. I just want to be able to use full capacity of my batteries.

Was it full pack or cell overvoltage? @Zapper77 showed a screenshot from a firmware that the max voltage set above the alarm voltage. If you had that Firmware it would be very likely to have caused pack overvoltage alarms.

 

[MaikaiLife]

@ChillnGrill when I first installed my batteries they would only hit 99% the odd thing was when you toggled through the comm hub to each battery they all read 100%. I was like, whatever I guess, 99% vs 100% splitting hairs, but technically all the batteries were reporting 100%. In my case it seems like there might be an averaging issue with the Comm Hub.

Anyways, hope my experience helps you.

 

[MaikaiLife]

@ChillnGrill when I first installed my batteries they would only hit 99% the odd thing was when you toggled through the comm hub to each battery they all read 100%. I was like, whatever I guess, 99% vs 100% splitting hairs, but technically all the batteries were reporting 100%. In my case it seems like there might be an averaging issue with the Comm Hub.

Anyways, hope my experience helps you.

I’m also happy to do some experimentation if you need someone to help verify some things. ?

 

[ddeatrich]

Hey guys. I just found this thread because I'm having issues getting past 99%. This thread had me check through my batteries and eg4 hub. My brand new battery as of 2 weeks is reading SOH 80%. Is this a bad battery?

 

[n2aws]

Hey guys. I just found this thread because I'm having issues getting past 99%. This thread had me check through my batteries and eg4 hub. My brand new battery as of 2 weeks is reading SOH 80%. Is this a bad battery?

What batteries (I'm assuming Lifepower4 due to you posting in this thread)
What firmware is on the batteries?
What firmware is on the communications hub?
what are your bulk/absorb/float voltages set at in your SCC?

The newer firmwares help with top balancing, and raise the voltages, which allows them to hit 100%.
It also recalibrated the SOH on mine, but mine were only 98%, and after the update they went to 99%, for 80% on a brand new battery, I'd try the firmware updates first, and then contact signature solar, as that doesn't seem like a normal scenario to me

 

[ddeatrich]

What batteries (I'm assuming Lifepower4 due to you posting in this thread)
What firmware is on the batteries?
What firmware is on the communications hub?
what are your bulk/absorb/float voltages set at in your SCC?

The newer firmwares help with top balancing, and raise the voltages, which allows them to hit 100%.
It also recalibrated the SOH on mine, but mine were only 98%, and after the update they went to 99%, for 80% on a brand new battery, I'd try the firmware updates first, and then contact signature solar, as that doesn't seem like a normal scenario to me

Sorry forgot those details. They're all brand new Lifepower4. I updated firmware on all of them out of the box. Running 3.26 with hub running 1.10. Voltages set to 56.2 as recommended by sig solar the other day on the phone.

 

[n2aws]

Sorry forgot those details. They're all brand new Lifepower4. I updated firmware on all of them out of the box. Running 3.26 with hub running 1.10. Voltages set to 56.2 as recommended by sig solar the other day on the phone.

ok. I suspect someone at sig solar was misinformed.

There is a seperate firmware for schneider gear. 3.26 is the wrong vergion. If you go to the eg4 website (https://eg4electronics.com/downloads/), there is a seperate download for schneider firmware.

It should be 3.30, and increases the voltages. I forget the exact number, I want to say 57.6, but I honestly forget (and away from the system right now so I can't check). it's listed elsewhere on the forum. In fact, I think there are screenshots within the first few posts of this thread.

 

[ddeatrich]

ok. I suspect someone at sig solar was misinformed.

There is a seperate firmware for schneider gear. 3.26 is the wrong vergion. If you go to the eg4 website (https://eg4electronics.com/downloads/), there is a seperate download for schneider firmware.

It should be 3.30, and increases the voltages. I forget the exact number, I want to say 57.6, but I honestly forget (and away from the system right now so I can't check). it's listed elsewhere on the forum. In fact, I think there are screenshots within the first few posts of this thread.

Gotcha. I don't have any Schneider gear or equipment though. I'm running a Sol-Ark 12 alongside the EG4 batteries.

 

[n2aws]

Gotcha. I don't have any Schneider gear or equipment though. I'm running a Sol-Ark 12 alongside the EG4 batteries.

My bad, I'm in another thread specifically about the schneider firmware, and got the two mixed up.

Either way, 56.2 is low, based on the BMS settings in the latest firmware. I've never seen my packs show 100% SOC until they hit at least 57.1v, and are top balanced. If your packs are severaly out of balance, you probably want to go to 57.1 or higher in small steps and let the packs top balance completely at each step.

According to screenshots at the beginning of this thread, and the detailed changes in this post, the bulk, absorb, and float is 58.4 now in 3.26 and 3.30.

Sadly, this is one place where I think sigsolar and eg4 need to vastly improve their game, and don't even think it would cost them much to do.. Their documentation still says 54v, their support says 56.x (I've heard 56.2, and 56.4) and the BMS firmware they release is 58.4. Some damned consistency would be nice. Especially when we're messing with thousands of dollars in investments (times however many people). It'd be *nice* to have an optimal suggestion for pack performance and lifespan.

 

[akitawpo]

To be honest, I do not understand why everybody is so focused on the different voltages. I understand that consistency would be ideal and necessary as the manufacturer should have specific instructions. At 56v (3.5v per cell) is close to / less than 1% difference in total charge than the same battery at 58v. This is shown on a couple of videos from solar enthusiasts. Currently, my 6000EXs with LLs are in close loop. They are charging 5 batteries up to 56v. AT 55v batteries are already showing 100% charge.

 

[n2aws]

To be honest, I do not understand why everybody is so focused on the different voltages. I understand that consistency would be ideal and necessary as the manufacturer should have specific instructions. At 56v (3.5v per cell) is close to / less than 1% difference in total charge than the same battery at 58v. This is shown on a couple of videos from solar enthusiasts. Currently, my 6000EXs with LLs are in close loop. They are charging 5 batteries up to 56v. AT 55v batteries are already showing 100% charge.

I don't know that we (or at least I) necessarily care about that 1% difference in capacity, but more: if my system is set to prioritize battery charging, and not sell to the grid until the battery is 100%, and the lower voltages never let it get to 100%.. then, that is a fair amount of solar production that is curtailed forever. So it's less about the battery capacity, and MUCH more about how "it gets stuck at 99%" affects how the system behaves overall.

 

[akitawpo]

I don't know that we (or at least I) necessarily care about that 1% difference in capacity, but more: if my system is set to prioritize battery charging, and not sell to the grid until the battery is 100%, and the lower voltages never let it get to 100%.. then, that is a fair amount of solar production that is curtailed forever. So it's less about the battery capacity, and MUCH more about how "it gets stuck at 99%" affects how the system behaves overall.

Well, I could understand your specific situation towards hitting "100%" in order to start selling to the grid. That being said, is there a way to change the percentage of when to start selling?

 

[Brucey]

To be honest, I do not understand why everybody is so focused on the different voltages. I understand that consistency would be ideal and necessary as the manufacturer should have specific instructions. At 56v (3.5v per cell) is close to / less than 1% difference in total charge than the same battery at 58v. This is shown on a couple of videos from solar enthusiasts. Currently, my 6000EXs with LLs are in close loop. They are charging 5 batteries up to 56v. AT 55v batteries are already showing 100% charge.

It's because the cell balancing only kicks in at higher voltages. So it's not that people are trying to get to 100% necessarily, but trying to avoid a cell inbalance situation.

 

[akitawpo]

It's because the cell balancing only kicks in at higher voltages. So it's not that people are trying to get to 100% necessarily, but trying to avoid a cell inbalance situation.

From what I've seen my cell balance starts at 3.4v per cell or 54.4v. Good balancing happens over a couple of cycles. So, for me I would prefer to have 56v as total change which is still 100% and I would still get balanced. But there are cases like n2aws who need the "100" in order to sell to the grid.

 

[n2aws]

Well, I could understand your specific situation towards hitting "100%" in order to start selling to the grid. That being said, is there a way to change the percentage of when to start selling?

Sure, I had mine set to sell at 70% as a workaround until I could consistently get the battery to show 100%. But, that sidesteps the root problem, which again is just the inconsistent messaging and configuration advice which impacts how the product is used.

It's one thing to change your recommendation (ie, as you learn more about the battery, you change your recommendations. ) That happens. But when you get conflicting information, it makes it even more convoluted. And then people start communicating and they have some assumptions.. ie, that we're both using the same "recommendations" only to discuss over time.. and then find out we're on 2 different pages.. it's just frustrating.

TL;DR, there are workarounds for everything. But some things are legitimately simple enough to fix, that the "workarounds" are actually more effort than it'd take to resolve the underlying problem. It'd take someone an hour to update the PDF document, and shoot an internal email to staff with the new recommendations. How many hours has SS spent on these forums alone trying to help people troubleshoot cell balancing/SOC issues/questions. (not even factoring in emails and phone calls to them that we have no insight into).