Epever charge controller dropping out of MPPT mode

[AlpineJoe]

It happened to me - stuck at low output. I saw it yesterday early when I was getting ready to hook up a second 4215BN. After disconnecting and reconnecting the panels, the delivered current shot up. Thought it would have corrected on its own as it was still very early.

Today I didn’t intervene until well after noon. Both 4215BNs were just delivering at most 250W combined and panel voltage was nearly the same as battery voltage. After turning the panels off then on, power went up to 800W. If I didn’t intervene today I don’t think I would have replaced what battery capacity I used up last night. I wouldn’t say that today is cloudy either. We have some high altitude haziness, but no formations I’d say are clouds.

The reason I went for the 4215BN was the passive cooling and the ability to take large wire gauge. This ‘bug/oversight’ is a big deal though.

I wonder if there is a command that can be sent to the controller to disable then reenable it so it starts hunting the MPPT from scratch from a high voltage level.

 

[Crowz]

I wonder if its a software issue. My 4215bn's are very old and have never been updated. Also I have never had the issues your having.

 

[AlpineJoe]

I wonder if its a software issue. My 4215bn's are very old and have never been updated. Also I have never had the issues your having.

Could be. What software version does yours show?

 

[Crowz]

I can check tomorrow. Its outside so I can't look right now.

 

[Crowz]

Decided to go check

I couldn't find any screen on the MT 50 display that showed a version # of the software its running. It showed a serial number but that was it.

 

[lexio]

swapped my epever for a victron for this reason. The victron scans every 10 minutes the mppt range this takes 10 sec. to complete
but there must be cheaper models who can do the same.
maybe we can make a list of the them.

 

[AlpineJoe]

Decided to go check

I couldn't find any screen on the MT 50 display that showed a version # of the software its running. It showed a serial number but that was it.

Here’s mine.

 

[Crowz]

Here’s mine.

The device part was blank but it had this in meter parameter but I figured that was for the mt50 or something itself.

 

[Crowz]

If that info is right it seems mine has newer firmware but as old as my chargers are that seems a bit odd.

 

[Crowz]

I'm going to go back out and double check the stuff again to be sure.

 

[Crowz]

Yep I thought it was blank.

 

[Crowz]

Double posted the last pic

Anyways those two parameter screens I posted showing the mt50 and the device also are the same for both of my 4215bn's.

 

[AlpineJoe]

Double posted the last pic

Anyways those two parameter screens I posted showing the mt50 and the device also are the same for both of my 4215bn's.

Yep, yours are blank. Mine supports LiFePO4, so guessing I have a newer version.

 

[AlpineJoe]

It’s 7:30am, bright sunny day, both 4215BNs have the solar voltage 2 volts above the pack voltage. There’s enough current that the panel voltage should be 3x what it is now.

There was a load of 130W on the batteries.

I’ll give it 30 mins and see if it pulls out of its funk by itself.

 

[Crowz]

It’s 7:30am, bright sunny day, both 4215BNs have the solar voltage 2 volts above the pack voltage. There’s enough current that the panel voltage should be 3x what it is now.

There was a load of 130W on the batteries.

I’ll give it 30 mins and see if it pulls out of its funk by itself.

Just checked mine and 13.8 amps are going into the batteries.

That means 20 amps are being sent by the 4215bn's right now since I have about 6.8 amps or something constant load.

For some reason my wifi camera doesn't allow me to "see" the mt50's screen. The renogy shunt display is what I watch with the wifi camera since it shows up.

 

[Kiwi2000]

It’s 7:30am, bright sunny day, both 4215BNs have the solar voltage 2 volts above the pack voltage. There’s enough current that the panel voltage should be 3x what it is now.

There was a load of 130W on the batteries.

I’ll give it 30 mins and see if it pulls out of its funk by itself.

Probably not enough to get it going. I find something like 500 watts or more wakes them up.

 

[AlpineJoe]

Probably not enough to get it going. I find something like 500 watts or more wakes them up.

Are you pulling it from the load terminals or from the battery? My inverter is connected straight to battery so the 4215bn is not going to see the load

 

[MisterSandals]

both 4215BNs have the solar voltage 2 volts above the pack voltage.

It is pretty standard for SCCs to require battery voltage +5V to start charging. Some will continue to charge lower.

 

[AlpineJoe]

I cycled the solar panels off for two seconds and now the 4215BN is in Mppt mode. I’m now delivering 13A into the batteries. I’ll link a video shortly.

 

[Kiwi2000]

Are you pulling it from the load terminals or from the battery? My inverter is connected straight to battery so the 4215bn is not going to see the load

From battery busbar.

 

[AlpineJoe]

It is pretty standard for SCCs to require battery voltage +5V to start charging. Some will continue to charge lower.

But if the controller is current loading the panels they cannot rise +5 over. Also, it’s already charging.

Here it is after turning the panels off for two seconds.

 

[MisterSandals]

But if the controller is current loading the panels they cannot rise +5 over. Also, it’s already charging.

How can the controller be current loading if its not charging? The controller should be seeing the Voc and to my understanding, its this voltage that the controller uses to determine whether to start charging (usually battV+5). The array voltage will of course be pulled down to the Vmp range once charging starts.

 

[AlpineJoe]

How can the controller be current loading if its not charging? The controller should be seeing the Voc and to my understanding, its this voltage that the controller uses to determine whether to start charging (usually battV+5). The array voltage will of course be pulled down to the Vmp range once charging starts.

The SCC is charging. Thats the problem. You can see the delivered current to the battery and my smart shunt confirms there is current flowing. The 4215bn is not searching for a better mppt point

 

[lexio]

this is normal behavior of a epever had one for 4 years tried every thing all was not working.
the only thing you can do is disconnect the solar panel so its reboots it self and hope for the best.
even then with full sun and empty battery's it some times start charging 2 v above the bat voltage. grrr
i will say don't buy epever

 

[AlpineJoe]

I have a fix that I’m going to try. Will make a solid state switch that will disconnect the panels every xx minutes. I don’t think I have enough parts on hand to build it today but will this week. I can’t trust this 4215bn will do the right thing when I’m away at work and cannot monitor what it is doing.