Epever Tracer AN MPPT SCC understanding

[NotSoOaky]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to make sure I understand my Epever Tracer AN SCC correctly, I've read the manual back to front a number of times and searched online to no avail.

On the controller I can cycle between 10 screens, below are the screens and what I understand them to be, please confirm or correct my understanding:

Screen 1 - PV Volts - this should be the voltage of the power coming from my panels

Screen 2 - PV Amps - this should be the amps of the power coming from my panels.

Screen 3 - PV kWh - this is the cumulative power generated by the panels since last reset, this I'm confident in

Screen 4 - BATT Volts - this is the voltage of the batteries minus voltage of loads on the system, if I add a big load I should see my voltage drop and then it should return when I remove the load

Screen 4 - BATT Amps - this is the amperage of the batteries, however I don't understand what exactly this is measuring? The total current flowing through the system? The total current flowing from the SCC to the battery? My SCC has no loads attached to it (they are handled separately by other hardware connected to the batteries).

Screen 5 - BATT temp - if a temperature probe is installed it measures the temp, I have no probe installed so it is hard coded to 25°C it seems.

Screen 6 - Load amps - would assume this would be the current draw by loads but as I have nothing attached to the load terminals on the SCC this reads 0 for me

Screen 7 - Load kWh - I assume this is also a cumulative load draw since last reset however since I have no load connected to the SCC it reads 0 for me

Screen 8/9 - Load timer 1/2 - this seems to just tell the controller what types of loads are hooked up to it and their use profiles however as I have no loads connected to the SCC it is set to 117/2n for me (manual mode).

So with all the above in mind I have a few questions:

Question 1 - Screen 1 and 2 readings should match multimeter volt and amp readings taken at the PV connection terminals on the controller, right?

Question 2 - The controller battery parameter (e.g. boost charging voltage, boost reconnect voltage, float charging voltage, etc) all relate to the reading of screen 4, right?

Question 3 - If my understanding in question 2 is correct then if screen 4 read 12.8V and my boost reconnect voltage is set to 13.2V then the system should enter bulk charging mode, right? Because the battery voltage has dropped below the Boost reconnect voltage.

Question 4 - if I have no loads connected to my SCC then all the low/under voltage disconnect/ reconnect parameters shouldn't do anything as there is no load to disconnect or reconnect?

Question 5 - which screen, if any, tells me which charge state the SCC is in (bulk/ continuous/ float)? Or do I need the MT50 or another connection to see this?

 

[hugemoth]

I have a EPEVER Tracer 4215bn that came with the MT50 display. I found the MT50 difficult to work with, very poorly set up. I switched to the $20 Bluetooth dongle and Solar Guardian app which is much more logical and easy to use. Adjusting parameters, monitoring performance graphs, is easy and straight forward. Shows right on the main page the charge state, boost, float, etc,.

 

[NotSoOaky]

I have a EPEVER Tracer 4215bn that came with the MT50 display. I found the MT50 difficult to work with, very poorly set up. I switched to the $20 Bluetooth dongle and Solar Guardian app which is much more logical and easy to use. Adjusting parameters, monitoring performance graphs, is easy and straight forward. Shows right on the main page the charge state, boost, float, etc,.

Thanks mate, I need to get something as right now I only have the LCD screen. Was thinking of getting a Bluetooth dongle, MT50 and the PC cable if that doesn't already come with the MT50. We are on the road in the van in eastern Europe so getting things delivered is a pain so if I'm going to do it I will get a few options.

 

[DesertNomad]

I too have issues understanding how to use the EPEVER SCC. My problem is a bit different than yours though. Mine is the EPEVER 4210AN, I don't know if that matters much here.

I do not have any connectivity to the SCC like BLE or RS485. Everything I'm doing is at with the 2 buttons on the SCC, Select and Enter. I want to customize the battery parameters for my installation. I push the select button to move to the "Battery Voltage" display. I hold down "Enter" for several seconds, the display now shows battery chemistry types. I have only "GEL", "SEL", "FLD", and "USE". I press "Enter" again, and it immediately switches back to the Battery Voltage display.

I haven't found a way to get it into a state that allows me to adjust, as it suggests in the manual, the various battery parameters. I've tried various combinations of long pushes, short pushes, both, etc., but nothing seems to do the trick.

Any ideas? (No, I'd rather not go buy another SCC, thank you.)

Cheers - Jon

p.s. Also, I attempted to order an EPEVER BLE RS485 module, what got delivered yesterday was the Wi-Fi module, and that proved impossible to install, and also I was concerned that it would expose my home network to spyware and whatever.

 

[mikefitz]

Screen 4 - BATT Volts

This is the actual battery volts. If you apply a load the battery volts may fall, but at all times the reading is battery volts.

Screen 4 - BATT Amps

The reading is the amps that the controller is sending to the system, with no load on the battery, it will be amps into the battery.

Question 1 - Screen 1 and 2 readings should match multimeter volt and amp readings taken at the PV connection terminals on the controller, right?

Yes
Oll

Question 2 - The controller battery parameter (e.g. boost charging voltage, boost reconnect voltage, float charging voltage, etc) all relate to the reading of screen 4, right?

The reading seen will be the result of the controller action at that moment. It won't necessarily be equal to one of the perameters. For example, durring the bulk phase , the voltage will rise gradually from the discharged battery volts up to boost charging volts.

Question 3 - If my understanding in question 2 is correct then if screen 4 read 12.8V and my boost reconnect voltage is set to 13.2V then the system should enter bulk charging mode, right? Because the battery voltage has dropped below the Boost reconnect voltage.

Not necessarily, only if a previous charge to boost volts and float volts had occurred. It could read 12.8 volts at the start of the day's charging cycle.

Question 4 - if I have no loads connected to my SCC then all the low/under voltage disconnect/ reconnect parameters shouldn't do anything as there is no load to disconnect or reconnect?

These settings only control the load terminals on the controller and do not effect any load on the battery.

Question 5 - which screen, if any, tells me which charge state the SCC is in (bulk/ continuous/ float)? Or do I need the MT50 or another connection to see this?

Screen 4, battery volts and current flowing from controller. These readings will give some guidance. During the bulk stage the voltage will be rising towards boost volts and the current out will be the maximum the solar can provide. The absorbtion stage will have a constant voltage, ( boost volts). Float stage will also be constant voltage.

Note some models of Epever controllers get 'stuck' in a mode that does not produce maximum solar power from startup. Disconnect and reconnect of the panels often sorts this. The indication is that the panel volts reading is only slightly above the battery reading.

Sorry folks, I guess since April any issues have been resolved.