Flexboss21 and Gridboss

[jwy224]

Anyone with a flexboss21 and gridboss willing to post pics of your monitor.eg4electronics web interface screens? I'm very curious how it all looks. The manual for the gridboss shows a different image then what the flexboss21 screens would show.

 

[Usernameinuse]

 

[jwy224]

Wow, thank you so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to set up a subpanel with one of the smart ports, also using the others for larger loads and wanted to make sure I can see the power usage. The manual shows a completely different setup.

 

[Usernameinuse]

Wow, thank you so much. This is exactly what I was looking for. I wanted to set up a subpanel with one of the smart ports, also using the others for larger loads and wanted to make sure I can see the power usage. The manual shows a completely different setup.

That screenshot didn't actually show consumption on the smart port, the first smart port is AC coupled solar, so it is incoming power. It does do good job showing consumption per smart port though. SP3 here charging my EV. They could do a lot of improvement with small UI changes like letting you label smart ports.

 

[CaySol]

That screenshot didn't actually show consumption on the smart port, the first smart port is AC coupled solar, so it is incoming power. It does do good job showing consumption per smart port though. SP3 here charging my EV. They could do a lot of improvement with small UI changes like letting you label smart ports.
View attachment 281660

Can you send power to the ac coupled system? Or only draw from?

 

[Usernameinuse]

Here is how I understand it: It is tied to grid input. If grid is up, it sends power, wakes up my grid tied inverters, they turn around and send power back. When grid goes down, it stops sending power, grid tie inverters shut down. I am kinda bummed it works that way though. I thought I could essentially convert my grid tie inverters to non-grid tied. Giving me solar input when grid is down. The relays in the schematic make it seem like the software could do that, but it doesn't work that way. Documentation even confirms it:


But it knows the grid is down, and the relay could be open, why not send the grid tie inverter power from Flexboss21 inverter to power them, and receive the PV?
Huge selling point for EG4, not sure why they wouldn't jump on it. Think of how many people like me have grid tie they could upsell to. Maybe some technical limitation? or more likely regulation.

 

[jwy224]

I am confused. I recall reading that it is possible to utilize such a system when the grid is unavailable, although I cannot locate that information at the moment. The title of the information you provided mentions "Grid Sell Back," which I understand would only be applicable when the grid is operational.

Have you attempted to turn off your mains to see if the AC coupled system continues to function?

 

[Usernameinuse]

https://eg4electronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/EG4-Grid-BOSS-User-Manual.pdf

Page 44


Its just ambiguous. It never explicitly says you can use grid-tie inverters.
One of the first things I tested was disconnecting from the grid to see if my AC coupled solar works. No, I can confirm it does not. Called Sig Solar support and they confirmed working as designed.
I get it that grid tie inverters need the grid, but the gridboss should be able to make a microgrid (right there in the sales literature) and power them.
The relays in the box could support it couldn't they?

When grid input power is zero, open the relay I marked X, then close relays to AC coupled PV.
Seems like it should work, but software doesn't work that way.
Also tried disconnecting from grid, then changing to offgrid mode, that had no effect.

 

[Quattrohead]

Could you connect your existing grid tied PV system to the non backed up loads instead, just thinking out loud while briefly surfing the forum, I don't know if that's actually possible but it looks like it could be.

 

[Usernameinuse]

No, the non-backed up loads is down during an outage, so no power to inverters. Confirmed with my multimeter. Otherwise there would be no difference between backed up, and non-backed up. But here is a crazy idea: put it on backed up loads. I mean that is how it was tied before gridboss. After meter, before panel. It never goes offline. There must be a reason that you can't do that though:


It feels like a code/safety issue more than a technical problem though. All they would need to do is close one relay to a smart port, and it would work.
I am tempted to not label the smart port as AC coupling, since with proper config you can send power down a smart port in a grid outage, but worried I am missing something and will fry something when power comes backwards?
Missed opportunity if you ask me. There is 5 million customers with grid tied systems already in place? Upsell every single one of them. Tell them you will "convert" their grid tied.
Remember, grid tied still works perfectly fine when grid is up through a smart port, just not when grid goes down.

 

[Quattrohead]

It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, make it work

 

[R1200GS]

Looking at the diagram above, why not use a Hybrid Inverer port for AC coupled PV?

 

[Usernameinuse]

They don't want you to connect any other kind of inverter except theirs.
I am less worried about permission, and more worried about letting out the magic blue smoke that makes electronics not work anymore.

 

[CaySol]

I think I heard that they will have ac coupling that inputs to the Flexboss unused ac out port. Might allow for more functionality.

 

[niktak11]

Not allowing AC coupling through the smart load ports is odd

 

[R1200GS]

They don't want you to connect any other kind of inverter except theirs.
I am less worried about permission, and more worried about letting out the magic blue smoke that makes electronics not work anymore.

Who knows... If the 240V bus is directly connecting all relays and breakers just like on the block diagram, GridBoss shouldn't care. Unless it measures all currents and presense extra incoming power without communicating with an EG4 inverter messes the internal logic.

 

[Usernameinuse]

Who knows... If the 240V bus is directly connecting all relays and breakers just like on the block diagram, GridBoss shouldn't care. Unless it measures all currents and presense extra incoming power without communicating with an EG4 inverter messes the internal logic.

Isn't that what these are on the diagram? CT Censors? before the relays

GB does absolutely know direction


But back to the original point: It already accepts AC input on smartport, it just simply chooses to turn the relay off when the grid is down.
It talks about off grid mode in the documentation, I just didn't work for me to switch to it, the smartport was still down.

 

[AC-CoupleThis]

I think I heard that they will have ac coupling that inputs to the Flexboss unused ac out port. Might allow for more functionality.

Has anyone heard of any updates to this functionality on the flexboss? They were talking about it in Nov when first launched but radio silence ever since. I can’t find anything on what the work around would be for ac coupled input during a grid out situation.

 

[Quattrohead]

There is new firmware coming out for the grid boss soon, I know it is being tested now. Main purpose was to resolve the overload sensitivity being too high on spikes, I don't know what else may have been looked at.

 

[EG4TechSolutionsTeam]

Has anyone heard of any updates to this functionality on the flexboss? They were talking about it in Nov when first launched but radio silence ever since. I can’t find anything on what the work around would be for ac coupled input during a grid out situation.

At this time, we do not have any firmware updates for the Flexboss. However, as soon a new firmware update becomes available, we will be sure to share it with everyone.

 

[Usernameinuse]

At this time, we do not have any firmware updates for the Flexboss. However, as soon a new firmware update becomes available, we will be sure to share it with everyone.

Thanks for the update. Do you have any comment on the ability to use AC coupling when grid is down? Is that a potential functionality in the future?

 

[Usernameinuse]

@EG4TechSolutionsTeam Would love to know if you think this might be future functionality, It seems like there is lots of requests for it.

 

[Usernameinuse]

I got excited reading the release notes for the latest firmware:


The wording still doesn't make sense, but I felt it might be AC coupling when grid is down.
I tested it, and no change in functionality that I can tell. No extra settings in config.

 

[CaySol]

I got excited reading the release notes for the latest firmware:
View attachment 284729

The wording still doesn't make sense, but I felt it might be AC coupling when grid is down.
I tested it, and no change in functionality that I can tell. No extra settings in config.

In the mobile app you can see the settings for the Flexboss.

 

[Usernameinuse]

In the mobile app you can see the settings for the Flexboss.View attachment 284751

Where is that settings page, I see nothing like that. To be fair though, the app barely works, most of the time I can read the settings. On iOS.

Never mind found it with old settings. Still no change, mine look like that.