Growatt battery does not discharge - Shinephone App configuration

[blunt81st]

That why I ask where does the B16 circuit lead to? Cause it doesn't use the inverter circuit.

K, video done downloading. Apparently you were cycling the display. You need to press the SET button.
Refer to this video:

Found it! It is n34 so nEe is 0.

So the B16 is only between the grid and the inverter. Top of it goes to the inverter, bottom of it goes to the grid.

That why I ask where does the B16 circuit lead to? Cause it doesn't use the inverter circuit.

K, video done downloading. Apparently you were cycling the display. You need to press the SET button.
Refer to this video:

Found it! It is n34 so nEe is 0.

So the B16 is only between the grid and the inverter. Top of it goes to the inverter, bottom of it goes to the grid.

 

[AshleyL]

Found it! It is n34 so nEe is 0.

So the B16 is only between the grid and the inverter. Top of it goes to the inverter, bottom of it goes to the grid.

So, we can rule out CHNT sensor issue.......

Let do some testing when solar power is available.
As per usual, Load First, enable Export Limit, SingleExport off, and PowerRate 0%.
Then shut off the breaker for the solar power inputs. I assume you have breaker to disconnect the solar panel?
Check if the inverter actually draw power from the battery or the grid.

Or you can just do it at night. Check your grid meter reading too.

 

[blunt81st]

So, we can rule out CHNT sensor issue.......

Let do some testing when solar power is available.
As per usual, Load First, enable Export Limit, SingleExport off, and PowerRate 0%.
Then shut off the breaker for the solar power inputs. I assume you have breaker to disconnect the solar panel?
Check if the inverter actually draw power from the battery or the grid.

Hmmm two issues with that. 1, no there is no breaker for the panels, I could maybe physically pull out the panel cables from the inverter? 2. how do I monitor properly what's happening when the reading from the app is clearly false. See here today's reading so far. Exported to grid is actually what my house is using. Load consumption on the other hand is showing zero. Also the battery finally started to discharge but at a super low rate, like last night when I was charging the car would have been it's opportunity to shine and discharge all the way down to 10% instead hardly anything came out of it and went to like 96% throughout the entire night.

 

[AshleyL]

Hmmm two issues with that. 1, no there is no breaker for the panels, I could maybe physically pull out the panel cables from the inverter? 2. how do I monitor properly what's happening when the reading from the app is clearly false. See here today's reading so far. Exported to grid is actually what my house is using. Load consumption on the other hand is showing zero. Also the battery finally started to discharge but at a super low rate, like last night when I was charging the car would have been it's opportunity to shine and discharge all the way down to 10% instead hardly anything came out of it and went to like 96% throughout the entire night.

Don't yank it out. Leave it alone.

Hmm.....this is getting really strange. It is as you said, either the app is reporting false data.......or it is true.
Before that, have you try turning on/off the inverter yet? Who knows, maybe a simple restarting will fix the issue?

Can you take a picture of the bottom part of your installation?

I want to have a look on the connection.

 

[blunt81st]

Ok, good news there's actually a PV breaker on the bottom (didn't know) so turned it off and it did switch to the battery.
Bad news the battery is slow of of providing current, from the monitoring screenshot you can see the small blue section on the bottom, that's the battery, never goes above 0.1KW.
Also I would gladly restart the inverter all together but it has no on/off switch. How would you do it?

 

[blunt81st]

Don't yank it out. Leave it alone.

Hmm.....this is getting really strange. It is as you said, either the app is reporting false data.......or it is true.
Before that, have you try turning on/off the inverter yet? Who knows, maybe a simple restarting will fix the issue?

Can you take a picture of the bottom part of your installation?
View attachment 214198
I want to have a look on the connection.

 

[blunt81st]

Also, just a thought. You know this 'Meter' cable that leaves the inverter (grey cable) and then arrives at the smart meter (already black cable with A and B ending), in between it is transformed from one to the other (see picture). Could it be that A and B are switched up at this intersection?

 

[AshleyL]

Ok, good news there's actually a PV breaker on the bottom (didn't know) so turned it off and it did switch to the battery.
Bad news the battery is slow of of providing current, from the monitoring screenshot you can see the small blue section on the bottom, that's the battery, never goes above 0.1KW.
Also I would gladly restart the inverter all together but it has no on/off switch. How would you do it?

At least we know the battery is functioning. Something doesn't make sense at this LCD display indicator too. Why would the battery exporting to grid and not the local load? (At least when the PV is insufficient or missing when you switched it PV off, the battery can be used to power the load)


There should be one arrow pointing to the load ( H )

Have a look on this user Growatt SPH (Ignore the fact that his inverter has faulty charging issue)

edit: wait, what is your growatt battery pack model again?
Let fully shut down the inverter first. Switch off the PV input. Then switch off the battery pack. There are multiple disconnect switches there for each battery pack. (switch off the master battery last)
After few minutes, switch on the battery pack. (Note, switch on the master battery first, then the rest and finally PV switch on)

Also, just a thought. You know this 'Meter' cable that leaves the inverter (grey cable) and then arrives at the smart meter (already black cable with A and B ending), in between it is transformed from one to the other (see picture). Could it be that A and B are switched up at this intersection?

Unlikely. The CAN port is connected to the battery. The Meter is connected to the A/B CHNT meter.

 

[blunt81st]

At least we know the battery is functioning. Something doesn't make sense at this LCD display indicator too. Why would the battery exporting to grid and not the local load? (At least when the PV is insufficient or missing when you switched it PV off, the battery can be used to power the load)

View attachment 214213
There should be one arrow pointing to the load ( H )

Have a look on this user Growatt SPH (Ignore the fact that his inverter has faulty charging issue)

edit: wait, what is your growatt battery pack model again?
Let fully shut down the inverter first. Switch off the PV input. Then switch off the battery pack. There are multiple disconnect switches there for each battery pack. (switch off the master battery last)
After few minutes, switch on the battery pack. (Note, switch on the master battery first, then the rest and finally PV switch on)


Unlikely. The CAN port is connected to the battery. The Meter is connected to the A/B CHNT meter.

Sorry for the silence, staying away from home. Will be back on Monday and try these next steps.

 

[AshleyL]

Sorry for the silence, staying away from home. Will be back on Monday and try these next steps.

Sure, your inverter sure has the strangest case of all.....

 

[blunt81st]

Sure, your inverter sure has the strangest case of all.....

It's just getting worse...now it seems like the panels are not producing anything anymore. Today full sunny and nothing. Battery is also discharging some tiny amount.
I restarted the whole thing now and still no change.

 

[AshleyL]

View attachment 215957
It's just getting worse...now it seems like the panels are not producing anything anymore. Today full sunny and nothing. Battery is also discharging some tiny amount.
I restarted the whole thing now and still no change.

Hmm.....that is well known 95% - 100% Growatt Lithium charging mechanism. Once the battery drops below 95%, the inverter will recharge it to 100% again. Oh, you should know the inverter will draw power from the battery only to power its internal hardware and not directly from solar power and grid. The inverter will stop charging the battery after reaching 100% and start draining the battery until it reaches 95% below, rinse and repeat.

What I don't understand.........why is there no load indicated in the system? Perhaps it is time to ask Growatt directly. Email service.nl@ginverter.com (you get faster response with Netherland support than the global one) with your inverter serial number and the shinewifi-x serial number and ask them why the inverter doesn't register any load at all.

You do have some active electrical load in this screenshot, don't you? This one has zero export enabled, correct?

Before this, do you have Net Metering or Feed-In scheme? Doesn't seem to make sense to use zero export if you have net metering or feed-in available.

 

[blunt81st]

Hmm.....that is well known 95% - 100% Growatt Lithium charging mechanism. Once the battery drops below 95%, the inverter will recharge it to 100% again. Oh, you should know the inverter will draw power from the battery only to power its internal hardware and not directly from solar power and grid. The inverter will stop charging the battery after reaching 100% and start draining the battery until it reaches 95% below, rinse and repeat.

What I don't understand.........why is there no load indicated in the system? Perhaps it is time to ask Growatt directly. Email service.nl@ginverter.com (you get faster response with Netherland support than the global one) with your inverter serial number and the shinewifi-x serial number and ask them why the inverter doesn't register any load at all.

You do have some active electrical load in this screenshot, don't you? This one has zero export enabled, correct?

Before this, do you have Net Metering or Feed-In scheme? Doesn't seem to make sense to use zero export if you have net metering or feed-in available.

On the battery point. Why is that? I thought it should go down to 10%.

Zero export - correct. I don't have net metering nor feed-in scheme, I just want to use the whole system in island. The feed-in scheme is paying close to nothing in Germany.

 

[AshleyL]

On the battery point. Why is that? I thought it should go down to 10%.

Zero export - correct. I don't have net metering nor feed-in scheme, I just want to use the whole system in island. The feed-in scheme is paying close to nothing in Germany.

Depend if there is solar available.
If there is no solar available, it should use the battery down all the way to 10%. Which is not happening in your case.
If there is solar power available, then it will maintain the 95% to 100% state of charge.

I recommend you to send an email to growatt service with this forum link too.

If you don't have net metering or feed in tariff, the grid meter normally will record your solar power export as consumption, meaning you are being billed for exporting power to the grid......assuming if you are not being fined by grid provider......or both.