Growatt SPF 12000 DVM and EG4 LiFePower4 - Settings, Troubleshooting, Questions

[thawkins67]

Hello,

I am experiencing some challenges getting my system dialed in and working the way I believe (or just hope?) it should be able to work. Learning a lot here and trying to get up to speed. My system is:
-Growatt SPF 12000t DVM
-(2) EG4 LifePower4 51.2V 100Ah 5120Wh
-(4) REC 400W Alpha, 2s2p

My trials and questions are many, but I'll try not to be too long-winded and just focus on some key issues.

BMS Related:​

I am operating the inverter in Lithium mode using BMS communication from batteries to inverter, and getting hit with lots of faults for low voltage or high voltage. These have happened at understandable times, such as a low voltage fault when trying to run too large of a load (well pump start up). What is troubling is that these faults are happening often at odd times, when the battery state of charge is between 30%-80%, and when there is no significant load on the inverter. I have checked battery cell voltages using the BMS-Test program. At 100% soc the max diff between cells read .204v and it looked like some cells were actively balancing because there was a '(bal)' noted next to the voltage reading of the higher charged cells. Down around 45% soc max diff was at .001v. I think the batteries are healthy and mostly balanced? I am going to try USE battery settings on the inverter to see if the high/low voltage faults go away and the batteries stay within allowable voltage ranges.

Question here:​

Is there some top-secret combination of firmware versions for the EG4 LiFePower4 batteries and Growatt SPF 12000t inverter that will enable them to run optimally with Li battery setting and BMS communication between inverter and battery? Something I am overlooking?

Growatt Inverter related:​

I am still trying to understand the capabilities of this inverter, assuming that it is functioning as it is meant to. I'm running the inverter in SBU mode, which is my ideal priority. When I get a low voltage fault, the inverter will sometimes reboot (according to setting 06) and switch to utility supply. Once the inverter has switched to utility supply, it seems to be stuck there even when solar and battery have enough power to resume supplying loads. I have sat, watched and waited, 10-15+ minutes for it to switch back to solar/battery, and never seen it make the switch. I inevitably flip a breaker cutting off utility supply, forcing it back to solar and battery.

Sometimes the inverter will shut down without recording a fault to my 'ShinePhone App' and will not reboot automatically.

The shutdowns happen at seemingly odd times [limited load applied to inverter (100w-1000w), normal battery voltage(30%-80% SOC)]. This makes me suspicious that if it is not a BMS issue, maybe the inverter is not working as it should.

The hard cutoff of power supply when switching from solar and battery to utility supply, and getting stuck in utlity supply also leads me to wonder if the inverter is functioning as it should or if there is a problem. I am hoping it is a problem that is fixable. If this is normal operation in SBU mode then it should be renamed 'SB run out to the shed, reset the batteries, reboot the inverter and force over to solar battery supply mode'.

Questions:​

Is this inverter supposed to be able to seamlessly switch over to utility supply when a load that is too large for the solar and battery combination is applied? Or is that just a fantasy that I have dreamt up? Are there other inverters on the market that can seamlessly blend from or switch between these 3 sources?
Is there a good reason (e.g. a setting) that the inverter does not just switch to the utility supply when the battery voltage is low? Is there a good reason that it does not switch back from utility supply to solar and battery supply when the solar and battery have enough power to supply loads? IS THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF INVERTER A PIECE OF JUNK, OR IS IT JUST MY INVERTER IN PARTICULAR?

I am very open to the possibility of user error, and hope that some troubleshooting will tie this thing together and get it running optimally. I've read as many related threads on this website as I could find before making my own post. I've tried customer service, and it seems I will have to try them harder. Hopefully someone out there has some good ideas! Thank you.

 

[brucenolan]

I don't think you have enough battery for a 12000T, I have 2 Growatt, 6000T and 12000T. At first the 6000T was on 2 LifePower4 batteries and would fault when starting a heavy load, added another battery and no more problems. currently have 4 Lifepower4 on that system and starts 1.5 HP well pump with no trouble also runs 1 HP pressure pump at the same time. the 12000T has 6 lifepower4 batteries, can charge car at 5kw run three minisplits, 1/2 hp well and 3/4 hp pressure pump all concurrently with out a complaint. looking at your battery screen shot, looks like batteries need a balance, 0.204 delta is pretty high the most I see is in the 0.020 range however 2 of the six I had to open and balance manually at first. sorry I can't help on utility usage as I dont partake on that soup.
hope that helps even if reply is kinda late

Bruce