help me with sungold power!

[hyphal_knot]

Hello! this year I got a sungold power off grid setup. I have a 5kw inverter/charger, and started with a 100ah 52v lifepo4 server rack battery. I have about 3.5kw of panels. So everything was going fine, but i just bought a second battery, same model. As you may know, sungold has zero customer support. I charged my batteries up to 95% separately, and then put them in parallel. I have a rs485 cable from the charger to the first battery, and another from the first to the second battery.
It seemed to be fine at first, but today the first battery has 65% and the second has 45% SOC. I thought that they would stay the same? i don't have any charger other than the solar setup, and i don't know how to properly balance them. Am i damaging the batteries? I have no idea how to check the rs485 connections.

 

[BryceFreeman]

The consistency of batteries matters. Usually the batteries need to be of the same model and the same born time. New and old battery are not recommended to be series connected.

 

[Mark-]

New and old battery are not recommended to be series connected.

He did not say the batteries are in series.

What is the voltage on the two batteries?

 

[Kenny_]

I did a similar thing ... sungold 10k48v inverter first one rack mount battery, then the second one then two more and then one more...
they were significantly different in SOC until I somewhat inadvertently bottomed out due to bad weather and charged fully from grid (this was with the first two batteries only) and then a second time just a few days ago. All the batteries are very close now in SOC.

I'm somewhat new at this, but maybe you need to go through a few full cycles?

 

[Kenny_]

I also had some issues with battery communication/cable issues all documented in my long thread.

You are not getting a comm error on the inverter are you? If not it is likely communicating properly.

 

[Kenny_]

and yes... Sungold is not a lot of help but they did help me some so far...

 

[hyphal_knot]

I also had some issues with battery communication/cable issues all documented in my long thread.

You are not getting a comm error on the inverter are you? If not it is likely communicating properly.

Thank you! no comm error, so I should assume its working? Il see what happens over a few cycles, but I dont have grid power available so it might take a while. guess i could run the generator.

 

[hyphal_knot]

He did not say the batteries are in series.

What is the voltage on the two batteries?

The batteries are only a few months different in age. I got a second one on black friday sale.

they are running around 52v, both are pretty close in voltage but not in SOC.

 

[Kenny_]

Thank you! no comm error, so I should assume its working? Il see what happens over a few cycles, but I dont have grid power available so it might take a while. guess i could run the generator.

The only way I knew for sure was by using Solar Assistant (or the PBMS application on my laptop) with the appropriate cables plugged into the batteries where I could see each battery's status/parameters/etc.

 

[Mark-]

The batteries are only a few months different in age. I got a second one on black friday sale.

they are running around 52v, both are pretty close in voltage but not in SOC.

If you search the forum and web you will find lots of frustration with SOC issues. Some use only the voltage. My inverters are using voltage, values, no communication to batteries. Anyone see an issue, please let me know what you think.

Lots of voltage charge charts on the web. For example:

 

[tuxkwb]

Hello
I have the sungold IP6048 and have been using it since the last week of August. I just ordered another one and 2 of the power wall type batteries plus 6 560watt bifacial panels from their black Friday sale. I just received them yesterday hoping to install the batteries and 2 inverter this weekend.
But as for support from sungold I have had
no problems with them. I have asked a lot of questions and always had a response the next day even when troubleshooting fan noise. Once it was determined to be a circuit board they sent it out right away.
I deal with support@sungolpower.com. the person I have been working with is Cindy.

 

[Quattrohead]

You all realize there is no such person as Cindy LOL.

 

[Kenny_]

You all realize there is no such person as Cindy LOL.

Of course there is, it's Cindy Lou Who of Whoville!
Who are you, the Grinch?

 

[Lighthouse Beacon]

You all realize there is no such person as Cindy LOL.

Don’t you disrespect our SG queen @Quattrohead !! She’s been with us in the darkest of times… Queen Cindy Lou has
no time for your lack of respect!

 

[Lighthouse Beacon]

The batteries are only a few months different in age. I got a second one on black friday sale.

they are running around 52v, both are pretty close in voltage but not in SOC.

They just need exercise. Drain them down and charge them back up a few times. Charge them on generator or grid high amp, don’t rely on solar to cycle them. cycle them 2-3 times, you’ll level out

 

[Kenny_]

They just need exercise. Drain them down and charge them back up a few times. Charge them on generator or grid high amp, don’t rely on solar to cycle them. cycle them 2-3 times, you’ll level out

Yes, this seemed to be my issue.