Help needed for 48v renogy rover controller

[June rasmussen]

G'day all

I am needing some help please with my 48v renoge rover 100amp controller please I have a 48v victron inverter with 48v li battery banks made by my hubby and I we are fully off grid have been for 10yrs or so we have a problem with the controller and we are now in winter here in Australia our controller is staying on boost all day and at night it drops the batteries down down to fast that we have to put a generator on to keep power can someone please help hubby thinks the controller is not working properly would be very grateful if someone could help us please thank you for yr time on this matter and problem.

 

[Dynoman]

G'day all

I am needing some help please with my 48v renoge rover 100amp controller please I have a 48v victron inverter with 48v li battery banks made by my hubby and I we are fully off grid have been for 10yrs or so we have a problem with the controller and we are now in winter here in Australia our controller is staying on boost all day and at night it drops the batteries down down to fast that we have to put a generator on to keep power can someone please help hubby thinks the controller is not working properly would be very grateful if someone could help us please thank you for yr time on this matter and problem.

I have the Renogy Rover 100 amp and Renogy Rover 40 amp Solar Charge Controller. I have posted a similar message in another thread. I hope it helps...

Note: The Renogy Rover 100 amp only has settings for 12 volt batteries. For 24 volt double the values and for 48 volt multiply by 4.
Example Boost Charge Voltage of 14V = 28V for 24 volt systems and 56 volt for 48 volt systems. The Rover will auto detect which scaling to use by battery voltage.

You should use the USR settings. The Rover LI settings are to aggressive for Lifepo4 Batteries.
Set to USR & set:
High Voltage Disconnect 14.5v
Charge Limit Voltage14.1v
Equalization Charge Voltage 14.0v
Boost Charge Voltage 14.0v
Float Charge Volt 13.6v
Boost Char Return Volt 13.3v
Over Disc Return Volt 11.0v
Low voltage Alarm 10.9v
Over Discharge Volt 10.5v
Discharge Limit Volt 10v
Over Disc Delay Time 5s
Equalization Charge Time 0 Min
Boost Time 10 Min
Equalize Charge Interval 185 (Note this value cannot be 0 because controller can get stuck in boost mode)
Temp Comp 0A

Unplug temp sensor from the Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller. Leaving it plugged in can skew charging. It is used for Lead Acid batteries and not Lifepo4.

These settings should get you started. You can adjust from there. These are the settings I use with Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC currently going on 3rd year.

I use the Renogy BT-1 Bluetooth Module that plugs in the Rover-100 Rs232 port.
www.amazon.com/Renogy-Bluetooth-Module-Communication-Controllers/dp/B0894SDTSL

With that Module I use the Renogy BT App loaded on my phone to program the settings and monitor the Rover-100 and is free.

‎Renogy BT

‎APP for solar charge controller operation in smart PV power system. It's for solar charge controller working parameter setting and reading. All data can be displayed in a diagram. Meet the Renogy BT. a convenient way to manage and monitor your solar power system all in the palm of your hand...

apps.apple.com

Renogy BT - Apps on Google Play

a convenient way to manage and monitor your solar power system

play.google.com

Note that I find the Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC voltage display can be off by 0.1 or 0.2 volts (usually low) and this is common with this solar charge controller. So if Boost is set to 14.0 it will probably go to 14.1 or 14.2 volts (read with a good volt meter) which is a very high state of charge for Lifepo4. You can try higher, but at 14.1 or 14.2 volts Lifepo4 batteries are typically at least 95% charged or more.

The Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC is not a precision SCC, but can be used very effectively.

Your BMS in your battery will (or should) shut down your battery before any damage to the cells with overvoltage or undervoltage protection, but you don't want to use this feature to run your solar system since it is a failsafe. You need to program the Rover-100 Boost Voltage to a voltage below your BMS overvoltage and you need to remove your loads before the battery BMS goes into undervoltage or make sure the battery voltage never gets that low (this can be done with an automatic transfer switch when using inverter/grid power combination).

The SOC displayed by the Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC is determined by voltage and is not accurate and can be off by a considerable amount. To get an accurate SOC a shunt is needed. The Victron Energy SmartShunt is one of the best currently on the market. It has Bluetooth that is displayed with an app on phone.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-SmartShunt-500AMP-Bluetooth-Battery/dp/B0856PHNLX

I use the Victron BMV 712 that comes with a display and a few more features, but it cost more.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-BMV-712-Battery-Monitor-Black/dp/B084M2XYK4

Per the Renogy Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller manual its self consumption is only 2.7 to 2.9 watts which would only be about 60 millivolts for a 48 volt system. See attached Manual.

I suggest connecting a hall effect amp meter on the positive battery cable from the Renogy Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller to the battery to check if it is pulling current from the battery at night.

This is a simple DC Voltage & Current meter

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DDQM6Z4

This Drok is a DC Voltage & Current meter and will give approximate state of charge when set up properly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YWVCBRN/

Another thing to try is resetting the Renogy Rover 100 amp controller. Go into the settings using the front panel buttons and reset to factory setting and try reprogramming it. Push & hold the right arrow key to access settings. The password is all zeros (0000000) . Just press right arrow key to select a 0 & keep pressing until password accepted. Next select Reset and confirm. Ensure all parameters are the factory default to ensure reset worked properly. Now program to the above listed parameters in this post.

If your Renogy Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller is truly pulling excessive current from the battery at night it is defective and needs to be returned if possible or if not repaired.

 

[June rasmussen]

I have the Renogy Rover 100 amp and Renogy Rover 40 amp Solar Charge Controller. I have posted a similar message in another thread. I hope it helps...

Note: The Renogy Rover 100 amp only has settings for 12 volt batteries. For 24 volt double the values and for 48 volt multiply by 4.
Example Boost Charge Voltage of 14V = 28V for 24 volt systems and 56 volt for 48 volt systems. The Rover will auto detect which scaling to use by battery voltage.

You should use the USR settings. The Rover LI settings are to aggressive for Lifepo4 Batteries.
Set to USR & set:
High Voltage Disconnect 14.5v
Charge Limit Voltage14.1v
Equalization Charge Voltage 14.0v
Boost Charge Voltage 14.0v
Float Charge Volt 13.6v
Boost Char Return Volt 13.3v
Over Disc Return Volt 11.0v
Low voltage Alarm 10.9v
Over Discharge Volt 10.5v
Discharge Limit Volt 10v
Over Disc Delay Time 5s
Equalization Charge Time 0 Min
Boost Time 10 Min
Equalize Charge Interval 185 (Note this value cannot be 0 because controller can get stuck in boost mode)
Temp Comp 0A

Unplug temp sensor from the Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller. Leaving it plugged in can skew charging. It is used for Lead Acid batteries and not Lifepo4.

These settings should get you started. You can adjust from there. These are the settings I use with Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC currently going on 3rd year.

I use the Renogy BT-1 Bluetooth Module that plugs in the Rover-100 Rs232 port.
www.amazon.com/Renogy-Bluetooth-Module-Communication-Controllers/dp/B0894SDTSL

With that Module I use the Renogy BT App loaded on my phone to program the settings and monitor the Rover-100 and is free.

‎Renogy BT

‎APP for solar charge controller operation in smart PV power system. It's for solar charge controller working parameter setting and reading. All data can be displayed in a diagram. Meet the Renogy BT. a convenient way to manage and monitor your solar power system all in the palm of your hand...

apps.apple.com

Renogy BT - Apps on Google Play

a convenient way to manage and monitor your solar power system

play.google.com

Note that I find the Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC voltage display can be off by 0.1 or 0.2 volts (usually low) and this is common with this solar charge controller. So if Boost is set to 14.0 it will probably go to 14.1 or 14.2 volts (read with a good volt meter) which is a very high state of charge for Lifepo4. You can try higher, but at 14.1 or 14.2 volts Lifepo4 batteries are typically at least 95% charged or more.

The Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC is not a precision SCC, but can be used very effectively.

Your BMS in your battery will (or should) shut down your battery before any damage to the cells with overvoltage or undervoltage protection, but you don't want to use this feature to run your solar system since it is a failsafe. You need to program the Rover-100 Boost Voltage to a voltage below your BMS overvoltage and you need to remove your loads before the battery BMS goes into undervoltage or make sure the battery voltage never gets that low (this can be done with an automatic transfer switch when using inverter/grid power combination).

The SOC displayed by the Renogy Rover 100 amp SCC is determined by voltage and is not accurate and can be off by a considerable amount. To get an accurate SOC a shunt is needed. The Victron Energy SmartShunt is one of the best currently on the market. It has Bluetooth that is displayed with an app on phone.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-SmartShunt-500AMP-Bluetooth-Battery/dp/B0856PHNLX

I use the Victron BMV 712 that comes with a display and a few more features, but it cost more.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-BMV-712-Battery-Monitor-Black/dp/B084M2XYK4

Per the Renogy Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller manual its self consumption is only 2.7 to 2.9 watts which would only be about 60 millivolts for a 48 volt system. See attached Manual.

I suggest connecting a hall effect amp meter on the positive battery cable from the Renogy Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller to the battery to check if it is pulling current from the battery at night.

This is a simple DC Voltage & Current meter

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DDQM6Z4

This Drok is a DC Voltage & Current meter and will give approximate state of charge when set up properly.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YWVCBRN/

Another thing to try is resetting the Renogy Rover 100 amp controller. Go into the settings using the front panel buttons and reset to factory setting and try reprogramming it. Push & hold the right arrow key to access settings. The password is all zeros (0000000) . Just press right arrow key to select a 0 & keep pressing until password accepted. Next select Reset and confirm. Ensure all parameters are the factory default to ensure reset worked properly. Now program to the above listed parameters in this post.

If your Renogy Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller is truly pulling excessive current from the battery at night it is defective and needs to be returned if possible or if not repaired.

Thank you I have done what you said to do and it has gone to boost again can i ask battery capacity we have build batteries @ 8x7 2600 Mah 18650 cells this a 24v battery putting 2 of these batteries together make 48v what is the capacity of the battery capacity in 1 battery set up this way we have 8 of these batteries all together I hope this does not sound confusing thank you for yr time

 

[Dynoman]

Thank you I have done what you said to do and it has gone to boost again can i ask battery capacity we have build batteries @ 8x7 2600 Mah 18650 cells this a 24v battery putting 2 of these batteries together make 48v what is the capacity of the battery capacity in 1 battery set up this way we have 8 of these batteries all together I hope this does not sound confusing thank you for yr time

I think I understand your battery bank. It is Lithium Ion and Not Lifepo4.

Your cells are 2600 mah (2.6 ah) 18650 Lithium Ion with a max voltage of 4.2 volts.
7 cells in series x 4.2 volts = 29.4 volt battery at 2.6 ah
2 x 29.4 volt batteries in series = 58.8 volt battery at 5.2 ah
8 x 58.8 volt batteries in parallel = 58.8 volt battery at 41.6 ah (58.8 volts x 41.6 ah = 2446 watt hours or 2.446 Kwh)

These cells have a low voltage cutoff of 3 volts. (3 volts x 7 cells x 2 batteries = 42 Volts minimum battery voltage.)

So the max voltage of the battery is 58.8 volts and the minimum is 42 volts.
The Nominal is 3.7 volts x 7 x 2 = 51.8 volts. So, the actually the rating is 51.8 volts x 41.6 ah = 2155 watt hours or 2.155 Kwh.

If I have it right, this is not a very big battery bank for completely off grid. This will run a 100 watt light bulb for approximately 21 hours
(100 watts x 21 hours = 2100wh or 2.1 Kwh) and that is from 100% charge to 0% which is usually not recommended.

I have not had much experience with LI cells. I use them for my electric bike. I don't use them for my solar setup which is Lifepo4. Maybe someone else on the Forum with more experience will chime in.

A note of caution. LI cells can be dangerous if not used properly. The cells are known to explode if mistreated. You must be using a BMS(s) to be safe! Also proper fusing is needed. Click on Resources at the top of the page for a host of information.

Note that the Renogy Rover will go from MPPT Charge Mode into Boost at approximately 0.4 to 0.6 volts below the boost setting, but will continue to fully charge the battery until it is at the Boost Charge Voltage (58 volts). Once at the Boost Charge Voltage (58 volts) It will stay in boost for the Boost Time (10 to 40 minutes) if in full sun. Any clouds will change the timing. If the Rover stays in boost for 90 minutes or more at Boost Charge Voltage (58 volts) in full sun there is a problem.

Once the Boost Charging is complete the Renogy Rover will go to Float Charge Volt 53.6 (Float Charge Volt 13.4v setting x 4 = 53.6 volts)

Since you are using LI cells these settings may work, but I would research further.

These settings are assuming the batteries are as described above.
Set to USR & set:
High Voltage Disconnect 14.7v
Charge Limit Voltage14.6v
Equalization Charge Voltage 14.5v
Boost Charge Voltage 14.5v
Float Charge Volt 13.4v
Boost Char Return Volt 13.1v
Over Disc Return Volt 11.5v
Low voltage Alarm 11.4v
Over Discharge Volt 11.0v
Discharge Limit Volt 10.5v
Over Disc Delay Time 5s
Equalization Charge Time 0 Min
Boost Time 10 Min
Equalize Charge Interval 185 (Note this value cannot be 0 because controller can get stuck in boost mode)
Temp Comp 0A

Note: If the Rover is disconnecting due to a High Voltage Disconnect lower the Boost Charge Voltage.

Unplug temp sensor from the Rover 100 amp Solar Charge Controller. Leaving it plugged in can skew charging. It is used for Lead Acid batteries and not Lifepo4.

Again I strongly recommend further research. You can contact Renogy support at support@renogy.com
or call them at (909) 287-7111 Monday through Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm PST USA