Install and Operation of the SUNGOLD 10KW 48V SPLIT PHASE SOLAR INVERTER

[Kenny_]

The Batteries are Charged, the Sun is Shining, quit wasting PV Energy!!!

 

[Kenny_]

If menu item 6 is set at it's default of 60 amps, that is 60 amps total for 5 batteries which equals 12 amps per battery, might not be enough. At 12 amps per battery it would take a long time to charge from an event 60% SOC.

I think you mean Param 7 right? Battery Charging Current.

As we learned some time back (one of my first insights) was that this parameter changes almost constantly depending on conditions of battery, solar PV and maybe other things. I really don't know why but it definitely changes. It was one of the things that made me SMH til I finally just said... okay then...

 

[marionw]

Put on a sweater, extras socks and drink a hot toddy or hot buttered rum. Shut of the heaters.

Just out of curiosity, what are menu item 6 (battery charging mode) and menu item 7 (battery charging current) set at? Menu item 6 determines when/where the charging current comes from and I don;t know for certain what the manual means when it says "solar is available", does that mean as long as solar is providing any kind of power at all and your loads are using it all that no power is used from the grid for charging? Just don't know as the manul leaves a lot to try and figure out.

Items 6 and 7 shouldn't change, should be and remain what you set them at and item 7 (battery charge current) would be based on among other things, the number of batteries in your stack. Two batteries might require a lower current setting, but 6 batteries would require a higher current setting up to the max the inverter's charge circuitry can provide. This is total current the inverter will provide, not current per battery, it gets divided amongst the batteries based on each BMS as well as how the batteries are wired/connected. The inverter has no way of knowing the number of batteries in the stack. The BMS reports as one big battery.

These are some of the settings in the inverter that I pull using my software. I will eventually match them to the configuration menu item#
Remember, the volts get multiplied by 4 beacuse of the 48 volt system.
Description.................................................Value Unit Register Multiplier Displayed Default Min Max
Max_PV_Charger_Current......................................200.0 A 0xE001 0.1 200.0 200.0 0 100
Nominal_Battery_Capacity....................................100 Ah 0xE002 1 100 100 0 400
System_Voltage_Rate_Read_Only...............................48 V 0xE003 1 48 48 12 255
Battery_Type................................................6 0xE004 1 6 0 14
Battery_Overcharge_Voltage_Protection.......................15.0 V 0xE005 0.1 60.0 15.5 9 15.5
Battery_Limited_Charge_Voltage..............................14.4 V 0xE006 0.1 57.6 14.4 9 15.5
Battery_Equalization_Charge_Voltage.........................14.4 V 0xE007 0.1 57.6 14.4 9 15.5
Battery_Boost_Charge_Voltage................................14.4 V 0xE008 0.1 57.6 14.4 9 15.5
Battery_Floating_Charge_Voltage.............................14.4 V 0xE009 0.1 57.6 14 9 15.5
Battery_Charge_Recovery_Voltage.............................13.4 V 0xE00A 0.1 53.6 13.2 9 15.5
Battery_Undervoltage_Recovery_Voltage.......................13.2 V 0xE00B 0.1 52.8 12.6 9 15.5
Battery_Under_Voltage_Warning_Alarm.........................12.4 V 0xE00C 0.1 49.6 11 9 15.5
Battery_Over_Discharge_Voltage..............................0.0 V 0xE00D 0.1 0.0 12.2 9 15.5
Battery_Discharge_Limit_Voltage.............................11.6 V 0xE00E 0.1 46.4 11.2 9 15.5
Battery_Charge_Cutoff_SOC_Discharge_Cutoff_SOC..............5 0xE00F 1 5 0 100
Battery_Over_Discharge_Delay_Time...........................30 S 0xE010 1 30 30 0 120
Battery_Equalized_Time......................................5 Min 0xE011 1 5 5 0 600
Battery_Boost_Charge_Time...................................120 Min 0xE012 1 120 120 10 600
Max_AC_Charger_Current......................................60.0 A 0xE205 0.1 60.0 60.0 0 100

 

[Kenny_]

Yeah I agree the manual sucks, not enough detail or explanation and as far as Item/Param 7 changing I can assure you that it does...dynamically...I've watched it in both SA and on the Inverter display.

 

[marionw]

My battery BMS Protocol for the EG4 Batteries is set to "Pyl" ( Pylontech). Not sure why SA is reporting "Uz Energy"

Not sure where SA is pulling the "Max charge current" as I have no current flow from the inverter to the batteries. I assume this is a value the Inverter reports when it is charging the batteries.

The "Max PV charge current" and "Max grid charge current" agree with what I have set in the Inverter and I have never seen them change.

Sometime next week I will run the house on the Inverter, No PV or Grid, draw the batteries to around 50% SOC. Turn on the grid (no PV) and see how the batteries recharge. I will be able to monitor current and voltage.

I gota know!!!!

 

[Ennis437]

...or is something whacked with my settings (I know, I know, not in USER MODE)....

I just can't help getting this feeling that the Inverter and the BMS are fighting over control....

I gave up long ago on closed loop for my SGP batteries. it didn’t help at all and the master battery was basically dictating everything for the others in user mode I was able to set parameters that made all my batteries happy.

 

[Lighthouse Beacon]

Just got the initial billing totals for December.... appears that I saved about 50% again on my electric portion of the Xcel bill....will know more once the detailed bill is available.

Oh and Xcel sent out an email saying HIGHER NATURAL GAS PRICES will cause an increase in bills in coming months. Bastards!
I'd love to get entirely off the grid but it's not likely to happen any time soon. At least I'm doing what I can....

That’s awesome keep it up! Never a better time to be as independent as possible

 

[Lighthouse Beacon]

I gave up long ago on closed loop for my SGP batteries. it didn’t help at all and the master battery was basically dictating everything for the others in user mode I was able to set parameters that made all my batteries happy.

Are you using BMS communication?

 

[Kenny_]

I gave up long ago on closed loop for my SGP batteries. it didn’t help at all and the master battery was basically dictating everything for the others in user mode I was able to set parameters that made all my batteries happy.

Did you disconnect the communication between batteries as well? Just connect the Power cables/buss? Do you monitor the batteries with any kind of software?

 

[Kenny_]

here's the reading from my bat #2 just for giggles at this moment. Note that it is cell #7 lowest in this bat/pack.
It is cell #5 in Bat #5 FWIW (not much, I know).

 

[42OhmsPA]

here's the reading from my bat #2 just for giggles at this moment. Note that it is cell #7 lowest in this bat/pack.
It is cell #5 in Bat #5 FWIW (not much, I know).

View attachment 188881

View attachment 188880

I like the layout of that software, much nicer than JBD...

I would definitely change cell OV protect to 3.65V or a bit lower and the charge temp to 0C.
I'd also change the balance threshold to 3.42V and lower the delta as much as you can.
You could also change the fully voltage to 55.6 if you wanted.

It looks like you can export settings so I'd save a copy of the original if you plan to change anything..

 

[Kenny_]

I like the layout of that software, much nicer than JBD...

I would definitely change cell OV protect to 3.65V or a bit lower and the charge temp to 0C.
I'd also change the balance threshold to 3.42V and lower the delta as much as you can.
You could also change the fully voltage to 55.6 if you wanted.

It looks like you can export settings so I'd save a copy of the original if you plan to change anything..

I'm not going to change anything immediately (Cindy says it might void my warranty. And I say What Warranty?)...
but I'm getting closer and closer to moving to User mode and trying to get all this working in such a way that I don't have to baby sit as much.

 

[Kenny_]

Well if my predictions are correct, my inverter will be switching to grid within minutes.... overall battery V is 49.8 at the moment and battery 5 is disconnected.

 

[Kenny_]

In other news I got my December Xcel bill and I saved about 50% over last year's electric bill! Woohoo! And it only cost me $10k!!! Woo!
16 year payback.

 

[Kenny_]

Well if my predictions are correct, my inverter will be switching to grid within minutes.... overall battery V is 49.8 at the moment and battery 5 is disconnected.

Wait....didn't switch at 49.6... Param 14 alarm yet... but #4 (43.6 default) I have set to 49.2...so maybe a few more minutes of running the furnace and space heaters.

...and it actually dropped below #4 value to 48.7 V and still didn't switch .... this damn thing just keeps confusing me!!

and ..except that now the sun is beginning to generate PV...so all bets are off unless I turn PV off to load...

 

[Kenny_]

...and now we get the #63 alarm and the battery voltage is now at 49.0 V.... confused.... some PV coming in...less that 100W but it has switched to grid...not charging the batteries though....

I'm gonna guess this is because some small tiny amount of pv is coming in... maybe I'll try switching that off and see what happens to charging...


.... and sure enough.... went to Grid Charging when I turned solar input off (via my recently installed breakers - yea!).

 

[Kenny_]

Okay so I changed Param #6 to SNU (the default) and Now it it still alarming (#63) but with it in SNU grid and solar are both coming in and charging batteries (also with battery #5 back online)....

I'm learning, I'm learning...
and hopefully some of this randomness will be useful to someone!

 

[marionw]

#63 alarm (BMS Under Voltage) may not clear until the battery is above menu item #35 (Battery undervoltage recovery point). Menu item #35 is initially set by the battery type you select but should be adjustable, default is 52.0 but changes to 52.8 when you set L16 for the battery type. #63 alarm is just that, an alarm but as the battery charges it should (hopefully) clear when the battery voltage is at or above menu item #35. I am just guessing here but we are all learning with you (or at your expense)

 

[Kenny_]

#63 alarm (BMS Under Voltage) may not clear until the battery is above menu item #35 (Battery undervoltage recovery point). Menu item #35 is initially set by the battery type you select but should be adjustable, default is 52.0 but changes to 52.8 when you set L16 for the battery type. #63 alarm is just that, an alarm but as the battery charges it should (hopefully) clear when the battery voltage is at or above menu item #35. I am just guessing here but we are all learning with you (or at your expense)

right thats what I've seen a couple of times now.....verifying it again.

 

[Kenny_]

What I learned this morning is the differences in Param #6 .. if in "CSO" mode solar will 'override' grid charging.
When even a small amount of PV was coming in, Grid Charging turned off.

When I put it in "SNU" (default) mode it went back to (majority) grid charging but with PV coming in as well.

(This is the kind of thing that is NOT EXPLAINED in the so-called User Manual and why I think it is SHIT!)
...
Currently bat voltage at 52.4, standing by to see it hit #35 - 52.8 and #37 - 53.6....

 

[Kenny_]

And lookit at this! Batt #5 is the lowest current input! but lowest SOC but maybe due to voltage?? Sheesh!

 

[Kenny_]

and we just went out of Bypass/Charging mode with battery at 52.7 ??? Maybe it momentarily hit 52.8 #35 but stopped charging as well (i.e. did not reach 53.6 #37....

and now it's sucking battery out of #5 only....WTAF?????

 

[marionw]

Need to hook up the PbmsTools (or SOKTool) and look at battery 5. You will be able to drill down and see exactly what is going on

 

[CaliSunHarvester]

battery voltage is now at 49.0 V.

That is damn low. It compares to 24.5V in my 24V system, which doesn't have any fancy BMS communication. I use it to charge a PHEV and I won't start charging if there's not at least 26.5V displayed. The 24V system doesn't show a SOC either.

I thought with the AC in, it would never get that low, thus extending the battery life?

 

[Kenny_]

Need to hook up the PbmsTools (or SOKTool) and look at battery 5. You will be able to drill down and see exactly what is going on

Yeah, it is connected but still not figuring it out..

I'm still somewhat of the opinion that something is fucked with the BMS in battery #5...but not seeing any difference in settings etc from the other batteries (or difference in version/software version).