Good evening, I would appreciate advice on the issue noted below. Any assistance is appreciated. Trying to provide full info from the start so here goes ---
I have a grid-tied, Xantrex XW6048 Inverter/Charger with two MPPT 60-150 solar charge controllers and 6,200 watts of panels that I installed in 2010. Consists of 27 panels with 15 panels wired into a breaker box then to one charge controller and 12 into a breaker box and into the other charge controller so nearly an even split between the two SCC’s.
This system has operated fine with 4 Rolls 357aH (20 hour rate) batteries wired in series for 48 volts but the battery capacity fell off as they aged. Basic operation including selling back to the grid on most sunny days functioning properly, just little to no stored power.
Instead of buying the same batteries again (which now seems like would have been the easy/smart move) I wanted to upgrade to LiFePO4 so I purchased 4, LiTime 230aH Plus batteries and wired them in series for 48 volts. Followed the new battery instructions precisely, charging them properly first with the 40A charger, making sure voltages were identical before hook-up, etc.
On the Xantrex SCP, I reset all settings for XW6048 and the SCC’s to factory default and then set inverter/charger and SCC parameters according to battery manufacturer recommendations.
Now I get a quick F49 (DC overvoltage) warning when it comes online with voltage on the control panel readout bouncing between 55V and 65V with a spike above 70 seconds later and then all my protections cut everything out and the warning appears; sometimes a fault but usually a warning; sometimes the panel indicates it is a DC Overvoltage fault at the XW6048 and other times it states it is at one of the SCCs. I have tweaked the settings in every slight way I can imagine while still being very close to the manufacturer guidelines but I am either overlooking a setting or ……...
So, have I simply set something improperly in one of the menus or is my issue that I need more aH in the battery bank (and therefore will need to add another 4 batteries and wire the bank in a 2P4S arrangement to get to 48 volts and 460aH)? Were the 50% larger 357aH lead batteries better at “catching and moderating” the current as the system came online or something to that effect? I am not against buying more batteries but don't want to throw another $2,800 away chasing a problem if I just have a setting wrong. My long term concern overall is being able to sell to the grid all day when we are away from home so storage capacity is a distant second in terms of why I like having solar.
As it sits right now, the battery bank is reading 56.7V on control panel readout and my individual settings are as below:
XW6048 Inverter/Charger:
Inverter Settings: Low battery cutout 44V, High battery cutout 65V, Search watts 50W @ 2 seconds
Charger Settings: Custom, Equalize disabled, bulk voltage 57.6V, Absorb voltage 57.6V, Float voltage 56V, battery temp comp 0mV/C; Battery capacity 230aH, max charge rate 55%, charge cycle 2 stage no float, default battery temp warm, recharge volts 50V, absorb time 2 minutes
AC settings: factory default
Grid support 53V, Sell disabled (though I do plan to enable and sell to grid), max sell amps 23A, load shave disabled
MPPT 60-150 solar charge controller settings (both have identical settings)
Battery type custom, Equalize disabled, bulk voltage 57.6V, Absorb voltage 57.6V, Float voltage 56V, battery temp comp 0mV/C
Battery capacity 230aH, max charge rate 55%, charge cycle 2 stage no float, recharge volts 50V, absorb time 2 minutes, default battery temp warm, battery voltage 48V, autotrack enabled.
I appreciate any input. Thanks!
I have a grid-tied, Xantrex XW6048 Inverter/Charger with two MPPT 60-150 solar charge controllers and 6,200 watts of panels that I installed in 2010. Consists of 27 panels with 15 panels wired into a breaker box then to one charge controller and 12 into a breaker box and into the other charge controller so nearly an even split between the two SCC’s.
This system has operated fine with 4 Rolls 357aH (20 hour rate) batteries wired in series for 48 volts but the battery capacity fell off as they aged. Basic operation including selling back to the grid on most sunny days functioning properly, just little to no stored power.
Instead of buying the same batteries again (which now seems like would have been the easy/smart move) I wanted to upgrade to LiFePO4 so I purchased 4, LiTime 230aH Plus batteries and wired them in series for 48 volts. Followed the new battery instructions precisely, charging them properly first with the 40A charger, making sure voltages were identical before hook-up, etc.
On the Xantrex SCP, I reset all settings for XW6048 and the SCC’s to factory default and then set inverter/charger and SCC parameters according to battery manufacturer recommendations.
Now I get a quick F49 (DC overvoltage) warning when it comes online with voltage on the control panel readout bouncing between 55V and 65V with a spike above 70 seconds later and then all my protections cut everything out and the warning appears; sometimes a fault but usually a warning; sometimes the panel indicates it is a DC Overvoltage fault at the XW6048 and other times it states it is at one of the SCCs. I have tweaked the settings in every slight way I can imagine while still being very close to the manufacturer guidelines but I am either overlooking a setting or ……...
So, have I simply set something improperly in one of the menus or is my issue that I need more aH in the battery bank (and therefore will need to add another 4 batteries and wire the bank in a 2P4S arrangement to get to 48 volts and 460aH)? Were the 50% larger 357aH lead batteries better at “catching and moderating” the current as the system came online or something to that effect? I am not against buying more batteries but don't want to throw another $2,800 away chasing a problem if I just have a setting wrong. My long term concern overall is being able to sell to the grid all day when we are away from home so storage capacity is a distant second in terms of why I like having solar.
As it sits right now, the battery bank is reading 56.7V on control panel readout and my individual settings are as below:
XW6048 Inverter/Charger:
Inverter Settings: Low battery cutout 44V, High battery cutout 65V, Search watts 50W @ 2 seconds
Charger Settings: Custom, Equalize disabled, bulk voltage 57.6V, Absorb voltage 57.6V, Float voltage 56V, battery temp comp 0mV/C; Battery capacity 230aH, max charge rate 55%, charge cycle 2 stage no float, default battery temp warm, recharge volts 50V, absorb time 2 minutes
AC settings: factory default
Grid support 53V, Sell disabled (though I do plan to enable and sell to grid), max sell amps 23A, load shave disabled
MPPT 60-150 solar charge controller settings (both have identical settings)
Battery type custom, Equalize disabled, bulk voltage 57.6V, Absorb voltage 57.6V, Float voltage 56V, battery temp comp 0mV/C
Battery capacity 230aH, max charge rate 55%, charge cycle 2 stage no float, recharge volts 50V, absorb time 2 minutes, default battery temp warm, battery voltage 48V, autotrack enabled.
I appreciate any input. Thanks!
