diy solar

diy solar

MPP-Solar LVX-6048

I am having an issue and I can't seem to troubleshoot the problem. My system is exclusively for a detached shop I am trying to run off grid. LVX 6048, 48v Trophy Battery, SanTan Solar used panels 240W 37.2 VOC 2 parallel strings of 10 in series run through a branch connector. At night I don't have anything powered up that can consume electricity except for 1 power strip that has an LED light and a USB converter built into it. Everything else is either unplugged or turned off. I understand the higher consumption rate of the LVX 6048.

(Disclaimer - all of this troubleshooting was done in full sun with no partial shade)
I had the solar panels temporarily on the ground for troubleshooting until I fine tune the system. Everything seemed to be working fine until I went out and my battery was at 32% SOC one morning and not charging even though the panels should have been producing enough power to charge a little bit. (The input on the LVX showed 295V and 516W input from the array). I started troubleshooting panels and found that each array was indicating on a voltmeter 330Vdc. I went to check the resistance and sometimes it was 0 ohms and sometimes it would not register (indicating there is no continuity through the panels). I started checking each individual panel, including pulling the covers off of the back of the panels to check the diodes. Sometimes the panels would have 0 ohms, sometimes not registered. All of the panels showed approx 33 Vdc through the panel though.

I tried to isolate individual strings, and eventually ditched the branch connector to wire just 1 series of 10 panels directly to the LVX and immediately got 330 Vdc and 2kw input showing on the LVX. The battery started charging up with over 30 amps, and things were looking good.....Until a few hours later when I went back out and the battery stopped charging at 78% SOC and the LVX showed back to the 250V and 500w (fluctuating). But the sun condition was exactly the same - full sun, no shade, no load change, etc. I am very frustrated.

I already had problems with 1 LVX 6048 and had it replaced by Ian at MPP Solar US (he did an awesome job with customer service btw) and I hate to bug him again. Especially if I can't tell if its my panels, the battery, or what.

I am about to throw the whole thing in my pond and wire up my shop from the house.

Please help if you can.
 
I am having an issue and I can't seem to troubleshoot the problem. My system is exclusively for a detached shop I am trying to run off grid. LVX 6048, 48v Trophy Battery, SanTan Solar used panels 240W 37.2 VOC 2 parallel strings of 10 in series run through a branch connector. At night I don't have anything powered up that can consume electricity except for 1 power strip that has an LED light and a USB converter built into it. Everything else is either unplugged or turned off. I understand the higher consumption rate of the LVX 6048.

(Disclaimer - all of this troubleshooting was done in full sun with no partial shade)
I had the solar panels temporarily on the ground for troubleshooting until I fine tune the system. Everything seemed to be working fine until I went out and my battery was at 32% SOC one morning and not charging even though the panels should have been producing enough power to charge a little bit. (The input on the LVX showed 295V and 516W input from the array). I started troubleshooting panels and found that each array was indicating on a voltmeter 330Vdc. I went to check the resistance and sometimes it was 0 ohms and sometimes it would not register (indicating there is no continuity through the panels). I started checking each individual panel, including pulling the covers off of the back of the panels to check the diodes. Sometimes the panels would have 0 ohms, sometimes not registered. All of the panels showed approx 33 Vdc through the panel though.

I tried to isolate individual strings, and eventually ditched the branch connector to wire just 1 series of 10 panels directly to the LVX and immediately got 330 Vdc and 2kw input showing on the LVX. The battery started charging up with over 30 amps, and things were looking good.....Until a few hours later when I went back out and the battery stopped charging at 78% SOC and the LVX showed back to the 250V and 500w (fluctuating). But the sun condition was exactly the same - full sun, no shade, no load change, etc. I am very frustrated.

I already had problems with 1 LVX 6048 and had it replaced by Ian at MPP Solar US (he did an awesome job with customer service btw) and I hate to bug him again. Especially if I can't tell if its my panels, the battery, or what.

I am about to throw the whole thing in my pond and wire up my shop from the house.

Please help if you can.
Is yours the LVX6048 or LVX6048WP, I'm asking because I'm just now realizing we've been posting about the WP in this thread although the title doesn't say WP. Perhaps it has been a mix of both. I'm really despising the naming convention for this iteration, MPP should have named it LVX7048WP to avoid any confusion.
 
I went back out and the battery stopped charging at 78% SOC and the LVX showed back to the 250V and 500w (fluctuating). But the sun condition was exactly the same - full sun, no shade, no load change, etc. I am very frustrated.
What are you measuring SOC with? Also, what are your battery settings (float, bulk)?
 
What are you measuring SOC with? Also, what are your battery settings (float, bulk)?
SOC is built into the display on the Trophy Battery. It also has a breakdown of every cell plus temps. Float is 54.4 and Bulk is 57. I have talked with the battery manufacturer and they confirmed that those settings are appropriate for the BMS they run. If I set it to 54.5 the BMS cuts it off and an alarm shows up on the battery indicating so.
 
Is yours the LVX6048 or LVX6048WP, I'm asking because I'm just now realizing we've been posting about the WP in this thread although the title doesn't say WP. Perhaps it has been a mix of both. I'm really despising the naming convention for this iteration, MPP should have named it LVX7048WP to avoid any confusion.
It is the 6048 plain. (yellow case cover)
 
I use the eg4 batteries.
If I dont set the float to 55, my lvx6048 wont charge to 56.5(bulk)
Even at 54.5 float, all it does is go to 54.5 and stop charging.
I have tried 2 of these units as the first one I had developed a problem and I bought one from watts247.
both did the exact same thing. I never knew why.
It would seem like if the BMS is cutting you off at 54.5, you wont hit 57?
dunno cause I am a newbie to this game.
 
I set mine to 55 and its doing the same thing. It tried to charge a little bit, but then gave up again. Now full sun, 55% SOC, and no charging.
 
SOC is built into the display on the Trophy Battery. It also has a breakdown of every cell plus temps. Float is 54.4 and Bulk is 57. I have talked with the battery manufacturer, and they confirmed that those settings are appropriate for the BMS they run. If I set it to 54.5 the BMS cuts it off and an alarm shows up on the battery indicating so.

54.4 is 100% at rest. I wonder if the built-in display is off? Only way to tell for sure is to do a capacity test I think.
1654437324557.png
 
54.4 is 100% at rest. I wonder if the built-in display is off? Only way to tell for sure is to do a capacity test I think.
View attachment 97317
It could be, but I still am not convinced that it is the battery display. This morning before the sun came up it showed 35% SOC and 52ish volts (I can't remember the decimal). Now with full sun (after I reset the solar panels) it is charging with 19 amps and a multimeter shows 53.9v and 47% SOC. I know that a capacity test is the only/best way to get an accurate measurement.

The problem was that the battery was not charging with fuel sun this morning until I reset the solar panels from the LVX 6048. By reset, I turned the inverter off, unplugged the MC4 connectors for 10 seconds, then plugged them back in. Voiala...suddenly I went from 300vdc and 200w PV input to 300vdc and 1.2kw PV input. It is almost like the LVX 6048 is throttling the PV input. It is either that, or the solar panels are intermittently jacked up based on solar input.

I mentioned before that the resistance across the panels changes from 0 ohms to nil with no rhyme or reason. I just don't know if the resistance of the panels should change based on solar input or not. The strange thing is that the voltage stays constant. I think I understand Ohms law but this test was done on each panel that was disconnected from anything and had no load on it.
 
I use the eg4 batteries.
If I dont set the float to 55, my lvx6048 wont charge to 56.5(bulk)
Even at 54.5 float, all it does is go to 54.5 and stop charging.
I have tried 2 of these units as the first one I had developed a problem and I bought one from watts247.
both did the exact same thing. I never knew why.
It would seem like if the BMS is cutting you off at 54.5, you wont hit 57?
dunno cause I am a newbie to this game.
Mine does that too. Occasionally I'll see it actually go to the bulk voltage but usually it goes straight to float.
 
Since this thread contains both the 6048 and 6048wp, I thought I would ask this here…
can you parallel these together? I currently have the LVX6048 with grid feedback enabled but want to add the 6048wp since it is UL listed and I can make my setup “legal”
 
Since this thread contains both the 6048 and 6048wp, I thought I would ask this here…
can you parallel these together? I currently have the LVX6048 with grid feedback enabled but want to add the 6048wp since it is UL listed and I can make my setup “legal”
I don't know for sure but I think it's unlikely that they can be paralleled together. They are quite different inverters despite what the similar model numbers suggest.
 
Since this thread contains both the 6048 and 6048wp, I thought I would ask this here…
can you parallel these together? I currently have the LVX6048 with grid feedback enabled but want to add the 6048wp since it is UL listed and I can make my setup “legal”
I doubt you can mix and match both. The firmwares are totally different
 
Since this thread contains both the 6048 and 6048wp, I thought I would ask this here…
can you parallel these together? I currently have the LVX6048 with grid feedback enabled but want to add the 6048wp since it is UL listed and I can make my setup “legal”
I don't think adding a LVX6048WP would make you anymore "legal" than you are now unless you plan to remove the LVX6048 from back feeding the grid.

Maybe pull the big-ticket items to a sub panel and power the sub panel with the LVX6048, and then use the LVX6048WP to feed back to the grid? If you were only feeding the grid with the WP in theory that would make you legaler? (yeah, I am making up words).
 
Another suggestion is to AC couple one to the other, with the WP version being the "grid facing" one
 
I don't think adding a LVX6048WP would make you anymore "legal" than you are now unless you plan to remove the LVX6048 from back feeding the grid.

Maybe pull the big-ticket items to a sub panel and power the sub panel with the LVX6048, and then use the LVX6048WP to feed back to the grid? If you were only feeding the grid with the WP in theory that would make you legaler? (yeah, I am making up words).
Hi, be aware that wend you feed the grid you are sending ac to the line. If you don't have a meter that wend there is no power on the grid your system will not feed the grid. Know wend you don't have this special meter any worker can be in denger because you are sending live ac to the line or grid.
 
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