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MPP Solar PIP-1012LV-MS and WatchPower Software PV Current

ken_am

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Jan 16, 2021
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Is anyone using and/or familiar with the MPP Solar PIP-1012LV-MS and WatchPower Software? I have been tracking my systems' output and noticed that while the PV input power is correct, the PV input current is way off. While I was recharging by battery for my snow blower, it was indicating a "PV Input Power" of 232 watts on the front screen "Basic Information" section, which is reasonable.


WatchPower(1).jpg

But digging deeper into the minute-by-minute tracking info I found it indicating between 14 and 15 amps of PV Input Current which is way off (almost 1kw input to a 500watt MPPT SCC), while my clamp on amp probe was indicating a more realistic 3.55 amps coming in from the PV array. Any thoughts?
 
PV Input Power" of 232 watts
232W / 66.9V = 3.47A input from array

But digging deeper into the minute-by-minute tracking info I found it indicating between 14 and 15 amps of PV Input Current
I am not seeing where you got this.

232W / 14.34V = 16.17A max charging current.

It appears as though your battery is 95% full and possible your SCC is curtailing charge current to the 2A displayed.

This appears to be functioning properly.
 
How do you think 14.34V Battery voltage charging at 2 amps = 232W?

Your first statement is spot on, but your second about 16.17A charging current????

14.34V x 2A = 28.68W being applied to charge the batteries.

Keep in mind that the inverter was also running at this time consuming the majority of the PV output (232W - 28.68W = 203.32W) but those numbers don't appear to be totally accurate either.

I didn't have the data download available at the time of my previous post so hear is a portion of the time in question.

220130.png
As you can see, the s/w is reporting 68.8V [Column D] at 15.0A [Column E] which equals 1032W PV input, not the 220W [Column F] which is actually more believable given that I measured 68.8V and 3.55A PV which is 244W. Close enough since it only reports the current in whole amps (a bit sloppy if you ask me) but nowhere near 1032W which is not even possible given that the PIP-1012LV-MS only has a 40A [500W] MPPT SCC. The inverter output of 224W [Column G] is consuming the vast majority of the PV output, but where is it getting this mysterious 15.0A of PV current from?
 
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How do you think 14.34V Battery voltage charging at 2 amps = 232W?
I don’t. I think your SCC is slowing charging with a tail current of 2A when you took that pic.
Your first statement is spot on, but your second about 16.17A charging current????
That is max charging current your SCC and panel are capable of providing. We know the watts and if your SCC is in tail current stage, it’s probably what your bulk/absorb is set to. From that, I did the math to determine the max your SCC could charge.

As you can see, the s/w is reporting 68.8V [Column D] at 15.0A [Column E] which equals 1032W PV input, not the 220W
Yes this looks odd but I do not know how your data labelled “Out app W” or “Out Act W” (actual Watts?) are defined or captured. I cannot back into the numbers in a way that is meaningful to me.

Sorry, I am not familiar with WatchPower software and should not have chimed in.
 
Thanks anyway. But with only a 500W / 40A SCC, anything over 7A from the PV array is simply not possible. The “Out app W” or “Out Act W” are inverter output, apparent and actual, respectively. Although I wonder why they are so different [they should be closer, not the same but close] and why they chose to place them in that order of the chart. I would have ordered them with the output V and output freq.
 
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