New Lux Power LXP-LB-US 12k / GSL-H-12KLV-US with 200A AC Passthrough Current (US Market)

[tyrone]

I have some good news everyone.

1. Solar assistant (2022-11-28 Beta) just added support for Luxpower inverters and my 12k works. The software still needs a bit more work but it works.
2. EG4 LL v1 with the Victron firmware update seen to have closed loop communication with the 12k inverter. I used CAN and selected WECO as the BMS in the Luxpower 12k and it works. One thing that i notice though is that if grid power is lost, when it comes back the inverter throws a relay fault error. I have to power down the inverter fully for a few seconds and up again and the error clears. I am not sure if it is because the EG4 is not officially on Luxpower support list.

 

[summit]

I have some good news everyone.

1. Solar assistant (2022-11-28 Beta) just added support for Luxpower inverters and my 12k works. The software still needs a bit more work but it works.
2. EG4 LL v1 with the Victron firmware update seen to have closed loop communication with the 12k inverter. I used CAN and selected WECO as the BMS in the Luxpower 12k and it works. One thing that i notice though is that if grid power is lost, when it comes back the inverter throws a relay fault error. I have to power down the inverter fully for a few seconds and up again and the error clears. I am not sure if it is because the EG4 is not officially on Luxpower support list.

the first screen shot has battery min/max SOC% settings, are these settable ?

 

[tyrone]

the first screen shot has battery min/max SOC% settings, are these settable ?

It is reading those settings from the inverter so whatever you set it to.

 

[elusivesd]

I have some good news everyone.

1. Solar assistant (2022-11-28 Beta) just added support for Luxpower inverters and my 12k works. The software still needs a bit more work but it works.

I see the included WiFi dongle is still in use based on the BAxxxxxxx number. Do you know if Solar assistant is communicating with it locally? Does the inverter need to communicate with the LuxPower servers at all for proper Solar assistant operation? At some point, I would like to prevent the inverter from 'calling home', while still retaining the ability to visualize data.

 

[tyrone]

I see the included WiFi dongle is still in use based on the BAxxxxxxx number. Do you know if Solar assistant is communicating with it locally? Does the inverter need to communicate with the LuxPower servers at all for proper Solar assistant operation? At some point, I would like to prevent the inverter from 'calling home', while still retaining the ability to visualize data.

It looks like it communicates locally. All it wanted was the inverter serial and the logger serial and it then finds the IP address of the dongle on the network. It didn’t require a username or password. You can test it by blocking the IP of your logger from accessing the internet on your router and see how it goes.

 

[Dcuste]

I tried reading though this thread but am a little confused on a few details and was hoping somebody here could help me decide on a hybrid inverter. I want efficiency, compatible with 48v EG4 batteries, 120/240v, and prefer IP65 but not necessarily. Looking at GSL-H-12KLV-US, two Sungoldpower IP6048, Sol-Ark 12K, or ?????
It looks to me that you guys are getting to GSL all sorted out and it is probably the most bang for the buck as long as it doesn't eat up a lot of run power.
So what do you think and were is the best place to buy it?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Hrschk]

I tried reading though this thread but am a little confused on a few details and was hoping somebody here could help me decide on a hybrid inverter. I want efficiency, compatible with 48v EG4 batteries, 120/240v, and prefer IP65 but not necessarily. Looking at GSL-H-12KLV-US, two Sungoldpower IP6048, Sol-Ark 12K, or ?????
It looks to me that you guys are getting to GSL all sorted out and it is probably the most bang for the buck as long as it doesn't eat up a lot of run power.
So what do you think and were is the best place to buy it?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

One thing to note: the Sol Ark 12k is not a 12kw inverter, so it is not comparable. If I remember correctly, the Sol Ark 12kw's output is 9kw, not 12kw. The GSL 12klv has some qualities similar to the Sol Ark 15kw inverter, although the max power output is less, obviously.
I bought mine directly from GSL. Happy with GSL support so far. The big selling point of the GSL is the ability to AC Couple and also the 200amp pass through. Not many inverters do that and especially not at this price point. I'm not one of those terribly concerned about standy power consumption because my inverter is usually doing something. I don't know that it has ever been in standby mode. I run it in offgrid mode and only turn on the utility grid when I need it. So, the inverter is always powering something (freezer, fridge, numerous LED lights, etc.

 

[elusivesd]

I tried reading though this thread but am a little confused on a few details and was hoping somebody here could help me decide on a hybrid inverter. I want efficiency, compatible with 48v EG4 batteries, 120/240v, and prefer IP65 but not necessarily. Looking at GSL-H-12KLV-US, two Sungoldpower IP6048, Sol-Ark 12K, or ?????
It looks to me that you guys are getting to GSL all sorted out and it is probably the most bang for the buck as long as it doesn't eat up a lot of run power.
So what do you think and were is the best place to buy it?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Comparables - This inverter is effectively a SolArk 15k "lite" due to the 200A passthrough, which may or may not be important to you. If it is, SolArk is basically the only other option, for at least twice the price. If you have money to burn, get the Sol-Ark 15k. Otherwise, this offers similar/same features, at a fraction of the cost. I don't know where you are located, but if you plan to grid-tie in California, your inverter must have UL1741SA/Rule 21 support. This immediately removed many other potential options from my list.

Battery compatibility - This is highly dependent on firmware on both the Inverter and battery side. I can't speak specifically for EG4 as I run a custom setup, but generally speaking, if it supports the Pylontech protocol, it should work fine. The inverter also supports other manufacturer-specific protocols.

Sales - This is a LuxPower inverter, which is sold by multiple companies. GSL is just one of them, and seems to be the only willing to sell units to individuals at a decent price. From their website, e-mail sales@gsl-energy.com. This is how I initiated communication with them. After-sales support is also much more responsive than I expected.

Efficiency - From my tests and observations, this inverter is extremely efficient, both during runtime and standby. I don't have hard numbers available, but my energy return to grid is definitely higher than my original SunPower (ABB) grid-tie inverter, and standby power at night is nothing to be concerned about. I am running in grid-tie mode.

 

[Dcuste]

Comparables - This inverter is effectively a SolArk 15k "lite" due to the 200A passthrough, which may or may not be important to you. If it is, SolArk is basically the only other option, for at least twice the price. If you have money to burn, get the Sol-Ark 15k. Otherwise, this offers similar/same features, at a fraction of the cost. I don't know where you are located, but if you plan to grid-tie in California, your inverter must have UL1741SA/Rule 21 support. This immediately removed many other potential options from my list.

Battery compatibility - This is highly dependent on firmware on both the Inverter and battery side. I can't speak specifically for EG4 as I run a custom setup, but generally speaking, if it supports the Pylontech protocol, it should work fine. The inverter also supports other manufacturer-specific protocols.

Sales - This is a LuxPower inverter, which is sold by multiple companies. GSL is just one of them, and seems to be the only willing to sell units to individuals at a decent price. From their website, e-mail sales@gsl-energy.com. This is how I initiated communication with them. After-sales support is also much more responsive than I expected.

Efficiency - From my tests and observations, this inverter is extremely efficient, both during runtime and standby. I don't have hard numbers available, but my energy return to grid is definitely higher than my original SunPower (ABB) grid-tie inverter, and standby power at night is nothing to be concerned about. I am running in grid-tie mode.

Thanks you so much for all the great info. I'm really looking forward to finally getting this design finished. I'm surprised that gsl-energy.com doesn't allow for on-line purchasing and I'm guessing they don't have any US stock. Are you confident that they will be able to solve any warranty issues without you having to spend more on shipping than the unit is worth?

 

[Hrschk]

Thanks you so much for all the great info. I'm really looking forward to finally getting this design finished. I'm surprised that gsl-energy.com doesn't allow for on-line purchasing and I'm guessing they don't have any US stock. Are you confident that they will be able to solve any warranty issues without you having to spend more on shipping than the unit is worth?

They will send you an invoice through AliBaba. So, in effect, they do have online purchasing. But, better to go directly to them than to try to buy directly on alibaba.

 

[Dcuste]

I received an email from Jim, the CEO. He confirmed that it will meet all my requirements except it won't communicate with my EG4 batteries. He did say it would works with these.



I'm guessing that I'll need to set the battery to type 0 (standard battery) and just hope that in the future it will be supported.

 

[elusivesd]

I received an email from Jim, the CEO. He confirmed that it will meet all my requirements except it won't communicate with my EG4 batteries. He did say it would works with these.

View attachment 122475

I'm guessing that I'll need to set the battery to type 0 (standard battery) and just hope that in the future it will be supported.

Do you have the original EG4's, or the newer EG4-LL? Check if your EG4 batteries support the Pylon[tech] protocol. It's pretty much the standard protocol, even for non-pylon equipment. Also bear in mind that even if not supported today, a firmware update to the battery and/or inverter can add support in the future.
I don't think you can use the "standard battery" option here, but you can certainly use the lead acid selection temporarily. That is what I did for a few weeks before I got my CAN communication up and running properly.

 

[Dcuste]

Do you have the original EG4's, or the newer EG4-LL? Check if your EG4 batteries support the Pylon[tech] protocol. It's pretty much the standard protocol, even for non-pylon equipment. Also bear in mind that even if not supported today, a firmware update to the battery and/or inverter can add support in the future.
I don't think you can use the "standard battery" option here, but you can certainly use the lead acid selection temporarily. That is what I did for a few weeks before I got my CAN communication up and running properly.

I have the original EG4. The spec sheet notes that the communication is for Growatt and the EG4 inverters. It also notes under communication that rs485 can be customized to match device. Not sure what that means.

 

[Dcuste]

I have the original EG4. The spec sheet notes that the communication is for Growatt and the EG4 inverters. It also notes under communication that rs485 can be customized to match device. Not sure what that means.

I asked SS about EG4 comm issue and he told me that the EG4 does have LUX Protocol loaded in. So it sounds like this will work great.

 

[OutlawSolar]

I asked SS about EG4 comm issue and he told me that the EG4 does have LUX Protocol loaded in. So it sounds like this will work great.

Has anyone tried it with EG4 LifePower battery?

 

[Hrschk]

Having problems with my inverter exporting my battery/solar energy back to the grid, even though the settings say not to. It worked fine for two weeks and now the last 3 days, mid morning after the panels are producing well, but while the batteries are still hovering around 65% SOC, it starts exporting energy to the utility grid :-( they are trying to figure out which firmware to upgrade to. Meanwhile I had to turn off the grid power again. Ugh.

 

[jjfmetal123]

Having problems with my inverter exporting my battery/solar energy back to the grid, even though the settings say not to. It worked fine for two weeks and now the last 3 days, mid morning after the panels are producing well, but while the batteries are still hovering around 65% SOC, it starts exporting energy to the utility grid :-( they are trying to figure out which firmware to upgrade to. Meanwhile I had to turn off the grid power again. Ugh.

this ain't good hopefully they figure it out soon, Im getting mine next week and want to connect to grid without export

 

[elusivesd]

Having problems with my inverter exporting my battery/solar energy back to the grid, even though the settings say not to. It worked fine for two weeks and now the last 3 days, mid morning after the panels are producing well, but while the batteries are still hovering around 65% SOC, it starts exporting energy to the utility grid :-( they are trying to figure out which firmware to upgrade to. Meanwhile I had to turn off the grid power again. Ugh.

You're charging at 8kW, which is quite a lot. What is your charge amperage limit set to, on both the BMS and inverter? Once you hit the limit, it will direct excess power somewhere. I suspect this is the case. Another setting to check is the "Charge First" setting, which will prioritize all PV power to charge the battery first over anything else, but it's not likely this.

 

[Hrschk]

You're charging at 8kW, which is quite a lot. What is your charge amperage limit set to, on both the BMS and inverter? Once you hit the limit, it will direct excess power somewhere. I suspect this is the case. Another setting to check is the "Charge First" setting, which will prioritize all PV power to charge the battery first over anything else, but it's not likely this.

They've already checked all of my settings and it's all fine. And, it should only be pulling the power required, not excess because I have it set to not export. And, like I said, it has behaved well for 2-3 weeks and then all of a sudden starts exporting. I have four 10kwh 48v GSL batteries, so it's not like it's sending 8k to one battery. GSL set up the inverter for my batteries before they shipped it to me. So, I'm using their settings.

 

[elusivesd]

They've already checked all of my settings and it's all fine. And, it should only be pulling the power required, not excess because I have it set to not export. And, like I said, it has behaved well for 2-3 weeks and then all of a sudden starts exporting. I have four 10kwh 48v GSL batteries, so it's not like it's sending 8k to one battery. GSL set up the inverter for my batteries before they shipped it to me. So, I'm using their settings.

What does the BMS limit say on the webpage? I noticed it disappears after a few seconds after loading, at least in Chrome. See attached for reference. This will help rule out any BMS side settings.