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Please help: Solar panel setup for Ecoflow smart panel and Delta Pro

harlam2

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Jun 24, 2022
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Hi everyone.

Really need help. I thought I had the system setup correctly but ended up damaging an Ecoflow Delta pro and toasted my Smart Panel. yesterday :(

-Setup:
-2 Ecoflow Delta pros connected to Ecoflow smart panel. They've been working in battery mode well with the smart panel running my house for about 5 days. No issues.
-12 REC 260W solar panels with the following specs:
Voc 37.8V (measured ~36V)
Impp 8.5A
Isc 9.01A

These are arranged with 3 panels in series, then 2 circuits run in parallel to each Delta Pro.

I have cut off switches to each Delta pro installed but misread that they were off (actually on) and as I made the final connections to the system, I could hear the smart panel fan speeding up fast and then suddenly stop. I jumped down from the ladder where I was doing the installation, and there was smoke coming from the smart panel. It no longer connects or powers up. Interestingly, my house still runs fine, so it looks like the panel is still able to act as a very expensive junction box.

One of the Delta pros has lost connectivity. It still seems like it powers the AC ports and usb ports but I only have bluetooth connectivity. Have not tried charging it.

Any thoughts on wiring up the panels that I missed or suggestions on changing the setup? Looking back at the specs, it possibly could have have been overcurrent, although the cut off switches are rated for 15A and did not trigger.

Man, that was an expensive lesson.

TIA

-Harry
 

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You are way over on solar input and exceeded 150 volts.
I am doing 50voc*2 series/parallel x2 = 100volts per string in series/parallel with (4) 440 watt panels. I average on a good peak day about 1200 watts. Not the best, however, wanted to be careful not to blow out the solar input inverter/charge controller. SHP has been running flawless since I installed it months ago.
 

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You are way over on solar input and exceeded 150 volts.
I am doing 50voc*2 series/parallel x2 = 100volts per string in series/parallel with (4) 440 watt panels. I average on a good peak day about 1200 watts. Not the best, however, wanted to be careful not to blow out the solar input inverter/charge controller. SHP has been running flawless since I installed it months ago.
The Delta pro can take up to 150v pv input, three of his panels in series is only 113.4v so unless it gets super cold he's probably ok on the voltage. And if he went over I'm pretty sure the mppt would fry not the smart panel.
I have cut off switches to each Delta pro installed but misread that they were off (actually on) and as I made the final connections to the system, I could hear the smart panel fan speeding up fast and then suddenly stop. I jumped down from the ladder where I was doing the installation, and there was smoke coming from the smart panel. It no longer connects or powers up. Interestingly, my house still runs fine, so it looks like the panel is still able to act as a very expensive junction box.
What kind of switching setup do you have going on, is it a pv disconnect or something else? What exactly did you change before you noticed the issue?

Would you be able to take some pictures of how everything is set up? That will make it much easier to spot any issues. You are slightly over the current input rating of the Delta pro (15a as per ecoflow) but there are plenty of people over paneling without issue, and again it should be the mppt burning out not the smart panel.
 
The Delta pro can take up to 150v pv input, three of his panels in series is only 113.4v so unless it gets super cold he's probably ok on the voltage. And if he went over I'm pretty sure the mppt would fry not the smart panel.

What kind of switching setup do you have going on, is it a pv disconnect or something else? What exactly did you change before you noticed the issue?

Would you be able to take some pictures of how everything is set up? That will make it much easier to spot any issues. You are slightly over the current input rating of the Delta pro (15a as per ecoflow) but there are plenty of people over paneling without issue, and again it should be the mppt burning out not the smp

The Delta pro can take up to 150v pv input, three of his panels in series is only 113.4v so unless it gets super cold he's probably ok on the voltage. And if he went over I'm pretty sure the mppt would fry not the smart panel.

What kind of switching setup do you have going on, is it a pv disconnect or something else? What exactly did you change before you noticed the issue?

Would you be able to take some pictures of how everything is set up? That will make it much easier to spot any issues. You are slightly over the current input rating of the Delta pro (15a as per ecoflow) but there are plenty of people over paneling without issue, and again it should be the mppt burning out not the smart panel.
I think that it was mentioned that he has 6 panels per string, not 3 panels per string. Each 6 panel string going to each delta pro in series/parralell and a total of 12 panels. Not sure why the shp burnt out, however I think that 113.4 x 2 is way over the 150 volt max per mppt controller on the delta pro.
 
I think that it was mentioned that he has 6 panels per string, not 3 panels per string. Each 6 panel string going to each delta pro in series/parralell and a total of 12 panels. Not sure why the shp burnt out, however I think that 113.4 x 2 is way over the 150 volt max per mppt controller on the delta pro.
Voltage only adds up in series, the op described a 3s2p array for each delta pro. With only three panels in series the voltage (113.4 in this case) will stay the same regardless of how many parallel strings of the same voltage are connected.
 
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Thanks for the clarity. I am new at this and am learning everyday.
 
Hi everyone, thanks so much for the replies. Yes that is correct I have 3s2p for each Delta Pro. I do think I may have slightly overpowered the system since for some reason I had calculated the amperage at 7A per panel. But doing the math now (as far as I understand) it would be 113.4 * 16 = 1808W, which is much higher than the rated 1600W allowed by Ecoflow. I am not sure if this is what happened since I didn't have a clamp multimeter to check the amperage at the time nor did I have time to check since it fried the SHP within about 8 seconds.

I've attached a few pictures of my setup. Sorry if I couldn't capture everything since I tried to take some additional pics after work today. The wires are currently disconnected to avoid any damage and I've removed the Delta Pro that's not working. I have the panels setup on a pergola. Each3s2p is connected through a Y-connector, going to a 15A cut off switch which I've attached. From the cut off switch, this goes to the PV charge port on each Delta Pro, which in turn, is connected to the SHP through the Infinity port.

I am thinking at this point I will need to simply connect the panels in series possible 4s which would be 150.4V to each Delta Pro, but that does mean I have 4 extra panels, possibly for another use. Any thoughts?

Thanks again.
 

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1800+ watts would probably overwhelm. Good call and probably root cause. I am new to this forum and a diyer as well and have a few questions on your set up. Have you monitored temperature? I have seen other people. Like jerryrig everything on youtube place their Delta Pros in enclosed cabinetry. I keep mine in an open rack. Are you regulating temperature and airflow to ensure you don't have a temperature problem? Please disregard if temperature/airflow is fine.
 
1800+ watts would probably overwhelm. Good call and probably root cause.
I've asked Ecoflow support about various 3s2p configurations with panels from different manufacturers. I had a difficult time finding any combination of panel that would provide the full 1600W, be within 150V limit, and 15A or less. They told me that it's OK to go over the 15A current limit. The Delta Pro will use only what it needs. I ended up buying six REC 370W panels and tested them on my lawn in 3s2p configuration for maybe 4-5 days. I took it all apart because I need to build a shed that can hold all six on the roof. While testing, I was able to achieve the full 1600W solar input. It actually went over to 1605W and 1610W sometimes. I know the panels can produce up to 2220W, so I'm guessing the Ecoflow was only drawing in up to 1610W max. Most of the time I am getting less than 1600W (late September in Canada). Using six panels instead of three makes a big difference. Six panels provides enough power to run my loads during the day while also charging the Delta Pro and extra battery (provided there is good sun that day).
 
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I am new to this but seems like you did not connect the ground line in your SHP.
The solar panel, delta pro to SHP connection looks good to me. Like some friends here said, if something wrong with the solar panel side, it is delta pro burns up first.
It is possible that the problem is at the side of SHP to home load, which somehow has a short-circuit after solar powering on. As no ground line connected, it burned up SHP.
Just a guess, FYI :)
 
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1800+ watts would probably overwhelm. Good call and probably root cause. I am new to this forum and a diyer as well and have a few questions on your set up. Have you monitored temperature? I have seen other people. Like jerryrig everything on youtube place their Delta Pros in enclosed cabinetry. I keep mine in an open rack. Are you regulating temperature and airflow to ensure you don't have a temperature problem? Please disregard if temperature/airflow is fine.
Hi, sorry didn't get a chance to reply as I've been busy on a few other projects. Yes, I have 3 active fans in the cabinet. In the pics, you can see one exhaust fan for the SHP, three 120mm fans exhaust out the back closest to the Delta Pros, and one larger fan brings in cooler air from the crawl space access I have under the cabinet (filtered for mold spores, etc). There is also active temp monitoring with a wifi temp/humidity sensor running off the usb from the Delta pro. The fans are set on a schedule through Alexa, and start/stop at different times of the day, mostly in the afternoon when it's hottest. Hottest temp of the Delta pro has been 95 during the hot California summer.
 
I've asked Ecoflow support about various 3s2p configurations with panels from different manufacturers. I had a difficult time finding any combination of panel that would provide the full 1600W, be within 150V limit, and 15A or less. They told me that it's OK to go over the 15A current limit. The Delta Pro will use only what it needs. I ended up buying six REC 370W panels and tested them on my lawn in 3s2p configuration for maybe 4-5 days. I took it all apart because I need to build a shed that can hold all six on the roof. While testing, I was able to achieve the full 1600W solar input. It actually went over to 1605W and 1610W sometimes. I know the panels can produce up to 2220W, so I'm guessing the Ecoflow was only drawing in up to 1610W max. Most of the time I am getting less than 1600W (late September in Canada). Using six panels instead of three makes a big difference. Six panels provides enough power to run my loads during the day while also charging the Delta Pro and extra battery (provided there is good sun that day).
Thanks for the reply. That is helpful information. I actually ended up figuring out that it was a wiring problem. I think I wired the positive from one 3s2P to the negative of the other 3s2P, so possibly that blew out the SHP. +In the end, I reconnected the 260W panels in 3s2P and the system is working fine. I also got a clamp meter and max current was around 7.5A from each series. Unfortunately, even with this setup, my panels have outputs of up to 1050W to each Delta Pro. Any thoughts on overpaneling? It seems like you've overpaneled your system to get the 1600W. Would it be unreasonable to increase my system to 4s2P knowing that the panels never reach the stated wattage in reality? The panels put out 33V (tested with a multimeter) on a good day. So 33*4=133V, with a current of 15A, = 1995W, but both the voltage and current would be under spec for the Delta Pro. Any thoughts?
 
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I am new to this but seems like you did not connect the ground line in your SHP.
The solar panel, delta pro to SHP connection looks good to me. Like some friends here said, if something wrong with the solar panel side, it is delta pro burns up first.
It is possible that the problem is at the side of SHP to home load, which somehow has a short-circuit after solar powering on. As no ground line connected, it burned up SHP.
Just a guess, FYI :)
Yes, that's a good point. The ground is connected from the Delta Pros, so I assumed if there were any faults or shorts, that would be sufficient. Probably will add the additional ground from the case to the ground busbar. Thanks
 
The VSUN 535 I’m looking at are 49.7 Voc and 3 ( in series ) give you 149.1 Voc and 1605 watts , which I’m sure is at the top but within specs as the Voc seems to be more important . Also , these panels are > 20% efficient and tier 1 …
I have 2 Delta Pros and (1) battery , and I use 315 x 3 on one string for 945 watts and 4x260 for 1040 on other string …in series . I’ve been testing here in so cal and am considering replacing my (3) 315 watt with
The 535 VSUN as it fits the specs perfectly for our Delta pros …. And better performance on cloudy days :) . I used the 260 renogy as I paid $75 per panel … and got the 315 for $120 … so I have 2kw for < $ 700 out the door at a surplus place . They have the 535 for $ 295 ea, ( brand new ) and those panels (3) are the best “ fit “ for our Deltas and to max watts and efficiency and stay in parameters with inverter . After the 2 Delta Pros and (1) battery , I’m figuring another $950 for upgrading the panels is the way to go as cloudy days etc degrade performance ., ( that’s a great price and I have the other used ones to sell or use for another project ) and I have 1 delta with battery running into transfer to panel , and the other Delta charging the first to offset power use and extend the use ….. Will post after I put up and test .
 
Thanks for the reply. That is helpful information. I actually ended up figuring out that it was a wiring problem. I think I wired the positive from one 3s2P to the negative of the other 3s2P, so possibly that blew out the SHP. +In the end, I reconnected the 260W panels in 3s2P and the system is working fine. I also got a clamp meter and max current was around 7.5A from each series. Unfortunately, even with this setup, my panels have outputs of up to 1050W to each Delta Pro. Any thoughts on overpaneling? It seems like you've overpaneled your system to get the 1600W. Would it be unreasonable to increase my system to 4s2P knowing that the panels never reach the stated wattage in reality? The panels put out 33V (tested with a multimeter) on a good day. So 33*4=133V, with a current of 15A, = 1995W, but both the voltage and current would be under spec for the Delta Pro. Any thoughts?
Using VSUN 535 x3 gets you right on the money . Surplus place has them for 295/panel and you get 1605 watts and 49.1 Voc…with the 3 in series . These are the best quality , closest match , and the right price for our Delta Pros at current time and tier 1 and > 20% efficient … and I can drive 25 min and pick them up . ( no shipping )
 
Voltage only adds up in series, the op described a 3s2p array for each delta pro. With only three panels in series the voltage (113.4 in this case) will stay the same regardless of how many parallel strings of the same voltage are connected.
I have nine 180 W Bouge RV panels connected in series and parallel to one delta pro. And only pull in 70volts.
 
I have nine 180 W Bouge RV panels connected in series and parallel to one delta pro. And only pull in 70volts.
Can you show us how you do series and parallel with odd number of solar panels?
What is the Voc of the panel?
 
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Can you show us how you do series and parallel with odd number of solar panels?
What is the Voc of the panel?
Yes. It looks like this. 3P3S currently. Have got three more 180 W Bouge RV panels on order to make it a 3S4P configuration. As it stands now, only 70 v are being input to the Delta pro. Trying to reach the magical 1600 W at 70 V. With all the configurations I’ve tried, max volts are only between 65 and 70 V.
 

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Yes. It looks like this. 3P3S currently. Have got three more 180 W Bouge RV panels on order to make it a 3S4P configuration. As it stands now, only 70 v are being input to the Delta pro. Trying to reach the magical 1600 W at 70 V. With all the configurations I’ve tried, max volts are only between 65 and 70 V.
21.5 volts. With nine panels in 3S3P configuration, and using a volt meter at the XT 60 connection at various times, and temperatures, only reading a maximum of 70+ volts.
 

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21.5 volts. With nine panels in 3S3P configuration, and using a volt meter at the XT 60 connection at various times, and temperatures, only reading a maximum of 70+ volts.
Panel Wattage = Vmp x Imp
3S so total Voc = 21.6V x 3 = 64.8V (total Vmp = 18V x 3 = 54V), so that is correct. Are you expecting to get a lot more than 70V?
Isc for 3 strings in parallel = 10.5A x 3 =31.5A (Imp = 10A x 3 = 30A
So no way the Solar generator will be drawing 1600W from your panels because it has 15A max PV input current, so 54V x 15A = 810W.
Since the max input current is limited to 15A (the solar generator is only allowed to draw 15A from the panels even if your source can provide more than 15A), so to get more power from your panels, you can do:
Notes: Since Voc of the panel goes up when cold, so I would factor in about 15% less than the max Voc input rating of the solar generator, so 150V x 0.85 = 127.5V
6s which will have total Voc of 21.6 x 6 = 129.6V (close enough), Vmp = 18V x 6 = 108V, 108V x 10A = 1080W, the other 3 panels will not be used.
4s2p will give you 18V x 4 x 15A = 1080W
So as you can see, due to 15A limit, your panel spec, and the quantity of the panels you have, you will not get 1600W that you want, you have to find the right combination of Vmp multiply that by 15A limit to achieve the max Wattage.
 
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