Researching the possibilities

[Knownot]

Hello everyone! I'm new here and have very little knowledge of LiFePo4 tech. I've done some reading in here. Pretty sure I have the basics down about how to build and configure a diy battery as far as how many in series and how many banks in parallel to create what I need. What I'm looking for is advice from y'all on what batteries y'all would use, from who, and what BMS y'all would recommend to use with Schneider XW+ equipment.

I'm currently running 2-6848 hybrid inverters with 2-80-600 Charge Controllers running a 24-85-27 refurbished forklift battery, which is maintenance intensive. That battery is capable of ~1700ah@20hrs. I do not have the funds to completely replace that monster with LiFoPo4, but I can build something large enough to keep me grid tied and running as I build more banks over time to get to where I want to be.

Thanks in advance for any help y'all can offer.

 

[DThames]

The XW+ (as I recall) can with with or without battery communication. Are you specifically looking to build a battery that the XW+ can communicate with? If not, the JBD type BMS have good software settings options and Bluetooth. You can get RS485 connection on them but I don't know what protocols they use. You can run any number of these in parallel as you build up a battery bank.

 

[Knownot]

The XW+ can't run without a battery. I think it requires a minimum of 400ah. Not sure tho, I'd have to look it up in the manual so I'm shooting form the hip on that. Anywho, does require a battery, and I'd like to build one. Thanks for the link. I'll check that out.

Any advice on batteries? Amp hour ratings to use, to avoid? Manufacturers to look at, to avoid? I know if I read these threads long enough, I'll find that, but if anybody knows off the top of their head and can save me the research, I sure would appreciate it.

Edit: It's a minimum of 440ah for the XW+, I just looked it up in the manual. So, just to get off the lead acid battery, I'm looking at a minimum of two banks in parallel.

 

[jtvt]

I'm not sure the XW+ has any integration with lithium at all. The XW pro integrates with only a handful of batteries/BMS. All are proprietary units. The integration occurs in the gateway/insight and more or less replaces the SE Battmon so maybe it works with the XW+.

I use one XW6848 with Battmon, SCP, AGS, MPPT100, and Insight. I also have two Midnite charge controllers. I have 4 strings of 16 cells of 280AH and a Batrium BMS which replaced a forklift battery. I have no BMS integration, but I haven't needed it either. All events like low SOC, low/high bank voltage, etc are handled by the Battmon, AGS, and XW. The XW will shutdown before the BMS battery SOC or voltage setpoints are hit. For example, if the BMS disconnects the battery on low SOC or voltage, the inverter is already in standby. The only events the BMS handles exclusively are cell failure and battery temperature outside of specs. The battery is in a heated building with a propane only heater and an electric backup. So a temperature issue is an unlikely event. Cell failure could happen. I have tested a battery disconnect with the XW, etc and the equipment seemed to handle it OK.

I taper charge amps by setting absorb differently in the charge controllers. One charge controller (half the PV) will drop to float before the rest. Absorb (also balancing) is handled by half the PV.

BTW, I'm off grid.

 

[Knownot]

I'm not sure the XW+ has any integration with lithium at all. The XW pro integrates with only a handful of batteries/BMS. All are proprietary units. The integration occurs in the gateway/insight and more or less replaces the SE Battmon so maybe it works with the XW+.

I use one XW6848 with Battmon, SCP, AGS, MPPT100, and Insight. I also have two Midnite charge controllers. I have 4 strings of 16 cells of 280AH and a Batrium BMS which replaced a forklift battery. I have no BMS integration, but I haven't needed it either. All events like low SOC, low/high bank voltage, etc are handled by the Battmon, AGS, and XW. The XW will shutdown before the BMS battery SOC or voltage setpoints are hit. For example, if the BMS disconnects the battery on low SOC or voltage, the inverter is already in standby. The only events the BMS handles exclusively are cell failure and battery temperature outside of specs. The battery is in a heated building with a propane only heater and an electric backup. So a temperature issue is an unlikely event. Cell failure could happen. I have tested a battery disconnect with the XW, etc and the equipment seemed to handle it OK.

I taper charge amps by setting absorb differently in the charge controllers. One charge controller (half the PV) will drop to float before the rest. Absorb (also balancing) is handled by half the PV.

BTW, I'm off grid.

Re you using gateway or the older combox?

 

[jtvt]

Re you using gateway or the older combox?

IIRC combox doesn't work with the XW pro. I use an Insight Home. I had a Gateway, but it died and I replaced it with the Insight Home.

 

[Knownot]

IIRC combox doesn't work with the XW pro. I use an Insight Home. I had a Gateway, but it died and I replaced it with the Insight Home.

I've had both, and now run the conext gateway