Schneider XW Pro Charge via AC on command

[BKY2003]

Would it change the charging in you increase the battery capacity? If you have 2 batteries would that be 880 AH?

 

[dougbert]

Totally missed that. I'm going to update back to 2.04 and try a reset and see if I can get it to charge on demand. On 1.11 I can manipulate it relatively well at the moment. Seems like just when I get confident in how it works it stops doing what I want :D.

yes Factory Reset is a MUST, to cause the data tables on the new firmware to properly update the hardware registers with the new values

they should have called it: Commit new firmware to the hardware

 

[Beene Brothers]

Schneider recommends a full factory reset as part of all software updates.
I'd start there. Leave the BMS comms disconnected for the test.
I feel like BMS comms are likely the cause.
Once you've got it working without comms, add it back in to test.

Battery temperature compensation is a lead acid thing, it requires higher (or lower, I'm not a lead acid expert) charge voltages when cold. Temperature compensation is how that's accomplished.

I think updating to 2.04 AND performing a factory reset helped, thanks for pointing out what I should have known :D. I'm able to initiate a charge by bumping recharge to 90% as well as bumping EPC Charge rate above 0. Then drop it to 30% and put EPC charge rate to 0 watts and it will go back into sell-to-grid mode to offset usage. It does take a minute or two for transitioning over to sell-to-grid. Hopefully I can find a way to transition from charging to selling more seamlessly but this will work for now.

 

[BKY2003]

I see, 19.5 kw total of 440AH

 

[Beene Brothers]

View attachment 320228
I see, 19.5 kw total of 440AH

It likes to default to 440, I try to move it back down to 384 but it probably doesn't make a difference between the two. That is actually a picture of the unit I'm doing this testing with, I don't have the top battery running. But I do have two in that cabinet paralleled with two in the right hand cabinet so it's actually 512AH total across the two "BMS's" that are reporting into the Insight right now.

 

[Beene Brothers]

yes Factory Reset is a MUST, to cause the data tables on the new firmware to properly update the hardware registers with the new values

they should have called it: Commit new firmware to the hardware

Thanks, bit of a silly mistake on my part. Thankfully you guys are here to save me before I bang my head against a wall until it's bloody.

 

[Beene Brothers]

View attachment 320224
Would it change the charging in you increase the battery capacity? If you have 2 batteries would that be 880 AH?

I'm not sure if there is a charge rate calculation done based on AH. I know with other inverters if I'm in open loop (lead acid) mode and set a smaller AH capacity they will set a max charge rate based on battery capacity. Though previously it wasn't charging at all so probably not an AH setting issue. If I was better at documenting my troubleshooting I could probably go back and determine why this failed in the first place. Fingers crossed I can update my node red scripts tonight and tomorrow it will work much smoother.

 

[dougbert]

Thanks, bit of a silly mistake on my part. Thankfully you guys are here to save me before I bang my head against a wall until it's bloody.

not your mistake DOCUMENTATION issue

I followed your path and did not do the reset. Then in a Hail Mary I did it, and it worked, doh

 

[400bird]

I'm not sure if there is a charge rate calculation done based on AH.

That battery capacity setting does basically nothing.

I think updating to 2.04 AND performing a factory reset helped, thanks for pointing out what I should have known :D.

I had mine running for years before I was told about the reset (on this forum) and it fixed my weird issue.

I'm able to initiate a charge by bumping recharge to 90% as well as bumping EPC Charge rate above 0.

Recharge settings are when the inverter will start it's own charge cycle (nothing to do with when it ends). But it also won't discharge the battery below the recharge settings. Using voltage control, it stops 0.5 volts above the recharge setting.
I don't think this is your issue for why it stops charging.
EPC is just a charge rate limit in watts, so yes it will need to be above 0

Then drop it to 30% and put EPC charge rate to 0 watts and it will go back into sell-to-grid mode to offset usage.

I thought you had grid sell off in those screenshots? An inverter can't charge and grid sell (invert) at the same time

It does take a minute or two for transitioning over to sell-to-grid.

Mine is basically instant. How are you commanding the charge to start?

Hopefully I can find a way to transition from charging to selling more seamlessly but this will work for now.

 

[Beene Brothers]

I agree I don't think the recharge SOC has anything to do with it randomly stopping the charge. I'm hoping the factory reset and 2.04 firmware fixes that but should know later today. Are you able to leave your recharge SOC low (so that offsetting grid usage works) but still initiate a charge by turning on bulk charging via modbus? I wasn't getting that to work reliably but maybe I needed to be turning off charging when not needed and turning back on when I was making excess.

You're right, I had turned off grid sell when I was troubleshooting this yesterday. Long term I want grid support on so that I can zero the meter as much as possible and charge via grid tie PV during the day.

Thanks for all your help thus far.

 

[400bird]

I agree I don't think the recharge SOC has anything to do with it randomly stopping the charge. I'm hoping the factory reset and 2.04 firmware fixes that but should know later today.

Are you able to leave your recharge SOC low (so that offsetting grid usage works) but still initiate a charge by turning on bulk charging via modbus?

I use voltage control, but yes

I want to hold about 50% in reserve for a power outage, so I set recharge at about 50% (but in voltage)

I never touch it.

Charge is started by writing 1 to address 358 Force Charger State(357 in Node-Red)

1 is bulk, which starts the charge.

When I want to stop the charge (before the battery is full) I write 3 to the same address. 3 is listed as "no bulk" but for reasons, it stops the charge cycle.

I wasn't getting that to work reliably but maybe I needed to be turning off charging when not needed and turning back on when I was making excess.

Is this like when a cloud passes or the AC cycles on and you don't have enough PV to cover loads?
I'd recommend watching the charger/inverter status when this happens. It's been a while since I've worked on those details, but it's possible that letting the charger sit idle at 0 watts for a while will cause it to turn off.
I've got a bit more complex process going on, where I'll check the charger status (address 124/123) every time I'm sending the EPC command, if it isn't charging, I'll send one charge command.

You're right, I had turned off grid sell when I was troubleshooting this yesterday. Long term I want grid support on so that I can zero the meter as much as possible and charge via grid tie PV during the day.

Baby steps, I guess. There's a lot going on to get it right.

Thanks for all your help thus far.

Glad to help

 

[Beene Brothers]

Curious, I noticed that force charge will just stay in bulk unless I turn it off. In your experience if you check it’s not charging, decide it needs to be, re send that 1 digit to start force charging again, does it see it as a new command to start charging? I’ll admit I was doing it crudely and just constantly sending the force charge command and it’s possible that was overloading the Schneider too. I was at 2 seconds and have moved up to 3 seconds now.

Regardless I’ll try your method and turn on bulk charging if I want to set epc charge above zero and the inverter is not currently in a charging state.

I know in your scenario you tell it to stop charging for peak times so you can export everything. I don’t have that so I’m hoping I can make it work by leaving grid support on 24/7 but send a charge command and epc charge rate any time it starts exporting a bit.

 

[400bird]

Curious, I noticed that force charge will just stay in bulk unless I turn it off. In your experience if you check it’s not charging, decide it needs to be, re send that 1 digit to start force charging again, does it see it as a new command to start charging? I’ll admit I was doing it crudely and just constantly sending the force charge command and it’s possible that was overloading the Schneider too. I was at 2 seconds and have moved up to 3 seconds now

If you are sending the bulk charge command every 2 or 3 seconds, when would it transition from bulk to absorb/float? You keep kicking it back to bulk. I haven't recently how that address responds to charger status. Meaning, does the XW change that address when it completes the charge cycle? I don't remember.

Regardless I’ll try your method and turn on bulk charging if I want to set epc charge above zero and the inverter is not currently in a charging state.

I know in your scenario you tell it to stop charging for peak times so you can export everything. I don’t have that so I’m hoping I can make it work by leaving grid support on 24/7 but send a charge command and epc charge rate any time it starts exporting a bit.

It does not. You'll need to end the charge and enable grid sell when you want to transition. Or let Schneider Insight do it with the timer (s). I do the second.

 

[GXMnow]

Has there been any progress on this?