Sol-Ark with GYLL Batteries?

[Gringo1]

Hello, I am about to buy an ALL -IN -ONE Inverter/Charger to complete my system and am looking for any advice or suggestions.

I already have the Panels (#36 ZNShine 390 Watt Bifacial panels) totalling just over 14kw; and

I already have the Batteries ( #5 GYLL Lifepower4 51.2V 100ah)

I have been leaning toward getting a Sol-Ark 12k, however I am not sure whether it is a good match for the above listed batteries. I HAVE read the other posts/threads about the Sol-Ark, including the potential issues of being able to communicate with the BMS in some battery set-ups/configurations.

The GYLL Batteries come with RS485 communication ports and cables.

Another concern I have is regarding the Charge and Discharge Voltage and Current specs of the Batteries vs those of the Inverter/Charger.

I am also considering an outback Sky Box set-up, but again I'm not sure if it would be a good match for these same GYLL Batteries and I'm open to any other suggestions.

Any input is greatly appreciated
Thanks
Max

 

[svetz]

Welcome to the forums Max!

The SkyBox is a nice setup. Sol-Ark was my #1 pick, but ended up with Enphase as my local codes needed it elevated to high to be in the garage.

I'd send an email to Sol-Ark about the batteries and see what they say, they're very responsive.

 

[euphonius]

Dear Gringo1, any follow-up regarding the Sol-Ark inverter? I notice that Gyll's US distributor, Signature Solar in Brashear, TX, and Sol-Ark in Parker, TX, are both in the northeastern Dallas exurbs just an hour's drive from each other. Sol-Ark is known for working closely with battery makers to ensure tight "closed-loop communication" integration and monitoring of battery management systems, etc. It would be great if Sol-Ark could add Gyll to the stable of closed-loop partners, which currently include, to my knowledge, Fortress Power, Discover and Blue Ion.

I'm expanding my off-grid system to a scale similar to yours, about 18kw in array, a decent amount of battery storage and ample power to charge a 75kWh electric vehicle and run a heat pump to produce domestic hot water and radiant heating.

Thanks!

 

[fisherus]

I find what I see Sol-Ark doing today with lithium battery companies quite amusing after less than 6 months ago I found myself in another argument with one of their engineers that my LTO SCiB batteries would not work with any Sol-Ark. I had to fight this argument beginning with the initial launch of the Sol-Ark 12k in 63V (originally it had a max charge of 59V) But I finally got ahold of an engineer who agreed with me. However, on subsequent calls to them I had to start over with educating another engineer. So I just bought one and did my own thing and have a rather expensive but well functioning LTO 18Kw battery bank and recommending the Sol-Ark 12k to anyone who is building a system above 5Kw that needs additional power for large motor start-ups (like a well pump or compressor)
Sol-Ark 12k has the ability to connect with certain batteries. Fortress is currently developing software for their systems to connect with the Sol-Ark 12k so I assume that your batteries can be connected as well. Call them and ask?

 

[euphonius]

Thanks, Fisherus. I wish I had your knowledge and confidence to make such decisions! Actually, I did check with Sol-Ark and received a generally positive but also well-caveated reassurance that the Gyll batteries "should have the potential" to work with Sol-Ark's high-capacity integrated inverters. I like the Fortress batteries a lot, and appreciate that company's spirit of innovation and collaboration with makers of inverters and other components. Lithium, with its BMS requirements, is pushing the solar industry to higher levels of collaboration/integration, and companies that cannot or won't do that will be left behind. Sol-Ark told me they currently have "closed-loop communication" integration with Blue Ion, Discover, Fortress (only the E-Flex, not yet the big eVault) and Dyness. I was surprised not to see SimpliPhi on that list.

Care to tell us more about your LTO SCiB battery?

 

[JoeHam]

I am completely ignorant about the GYLL Canbus info.

Any chance I can get it to interface with the Victron Cerbo GX?

 

[fisherus]

Thanks, Fisherus. I wish I had your knowledge and confidence to make such decisions! Actually, I did check with Sol-Ark and received a generally positive but also well-caveated reassurance that the Gyll batteries "should have the potential" to work with Sol-Ark's high-capacity integrated inverters. I like the Fortress batteries a lot, and appreciate that company's spirit of innovation and collaboration with makers of inverters and other components. Lithium, with its BMS requirements, is pushing the solar industry to higher levels of collaboration/integration, and companies that cannot or won't do that will be left behind. Sol-Ark told me they currently have "closed-loop communication" integration with Blue Ion, Discover, Fortress (only the E-Flex, not yet the big eVault) and Dyness. I was surprised not to see SimpliPhi on that list.

Care to tell us more about your LTO SCiB battery?

If you check out my last post on the Battery Switch forum, I listed how I have my battery bank system back feeding through a Square D breaker box using double pole 20AMP breaker switches

 

[SolNet]

Guess Sol-Ark must have expanded their battery partners quite a bit since Nov 2020. Looking on their website today (https://www.sol-ark.com/battery-partners/) they advertise they work with over 20 battery suppliers (including Simpliphi)

 

[Averageaviator]

FYI, talked to Signature Solar the other day and there is an active project taking place for the Sol-Ark to talk to the BMS on the Gyll LFP's, not solid timeframe but I was told they have been working on it for about a month now.

 

[JoeHam]

I am completely ignorant about the GYLL Canbus info.

Any chance I can get it to interface with the Victron Cerbo GX?

At least I am able to read the GYLL BMS info thanks to this video:

Looking forward to further developments from sig solar.

 

[Ampster]

they advertise they work with over 20 battery suppliers (including Simpliphi)

Pardon my scepticism about what the marketing people say, but physics tells me if I attach a battery that has the same voltage as the inverter expects it will work. My Orion BMS "works with" my Outback Skybox. However the two do not comunicate. If a preset condition exists in the pack the BMS opens the contactor. I also set the DC voltages on the inverter so an event like that is not likely to happen. Functionally that could be the extent of the meaning of "works with".

 

[tlstumpf]

Since currently GYLL and Sol-Ark do not support closed loop communication what settings should be used in the Sol-Ark battery settings?

 

[tlstumpf]

Since currently GYLL and Sol-Ark do not support closed loop communication what settings should be used in the Sol-Ark battery settings?

Let me try this question again. I know I was not clear on what my questions were.

So I have 3 of the EGYLL 48V 100AH batteries 51.2V 5120W.

First setting in the Sol Ark is battery capacity. Since the 3 batteries are in parallel would the setting for this be 15360 W?

Should I use 56.0 V for full charge?

For battery charge/discharge current. Sol-Arc recommends AH battery size * 50% is my AH battery size 300 AH ? if so this would be 150 amp. EGYLL recommends 30amp so would this be 90 amp?

Chemistry type: Lithium Absorption 54.6 Float 54.3 Equalize 54.6

 

[fisherus]

Set your Sol-Ark to the GyLL battery suggested parameters for Charge, Nominal and Minimal. You don't times it by the amount of batteries you have.

 

[kaspre]

I'm a newbie here, but my understanding is that if these batteries are wired in parallel then you do multiply amp rating and watts rating, while voltage rating remains the same at 48V (51.2V). So yes, your battery array is 300Ah and 15360 Wh (51.2V * 300Ah = 15360Wh).

Again assuming they are wired in parallel, then anything voltage related is the same for 1 battery or 3 or 300. However, it may be helpful to know that each battery is actually made of sixteen 3.2V cells wired in series. (16 x 3.2V = 51.2V) So if you want to target 3.4V per cell, then your charge setting should be ~54.4V. It may be fine to round up to 56V as the voltage per cell would be 3.5V, but unless you need every last kWh of capacity, I've read that it may be better to be conservative here.

Good question regarding current. I don't know the answer. On the one hand, if amps are distributed evenly across all three batteries, then it seems reasonable to send 90 amps so all batteries receive 30A each. But if for any reason one battery is getting more current than the others, you could exceed the 30A rating on one or more batteries. I'd like to know what Gyll recommends for multiple batteries.

 

[fisherus]

You can set a bulk charge rate at 54.4V or lower down to 51.2V. You amperage should not be set over the 30amp maximum of your battery's limit.
Here is why I don't think you times the amount of batteries times the maximum amount of amperage each battery can handle. If one battery is full then you are attacking the other two batteries with 45AMPS each until they are ruined or one full and the last one has 90AMPS going into it.
Think of your bulk voltage as a high pressure pump, injecting 30AMPS per hour into each battery. I'm reasonably sure that the Sol-Ark 12K makes sure 30AMPS are flowing through your battery bank system if you have it set there. I imagine that the BMS of the GyLL battery has a 30AMP flow maximum.

 

[tlstumpf]

Thanks for the responses and sorry for my slow response, I've been at the off grid cabin working and have no internet there yet. The 3 batteries are in parallel. I've sent the question to signature solar to see what they have to say. If I get a response I will post it here.

My concern on charging at 30amp would be how long it would take to charge the batteries fully after a couple bad solar days. 30amp*48V = 1440 Watts which would take around 8.5 hours to charge the batteries if they were at 80 percent discharge. At average only get 3 hours or so of solar.

 

[chrisw5]

Thanks for the responses and sorry for my slow response, I've been at the off grid cabin working and have no internet there yet. The 3 batteries are in parallel. I've sent the question to signature solar to see what they have to say. If I get a response I will post it here.

My concern on charging at 30amp would be how long it would take to charge the batteries fully after a couple bad solar days. 30amp*48V = 1440 Watts which would take around 8.5 hours to charge the batteries if they were at 80 percent discharge. At average only get 3 hours or so of solar.

If you read the sol-ark owners manual, they have a common battery application notes section. In it it shows some examples and they are calculating Max Amps by multiplying by number of parallel batteries. Just fwiw.