Solis Hybrid Inverter Charge from other PV production

[jollysoutherner]

Interesting, post above suggests it can detect export from other PV systems not connected to the hybrid based on the meter exporting.

Batteries in the loft doesn't really work for us from where to put them and not keen on them in the house. Probably easier to connect the loft PV string into the garage inverter and/or add 1600W to the garage roof.

Still confused why it can't pickup the export unless for that part of the control logic to function some form of PV is required on the hybrid input?

 

[jollysoutherner]

The Eastron Meter and Ct should detect all surplus power and divert to charge Batteries not matter where it’s generated from so it should detect your other solar panels production and divert excess to the Batteries, you have the same problem as me but since I’ve been able to divert one set panels into my Solis Hybrid it’s now starting to charge batteries from Excess solar although it still seem to stop for 5 or 10 minutes starts exporting again and then start charging Batteries again

Panels on the garage roof is where I need to start then. ??????

 

[jollysoutherner]

The Eastron Meter and Ct should detect all surplus power and divert to charge Batteries not matter where it’s generated from so it should detect your other solar panels production and divert excess to the Batteries, you have the same problem as me but since I’ve been able to divert one set panels into my Solis Hybrid it’s now starting to charge batteries from Excess solar although it still seem to stop for 5 or 10 minutes starts exporting again and then start charging Batteries again

Thanks, looks like I need to fit some panels on the hybrid. Does it attempt to use all the excess solar for charging from the other strings or just the string you diverted?

 

[SeaGal]

Panels on the garage roof is where I need to start then. ??????

Both to garage RHI would be good. Is garage warm enough for pylontechs?

 

[jollysoutherner]

Apologies, I've created multiple replies!

Working on warming up the garage

Hybrid has 2 inputs, any issues connecting different size array to each (3.8 & 1.6)?

 

[SeaGal]

Cheaper to just warm the batteries up

RHI is dual MPPT, so good for different string sizes / orientations etc. Just check max voltage per string doesn't exceed inverter limit.

 

[jollysoutherner]

Cheaper to just warm the batteries up

RHI is dual MPPT, so good for different string sizes / orientations etc. Just check max voltage per string doesn't exceed inverter limit.

Good point, battery box easier ? Shouldn't be too much work to connect strings. Really appreciate your help on this.

 

[SeaGal]

Mine are 21 degrees in a 1 degree garage at the moment ?

 

[jollysoutherner]

Looks like I've got myself in trouble. Batteries are in alarm and not charging. BMS is showing under voltage. 45.5v

I've tried connecting them to inverter individually, is there a way to force a charge or manually charge as the BMS is in alarm?

 

[SeaGal]

Fortunately I didn't get pylontechs, so not too familiar with them. But can you connect a PC RS232 console to the Admin port of the batteries and see if there is some way there (in the admin menus) to reset the alarm and allow the Solis to do its force-charge thing?

 

[jollysoutherner]

Manually charger looks to be the answer. Will take a look at the diagnostics. Thanks

 

[Snoopyeagle]

Thanks, looks like I need to fit some panels on the hybrid. Does it attempt to use all the excess solar for charging from the other strings or just the string you diverted?

Ive not established that yet as we keep running out of Sun Shine, hopefully some wednesday onwards so will have another go, Ive been led to believe that the Eastron meter and Ct should detect surplus energy from other sources of generation not going through the Solis Hybrid and when I spoke to Solis Service they didn’t say that it wouldn’t detect surplus energy from other sources and sent me a new meter and ct as they assumed that was the problem, I will try putting the solar panels back through the existing inverter when we get sun and see if the Solis takes the excess and charge’s the batteries with it, even with the strings going into the Solis inverter it still exported some for a few minutes at times.

 

[SeaGal]

... I will try putting the solar panels back through the existing inverter when we get sun and see if the Solis takes the excess and charge’s the batteries with it...

That will be fascinating to find out. Do keep us updated - I don't remember ever reading that the RHI has that capability, but will be a huge plus if it does... ? ?

 

[jollysoutherner]

Back online, charged via a PSU for 40 minutes and then let inverter take over.

Will update on absorbing solar once I've got additional panels installed or house diverted.

 

[Snoopyeagle]

I have checked for the Solis Inverter detecting surplus energy from other generation and can confirm that when I switch off my old existing Power One inverter that has 4KW of solar panels on the FIT system my new Solis RHI 6K inverter screen shows the power going to charge the batteries drop by the same amount as what the Power one inverter was showing as producing prior to turning it off and increasing again when turned back on so the Solis inverters do detect surplace generation from other sources , I’ve never seen this documented anywhere with Solis but before I purchased this Inverter I did ask that question on the Solis Inverter facebook group and they advised they do as long as you have the Ct and meter, what the Solis Hybrid inverter won’t do is show on the inverter screen is what your other system is generating as their is no facility for a 2nd Ct input like you have on the RAI AC. Coupled charger .

 

[peufeu]

Greetings and merry Christmas!

I have the same problem...

I have an existing installation with 3kWp panels and a Fronius Primo 3kW. It is not configured for zero export control, so it will inject everything it produces into the grid. Here the utility tolerates up to 3kW export, so it's fine, they don't pay me anything for it.

I wanted storage so I added more panels and a Solis S5 EH1P-6K with two Pylontech US5000. So far so good.

Both inverters are on the "house" side of the Eastron smartmeter, which is connected to the Solis via RS485. The Fronius is not connected to any smartmeter.

When the Fronius produces less power than what the house uses, the Solis provides the rest, resulting in close to zero utility consumption and zero injection. That works.

However when the Fronius produces more power than what the house uses, the smartmeter correctly measures that the house becomes a net exporter (which is fine), the Solis gets the information and displays it on screen (fine), and... it shuts down.

Here's an example of it happening. There's about 2500W available from the panels on the Solis, the battery needs charging, so even if didn't steal the extra power exported from the Fronius, it should charge! But when it sees the house exporting power, it freaks out, stops everything, and kinda pouts. As soon as I shutdown the Fronius, or switch on a load that draws more than it produces, the house becomes net importer instead of exporter, and Solis resumes working properly, splitting PV power between charging and feeding the house.



Anyone got an idea how to fix this?

Any solutions accepted, even MITM the RS485 protocol... except reprogramming or controlling the Fronius, not an option because I intend to sell it and replace it with another identical Solis, so I don't want to invest time into it.

 

[Snoopyeagle]

Yes sounds similar to my problem and at the moment when we do get some sun my Solis is acting as it shoud do, My problem was intermittent but still quite frequent and I don’t know for sure which of all the things I tried actually solved the problem , Solis sent me a new Eastron meter and Ct coil which didn’t seem to completely solve the problem so I set the Solis inverter for 2.5KW on export limit as Dno allows as it was set for zero export and I then noticed occasional exports still and then at around battery levels getting to 88% soc it started clipping the solar panels. I noticed not all of the 4 US 5000 battery SOC lights were the same so I rebalanced the batteries again and since then for the last week the Solis inverter and batteries have been behaving correctly , but I don’t for sure wether it was the Eastron Meter and Ct coil, setting the export limit from 0 to 2.5Kw or rebalancing the batteries or a bit of all of them but for the last week when we do get sun it now charges the batteries as it should and only exports when 100% Soc

 

[peufeu]

OK ! Thanks.

Today there's good sun, so I turned the Fronius inverter on and it began to export 800W. Then, as you said, I changed the export limit on Solis from 0W to 1kW.

That's a partial success!

When the house is using more power than the Fronius produces, the Solis provides the rest, just as before.

When the house is using less power than the Fronius produces, previously the Solis would shut down. Now it uses all the solar power it has available to charge the batteries, which is much better. But it does not use the extra power exported by the Fronius to also charge. So, partial success, but still nice.

 

[peufeu]

Yes sounds similar to my problem

Update!

I set "charging from grid" to ON in Self-Use, and now Solis is able to use the power exported by Fronius and not used by the house to charge its battery on top of the solar power it produces. So it works!

It looks like the problem was the export limit set to zero, which made Solis freak out and shut down when another inverter in the house exports power. But with export limit set to 1kW, it still manages net zero export if it can charge the batteries, so that's all good.

It seems to do the right thing when I disconnect the solar panels (ie, not discharge the battery to uselessly export whatever export limit is set) so it looks like the parameter is a limit and not a setting... hmmm... anyway thanks for the hint!

I'll monitor the situation, see if it breaks.

 

[peufeu]

Situation report: it's the evening, daily production about 14kWh according to Solis (Fronius says it produced 2.5kWh on top of that). I ran one washer & dryer, one dishwasher, the water heater is fully hot, the battery is fully charged, and it used almost no power from the grid. Your settings seem to work.
Now I have to automate the power routing, because it's damn annoying to do it by hand.