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Sungold inverter & battery help?

Justin_Mora

New Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2023
Messages
20
Location
California
Hey all,
So I've had my system up and running since about February of 2024. Currently, I have two SGP 48v 6000w hybrid inverters in parallel (TP6048). They are connected to my solar panels, each as 10 in series-parallel 5x2 sunpower 330w ( for a total of 20 panels.) I also have three batteries from SGP 100ah 48v LiFePo4 connected in series. I also have the grid-connected via the main panel. Thus far it has worked in ebs and flows of minor problems here and there with periods of it working perfectly.
Heres my questions/problems. Any help on any of these is greatly appreciated.
* NOTE: yes i have tried contacting the manufacturer and their advice is garbage at best. Not to mention they are only awake when my side of the world is asleep.
1. When its working "properly," as soon as the batteries are full, the power in the house shuts of for 2 seconds then restarts. It happens daily almost like clockwork just depending on what time of day the batteries get full. (Any advice on this or why its happening?) We've lived with it for the past 7 months but it's rather annoying resetting all the clocks.
2. Most recently, the batteries discharged to what I believe is too low of a voltage and now they wont charge, which is setting a whole string of error codes off. Most of which can be reset or fixed by putting it in grid+solar mode. I think they are stuck in a protection mode but I can't seem to figure out how to get them out. This isn't the first time this has happened and I pressed enough buttons and changed enough settings and all of a sudden it started working again. Would love a fix for this?
3. Going off the last problem, my battery settings must be all out of wack. Everything is in numbers as far as things like, battery cut of voltage, bulk voltage, float voltage, max charging current, ac charging current, back to grid voltage and discharge voltage. Any advice on what these should be set at would be greatly appreciated.

Here are some answers to common questions ive been asked by SGP.
Yes the inverters are in parallel.
When its working, i have it set so that it goes Solar, battery, grid as far as power source priority. I have it set for solar only, to charge the batteries. I have the I have the solar priority to charge the batteries first, then load, then return to grid. (I don't return power to the grid because this isn't an approved solar setup up)

Any help is appreciated. I can answer any questions as well. Ive been searching for similar issues but they seem to be close, just not close enough. Thanks for the help and support in advance guys!
 
Hey all,
So I've had my system up and running since about February of 2024. Currently, I have two SGP 48v 6000w hybrid inverters in parallel (TP6048). They are connected to my solar panels, each as 10 in series-parallel 5x2 sunpower 330w ( for a total of 20 panels.) I also have three batteries from SGP 100ah 48v LiFePo4 connected in series.

Parallel?

Before getting into the specifics, are these batteries configured to communicate with the AiO?
 
Parallel?

Before getting into the specifics, are these batteries configured to communicate with the AiO?
yes sorry parallel not series for the batteries.
So they are from the same company. (Battery and inverter) The setting they recommend on the inverter is “user defined” so they will run properly and that is what I have selected. I also hooked up the supplied RS cable from battery 1 to closest inverter which SGP said is recommended. I didn’t have it hooked up for months and it ran fine or I should say the same with and without that cable connected.
 
Do you have the software (SOKTools or Pbmstools) and the RS232 to USB cable that would allow you to view each battery and the condition/voltage of all cells in the battery?

The SOC for each battery can be very inaccurate if from time to time the batteries are not properly charged to allow for cell balancing. Although the screen on the battery will let you view cell voltages the software provides a much easier way to evaluate the total health of each battery. Accurate SOC is extremely important if operating in "closed loop" with the "Master" battery connected to and communicating with the inverter. In "open loop" the inverter can only determine battery state based on the battery voltage as measured by the inverter. Battery voltage is not always an accurate way to determine full battery capacity particularly if the batteries are not allowed to fully charge to the point where the BMS starts balancing cells.

In addition the software makes it easier to view any battery error or fault conditions.

The software is free and a great diagnostic tool. Screenshots of the software or pictures of the battery screens (cell voltages) so folks can hopefully determine the state of your batteries would be helpful.

You can download SOKTools.exe from the Current Connected website. Use the last link on the page under "Downloads"

This is the cable I use with my six SGP batteries:
 
Do you have the software (SOKTools or Pbmstools) and the RS232 to USB cable that would allow you to view each battery and the condition/voltage of all cells in the battery?

The SOC for each battery can be very inaccurate if from time to time the batteries are not properly charged to allow for cell balancing. Although the screen on the battery will let you view cell voltages the software provides a much easier way to evaluate the total health of each battery. Accurate SOC is extremely important if operating in "closed loop" with the "Master" battery connected to and communicating with the inverter. In "open loop" the inverter can only determine battery state based on the battery voltage as measured by the inverter. Battery voltage is not always an accurate way to determine full battery capacity particularly if the batteries are not allowed to fully charge to the point where the BMS starts balancing cells.

In addition the software makes it easier to view any battery error or fault conditions.

The software is free and a great diagnostic tool. Screenshots of the software or pictures of the battery screens (cell voltages) so folks can hopefully determine the state of your batteries would be helpful.

You can download SOKTools.exe from the Current Connected website. Use the last link on the page under "Downloads"

This is the cable I use with my six SGP batteries:
I do have the cable but not the software. Does it work for Mac cause that’s all I have that I’d be able to connect it to as far as hardwire goes. I’ll do that and see. The batteries are all fairly new, within the last year. They (when it was working well) would charge fully then last me all night until the sun came up usually with one to two hours”bars” of power left and would charge up again. I’ll download that and see what it says though. Thank you for that.
 
yes sorry parallel not series for the batteries.
So they are from the same company. (Battery and inverter) The setting they recommend on the inverter is “user defined” so they will run properly and that is what I have selected. I also hooked up the supplied RS cable from battery 1 to closest inverter which SGP said is recommended. I didn’t have it hooked up for months and it ran fine or I should say the same with and without that cable connected.

This sounds very wrong. Normally to get comms, you need to set to the appropriate battery type. User defined is primarily intended for lead acid. I would disconnect the comms cable

Recommend you try bulk/absorption of 54.4 - 55.2V with a float of 54V.

My thinking is that your BMS is engaging charge protection due to cell imbalance, and it's causing a hiccup in the discharge circuit. There were a batch of batteries common for awhile where at the termination of their charge, they would briefly cut the circuit and disable discharging.

It's important that your batteries get fully charged regularly to ensure the cells stay balanced.
 
This sounds very wrong. Normally to get comms, you need to set to the appropriate battery type. User defined is primarily intended for lead acid. I would disconnect the comms cable

Recommend you try bulk/absorption of 54.4 - 55.2V with a float of 54V.

My thinking is that your BMS is engaging charge protection due to cell imbalance, and it's causing a hiccup in the discharge circuit. There were a batch of batteries common for awhile where at the termination of their charge, they would briefly cut the circuit and disable discharging.

It's important that your batteries get fully charged regularly to ensure the cells stay balanced.
Okay. Disconnected and switched the setting to those numbers. I went to go check the batteries and they stopped alarming. They havent started charging yet but also the sun isn’t out yet. I’ll update this afternoon when I get off work if they are charged up. Thank you for the information and direction!
 
@Mattb4 @sunshine_eggo batteries are almost all the way charged! Seems to be working great. Thank you guys. Any other recs on settings for “back to grid voltage” & “back to discharge voltage”, max charging and AC charging current? Thanks again.
 
@Mattb4 @sunshine_eggo batteries are almost all the way charged! Seems to be working great. Thank you guys. Any other recs on settings for “back to grid voltage” & “back to discharge voltage”, max charging and AC charging current? Thanks again.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves... :)

Let's get a trouble-free day under our belt. This is going to be a little iterative. What bulk/absorption voltage did you use?
 
Haha ok you’re right, you’re right. I set it at 55.2

Okay, well that's a good sign. 3.45V/cell is a sure thing to get it to full charge once it's held that voltage for 2-4 hours depending on start current.

I'd leave it as-is and see if it continues to work for you.

3.45V peak charge voltage is believed to maximize cycle life as it reduces charging stresses (lower voltage and tapers current lower and sooner). I'm of the opinion that this is an optimal charge profile if you're able to get to 3.45V for at least two hours most days.

This should also be sufficiently high to allow the BMS to balance the cells and maintain a top balance.

If you need to charge with a generator, 3.55-3.60V/cell is better as very little absorption time is needed to get to full charge (not even worth it with a genny - once you hit absorption and it starts to taper current, shutdown).
 
Okay, well that's a good sign. 3.45V/cell is a sure thing to get it to full charge once it's held that voltage for 2-4 hours depending on start current.

I'd leave it as-is and see if it continues to work for you.

3.45V peak charge voltage is believed to maximize cycle life as it reduces charging stresses (lower voltage and tapers current lower and sooner). I'm of the opinion that this is an optimal charge profile if you're able to get to 3.45V for at least two hours most days.

This should also be sufficiently high to allow the BMS to balance the cells and maintain a top balance.

If you need to charge with a generator, 3.55-3.60V/cell is better as very little absorption time is needed to get to full charge (not even worth it with a genny - once you hit absorption and it starts to taper current, shutdown).
yea I think that’s the fix for the charging! Update: it’s 1943. Fully dark out. We were on battery. It seemed as soon as they dropped down to 4 bars instead of 5 the power cut out, switched to grid power, and the grid started charging the batteries again. I know this is a setting for back to grid and back to discharge. I just switched it to 50.0 and “FULL” respectively. Thoughts?
 
yea I think that’s the fix for the charging! Update: it’s 1943. Fully dark out. We were on battery. It seemed as soon as they dropped down to 4 bars instead of 5 the power cut out, switched to grid power, and the grid started charging the batteries again. I know this is a setting for back to grid and back to discharge. I just switched it to 50.0 and “FULL” respectively. Thoughts?

Did a heavy load immediately precede the shutdown? Loads will pull voltage down.

Setting 20: 48V
Setting 21: 56V
 
SGP 100ah 48v default BMS cell balance voltage is set at 3.50vdc. Cells need to reach 3.50vdc before the BMS will start cell balancing
16 cells x 3.5vdc = 56.0vdc

These are the default settings for an SGP 100ah 48v battery.
Screenshot 2024-10-09 010321.png
 
If you can take photos of the screen on one of the batteries and post them here it would be helpful.

Do your batteries have four or six address dip switches. The older models have four and the newer have six.

Press the "Menu" button until the "Analog Info" choice is displayed.
Press the "Down" button until ">> Analog Info >>" is selected then press the "Enter" button.
Press the "Down" button until ">> Cell Voltage >>" is displayed then press the "Enter" button.
Take a photo of each screen of cell voltages, Press the "Down" button to scroll through each screen of cell voltages.
Press the "Esc" button until you are at the Main menu.
Press the "Down" button until >> BMS Status >> is selected then press the "Enter" button.
Note any BMS Status errors or faults. Press the "Down" button for each screen of BMS status information
 
SGP 100ah 48v default BMS cell balance voltage is set at 3.50vdc. Cells need to reach 3.50vdc before the BMS will start cell balancing
16 cells x 3.5vdc = 56.0vdc

All cells or one cell?

One cell will go over 3.50V when the other 15 cells are at 3.447V or lower. I think there's a pretty decent potential to allow BMS to maintain top balance.
 
If you can take photos of the screen on one of the batteries and post them here it would be helpful.

Do your batteries have four or six address dip switches. The older models have four and the newer have six.

Press the "Menu" button until the "Analog Info" choice is displayed.
Press the "Down" button until ">> Analog Info >>" is selected then press the "Enter" button.
Press the "Down" button until ">> Cell Voltage >>" is displayed then press the "Enter" button.
Take a photo of each screen of cell voltages, Press the "Down" button to scroll through each screen of cell voltages.
Press the "Esc" button until you are at the Main menu.
Press the "Down" button until >> BMS Status >> is selected then press the "Enter" button.
Note any BMS Status errors or faults. Press the "Down" button for each screen of BMS status information
@sunshine_eggo overnight update: after changing settings 20 and 21 I had no more issues. Woke up to three lights on each battery.
@marionw
See the attached photos. This is only one battery however I checked all three and they are all with in 1 digit of eachother with no major outlying cell.
 

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If a load pulled your voltage down, or if there's a voltage measurement error, you could have been simply hitting the low limit.

48V gives you a little more wiggle room.

Those voltages and that small current suggest your battery may be at a lower than expected state of charge. Is that after meeting your overnight consumption?
 
If a load pulled your voltage down, or if there's a voltage measurement error, you could have been simply hitting the low limit.

48V gives you a little more wiggle room.

Those voltages and that small current suggest your battery may be at a lower than expected state of charge. Is that after meeting your overnight consumption?
Yea that was this morning after the overnight use. We were still on battery as the sun hadn’t come out yet and it was a foggy morning.
 
Cell voltages look fairly well balanced. My SGP batteries tend to stay balanced except when the cells start to balance and then the cell difference increases (up to 50mv or so) and then they settle down once they start to discharge.

Thanks for the photos. Can you provide the same at the end of the day when charging has stopped/is complete?
Also a picture of the SOC as read on the screen (not the led lights which are not as accurate).

Are you currently operating in closed loop (Master BMS connected to Inverter) or in open loop.

Can you also provide us a picture of the battery stack showing the battery cabling, communications cables and the address dip switches. Just need to verify or possibly make recommendations
 

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