Testing EG4 6000XP AIO inverter.

[Zapper77]

Great detailed analysis... bravo my solar brother

Thank you. Do you have any testing ideas or questions?

 

[ChrisG]

Thank you. Do you have any testing ideas or questions?

@Zapper77 another member tested this and it worked, would like two validations if possible, with No PV attached/active or turned off completely. XP Grid connected on AC-IN and grid fails, Batteries power load and then LBCO hits and batteries shut down (extended grid outage), when grid is present again, XP powers back on and can then start charging batteries from grid (without any intervention).

 

[Zapper77]

@Zapper77 another member tested this and it worked, would like two validations if possible, with No PV attached/active or turned off completely. XP Grid connected on AC-IN and grid fails, Batteries power load and then LBCO hits and batteries shut down (extended grid outage), when grid is present again, XP powers back on and can then start charging batteries from grid (without any intervention).

Should be easy to confirm/test. Later this evening.

 

[ChrisG]

Should be easy to confirm/test. Later this evening.

Thank you, appreciate you testing for all of us. If I get the XP it will run unattended for weeks at a time mainly as grid backup powering critical loads (fridge/freezers/cameras/internet at our cabin) and there are often long power failures with snow load. Will have enough battery for ~2 days but power has been out longer than that so need the self recovery from grid since we're not always there. Was thinking about another Victron system which I know self recovers, charges and powers loads when grid becomes available but XP is a clean instal and I want to give it a try. Will add PV later when weather is better.

 

[Zapper77]

Thank you, appreciate you testing for all of us. If I get the XP it will run unattended for weeks at a time mainly as grid backup powering critical loads (fridge/freezers/cameras/internet at our cabin) and there are often long power failures with snow load. Will have enough battery for ~2 days but power has been out longer than that so need the self recovery from grid since we're not always there. Was thinking about another Victron system which I know self recovers, charges and powers loads when grid becomes available but XP is a clean instal and I want to give it a try. Will add PV later when weather is better.

I won't be able to test the low battery BMS shutdown...until my new batteries arrive
It may be a few weeks for that specific test.

I'll be able to test the inverter shutdown due to battery low SOC with grid off. 2nd part of test is will turning on grid restart the inverter and charge batteries to the preset limit. Correct?


Edit below to expand on the battery shutdown/restart.

Say inverter turns off due to low SOC at say 3%. The inverter will still have a very low 0.02 amp draw (estimating, I don't remember exact amount). Next the inverter draw when powered down ends up trigger the low voltage shutdown in the BMS.

 

[ChrisG]

I won't be able to test the low battery BMS shutdown...until my new batteries arrive
It may be a few weeks for that specific test.

I'll be able to test the inverter shutdown due to battery low SOC with grid off. 2nd part of test is will turning on grid restart the inverter and charge batteries to the preset limit. Correct?


Edit below to expand on the battery shutdown/restart.

Say inverter turns off due to low SOC at say 3%. The inverter will still have a very low 0.02 amp draw (estimating, I don't remember exact amount). Next the inverter draw when powered down ends up trigger the low voltage shutdown in the BMS.

Yeah I guess that's it. Doesn't even need to charge back to preset limit just knowing it can come back on itself from grid on, power loads while charging.

 

[#40Fan]

Any reason why it wouldn't come back with the switches in the On position?

 

[ChrisG]

Any reason why it wouldn't come back with the switches in the On position?

Another member in a separate thread confirmed it came back on with grid only...I know @Zapper77 was looking for a test scenario so we can have double confirmation. If this does indeed work, this means Grid down with no PV available, LBCO hits and everything powers down, later - grid-up and XP starts feeding loads and charging independently. I won't need to take off work and scamble to my cabin to do manual steps.

 

[Zapper77]

Another member in a separate thread confirmed it came back on with grid only...I know @Zapper77 was looking for a test scenario so we can have double confirmation. If this does indeed work, this means Grid down with no PV available, LBCO hits and everything powers down, later - grid-up and XP starts feeding loads and charging independently. I won't need to take off work and scamble to my cabin to do manual steps.

Initial testing...yes grid bypass will kick in after a simulated grid down when a offgrid LOW SOC has triggered a shutdown.

 

[ChrisG]

Initial testing...yes grid bypass will kick in after a simulated grid down when a offgrid LOW SOC has triggered a shutdown.

Awesome so XP was basically down from low
SOC and no grid, turned on grid and loads turned on and batts started charging? This is exciting. Second confirmation. Just like Victron where no interaction is needed once grid is available again.

 

[Zapper77]

Awesome so XP was basically down from low
SOC and no grid, turned on grid and loads turned on and batts started charging? This is exciting. Second confirmation. Just like Victron where no interaction is needed once grid is available again.

My AC Charge from Grid, SOC was set lower than my disconnect.

I will need to do another test. This was just a quick 15 minute test.

 

[Zapper77]

Awesome so XP was basically down from low
SOC and no grid, turned on grid and loads turned on and batts started charging? This is exciting. Second confirmation. Just like Victron where no interaction is needed once grid is available again.

Scenario
Parameters - Grid down and "off grid" shutdown set at SOC 5%. AC charge start at 15% and stop at 35%

Results - Inverter running on battery until SOC hits 4%...Inverter shuts down. Grid comes back on...Inverter enters AC Chatge and Grid bypass. Charges batteries upto the 35% SOC.

Unexpected results - while simulating a 2nd grid failure whule battery SOC is under 15%. Resulted in the Inverter shutdown, even though the offgrid disconnect was set at 5% and the battery SOC was above the 5%.

Is anyone able to confirm my findings?

 

[ChrisG]

Scenario
Parameters - Grid down and "off grid" shutdown set at SOC 5%. AC charge start at 15% and stop at 35%

Results - Inverter running on battery until SOC hits 4%...Inverter shuts down. Grid comes back on...Inverter enters AC Chatge and Grid bypass. Charges batteries upto the 35% SOC.

Unexpected results - while simulating a 2nd grid failure whule battery SOC is under 15%. Resulted in the Inverter shutdown, even though the offgrid disconnect was set at 5% and the battery SOC was above the 5%.

Is anyone able to confirm my findings?

Thanks for the continued testing. Odd that it behaves differently if SOC under your start charge. Assume on the 2nd test when grid was available it acted like the previous test and powered loads and charged?

 

[Zapper77]

Thanks for the continued testing. Odd that it behaves differently if SOC under your start charge. Assume on the 2nd test when grid was available it acted like the previous test and powered loads and charged?

Yes.

I wonder if a battery alarm was the issue.

 

[Buff]

Thanks for doing all this testing for us @Zapper77 ! Seems the 6000xp is a pretty comprehensive unit. I also have one test if you don't mind. In the discharge settings, if you set Discharge Current Limit to say 50 amps and when running off battery and the loads are high >3000w and require more than the limit, will the inverter just shut down or automatically switch to grid bypass? This would be with the grid up and connected. Curious if I could hook this to a battery I currently have and get the PowerPro later this year.

 

[Zapper77]

Thanks for doing all this testing for us @Zapper77 ! Seems the 6000xp is a pretty comprehensive unit. I also have one test if you don't mind. In the discharge settings, if you set Discharge Current Limit to say 50 amps and when running off battery and the loads are high >3000w and require more than the limit, will the inverter just shut down or automatically switch to grid bypass? This would be with the grid up and connected. Curious if I could hook this to a battery I currently have and get the PowerPro later this year.

It will switch to grid bypass.

 

[Tripplett]

I got a new one for you to test. I was testing the "AC First Start/End Time" settings and noticed something peculiar.
Start Time 1 = 19:00
End Time 1 = 22:00
This is prime TV, lights, dinner, etc power usage and we've had days of rain and gloom. So I wanted to use this setting to "bypass" back to grid for a few days to keep my batteries up.

I would expect it to switch into grid bypass at 7pm, which it did, and back to batteries at 10pm, which it also did. However from 7-10 there was also around 60w coming from the grid to charge the batteries for some reason. Note, no incoming solar during this time either. I tried it over two days, same result both times.

This is unlike when I fail over to grid using the "On Grid EOD SOC" setting I just get Grid = Load demand, nothing goes to batteries except any incoming solar. This AC First Start/EndTime setting has me stumped as to why I also see batteries being charged at the same time, unless there's a bug in the code.

 

[Zapper77]

I got a new one for you to test. I was testing the "AC First Start/End Time" settings and noticed something peculiar.
Start Time 1 = 19:00
End Time 1 = 22:00
This is prime TV, lights, dinner, etc power usage and we've had days of rain and gloom. So I wanted to use this setting to "bypass" back to grid for a few days to keep my batteries up.

I would expect it to switch into grid bypass at 7pm, which it did, and back to batteries at 10pm, which it also did. However from 7-10 there was also around 60w coming from the grid to charge the batteries for some reason. Note, no incoming solar during this time either. I tried it over two days, same result both times.

This is unlike when I fail over to grid using the "On Grid EOD SOC" setting I just get Grid = Load demand, nothing goes to batteries except any incoming solar. This AC First Start/EndTime setting has me stumped as to why I also see batteries being charged at the same time, unless there's a bug in the code.


View attachment 191482

Interesting. I kinda like the small battery charge amperage.

 

[DIYPV]

I’ve noticed my EG4-LL V2 batteries charging at about 1A when EOD (eco) has been triggered… I’m on latest firmware..

 

[Key77]

I have a 6000xp set up in an off grid cabin paired with a powerpro wall mount. At this point we only have one array finished with 1800w going to the inverter.

It is only powering a starlink set up when not at the cabin so I can monitor the system. We had a very cloudy period and it drained the battery below 20% which I had set for the off grid disconnect SOC. Inverter disconnected the loads as expected.

However, after 4 days (partly cloudy) the starlink hasn't came back online.

So does anyone know what setting would determine when the EPS switches back on after a low battery SOC disconnect trigger? Most other inverters I've delt with have a reconnect trigger point but I don't see any setting like that in the manual given it has no grid to charge from.

 

[Zapper77]

I have a 6000xp set up in an off grid cabin paired with a powerpro wall mount. At this point we only have one array finished with 1800w going to the inverter.

It is only powering a starlink set up when not at the cabin so I can monitor the system. We had a very cloudy period and it drained the battery below 20% which I had set for the off grid disconnect SOC. Inverter disconnected the loads as expected.

However, after 4 days (partly cloudy) the starlink hasn't came back online.

So does anyone know what setting would determine when the EPS switches back on after a low battery SOC disconnect trigger? Most other inverters I've delt with have a reconnect trigger point but I don't see any setting like that in the manual given it has no grid to charge from.

I don't remember the exact percentage but I'm thinking 3-5%, but that could be wrong...its been a while.

 

[ScropusGobbleBottom]

However from 7-10 there was also around 60w coming from the grid to charge the batteries for some reason

Same here. 6000xp charges batteries at 50-60 watts when no solar available and on grid bypass.

 

[Key77]

I don't remember the exact percentage but I'm thinking 3-5%, but that could be wrong...its been a while.

Thanks for your input, I think you are right. I just check after posting and the system had finally come back online showing 25% battery SOC. I have 2 powerpros hooked up so I suppose it can take a while for a little 1800w array to overcome the idle current and charge 5% during cloudy weather.

That being said it would be nice to have a setting to adjust this value to prevent short cycling with smaller batteries.

 

[Zapper77]

Thanks for your input, I think you are right. I just check after posting and the system had finally come back online showing 25% battery SOC. I have 2 powerpros hooked up so I suppose it can take a while for a little 1800w array to overcome the idle current and charge 5% during cloudy weather.

That being said it would be nice to have a setting to adjust this value to prevent short cycling with smaller batteries.

Depending on temperature...the BMS won't kick on until the heaters do their job.

 

[iannecj]

Looks like that generator doesn’t have or allow 2wire start. Might need to find a compatible generator if you want any inverter to trigger generator start/stop.

Edit. Looking further into it, seems like that generator has something called a st switch that be hooked up to an extrtnal transfer switch. Might be able to figure out 2 wire start/stop with that, not sure.

This is my plan too. I have this generator now and see videos of folks using ST Smart switch to get it to autostart as ChrisG reports.. The contacts on the 6000XP work as youd expect and I am pretty sure this will work and already bought all but the the ST switch. I'll report back when I get this working. Also, I don't think you need a chargeverter between this gen and the 6000XP. This gen is clean enough without it and has a 7600W continuous and 10kW surge capacity.