XW Pro remote or automatic force charge

[harriss3]

I have an XW Pro 6848 with 60kw of batteries and plan to install a wattnode so that I can charge at night on my EV plan and then cover my loads during peak. The problem is that the batteries won't charge until the voltage drops under the recharge voltage but if I increase this setting it disables the sell function even if the sell voltage is set lower. I tried calling Schneider but they just told me that that wasn't how it was designed to work. They offered that I could use force charge but I can't stay up every night to start force charge at midnight. Basically I would need to wait until my batteries go low enough that sell stops and charging starts however the sell stops before it gets low enough to charge so even that won't work. I'm wondering if there is a way to a scheduled force charge from my computer through the insighthome local IP address or Canbus. I think MODBUS might be an option but the wattnode will be connected to the MODBUS and it is my understanding that only one connection is available.

 

[MaikaiLife]

This is an interesting post, I've recently been learning about the Schneider product family and about their proprietary protocol Xanbus, I also didn't know that Schneider invented Modbus in 1979.

Anyways, back to your question, how could you schedule your force charge feature...

The only way I'm aware to talk to the Schneider family of solar devices is through a Gateway such as the Insight, which then you can communicate with the gateway over Modbus, which then you could potentially use Home Assistant for this.

Here is how this might theoretically work out.

1: You get Home Assistant (HA) running on a Rasberry Pi.

2: You enable the Modbus integration on HA.

3: You configure the Modbus integration to communicate with your insight device.

4: You follow this thread to see if you can find the mapping needed to enable that feature as you wish, using an automation from Home Assistant.

I'm really interested to see how this goes so I would greatly appreciate updates as your review this potential path.

 

[harriss3]

I think I came up with a good solution thanks to post by n2aws. I was able to follow the instructions for setting up Node-Red on an old MacBook Air. I used the instructions to target charge start voltage address 378 on the Modbus and this also lets me adjust for multiple TOU intervals. I set it to 50000 when I want to export and 54000 when I want it to charge. I still have charge block times setup so that if my Node-Red fails it won't charge during peak and the Wattnode allows me to export enough to my main panel to cover most of my loads without exporting to the grid. I was planning to do a conventional install but didn't read the latest NEC codes when I ordered the batteries so I couldn't get permitted for the install. I opted to install everything in a server rack and plug it into the wall with the 50amp 14-50 outlet I had for my car charger. Even though it was overkill I still used the breaker box I had already purchased and mounted it on the side of the rack along with additional outlets for charging my 2 hybrid cars and running my web server. The Wattnode is in my outside box with the com line running to an RJ45 jack on the inside wall so if the city or utility ever comes looking nothing is visibly hardwired. https://diysolarforum.com/threads/node-red-example-for-schnieder-xw-pro-insight.72077/

 

[harriss3]

Last night the system still didn't charge. I was checking the debug and noticed that the timer was sending the command that I setup for when to sell repeatedly but when the timer ended it looked like it just stopped so if it missed that one command I don't think it would send it again. I went ahead and setup a second group of timers to send the opposite command during the times I want it to charge so I will see if that fixes my issues. The only other thing I could think of is if load shaving was blocking the charger even though it was blocked for that time period so I turned off load shave. I will see if that makes it charge tonight. Now my only other nagging question is if SDG&E will check for line balance and get me for exporting on one leg and importing on the other when it runs at night.

 

[400bird]

I'm not sure load shaving would do anything in your installation. I've never seen much benefit in it outside of very, very specific situations.

 

[harriss3]

Monday night the batteries still didn't charge. I called and spent more than an hour on the phone with Schneider and still nothing. I finally decided to downgrade the firmware on both the InsightHome and the inverter and restore the factory default settings. Tuesday it still didn't charge so I went looking for the problem and realized that the default settings changed the timezone so the charge block kept it from charging. Finally after all of this it charged last night it. I still have the Node-Red setup to change the recharge voltage both ways and I added in changing the charge block both ways for all the super off peak TOU hours. My batteries are large enough and had gone down to about 35-40% so they didn't make it to full charge in the 6 hour super of peak period last night so they need to catch up. My new setting will let the charge run the full weekend periods to catch up each week if needed.

 

[400bird]

Tuesday it still didn't charge so I went looking for the problem and realized that the default settings changed the timezone so the charge block kept it from charging.

Awe damn sorry, I had the same or similar thing happen to me! That's why I thought 2.04 was buggy when it first came out. I thought about mentioning to check the time, but didn't.

 

[harriss3]

Awe damn sorry, I had the same or similar thing happen to me! That's why I thought 2.04 was buggy when it first came out. I thought about mentioning to check the time, but didn't.

I would agree that something is wrong with 2.04. I know the time was correct all the way up until I rolled back and defaulted everything. Support told me just to do the insight downgrade but I believe the real issue is 2.04 for the inverter

 

[400bird]

Since I fixed the time, I've been in 2.04 without issues for months.

 

[harriss3]

Since I fixed the time, I've been in 2.04 without issues for months.

I'm afraid to mess with it now that I have it working. Are there any improvements in 2.04 that make it worth going back to 2.04?

 

[400bird]

If you're happy with the current set up, I'd probably stick with it. Assuming you're past the security flaw update. I'm on mobile, so I can't check which that is now.

There's some updates which are nice, I like the newer UI
If you have a Watt Node, they've added support to use the 3rd current sensor input for PV.

If you believe this post, it will now automatically follow available AC coupled PV and charge, something it should have been able to do the entire time
I still haven't tried it out
Post in thread 'Schneider XWPro Firmware Upgrade Version 2.04.00' https://diysolarforum.com/threads/s...re-upgrade-version-2-04-00.64080/post-1112301