[RE-wrenches] XW Pro Firmware 2.04 melting devices

Thu Apr 25 11:26:01 PDT 2024

Good advice Michael!  I had one that the grid code got set by FW and 
reverting did not help. Had to start fresh.

I certainly would try the revert as it is so much easier.   There just 
is too much grid firmware being changed and it does

not need to be done offgrid.  I beg people and Schneider, like Eric to 
just have an offgrid FW as a choice

Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
"we go where powerlines don't"
    [1]https://offgridsolar1.com/ [2]  [1]
e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net
text 209 813 0060

On 2024-04-25 11:18 am, Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches wrote:

> Go back to V1.11. I had the same thing happen with an XWPRO and a 
> Central Maine Diesel with a DynaGen controller. Frequency and Peak to 
> Peak was less than perfect and the inverter, IF it would qualify the 
> power, sounded like a garbage disposal. Eric B at Schneider suggested 
> reverting back to the old firmware and that did the trick. Like yours, 
> my client is pissed and wants me to replace the inverter because he 
> thinks it was compromised. He might be right. A colleague of mine ran 
> into the same issue which was fixed with old firmware.
> 
> BTW, no one in tech support, after many calls ever suggested using the 
> old firmware.
> 
> On Thu, Apr 25, 2024 at 10:51 AM Ray Walters via RE-wrenches 
> <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
> 
> That sounds like a generator problem.  I've seen many gen sets put out 
> a horrible waveform under load, when battery charging.  The waveform, 
> (if you have an O-scope) usually has a spike on the front of the wave, 
> and then the wave flattens significantly after.  The peak should be 169 
> v on a 120 vac RMS sinewave.  I've seen it as low as 135v on crappy 
> generators that are over loaded.   THD is a great thing to check, but 
> also check your peak voltage, if you have a quick capture feature on 
> your meter.
> 
> It also could be related to altitude, gen sets can perform badly when 
> they can't get enough air.   You didn't mention gen set model, or 
> whether the frequency was a solid 60 hz.  I've seen bad things happen 
> when the frequency got out of spec too.  I'm guessing a bad voltage 
> regulator on the gen set.
> 
> Ray Walters
> Remote Solar
> 
> On 4/25/2024 11:24 AM, Kevin Pegg via RE-wrenches wrote:
> Hi Wrenches,
> 
> Curious if anyone else has seen this issue.
> 
> New XW Pro off-grid system installed Dec 2023. Pretty standard config 
> for us, XW Pro, 5 kW PV, 50 kWh UnigyII battery, 8 kW high quality 
> diesel generator. This system ran fine all winter long - powering 
> customer's big RV they were living in while the house is built, Shop, 
> computer controlled outdoor wood boiler, domestic loads + 3 person 
> construction crew. Gen ran daily on auto start as we don't get much sun 
> Dec - Feb. No issues reported.
> 
> Couple weeks back I did a new system check up. All performing well, 
> happy client. Part of that service I upgraded the XW firmware from 1.09 
> to 2.04, and insight from 1.16 to 1.18. Gave the system a quick check, 
> ran gen. Lots of sun now, batteries full so didn't do a long generator 
> test. Yes I set the region codes for off-grid.
> 
> A week later, while I was out of town and it was not so sunny so gen 
> running, client and their electrician called me in a panic. Two smoke 
> detectors had literally melted, as well as several dimmable LED 
> fixtures all failed. Electrician replaced the burned up devices, only 
> to have the same thing repeat a few days later. Talking with them it 
> was only when the generator was running there were issues. Told them to 
> lock out gen and I will get there when I can.
> 
> Once back I attended site, fired up gen, and could hear the inverter 
> sounding terrible during gen charging. Lights flickering bad, and I 
> personally verified the smoke detectors beeping and getting warm and 
> the house smelled like burned plastic. I hooked up my power quality 
> analyser and could see the THD gradually building to over 36%. Gen 
> voltage was at 125/250V a bit high, so adjusted that, but no change. By 
> reducing the charge rate on the XW Pro to 50% was able to get the THD 
> down around 12% and less light flicker. But it's still too high. Image 
> attached shows THD with gen on original programing, then at reduced 
> charge rate.
> 
> Have now gone from a happy client to a pissed off client threatening 
> legal action for endangering their lives & a bill from the electrician. 
> Ugh. Having a hard time explaining this to the client why a system 
> previously working fine went sideways so badly. Old guy blames the 
> "darned computer stuff" and he's not wrong with that opinion.
> 
> At another site, similar config but larger system with dual XW's that I 
> upgraded to 2.04 firmware remotely few days ago and now the two 
> inverters are literally fighting each other under generator charge - 
> one load building to +6 kW and one (minus)6 kW.
> 
> Sure makes me reluctant to upgrade firmware on systems that are working 
> fine.
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Kevin
> 
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   --

Michael Morningstar

Morningstar Electric Inc

PO Box 1494

Mount Shasta, CA 96067

530-921-0560

CSLB 1116835

mjmorningstar at gmail.com

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