[RE-wrenches] OB Charging/Comms Issues

[Todd Cory]

Once again I'm going to bang the drum for flooded, lead calcium batteries 
as THE chemistry for grid tied with battery backup systems.

You can do your own research but they have exceptionally low self discharge 
rates, rarely need watering and should last around 30 years. The only 
negative is that they're heavy..

Why people continue to think lithium ion is some kind of kind of panacea 
for these situations is nonsensical. There really is no need to reinvent 
the wheel.

On November 10, 2024 7:28:10 AM Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches 
<re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote:
> Hi Ray,
> Off grid solar has been pushed way back. Back in the day, I would set up 
> systems and walk away (until the client destroyed their first set of 
> batteries). After that, the systems would run smoothly. The equipment did 
> not need to be updated or replaced.
> Now, battery based systems are only for backup, for people with lots of money.
> With the price of lithium batteries, it makes sense to me to stick with 
> AGM. They may only last half as long, but they are less than half the 
> price. The lead is reusable. Their environmental impact is far less.
> Cheers,
> Drake
>
> Drake Chamberlin
> Athens Electric LLC
> Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810
> NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
>
> ---
>
>
>
> On 2024-11-08 16:04, Ray Walters via RE-wrenches wrote:
>> Just goes to my rule for off grid, forget the comms.  Regardless of the 
>> Manu, I've been advised during trouble shooting to disconnect the comms, 
>> and it almost always fixes the problem.  Honestly, I forgot what comms were 
>> supposed to fix in the first place.  I almost never even bother now. Mate 3 
>> with HUB? Only if I have to.  Midnite "Follow Me"? pulled the cables.   All 
>> my systems are open communication.  Even battery to battery comms causes 
>> problems.
>> Oh, and I recently had to buy a $400 PC laptop, just to do trouble 
>> shooting, and firmware updates on batteries.  I don't miss the acid burns 
>> in my jeans, but I'm not sure if I like my job as much, in the twilight 
>> years of my off grid career.    I'm spending as much time installing, as I 
>> am babysitting LiPO4 batteries that are supposed to operate maintenance 
>> free for 8000 cycles.  Yeah.  Just yeah.  I'd be amazed at 800 cycles 
>> without having to truck out there to F with them.  Haven't seen a brand yet 
>> that has worked without some kind of trouble.  Blue Ion, Simpliphi, 
>> Fortress, Homegrid, EG4..... major trouble with everyone of them.  Complete 
>> system shutdowns.  Rotting food in the fridge.
>> I've heard acid burned jeans are coming back in fashion.....
>> Ray Walters
>> Remote SolarOn 11/8/2024 1:42 PM, Chris Sparadeo via RE-wrenches wrote:
>>> Hey wrenchers,
>>>
>>> I have an off-grid customer with a pair of VFX 3648 inverters, a FM 100 
>>> charge controller and two eVault classics in open loop. The issue is when 
>>> the generator is charging the batteries, incoming amperage is all over the 
>>> place and periodically, gradually drops to 0A then ramps back up. This is 
>>> creating really long generator run times. When I turn off PV input, same 
>>> results. When I turn off both PV input and charge controller output 
>>> (turning off the CC entirely) the inverters hold a steady charge. If I 
>>> remove the charge controllers comms cable from the hub, they both play 
>>> nicely and charge cooperatively. This obviously sounds like a communication 
>>> issue, but unfortunately, without the help of OB tech support, I am left 
>>> speculating. I have checked all settings with a fine comb and nothing looks 
>>> to be out of place.  Has anyone experienced something similar to this?
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>> Chris Sparadeo
>>>
>>>
>>>
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