<div dir="ltr">Ray,<div> With this batch of posts about lithium batteriem and several mentions of XW inverters and overcharging, I just have to chime in with my experience with one I installed and one installed by someone else. Both were charging 48V L16 wet cell batteries. In both cases with charge settings double checked and triple checked, I had both shoot past the 57.2 volt absorb setting and destroyed the batteries. In one case a battery blew its top off. The other we caught in time and shut it down. That one had some bad cells in 3 strings of 8 (not the one I installed) and when I arrived there the room was HOT from the boiling batteries. I replaced them with 2 strings of 8 and though I was skeptical about the charge rate being stable, left it to the owner to monitor. That was last year and he has recently called to have me check a potential overcharging issue. The other one I installed with 8 L16 batteries in a grid tie application and the after several years of working properly suddenly started overcharging out of control. WHen the customer called saying that the batteries were overheating, I told him to switch the inverter to bypass and shut all the DC switches off. I was at the Midwest Enegy Fair and not able to check it out right away. When I returned, I filled the batteries up and turned the system on and the voltage shot up past 60 then 65 volts and I shut it down. Fast forward 2 years... Schneider techs finally admitted that there was a firmware problem and after much agrivation getting the firmware updated with no internet and poor phone coverage, got it back working OK. Fast forward again 2 more years, problem is back. I have the system set to charge at 1 amp and am able to at least keep the inverter on to sell his solar power. Ready to start round 3 with Schneider, this time with internet and good phone service By the way, I have never had overcharge issues with Outback unless my settings were too high. Someone mentioned lack of overcharge protection on some Lithium BMS's. I know for a fact that the Fortress E-flex does when I forgot to change from very high lead acid settings on the Outback Radian when installing the Fortress batteries. They nicely shut down at 60 volts and turned back on after I stopped the overcharge.</div><div>John Blittersdorf</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Feb 8, 2024 at 12:17 AM Ray Walters via RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><u></u>
<div>
<p>We just had a complete failure of a set of four Simpliphi 3.8 KWh
batteries, 48 v. It has completely changed my thoughts on Li+ for
off grid. This set lasted 5 years, which is about equal to bottom
of the barrel Golf Cart batteries. The RMA/ Warranty process has
not been smooth. It took almost a week to even get shipping info
from Simpliphi, and then another week to deal with Hazmat issues,
and get Fed Ex to accept used Li+ batteries for shipment. To
their credit, tech support has been knowledgeable, responsive, and
available by phone while on site. <br>
</p>
<p> Overall, the system worked fine for 5 years, but then a month
ago, after several days of cloudy weather, the system shut down
due to low voltage. (so far, fairly typical off grid winter
situation) When the customer started the generator and tried to
revive the system, he noticed one of the batteries didn't seem to
be taking a charge, so after consulting with Simpliphi, he charged
each battery separately with a small aux charger. I checked this
charger and it was quite stable at a max of 58 v. By the time I
arrived, all 4 batteries would not accept even milliamps of charge
current. The BMSs had all disconnected the batteries from the
buss, but strangely there was residual voltage (51vdc) on the
terminals. It was not usable however, and crashed to 18 v upon
connection to the inverter with no loads. <br>
</p>
<p>Simpliphi is claiming all the BMS units were fried due to a high
voltage event. Its winter, there was no lightning, and we had
both the Outback FM100 and the Schneider XW programmed according
to the Simpliphi integration guides. BTW, Simpliphi has no high
voltage recording, they just don't like the look of how their
electronics fried. Electronics failed = customer's fault. I think
it failed because of the voltage differential between the low
battery voltage and normal charge voltage. If the BMS can't
survive in a typical off grid environment, with proper programming
on industry standard equipment, its not suitable for off grid
applications. Plenty of manus have decided to quit recommending
their equipment for off grid; its a tough gig.</p>
<p>How many times have we all heard the old '<i>Manu S blaming Manu
X'</i> snafu on this list? Simpliphi is saying that the XW can
have transient over voltage events. Well, that should be
mentioned in the integration guide, so we can make an informed
decision, and not use that inverter with their batteries. <br>
</p>
<p>So after paying about 5 times what a set of golf cart batteries
would have cost, my client is looking at having to buy a complete
new set. That's approx. <b>$1.60/ kWh of use from the old set</b>.
Simpliphi is saying they'll give us a discount on refurbished
units; that is still to be seen. The customer has been running on
an old generator for the past 3 weeks in sub zero weather at 9000
ft. Also, why would we want to reinstall more of these, without
any assurance that this won't happen again in a couple of years?
</p>
<p>In 27 years in the off grid business, I have never dealt with
such a complete and sudden battery failure, or with such a rough
RMA process, or with such a poor warranty from a supposedly top
tier manu. I thought I was providing my customer with the best,
but now good old flooded lead acid batteries are all I'm
considering for up coming installs. It's 2024, but lead acid are
a known quantity, and with proper maintenance are quite robust and
predictable. Even when they fail, there are plenty of warning
signs beforehand. They also can handle below freezing weather,
and I am just not a fan of the whole '<i>battery heating do it
yourself off Ebay with pet heaters'</i> BS either. <br>
</p>
<p><b>Li+ is just not ready for off grid.</b> It seems to work fine
for folks that don't rely on it, like GTB. <br>
</p>
<p>At least if something like EG4 fails, its price point is not too
far off of lead acid. Simpliphi (now Briggs and Stratton) at
almost $800/ kWh? We were counting on you, we sold these batteries
to many clients under the guise that this was NOT a <i>'Fly by
night/ made in China</i>' offering. Based on cycle life, this
should have lasted a lifetime. I hate being wrong. I can only
pray that more of these high price tag batteries don't start
failing on my watch. <br>
</p>
<p>I've been holding this rant back for a while, trying to give
Simpliphi a chance to make this right. However, this week I heard
their "diagnosis", and then I saw Jay's timely post? I knew it was
time. <rant off><br>
</p>
<p>Sincerely, <br>
</p>
<p>Ray Walters<br>
Remote Solar<br>
</p>
<div>On 2/7/2024 9:19 AM, jay via
RE-wrenches wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
One of the things that I’m just now learning is about BMS
failure/warranty/fix/replacement.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Some can be field installed some need to go back to
the OEM.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I guess its something else we need to check on. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Jay</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
<div><br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>On Feb 7, 2024, at 9:06 AM, Bradley Bassett
via RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>>
wrote:</div>
<br>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">Read the warranty. Very limited
uses to maintain coverage. Mfg by an Italian Co that is
somewhat condescending toward customers. But of course
East Penn is good to work with. My understanding is that
they do work with the three phase Sol-Ark inverters.
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Brad</div>
</div>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Feb 7, 2024 at
4:52 AM William Miller via RE-wrenches <<a href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org" target="_blank">re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif"">Pals:</span></p>
<div><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif""> </span><br>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif"">Anyone have any experience with
this product, good or bad?</span></p>
<div><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif""> </span><br>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif""><a href="https://www.mkbattery.com/products/energy-storage#deka" target="_blank">https://www.mkbattery.com/products/energy-storage#deka</a></span></p>
<div><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif""> </span><br>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif"">We have had excellent results using
their flooded and valve regulated lead-acid
batteries.</span></p>
<div><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif""> </span><br>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif"">William</span></p>
<div><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Verdana,"sans-serif""> </span><br>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">Miller
Solar</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">17395
Oak Road, Atascadero, CA 93422</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">805-438-5600</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,"sans-serif""><a href="http://www.millersolar.com/" target="_blank">www.millersolar.com</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,"sans-serif"">CA
Lic. 773985</span></p>
<div> <br>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>
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