[RE-wrenches] Lithium Ion Batteries

Kent Osterberg kent at coveoregon.com
Mon Mar 23 15:39:19 EDT 2020


Ray,

I agree it is a kludgey way to accomplish a low battery cut off. But, it 
doesn't change the no load draw issue. No load draw is still a problem 
even if the normal low battery cut off adjustment has enough range. At 
least with most lithium batteries there is a secondary shutoff.

Kent Osterberg
Blue Mountain Solar

On 3/23/2020 9:13 AM, Ray wrote:
>
> That was our kludgey plan, if Schneider can't do a firmware update.  
> The issue I have with that, is the no load draw of the inverter is 
> still 25 watts, so eventually it could still pull the batteries into 
> full shutdown.
>
> Ray Walters
> Remote Solar
> 303 505-8760
> On 3/23/20 10:30 AM, Kent Osterberg wrote:
>> I like that approach, Jay. Great idea. It gets the job done and is 
>> self contained - using only the features of the inverter. The remote 
>> power off could still be used with another remote switch. If there 
>> aren't enough aux output ports in the system, one could add a 
>> Morningstar relay driver.
>>
>> None-the-less, considering that Scneider Electric has made a lot of 
>> firmware changes to make the inverter compatible with lithium 
>> batteries, it is baffling that the low battery cutout hasn't been 
>> addressed.
>>
>> Kent Osterberg
>> Blue Mountain Solar
>>
>>
>> On 3/22/2020 6:18 PM, Jay wrote:
>>> Hi Kent,
>>>
>>> Yes that’s what I mean.
>>>
>>> According to the manual I’ve got, up to 52v for the low, 64 for the 
>>> high.
>>> Which is high enough to do what the simpliphi needs.
>>>
>>> Jay
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Mar 22, 2020, at 5:37 PM, Kent Osterberg <kent at coveoregon.com> 
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>  Jay,
>>>>
>>>> Do you mean: use the Aux relay to activate the Remote Power Off? 
>>>> What is the low battery setting range for the Aux relay? I don't 
>>>> see it in the manual.
>>>>
>>>> Kent Osterberg
>>>> Blue Mountain Solar
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 3/22/2020 4:04 PM, Jay wrote:
>>>>> Ray,
>>>>> Have you heard bought about using the Aux relay to control the AC 
>>>>> output at what ever voltage you want?
>>>>>
>>>>> Jay
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Mar 22, 2020, at 3:13 PM, Ray <ray at solarray.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That's the whole point: we need the LBCO to be higher than 48v to 
>>>>>> catch the beginning of that steep drop off, so that there is 
>>>>>> still enough reserve left to keep the monitoring and solar charge 
>>>>>> controllers in operation, and avoid the dreaded dark start.  With 
>>>>>> Simpliphi, we don't have the dark start, but it still requires 
>>>>>> manual reset.   This isn't theoretical, we have been having 
>>>>>> serious trouble with a system because of Schneider's inability to 
>>>>>> set the LVD above 48 v. Also setting the voltage higher (lower 
>>>>>> DOD) extends the cycle life of these batteries. Otherwise, I love 
>>>>>> the stable 51 volts of Li+, even under load.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ray Walters
>>>>>> Remote Solar
>>>>>> 303 505-8760
>>>>>> On 3/22/20 4:15 PM, Jerry Shafer wrote:
>>>>>>> Wrenches
>>>>>>> Don't let the LBCU scare you as this battery has such a flat SOC 
>>>>>>> line that when it falls off there is not much left in the tank. 
>>>>>>> In addition set the flex net to low SOC at 15% and critical to 10%.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sun, Mar 22, 2020, 12:15 PM Sindelar Solar 
>>>>>>> <Allan at sindelarsolar.com <mailto:Allan at sindelarsolar.com>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>     Specifically with Blue Ion, the installation manual
>>>>>>>     recommends 48V as LBCO, but also recommends setting it a bit
>>>>>>>     higher:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>     "Recommended Low Voltage Disconnect Setting: 48 VDC (~2-10%
>>>>>>>     State of Charge)
>>>>>>>     BMU will power down the Blue Ion 2.0 cabinet at 44 VDC (<1%
>>>>>>>     State of Charge)
>>>>>>>     Based on system discharge patterns, SoC and voltage
>>>>>>>     correlations will vary.
>>>>>>>     We recommend you err on the side of caution with a higher
>>>>>>>     LVD setting and adjust as necessary.
>>>>>>>     To prevent a dark start event, we recommend leaving a little
>>>>>>>     reserve “fuel in the tank”."
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>     I have used 48VDC with success, and had one system indeed
>>>>>>>     shut down at 44V, leaving 1% left to reboot.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>     Allan
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>     On 3/22/2020 12:44 PM, Ray wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     Blue Ion, and Simpliphi that I know of.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>     Ray Walters
>>>>>>>>     Remote Solar
>>>>>>>>     303 505-8760
>>>>>>>>     On 3/21/20 2:48 PM, Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>     I see what you mean Ray. Sorry I misread your mail. There
>>>>>>>>>     are not too many batteries out there that need LBCO above
>>>>>>>>>     48V. Which ones are you talking about please?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>     *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar*
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>     *"we go where powerlines don't"
>>>>>>>>>     http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ e-mail
>>>>>>>>>     offgridsolar at sti.net <mailto:offgridsolar at sti.net> text
>>>>>>>>>     209 813 0060*
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>     On Sat, 21 Mar 2020 11:18:21 -0700, Dave Angelini Offgrid
>>>>>>>>>     Solar <offgridsolar at sti.net> <mailto:offgridsolar at sti.net>
>>>>>>>>>     wrote:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>     Hi Ray,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>     Which XW? There are 3 now. The old graybox XW defaults at
>>>>>>>>>>     44V LBCO and the range is 40 to 48V. There also was
>>>>>>>>>>     firmware back in its day that got older units updated.
>>>>>>>>>>     Schneider still has the firmware under discontinued products.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>     XW+ is default 44V and adjustable 36 to 44 vdc.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>     XW pro is running downstairs and I will take a look. It
>>>>>>>>>>     would be my guess that it is the same as XW+. I think one
>>>>>>>>>>     needs to be sure they are in Advanced settings to tweak
>>>>>>>>>>     LBCO also.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>     I am not plugging Schneider and have done work for both
>>>>>>>>>>     Outback and Schneider as well as my clients. Hope this
>>>>>>>>>>     helps.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>     *Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar "we go where powerlines
>>>>>>>>>>     don't" http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/ e-mail
>>>>>>>>>>     offgridsolar at sti.net <mailto:offgridsolar at sti.net> text
>>>>>>>>>>     209 813 0060*
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>     On Sat, 21 Mar 2020 11:46:21 -0400, Ray
>>>>>>>>>>     <ray at solarray.com> <mailto:ray at solarray.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>         We've been having good luck with SImpliphi, the
>>>>>>>>>>         pricing has recently gotten much more competitive. 
>>>>>>>>>>         As it's names states, its simple.  Each 3.8 kWh unit
>>>>>>>>>>         has an 80 amp breaker built into the top, weigh about
>>>>>>>>>>         75 lbs, and are a bit smaller than an L16 but with
>>>>>>>>>>         carry handles.  We use an insulated 2 pole combiner
>>>>>>>>>>         block to run all the parallel conductors to the main
>>>>>>>>>>         2/0 cable.  No monitoring, but they do have an handy
>>>>>>>>>>         setup guide with recommended settings, specific for
>>>>>>>>>>         each manufacturer (including Outback).
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>         Note to all:  Schneider XW can still not set its LVD
>>>>>>>>>>         above 48, which basically makes it incompatible with
>>>>>>>>>>         most Li+ batteries.  Their tech support has been
>>>>>>>>>>         abysmal as well.   We're looking forward to them as
>>>>>>>>>>         one of the larger companies in the business, to put
>>>>>>>>>>         additional resources into their engineering, and come
>>>>>>>>>>         out with at least a firmware update to correct this
>>>>>>>>>>         problem.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>         Ray Walters
>>>>>>>>>>         Remote Solar
>>>>>>>>>>         303 505-8760
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>         On 3/20/20 3:59 PM, David Katz wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>             Hello Wrenches,
>>>>>>>>>>             I am working with some people that want to use a
>>>>>>>>>>             20 kw-hour to 30 kw-hour 48 volt lithium-ion
>>>>>>>>>>             battery with an Outback Radian and Outback FM
>>>>>>>>>>             charge controllers.
>>>>>>>>>>             They are considering using Discover, Blue-Ion,
>>>>>>>>>>             Battle Born or SimpliPhi batteries.
>>>>>>>>>>             Does any one have any recommendations of which
>>>>>>>>>>             battery functions best with the Outback system.
>>>>>>>>>>             Thanks,
>>>>>>>>>>             David Katz
>>>>>>>>>>
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>>>>>>>     -- 
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>     *Allan Sindelar*
>>>>>>>     allan at sindelarsolar.com <mailto:allan at sindelarsolar.com>
>>>>>>>     NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional
>>>>>>>     New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician
>>>>>>>     Founder (Retired), Positive Energy, Inc.
>>>>>>>     *505 780-2738 cell*
>>>>>>>
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