Problem with New Solar Installation

[Pauline McDouall]

Good evening I am hoping you may have come across a similar problem 

We have just had a 6k solar panel array i

 with 4.8 battery pack installed 

The panels have worked well, but from day one, the batteries did not charge.  They were at 20% when the electrician left and did not change.

We did not export anything in the day and only exported 1kwh each night, whilst downloading 3kwh from the grid each night.

I found this strange and although I contacted the company they said it was normal.  I could not understand why the inverter was showing so much usage.  I spent one day only boiling a couple of kettles so that I could see how long it took the batteries: to charge  but they did not.  Then I noticed that the more sun and more solar power, the higher the usage became, even though we only had two fridges and freezers running.  Eventually someone called me and told me to turn the clamp that is on the red electric wire.  I did this and the battery charged, but it does not discharge.  I turned the clamp and the battery discharges at an alarming rate as the usage started to climb as the battery was used.

I turned the clamp back and that night, the battery was charged, using 4kw from the grid, but that night we sent 3kwh back to the grid.

Next day, turned the clamp again.  The batteries charged.  The usage went up and down as the solar panels produced more/less and if I turn the oven on or any other appliance, the usage goes down and the output to the grid goes up.

Last night I left the clamp in its new position.  The batteries were full at 10pm.  No solar being produced, no usage of electric shown and we were exporting to the grid (on the inverter display)

Overnight we used 1kwh from the grid and exported 0.2kwh.  these reading from the grid meter and the meter put in by the solar people that shows import and export.

The solar people will not come out.  Someone was supposed to arrive last night but did not.

Help appreciated

Thank you

 

[Murdoch]

Welcome.

fingers crossed @binky will be along at some point

 

[binky]

sounds like they initially had the 'amp clamp' on backwards, hence the battery wasn't charging when it should be. 

Not discharging from the battery overnight sounds like they havn't set the battery 'mode' to self consumption. There's usually several different modes you can set the battery to work to, one mode is self consumption, ie use as much leccy yourself as possible. Another common mode maintains  a level of battery charge to allow the battery to be used in the event of a grid failure to power key items, like your fridge or freezer, sonds like they have set it to this mode, hence the battery not discharging overnight despite having some charge in it. 

Most batteries have a wifi link and a battery 'portal' or phone app that should show exactly what mode you are in, and energy distribution ie energy from panels, current useage, energy being fed to battery / battery supplying energy to your house etc etc. Hopefully your installer has left you with this app to study?