Solis 3kW AC coupled Inverter & Fogstar 5.12kWh Rack Battery ?

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Oldman22 said:
Hi Ron ;) I didn't go to the sparks, thought I could manage a self install.
I spoke to Fogstar and they tell me they have tested the batteries perform fine with Solis inverters and it comes with the quickstart setup if needed.
So I shall find out wont I ;)
Just need to get the inverter ordered now.
Click to expand...
Solis have lots of battery options in the menus, including lead acid. I've often wondered why they tend to talk so much about ' compatible batteries ' as I get the feeling they are designed to be quite generic. However, as an installer, I stick to compatible gear recommendations, because I don't want any hassle 😃
 
Compatible more likely means the inverter and BMS communicate with each other, and have been tested.
 
One potential problem with having two inverters is you could end up in a race condition but it depends how nicely they play together. I think there is a way around it, but can't remember what it is.
 
Ronski said:
One potential problem with having two inverters is you could end up in a race condition but it depends how nicely they play together. I think there is a way around it, but can't remember what it is.
Click to expand...
I'm fast going off the pair of inverters idea, wall space and an overview on Solis's channel which said it was not possible. Lets see how I fare with this 3kw system and spikes ;)
 
Ronski said:
One potential problem with having two inverters is you could end up in a race condition but it depends how nicely they play together. I think there is a way around it, but can't remember what it is.
Click to expand...
Matched inverters generally use a data link between the two or more, none match inverters usually work ok, in my case Growatt and Victron working fine. If you think about it, it's no different to a neighbouring property on the sane phase having solar / battery.
 
johnb2713 said:
If you think about it, it's no different to a neighbouring property on the sane phase having solar / battery
Click to expand...
It's totally different, your thinking about it the wrong way, remember we're talking about @Oldman22 system where he is adding a AC connected battery.

With one inverter you have one CT clamp,
  • The inverter sees a draw from the grid, and the inverter compensates by increasing its output from the battery.
  • The inverter sees your exporting (from the existing solar), so the inverter sends power to the battery.
Now add a second identical setup, each inverter has its own CT clamp.

  • Each inverter now sees the draw from the grid, each inverter compensates and you get an overshoot, so then it goes the other way
  • Same goes for charging
  • You could potentially end up discharging the battery on one to charge the other.
I'm a bit more awake now, and I think the way around it is for the second CT lamp you run the grid and the first inverter through it, so it measures both, not sure if that is correct or not - I read it in a magazine some months back.

@johnb2713 Not sure on your setup, but on mine the existing SolarEdge inverter has an E112 energy meter on it, this allows the Victron to see what its producing, depending on how you've installed it you may also need a separate grid meter, my Quattro is my grid meter.
 
Ronski said:
It's totally different, your thinking about it the wrong way, remember we're talking about @Oldman22 system where he is adding a AC connected battery.

With one inverter you have one CT clamp,
  • The inverter sees a draw from the grid, and the inverter compensates by increasing its output from the battery.
  • The inverter sees your exporting (from the existing solar), so the inverter sends power to the battery.
Now add a second identical setup, each inverter has its own CT clamp.

  • Each inverter now sees the draw from the grid, each inverter compensates and you get an overshoot, so then it goes the other way
  • Same goes for charging
  • You could potentially end up discharging the battery on one to charge the other.
Click to expand...
Experience demonstrates this doesnt happen, well, not on my system!

Ronski said:
I'm a bit more awake now, and I think the way around it is for the second CT lamp you run the grid and the first inverter through it, so it measures both, not sure if that is correct or not - I read it in a magazine some months back.

@johnb2713 Not sure on your setup, but on mine the existing SolarEdge inverter has an E112 energy meter on it, this allows the Victron to see what its producing, depending on how you've installed it you may also need a separate grid meter, my Quattro is my grid meter.
Click to expand...
Mine has and energy meter on the Growatt and a CT Clamp on the Victron and it all runs beautifully. The only slight exception is the Growatt discharges the battery first before the Victron and it's battery, it would be nice to use the Victron first or 60% load and the Growatt to pickup the rest but I cant see a way to load share. If the demand goes high enough they work together sharing the load.
 
I've no experience in this regard, but the logic makes sense. I have heard of others saying it works well, but various manufactures don't recommend it for one reason or another. Givenery is the same, although they are apparently bringing something out to allow two inverter/battery systems to work side by side, but again others have said it works well enough with out.

Just something for people to be aware of.
 
I shopped around for the best price for my inverter. ITStech wanted £757.20 inc vat & delivery, but I found it was £684.69 at Tradesparky so after dusting off the credit card I placed my order Thursday evening. They emailed me Friday to say it was dispatched and a txt arrived to say delivery was 1hr slot on Saturday pm. I am pleased to say my carton arrived Saturday afternoon intact.

The Solis wifi logging stick of various series seems to be a minefield of disconnects and online complaints of no hope for many reading various forums.

I wonder if this is a way forward Alt to wifi stick?? https://community.home-assistant.io/t/getting-data-from-solis-inverter/302189/19
Using https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001042570608.html DIN-Rail Serial Port RS485 to WiFi Converter Server Protoss-PW11 AC110V~220V or DC Support Modbus TCP to RTU
megakid James said in Dec 22 "Protoss PW21-H (£20 from Aliexpress) - it’s DIN mounted so shares the meter DIN rail and is powered by the same 240v AC supply as the meter. It is connected to Solis inverter via the Comm port. It’s been absolutely bulletproof and once configured (which takes 5 mins), I haven’t touched it"

Its all looking very complicated, perhaps I will just go to the garage when I want to alter charge times etc
 
The wifi sticks appear to work without issue at work - there are three 15kw Solis inverters as it three phase. Haven't seen anyone on the other forum complain about Solis, some have issues but they are a different inverter manufacturer.

Shame it doesn't have a RJ45 network socket, my SolarEdge does, makes things so much easier.

That's great service from TradeSparky, used them for a few bits myself.

Be interesting to hear how this goes, my brother has a 4kw system and no battery, and this seems a relatively cheap way to do it.
 
I'm seeing lots complaining of wifi that drops then refuses to reconnect. I was wondering if a logger with a LAN socket would be a safer way to connect. An expensive door stop at £60+ for a wifi stick that works when it wants to.
Cant wait to get it all up and running.
My PV system is viewable fault free on PVoutput via Ecoeye a Pi and some software that I didn't write and don't tamper with, it just runs and has done for the last 9yrs.
I wonder if its possible to integrate this ones output somehow.
 
I think someone did it on the Overclockers forum, but in your case its energy use rather than solar.

Can you join the Overclockers team on PV Output?

I've just got my Victron system uploading to PV Output using Node Red running on the Victron Cerbo GX
 
I use the WiFi stick in the garage though at first the signal was not strong enough to reach my router. I extended the WiFi range and no problems except the occasional data blip. I loose about 1 hour a month. Not sure if this is the blip or stick updating.
 
Ronski said:
The wifi sticks appear to work without issue at work - there are three 15kw Solis inverters as it three phase. Haven't seen anyone on the other forum complain about Solis, some have issues but they are a different inverter manufacturer.

Shame it doesn't have a RJ45 network socket, my SolarEdge does, makes things so much easier.

That's great service from TradeSparky, used them for a few bits myself.

Be interesting to hear how this goes, my brother has a 4kw system and no battery, and this seems a relatively cheap way to do it.
Click to expand...
Solis also sell a data logger with data connection instead of WiFi.
 

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