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Solar PV Hints, Tips & Troubleshooting

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    #2042
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,165 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118489724#Comment_118489724

    Yeah. I've noticed that usage too. I can only assume it is an error. I have resisted temptation to turn it off as I got installer to run 2.5mm2 T&E down to dedicated backup socket in hall beside consumer unit. No point having that if I have to scramble up to attic in event of power cut to enable EPS output!



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    #2043
    championc
    Registered Users Posts: 6,135 ✭✭✭championc


    Overall, you're better to get live monitoring over RS485 onto something like Node-Red



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    #2044
    garo
    Registered Users Posts: 1,874 ✭✭✭garo


    I am not sure if there is a better thread for this but I found this story pretty interesting

    https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-electric-grid-failure-warm-up/



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    #2045
    S'
    Registered Users Posts: 261 ✭✭S'


    Could you knowledgeable people answer the below to help me understand how my devices function.

    I have my inverter setup to charge on night rate from 11pm to 8am @ 7amps. When the battery is full does the inverter sense this and stop charging? Reason I ask is my battery was full this morning and it was still pulling 1kW from the grid for 30mins.

    Also with the eddi is there a minimum export excess before it will divert to the immersion? Should I have export to grid setting (solis) turned on for the harvi to sense this excess power? I had my system installed in December and hasn't logged any readings.

    11.2kWp E/W split arra. Mayo



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    #2046
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 15,328 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    First bill arrived this morning covering a full billing period with Solar PV + battery, and can be roughly compared to the same period last year...

    2021: (62 days) Day units: 633 - Night units: 1,143 - Total units: 1,776 - total electricity costs (before discounts etc..): €224.04

    2022: (59 days) Day units: 205 - Night units: 1,314 - Total units: 1,519 - total electricity costs (before discounts etc..): €192.48

    Remarks: More driving this year over the last 3 weeks (including Christmas period) (remember we were locked down from Dec 29th onwards last year).

    All in all I'm fairly happy with the return over what would be the least productive months of the year for PV production.



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    #2047
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    I recently had a day/night meter installed, but noticed this morning the time is 20 mins faster on the meters than current time.

    Does it need to to be changed? If so, what's the process? I assume I won't have access.


    20220119_095844~3.jpg




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    #2048
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 15,328 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    You'll just have to make a mental note of when the day/night periods start/stop

    so for you, night period starts at 10:40pm, and it ands at 07:40am


    Not sure about requesting it to be calibrated, but if those times don't work for you, it might be worth calling ESB Networks and asking them.



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    #2049
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    It's a slight inconvenience tbf, but I like having these things accurate. Saying that, I'd live with it!

    When daylight savings rolls around in March does the digital time automatically change on these meters?



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    #2050
    AndyBoBandy
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 15,328 Mod ✭✭✭✭AndyBoBandy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118498767#Comment_118498767

    No, the meter doesn't change, so at that point your new night period time will be 11:40pm - 8:40am



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    #2051
    idc
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭idc


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118498767#Comment_118498767

    Do they even change time at all for daylight savings? I can't remember with mine but assume they stay on GMT (+- whatever your meter is - mine is 13 minutes wrong!) As what actually happens is night rate moves from 12-8 to 11-7



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    #2052
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118498814#Comment_118498814

    That'll do. Cheers



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    #2053
    DrPhilG
    Registered Users Posts: 12,311 ✭✭✭✭DrPhilG


    I wouldn't even risk getting ESB to check, they'd probably just change it to a smart one!



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    #2054
    graememk
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,063 Mod ✭✭✭✭graememk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118498819#Comment_118498819

    11-8 right now then 12-9 in the summer



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    #2055
    yankinlk
    Registered Users Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118498392#Comment_118498392

    I can answer the first question. Its dumb. When you tell the interver to charge from grid (at night time for example) it will do eaxctly what you told it. If there is a battery available then it will fill it. But when the battery is full - the inverter will still do what you told it to... so that energy - if it has no where to go will go back to the grid!

    I have mine setup to make sure i never cross 99% battery. As the days get brighter I wil need to be mindful of the ever increasing possiblity that on a really sunny day - if my battery is not empty at 11PM - it might go over that limit.

    My plan is to lower the amps carefully to reduce the % in the battery. For my setup I tested over 8 hours .5 of an amp will raise or lower my charge by 5%

    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118158276/#Comment_118158276



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    #2056
    S'
    Registered Users Posts: 261 ✭✭S'


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118500332#Comment_118500332

    Thanks. I'll reduce the current down to 6amps and see what level it charges to.

    11.2kWp E/W split arra. Mayo



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    #2057
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118499358#Comment_118499358

    A letter already arrived in the post this week regarding smart meters. They are in our area shortly. I'll be opting out for now. Maybe in a year when current supplier contract is up the smart rates might be more competitive... Lol

    Until then the day night meter stays!



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    #2058
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118500332#Comment_118500332

    Not sure I've seen that issue.

    My battery was full at 4am, but as far as I can see it stopped pulling from grid, and no energy went back into the grid.

    I've similar charging times to you and a low amp setting. Solis Inverter and Pylontech batt.



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    #2059
    yankinlk
    Registered Users Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118501151#Comment_118501151

    hmm. Maybe further testing required.

    Ive never seen battery go beyond 99% - so maybe you are right and it just stops pulling from grid. I stand corrected if that is the case - solis inverter here with Dyness battery - not sure if that makes any difference though.



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    #2060
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    Something I'll keep an eye on. I'm only charging mine at night since Friday so I'm still a novice!



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    #2061
    bullit_dodger
    Registered Users Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    I'm not familiar with your inverters (Solis) but the Givenergy one has a "Timed charge" and additionally a "timed discharge".

    can you not set it to have a timed discharge of 0amps for the probleatic time? (I don't know if this is possible, just firing it out there as something to try)



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    #2062
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    That's my settings.

    My assumption from tips on here is that it will charge from midnight to 7.55am. (seeing as my day night clock meter is fast I'll be adjusting this slightly)

    Then it will discharge automatically as needed.

    I could be way off!

    As an aside I couldn't get the charge time to save when I put in 23:00 to 07:55. Doesn't make a big difference to me at the moment anyway.


    20220119_170843.jpg




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    #2063
    bullit_dodger
    Registered Users Posts: 2,523 ✭✭✭bullit_dodger


    I've a different inverter, but I deliberately set mine from 00:00 to 07:55 also. The logic I had was two fold.

    1. When the hour goes forward I don't have to change it.
    2. When I'm looking at the ins/outs for the day, the battery was skewing the figures, as some the energy I have in the battery on say the 19th, would have come from that period of 23:00-00:00 on the night of the 18th -> 19th , so it was messing up my charts unless I looked at 23:59 in the day where it's "paid back" the energy it got. I know I'm not explaining that very well :-)


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    #2064
    yankinlk
    Registered Users Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    This is a good suggestion @bullit_dodger Im going to move to midnight!

    @6 Those are the same settings as me. So assuming battery is full at 4am but you are still "set to charge" ... does that potentially overcharge the battery? or does it just go no where... does the load reduce as soon as battery is full? And does the house load only come from grid - and doesnt use up any of the now charged battery?



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    #2065
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    I just checked. I had a machine wash timed and it came on around 4.30am. All power from grid. There was a bit of slippage from the battery 100W or so around that time. I think it that's normal enough?

    Battery starting discharging at full whack when the kettle was boiled at 8.30!



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    #2066
    yankinlk
    Registered Users Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    I seem to be using "Time of use for Self Use" instead: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118158276/#Comment_118158276

    And you are using "Time Charging" I wonder is that the difference. Must go see what the two different options mean.



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    #2067
    Bobeagleburger
    Registered Users Posts: 45,431 ✭✭✭✭Bobeagleburger


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502317#Comment_118502317

    Ah ok, I'm using Time Charging.

    Let me know what you find.



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    #2068
    Jonathan
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 8,165 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jonathan


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502317#Comment_118502317

    I saw this the other day. It gives a good overview of the differences between the modes. https://www.ginlong.com/us/conews/36330.html



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    #2069
    reklamos
    Registered Users Posts: 793 ✭✭✭reklamos


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502849#Comment_118502849

    This link can be added to FAQ. It is good info for beginners.



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    #2070
    septicsac
    Registered Users Posts: 485 ✭✭septicsac


    sorry wrong thread



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    #2071
    yankinlk
    Registered Users Posts: 2,735 ✭✭✭yankinlk


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118502326#Comment_118502326

    Im not sure why - but I have only 4 modes = 1. Self Use 2. Feed in Priority 3. Backup 4. Off Grid.

    In menu under Version mine has: Model F6 Software ver.: 30026 (maybe there is a difference here?)

    My Inverter is: Solis RHI-(3-6)k-48ES-5G (MINE IS 6K)


    I tested setting the battery to charge from grid at a slightly higher rate - but once again it never went past 99%... l left it run for over 20 minutes beyond 99% but it never reached 100. I dont know if this is because there is a built in buffer ... or if the power just has no where to go. IM sorry but im inclined to believe im correct - the system is too dumb to just stop charging from grid when battery is full. (i think becuase i programmed it to pull from grid or 8 hours - it just does what i tell it).

    I did try setting discharge time - but that is even worse - as all it does is empty the battery wether there is load or not! That is clearly stated in the guides i read - so it warns to use with caution.



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