5kWh battery discharging v rapidly

ellee · 27-02-2024 11:10am #1

Hi all

We installed solar panels and a 5kWh battery last month.

We are noticing that the battery never has more than 20% in it by the time we are up and about in the morning. During the day then it might drop to about 16% at most.

Yet I came in at 4am the other night and it was at 98% then. I am just wondering how long would it normally take for the battery to use its power? Is this typical?

Tks

10-10-20 · 27-02-2024 11:49am

Are you charging the battery off night-rate or low tariffs and if so at what time does that charging stop at? Do you have a heat-pump or other heating systems which kick on early? Have you looked at the base-load for the house to see what the nominal power consumption is? The base-load is the overall consumption of the house when no appliances are running, such as around 5am. All of this info will help to understand what's going on.

ellee · 27-02-2024 12:55pm

We are charging the battery off the night rate from Bord Gais.

Gas central heating, nothing fancy. Comes on at 7.15 or so for an hour.

Consumption at 1-3am was 0w, then from 3am - 6.45 to about 5am was 150 - 250w. Then there's a big spike from 6.45 - 8.15 and the battery is drained to 20%.

We don't even get out of bed until about 7.15! There are no appliances on at that time obviously. We wouldn't even always put the kettle on as we make coffee on the stove with the gas.

Edit - typo

slave1 · 27-02-2024 1:01pm

Do you use an immersion for hot water?

graememk · 27-02-2024 1:32pm

What inverter do you have?

Could there be a discharge time set?

slave1 · 27-02-2024 1:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823555#Comment_121823555

But the graph suggests the power is being consumed and not exported....

jones · 27-02-2024 1:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823408#Comment_121823408

This would be my guess here too.

Deagol · 27-02-2024 2:06pm

Is it a Puredrive battery by chance?

10-10-20 · 27-02-2024 2:07pm

Is it me or did the battery charge at 02:00 with no input from the grid...? I'm wondering if there is a CT issue at the meter box...

ellee · 27-02-2024 2:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823408#Comment_121823408

No, we have a combi boiler...

ellee · 27-02-2024 2:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823555#Comment_121823555

It is an Autarco 3600W single phase hybrid inverter.

I don't know if there is a discharge time set...

ellee · 27-02-2024 2:14pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823832#Comment_121823832

It is a Weco battery. 5.3kW

Deagol · 27-02-2024 8:30pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823901#Comment_121823901

I had a puredrive battery that started to do something like this but not exactly. It would charge to 40% then 'jump' to 100%, then discharge rapidly to 15% (empty) - battery had to be replaced under warranty.

graememk · 27-02-2024 8:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121825606#Comment_121825606

SoC isn't on that graph, just power.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121823892#Comment_121823892

That's a rebadge of a solis.

How do you set the charge times? (And rate).

Did you get an eddi or iboost with your solar install?

Seems weird that the consumption is tracking the solar.

ellee · 27-02-2024 11:35pm

At the moment the installer controls all that, we’ve no access to it! Not sure if that is just for now or what. They’ve already called out once but didn’t seem to know what the issue was.

No eddi or iboost as we have a combi boiler so no immersion.

slave1 · 28-02-2024 10:05am

You know I've heard of this, when I was getting my quotes installers would show me other setups they had done from their phone and a few would say I would not have access that it would be them only for "maintenance" purposes.

My install was configured on my phone by me with no installer access and I suggest you do the same, at a minimum you should be able to control everything

slave1 · 28-02-2024 10:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121825709#Comment_121825709

Re consumption matching solar... I think it's consumption matching battery output (more apparent 7am to 8:30am), the fact the lines are very similar colour does not help

10-10-20 · 28-02-2024 11:11am

Where physically is the CT installed, @ellee? Can you see it and photograph it if you look into the meter box, or is it installed in the consumer unit (fuse box)?

I still think that the charging session between 01:00 and 03:00 is missing the consumption from the grid as we can see the grid getting hit from 09:00 onward. Something tells me that's a CT in the wrong position.

graememk · 28-02-2024 11:31am

https://youtu.be/qCtriOPoS_Y?si=FW36jTQshZZWDWnR

as it's a solid underneath, you can check settings on the inverter itself.

But before your do that, go to the inverter screen itself when it's generating and take a photo.

Your battery isn't charging during the day at all. I would agree with @10-10-20 that there is an issue with the CT/meter.

Something isn't reading right.

ellee · 29-02-2024 9:13am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121827372#Comment_121827372

Ok, I think it is in the fuse box.

I don't have the password for the Advanced Settings at the moment.

10-10-20 · 29-02-2024 9:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121831410#Comment_121831410

I might be wrong, but I think it should be located on the L of that larger dark-grey cable into the 63A fuse. You'll need to get the lads back to check and rectify.

slave1 · 29-02-2024 9:16am

I'm not an electrician but that CT looks like it's clamping 2.5T&E and not the Grid Tails

ellee · 29-02-2024 9:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121827120#Comment_121827120

I just don't think we're consuming 3kWh of power at that time. We're not even up when it starts and if we had something faulty plugged in surely it would be an issue all the time? I had a look just now and with my pc, lights and electric radiator on and the house is consuming 1.8kWh. I got up the other morning and checked it at 7.43am and the house was consuming 3.2kWh! Yet I don't see the power going to the grid???

7.43am & 9.16am -