question

william avatar image
william asked

No solar power reading using AC current sensor

Installed AC current sensor for Multiplus 24/3000/70, HQ1416, chip 2612152. Connected to AUX input. Added 'AC current sensor assistant' to Victron. The PV Inverter panel on the Color Control shows 0W while the SMA2500HF is generating hundreds of watts. Images attached. DIP switch setting is 1=ON, others OFF for 3 kW capacity.

What do the 'Solar charger voltage/current control' settings do? I can't find any information about this.

power meter
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4 Answers
wkirby avatar image
wkirby answered ·

The first thing that springs to my mind is the firmware is incorrect.
You mentioned that you have 2612152. In the manual it says that you need to have firmware 2xx or later. You have 1xx firmware as in 152.
https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ac_current_sensor:start
I can see how you could have interpreted the 2 in 2xx to mean the very beginning part of your firmware (26xxyyy).

Your firmware needs to be upgraded to 2xx, (26122xx). I believe 2612209 is the latest of the 2xx versions.
Maybe you have a different firmware already since you have loaded the assistant.

Second thing, according to the compatibility list, your MultiPlus 24/3000/70-16, the AUX in cannot be used. You must use the TEMP input.

Don't worry about those Solar Charger On /Off things. They pertain to DC MPPT chargers only. They don't have anything to do with PV Inverter.

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william avatar image
william answered ·

@WKirby Thanks very much. I'll upgrade the chip firmware. As for HQ1416, I read the compatibility list as : HQ1416 is greater than any of the Minimum SN# listed, so I am compatible, I thought.

Our temp input is currently used by the battery. What would we have to do not to lose temp compensation for the battery and measure solar power? Use a different (ie digital) solar power measuring system?

Can you answer this (hidden above the last image):'What do the 'Solar charger voltage/current control' settings do? I can't find any information about this.' Perhaps I should have made a separate question for it.

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wkirby avatar image wkirby ♦♦ commented ·

I added an answer to to "Solar Charger Voltage / Current control" in a later edit to my answer which you may have missed.
Basically those pertain to DC coupled MPPT controllers, nothing to do with AC Coupled PV Inverters.

There are other options if you can't use the TEMP input: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/ccgx:start#connecting_a_pv_inverter

The limitation is that the AUX Input on most models is a digital ON/OFF input and only the TEMP input offers the analog (0-5V) variable Voltage input that most sensors need.

The 25/3000/70-50 models have more inputs and on the newer ones (listed in the compatibility table) the AUX input(s) are analog too.

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william avatar image
william answered ·

The supplier of the current transformer (CT) advised that we should check the polarity of the connection between the CT and the Multiplus AUX input. I haven't been able to find any information about the proper polarity. I reversed the connections I made and now see solar energy reported on the CCGX.

So, my current Multiplus version HQ1416 is compatible; I am connected to AUX input, which is working. (@WKirby, where did you find this info: 'Second thing, according to the compatibility list, your MultiPlus 24/3000/70-16, the AUX in cannot be used').

Before I reconnected the output from the Sunny Boy inverter to the system after reversing the polarity, the CCGX PV Inverter panel was already showing about 60W. Any idea why?

Anybody know how the AUX input works? Is it voltage input (ie something like 0-5V) or current input?

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wkirby avatar image wkirby ♦♦ commented ·

I surmised that due to the 24/3000/70-16 not being listed on the compatibility list that the AUX input would not be compatible on that model.
It turns out that I am wrong. I'm sorry about that. I suppose it's good that it works though!

I had thought about reverse polarity, earlier this morning but I didn't have a chance to post a comment here.

I wonder about the 60W offset, does it show this if you remove the wire through the core?

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william avatar image william wkirby ♦♦ commented ·

Please don't apologise!. You're a great help. Does anyone know if there is information available anywhere about the polarity having to be correct? It is fundamental to success.

The 60W offset appeared before I had re-connected the solar inverted, so the circuit through the CT primary would be effectively open circuit, would it not? But maybe I will try what you say. I think that I have seen in another post an observation about a non-zero PV energy reading when no current was flowing in the primary of the CT.

60W is about 2% of the nominal 3000W for which my CT is setup, so maybe that is the accuracy we have to accept.

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mrseas avatar image
mrseas answered ·

Are you using an "AC Current Sensor" to measure "DC" output from your solar panels?

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wkirby avatar image wkirby ♦♦ commented ·

No, it's for measuring the AC output of a PV Inverter (Grid tied Inverter).

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