HELP - Easy Solar 48/5000 MPPT is bahaving not Normal during PV Production

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johannes-cronje asked Oct 10, '19

HELP - Easy Solar 48/5000 MPPT is bahaving not Normal during PV Production

Good day

I am Having problems with my easy solar 48/5000's Smart Solar MPPT.

The setup is ESS - Keep batteries charged with a ET112 Grid Meter.

As per the graph below(which are of today and yesterday ) the pv production follows the consumption graph as it should a produces power as expected . All of a sudden the MPPT PV Production starts behaving not normally as indicated in red on the graphs below . I was present both days and there was no cloud cover at all.

I have went to great effort in checking all connections of each PV panel as well all fuse connections from the array's and could not pick up anything. It seems that the communication between the CCGX and the MPPT is causing the trouble but it seems to be difficult to trouble shoot the problem .

I have Contacted my distributor for assistance. But it seems they have not got the answers.

I would really appreciate some assistance if I can get some direction in what could cause this .

The client starts jumping up and down , as they are loosing production and their investment seems to be at risk

Regards

Johannes Cronje

smart solar set-up help

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 10, 2019 at 01:03 PM

Hi @Johannes Cronje

Please also tell us:

-off-grid / on-grid

-what (kind of) batteries

-feed-in allowed or not

-DVCC

-??

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 10, 2019 at 01:28 PM

HI @Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff)

ON GRID

4 x 12V 200AH Backup Batteries

DVCC Enable

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 10, 2019 at 01:30 PM

Feed in NOT allowed

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ johannes-cronje commented · Oct 10, 2019 at 07:26 PM

Hi @Johannes Cronje

do you also have a graph of the DC voltage / VE.bus state?

Could it be that the battery reaches float voltage, therefor reducing needed power?

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 10, 2019 at 07:58 PM

Hi @Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff)

Would it help if I provide you with the site Name or VRM ID for you to have access to al the info ?

Regards

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 10, 2019 at 08:17 PM

@Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff)

See below Graphs that I took from today - Site Name is Chris Lourens VRM ID 7c38665a5fa4.

I have enlarge todays section which started acting not normal after it has stabilized again

Graphs as requested hope it is the right ones

Regards

Apologies. Just to indicated the VE BUS state over the whole coarse of today as well

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ johannes-cronje commented · Oct 10, 2019 at 08:40 PM

It looks pretty normal to me:

-MPPT tries to keep battery voltage stable

-loads vary, thus loading the battery

-DC voltage stays stable during this part.

What does look worrying to me:

-the voltage spikes around 9:30 and 10:30, is it a lithium battery that disconnects or?

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 07:22 AM

Daniel

The batteries are to be kept full at all times - ESS-Keep Batteries charged, and the PV must be used to supplement the loads at all times . Below are two Attachments indicating the Consumption Load curve with the PV Production curve on the 9th October

Have a look at the RED circulated section where the PV Production ramps up as the loads gets switched on - Around 9:45 the loads drop so as the PV production curve. AT 10:23 loads came on again , so does the PV Production ramp up .

In The BLUE circulated section there was n small drop in LOAD around around 11:31 and the PV production follow suit.The loads came on again but THIS is where the PV Production struggles to ramp up again. As indicated it jumps up and down as if it does not know what to do . At around 12:27 the PV production as normalized to where it is suppose to be as the loads was constant above the PV Production curve .

The black circulated section : The PV Production curve followed its normal route but there was two drops in the Production for now reason at all as the loads continued to be constant and above the PV Production curve .Just after around 14:00 the total Load dropped and the PV production acted accordingly

The Biggest problem is the Blue circulated area where the PV Production should have been maximised but could not produce power due to reasons not known. I was on site when this happened. It was almost as if there was a issue between the CCGX and the MPPT . The MPPT was supposed to Open up on Production but something was throttling the production on the MPPT.

I will do a second reply with the Consumption and PV Production curve of the following day the 10th October

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johannes-cronje johannes-cronje commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 07:27 AM

The Consumption and PV Production on the 10th October , once again have a look at the Blue circulated section .

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 07:29 AM

Daniel

There are no Lithium batteries. Normal 12V lead acid in 48V Configuration for backup purpose

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ johannes-cronje commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 07:57 AM

@Johannes Cronje

Again your posting without the DC voltage / Current graphs, so not much can be told.

But looking back at your previous post with DC voltage, I think there is something wrong with your battery, it shouldn't spike to 64 volts.

The graph you need: 'system DC voltage and current' or from BMV device.

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 08:16 AM

@Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff)

Below the Graphs as requested for the 9 and 10 Oct. Would it help if you can log into the site and run through the graphs ?

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ johannes-cronje commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 11:10 AM

Your battery voltage is stable, so the MPPT is doing it's work.

Did you try using ESS state 'optimized without battery life' and set minimum SOC level at 90-95%

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 11:34 AM

@Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff)

If the MPPT is doing its work , and DC Voltage is stable , what will cause for it not to generate its maximum power. Below I have draw in with a blue line were the PV generation curve was supposed to be . The load was still above that indication line . In other words , if the MPPT is doing its work what can cause it not to generate full power , what can cause it to alternate in generation . Once again the load is above the maximum Generation curve of the PV?

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Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ johannes-cronje commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 12:40 PM

Your system is set to 'keep batteries charged' and this limits the full potential of the MPPT, powering more from the grid than you want.

Try a different ESS mode and see if it makes a difference.

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johannes-cronje Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff) ♦♦ commented · Oct 11, 2019 at 01:47 PM

@Daniël Boekel (Victron Energy Staff)

I do not agree, with regards to the full potential of the MPPT. Below I have indicated in red on various areas on the graph were the MPPT have reach its FULL POTENTIAL.. were the system is set "Keep batteries charged ". I have indicated in BLUE were the full potential should have been AS the Load indicated on the consumption graph is Greater then the full potential of the MPPT , the MPPT did not reach that full potential due to reasons I am trying to figure out. The load was above the FULL POTENTIAL of the MPPT thus there should be no reason for the MPPT not to be at full potential. I need to find out what is causing the MPPT not be at FULL potential, when the LOAD is greater than the full potential of the MPPT.

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Answer 1 · 2019-10-10T12:50:15Z

johannes-cronje answered · Oct 10, 2019 at 12:50 PM

@Marnus Becker

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