Multi RS Solar uses Grid instead of PylonTech and Solar panel

Question

question

elmar-streich asked Jun 25, '22

Multi RS Solar uses Grid instead of PylonTech and Solar panel

Hello Everyone,

in my father's house I have installed the Multi RS solar on PylonTech barltteries. thanks to other users in the forum I have managed it to make it running. if there is consumption on the deducted AC output, unfortunately the system prefers to switch directly to the grid and ignores the full batteries. only if ACin is switched off and the system is disconnected from the grid, it switches to the batteries.

I can imagine that this mode makes sense in mobile homes or in a boat. In my parents house it makes no sense this way and I have to put down the fire manually each time I want to use the batteries.

is there a setting that I haven't seen in the software? can someone please give me a hint?

thanks again to the community!

Elmar

grid smart solar charging behaviour rs inverter

img-20220602-210651.jpg (4.4 MiB)

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Modifications Space

Node Red Space

Answer 1 · 2022-06-25T12:22:46Z

Alexandra answered · Jun 25, 2022 at 12:22 PM

@Elmar Streich

The two manuals or guides.

Pylontec Guide

https://www.victronenergy.com/live/battery_compatibility:pylontech_phantom

ESS manual

https://www.victronenergy.com/media/pg/Energy_Storage_System/en/index-en.html

3

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

seb71 commented · Jun 25, 2022 at 12:24 PM

Unfortunately ESS can't be used with Multi RS.

0 ·

shaneyake commented · Jun 25, 2022 at 04:00 PM

Unfortunately the Multi RS is not the right inverter for this application.
A Multiplus-II would be the correct inverter for this application.
However you should be able to tell the Multi RS to disconnect from grid when at high SOC and reconnect once the batteries are low. I would try the Victron Connect APP to see if you can setup ignore AC.

0 ·

mondeoman shaneyake commented · Jun 25, 2022 at 06:11 PM

"reconnect once the batteries are low" the problem is it will start charging the batteries from the grid as soon as it switches to the grid. So in the morning, when the sun comes up, batteries are already full with grid electricity.

0 ·

Answer 2 · 2022-06-25T18:09:17Z

mondeoman answered · Jun 25, 2022 at 06:09 PM

I have also asked if the Multi RS can be used for a solar self-consumption system and I did NOT get an answer. Solar self-consuption requires disabling the grid charger so that the inverter would not charge the batteries from the grid when switching to grid.
But I did find some ambiguous information that the Multi RS might actually support some form of embedded ESS.

See here: https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/121388/multi-rs-solar-hybrid-self-consumption-optimizatio.html

9

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

Alexandra ♦ commented · Jun 25, 2022 at 06:41 PM

@MondeoMan

@Elmar Streich

Only VE Bus products can do ESS.

The Multi RS is not a VE Bus product so cannot be controlled like that.

The features being searched for are found in the fuller featured Multi 2 as mentioned above.

See ESS manual here.

0 ·

mondeoman Alexandra ♦ commented · Jun 25, 2022 at 06:43 PM

@Alexandra Look at the screenshot posted by "ubi" on the topic linked above.

It clearly shows ESS being set up via VictronConnect.

0 ·

33862-multi-rs-solar-ess-menu.jpg (117.4 KiB)

Alexandra ♦ mondeoman commented · Jun 25, 2022 at 09:43 PM

@MondeoMan
It has an ESS of sorts.

Not the full features of the ve bus inverters.

Can the grid set point be changed on it through the GX? Feedback etc.

As mentioned can be disconnected from grid at higher battery voltage.

And thank you for sharing the screenshot I am sure @Elmar Streich will find it useful.

0 ·

mondeoman Alexandra ♦ commented · Jun 26, 2022 at 06:28 AM

@Alexandra Yes, that is precisely why I said "some form of embedded ESS".

I don't know what are the features and limitations of its ESS implementation. I was trying to find out, but @Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager) kind of shut down the conversation.

And for simple PV self-consumption without ESS like @Elmar Streich is tryign to accomplish, I was trying to find out if the grid charger can be disabled so it doesn't charge the batteries from the grid when switching back to grid.

My guess is this product is not yet ready, but it looks very promising.

0 ·

Alexandra ♦ mondeoman commented · Jun 26, 2022 at 06:59 AM

@MondeoMan

So there is no Grid tab? Or Charger tab?

I have the inverter RS so dont have this issue.

0 ·

mondeoman Alexandra ♦ commented · Jun 26, 2022 at 07:37 AM

@Alexandra I don't know, I don't have one. I WAS considering ordering one so I was trying to gather information about what it can and cannot do, but not much success so far. The Multi RS manual is too vague, the product is not in the "Demo Library" of VictronConnect...

0 ·

wkirby ♦♦ mondeoman commented · Jun 26, 2022 at 06:59 AM

The way I do this is to limit the AC input current limit. If the battery gets low (18%) then I will allow AC-IN and set the input current limit to 2A to just about cover my base load and charge with 100W or something like that.

If it gets to 00:30 when the electricity price is very cheap then I will increase the current limit to allow charging with a few kW. I then disconnect the AC-IN at 04:30 when electricity starts to get expensive again, or 40% SOC whichever come first. 40% is usually enough to carry the loads through to daytime.
If the 3D printer is processing a job and is going to continue running for a few more hours , then the SOC limit will be set to 45% to allow enough cheap electricity to run that until daytime.
These SOC limits usually result in 20% SOC by morning time and leaves plenty of space in the battery for sunshine.

0 ·

Alexandra ♦ wkirby ♦♦ commented · Jun 26, 2022 at 07:13 AM

@WKirby

Neat solution.

0 ·

semlohnhoj wkirby ♦♦ commented · Oct 05, 2022 at 12:24 PM

@WKirby are you achieving this externally using Modbus or MQTT or internally using dbus? This is essentially the same as I am looking to do and have verified the method using Modbus but would like to embed the code in the Cerbo GX eventually using dbus if that is possible.

0 ·

Answer 3 · 2022-09-23T21:40:42Z

semlohnhoj answered · Sep 23, 2022 at 09:40 PM

I've just ordered the Multi RS Solar to use in a hybrid system. I want it to use batteries unless the load is too high for the inverter and then supplement it with the AC input. I know the MultiPlus-II has "AC input control" which seems to achieve this but is this not possible with the Multi RS Solar? If not then is this product just a glorified UPS? I might be tempted to cancel the order if that's the case.

2 |3000

Attachments: Up to 8 attachments (including images) can be used with a maximum of 190.8 MiB each and 286.6 MiB total.

question