question

marekp avatar image
marekp asked

Data shawn on VRM dashboard cannot be trusted #2

Hi,

Next step in my trying to understand data shown on the VRM dashboard.

As you can see my system is in the "bulk" charging state and, believe me, those blue "ants" are traveling from inverter/charger towards the battery.

You can also see that the battery is currently discharged with 1.5A current.

So which one is it, charging or discharging?

screen-shot-2021-04-21-at-115541-am.png

VRM
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2 Answers
tozz avatar image
tozz answered ·

Yeah sometimes the output is incorrect. Both the ants and the MultiPlus status can be different from what is shown on VRM..

I believe this is a browser issue if the page is open for longer periods of time. Perhaps a websocket or something that lost connection, I don't know, never bothered to check it out. If you refresh the page, it'll be okay.

So in short: Refresh the webpage.

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marekp avatar image marekp commented ·

Hi @Tozz,

Refreshing the webpage is not helping much.

Systems say "discharging" but "ants" are moving towards the battery, but this is just esthetics.

Bigger problem is with reporting the movement of the energy.

PV inverter placed at the AC-in of MP-II produces energy that the system sends to the grid. PV inverter has its own power meter properly identified in the GX.

This energy should be counted as sent to the grid but counter in "historical data" shows ZERO.

All of this energy is counted in the "consumption" box but there is no load to consume it.

What consumed this energy?

screen-shot-2021-04-21-at-32717-pm.png


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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ marekp commented ·

Your grid consumed the energy.

You have a meter counting power that does not actually pass through the Victron using the Victron monitoring. but you have told the system that it is part of the system.

All the GX device knows is there is a meter, there is so much power passing through to somewhere and being consumed.

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marekp avatar image marekp Alexandra ♦ commented ·

Hi @Alexandra,

If grid consumes this energy than why is not shown in "to grid" box?

VRM knows how much energy is sent to grid because there is a negative number of KWs in the "grid" box.

My PV inverter's output is measured by power meter ET340 connected to GX device with Victron RS-485-USB cable and is properly configured.

Victron know exactly how much energy my PV inverter is producing and were is that energy produced.

Regards,

Marek

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ marekp commented ·

The Grid is the load was the point. And you have told the meter to count it as part of system load.

It will be shown as passed to grid if it passes through the victron.

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marekp avatar image marekp Alexandra ♦ commented ·

Hi @Alexandra,

No, I did not tell the meter to count it as a system load.

When system was not showing proper power production and consumption, the GX was told that there is a power meter that is counting production of the PV inverter connected to AC-in.

Moving the PV inverter+power meter to the AC-out and informing GX that power meter is counting production of the PV inverter connected to AC-out, fixed the reporting of the production and consumption on the VRM.

I was told that if I buy a power meter to measure production of my PV inverter the production, consumption, to grid and from grid reporting will work properly.

Obviously it only works when this PV inverter+power_meter combo is connected on the AC-out.

Regards,

Marek

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Alexandra avatar image
Alexandra answered ·

@MarekP

You are in bulk charge state meaning your battery has not reached its target voltage before going into absorption or float (depending on programming). Is is discharging possibly (how is it being measured?)

The battery is saying idle so it is not taking the charge or discharging at all, it may be preventing it for some reason. The 1.5A can be an internal bms report based on a cell balancing action internally like bleeding of a higher cell voltage.

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marekp avatar image marekp commented ·

Hi @Alexandra,

Thank you for your interest and suggestions.

The VRM screenshot from my initial post was done after I loaded ESS assistant and my PV inverter+power meter were at AC-in side of my 3phase MP-II system. (GX was properly configured)

System did not work properly, so I moved PV inverter to the AC-out side and that fixed the problem. Battery started charging properly (bulk then absorption and float) and later discharging when extra power was needed.

Regards,

Marek

screen-shot-2021-04-22-at-61918-pm.png


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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ marekp commented ·

@MarekP

Ah right. Is this also related to the other post with the consumption and production question? When it was not passing through the Victron?

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marekp avatar image marekp Alexandra ♦ commented ·

Hi @Alexandra,

Yes, it is the result of the same setup, but I tend to disagree with your assessment that Victron is not aware of this energy. (See my reply there)

Regards,

Marek

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