For some time now, I’ve been testing and using the new microgrid system, and I hadn’t encountered any major problems until now.
Fews days ago, one of my Victron system fell down during operation and indicated “Fault condition” with the alarm :
To resolve it, I needed to reconfigure my quattros with a new VE.Configure configuration (in fact the same configuration as before, I just removed the Microgrid assistant). After that, this first vitron system became functional again.
But today, during microgrid operation again, my second Victron system made almost the same error :
Are you positive all the inverters have the modified firmware? The first error indicates it thinks one of the systems is incompatible.
Time errors can be misleading, they are often reported when systems (parallel) have had a failure.
Are there any other sources of AC on the grid besides the victron inverters?
Please detail your full setup and wiring and config, there isn’t enough detail here to try help.
And as you assumed there is also a AC-genset connected to the microgrid because we can’t charge the BESS on the DC side, it could be the source our problems ?
By the way, until now we encountered no problem with the AC-genset on the microgrid, the synchronisation is perfect and with the good settings, the share load is correct.
About the wiring, the BESS (AC-Input 2) and the genset are all connected by a parallel box
Yes, you cannot have anything other than the microgrid systems and loads on AC in. Almost certainly the cause of the fault as the system will fail to regulate the grid, which is why it thinks there is a device attached that is not on microgrid firmware as it isn’t responding to hybrid droop control.
You can only charge via the DC bus and sources that are not connected to the microgrid inverters in any way.
The Microgrid AC bus is intended for interconnecting Victron Power Banks and supplying loads. It is not designed as a general-purpose paralleling bus for additional AC generation sources.
AC-coupled PV inverters, external grid-forming inverter systems, or directly paralleled generators are not supported on the Microgrid AC bus. Battery charging must be provided individually per Power Bank via DC-coupled sources or dedicated AC chargers supplied from an external source.
Not a case of “not officially supported” it is an absolute, documented limitation and restriction.
It will not work reliably, the system will fault as you are seeing.
If you require an AC genset then the microgrid is not suitable for your use case.
You need to move the genset to it’s own AC network and suitable DC chargers.
That is the only way this will work.
We have no indication of a roadmap. No doubt it will evolve with time, but right now you are completely off the support grid and creating problems for yourself.
It would be interesting to determine if a genset is capable of responding fast enough to the frequency and voltage shifting from the microgrid. Physics may prove challenging.
If there was one must-add feature to really complete functionality, I would imagine alternative AC sources would be it, so if it is possible it would be top of mind. I suspect it is somewhat more complex than we would like to believe.
That said, Victron have always been good at building out newly released features, so keep an eye out for the various announcements.
Just to warn you that since the other day, I have had the same problem again (I got it twice), it was pretty much the same problem. But this time, the problematic power banks was alone on the microgrid, no external AC source, no other power banks.
And the second time, the problem occurred at the moment to join a microrgid with only 1 other power bank on it (again no other external AC source)
So the problem seems to be relatively frequent, even if we follow strictly the Victron instructions.
Move away from beta.
You are already testing and using something new with the microgrid. Complications with beta use thrown in will not be helpful with troubleshooting.
Three phase parallel systems on their own can be a nightmare aa well. So you have several dimensions of problems to work out.
guystewart
(Guy Stewart (Victron Community Manager))
12
Thanks for reporting, this case was escalated internally by @nickdb but the team is strict that we can only support systems that are within the limitations running production release firmware
Now you have isolated the generator, and once you have reverted to release VenusOS firmware and still have the fault, then we can look closer.
Do you have the VRM URLs for each of the sites in the Microgrid?
Yes, I completely understand that you can only provide support if the system meets your restrictions. That’s normal, no problem.
Following my last message, I downgraded both external batteries to version 3.72 as requested. However, I was able to reproduce the bug on both batteries. Here are the conditions under which it was reproduced:
No other AC sources on the microgrid
No charge on the microgrid
No other power banks turn on in the microgrid (black start)
To reproduce the bug, I turn on and turn off few times the inverters, sometimes the bug appears very quickly, sometimes it take some time
I have the impression that the bug is more common than before, before last week, I didn’t see the problem (But I didn’t add major changement in configuration or wiring since the begining of the bug)
I will leave the external batteries powered on all day (from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM) from Monday to Thursday next week. You will therefore be able to access them whenever you want during this period .
Just list the number in the browser URL, it is secure, no one can do anything with that, unlike the GX serial number.
It is why we ask for that specifically.
