I have been gathering information to optimise my ESS (grid tied Quattro 48/8000, 10.8kWh Freedom Won, 2.76kW CPV panels), and asked it to summarise the conversation to demonstrate what AI can do.
I’ve been taking a deep dive into optimizing my ESS setup and would love to get your thoughts on some observations. Recently, my system’s behavior got me thinking about the BatteryLife algorithm and how controlled load events can “teach” it to widen the usable discharge window.
What’s Been Happening
Battery and ESS Settings:
My setup currently has the Minimum SoC set at 40% and the Active SoC Limit holding at 55%—yielding a very narrow 15% swing. Despite the battery being at 100% around from time to time (at 16:00), it steadily discharged overnight, reaching about 53% just before 06:30 with no grid import.
Controlled Load Events:
I then introduced an early-morning load (switching on a kettle) while a 2 kW geyser was already running (on a timer between 06:00 and 07:00), pushing the load up to a peak of approximately 5.8 kW. The system briefly connected to the grid for about 5 minutes before reverting, and by 07:12 the SoC had dropped to 50%.
Learning for a Deeper Cycle:
The idea behind this controlled stress is to encourage a deeper depth of discharge (DOD) so the algorithm gradually “learns” that it can safely expand the Active SoC Limit. My plan is to maintain the 40% Minimum SoC for a week and, if the response is still lukewarm, to lower it further to 30% while ensuring consistent early-morning loads.
On A Humorous Note
My ESS seems to be playing hard to get—it’s keeping its battery swing cautious despite my best attempts at coaxing it into a deeper cycle. A mysterious tech-savvy friend (whose advice I got, but won’t name) told me this might be exactly what the system needs to “learn” our usage pattern. Has anyone else seen similar behavior or managed to successfully nudge the ESS into a wider operating window?
What I’d Love to Know
Similar Experiences?
How has your system’s BatteryLife algorithm reacted to controlled load events?
Tuning Tips:
Any advice for safely lowering the Minimum SoC further without risking battery health?
Monitoring Strategies:
Have you used custom VRM trend views or MQTT/DBus logging to track these changes effectively?
Looking forward to your insights and any other tips you might have. Let’s optimize these ESS systems together!
Which freedom Won do you have? 1 x lite 10/8 or 2 x E towers?
Batterylife has no real intelligence, it merely tracks if you reach (near) full charge on a daily basis and if you do it lowers the active limit, if you don’t it raises it.
It is a Northern hemisphere setting that does not work well in the Southern hemisphere.
Your system seems quite imbalanced from an inverter size to battery size, this could affect its ability to make batterylife work properly as batteries can cycle under load during the day.
Depending on your model of battery, you are also likely to be outside of the battery’s new warranty terms which significantly limits charge and discharge rates, precisely to address issues with larger inverters on smaller batteries.
That isn’t a combo that works well with ESS, I would not use batterylife and rather manually control settings or use nodered.
On the road will reply in more detail later.
In their new warranty terms, they limit battery discharge to 0.5C (100A) and charge to 0.25C (50A).
If the battery hits 40 degrees C, warranty is also void.
So on a bigger inverter you need to be careful with loads and charging and ideally set limits.
BL isn’t smart and is a bit slow.
The southern hemisphere doesn’t have the weather and seasonal changes like the northern has.
We tend to have a front for some days then good weather, so BL adjusts but is slow to correct.
Smaller batteries cycling makes that more difficult.
It is better to use automation (HA or nodered) to keep batteries at the right level.
Thats how I do it on my sites.
I keep an eye on the temperature on the VRM Dashboard and have not seen anything above 20 degrees Celcius. That being said, it is winter in South Africa.
I have looked on the Remote Console on the battery and under Device, Product: “Freedom Lite”. Firmware version 6.8. Product ID B014. I am going to assume the the “B” stands for range B. Quattro Product ID: 2655, Firmware Version: 556. There are no updates available for the all products including the Cerbo GX Firmware v3.60.
I would be concerned if their Warranty terms were changed retrospectively without notice.
From a document downloaded with the filename: “Freedom Won Spec-Sheet-LiTE-Home-52V-B-10_8”.pdf:
Max/Cont. Discharge Current [A]: 300/200
Max & Cont. Charge Current [A]: 200
As a precautionary measure based on your feedback, via the VRM Remote Console, I have reduced the Maximum Charge Current to 50A.
Under Freedom on the VRM Remote Console, Parameters:
Charge Current Limit (CCL): 200A - Cannot be changed
Discharge Current Limit (DCL): 300A - Cannot be changed.
The battery will still send its rated specs you can only override charge current. It is annoying they have changed terms but regardless, it is better for a battery to run below the max continuous specs.
I have a larger freedom won so its not an issue.
I am based out of Joburg, peak temps for my own setup hits 35C if its really hot outside.