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HI All, I'm having an issue where my system is not feeding back to the grid anymore (batteries are at 100%). I have two PV charge controllers one with 16 panels and the other with 4. It seems what is happening is that the PV controllers are limiting power produced to match what my AC loads are using. When I switch more electronics on the PV ramps up so its not a fact that I cannot produce more power. I have 6.6KW worth of panels.
Today I observed MPPTs turning off when battery gets to absorption.
After ca 10 minutes they started producing again.
There is nothing to go on here and crystal balls use too much power ;)
Are any limits set in DVCC?
Is DC feed-in actually enabled in ESS?
Sorry about that. Not sure what information required. Happy to share all settings you guys would need.
I have Victron 5KW inverter with two charge controllers and 3 Dyness B3 batteries.
No limits on DVCC
ESS settings are enabled, there use to be no limit but i enabled one to test and no change.
Did it coincide with any firmware update?
Are you sure you have feed in (DC or AC pv) enabled?
So my system is set to not automatically update any software. I cannot remember if it was after an update as i only realized it now. We are only getting some decent summer sun now so I've been monitoring it more.
Ive also had both those settings enabled. But im sure its DC because when batteries are being charged by solar it does a straight pass through, and not through my inverter. Only when it gets charged from grid does it run through inverter.
I have also updated the PV controllers, ESS and the inverter to the latest software to see if that would help but still the same.
@AndreBotha It's just a test.
Turn off SVS in DVCC and try again.
Make sure all your devices are communicating and the BMS is sending CVL etc.
It may seem trivial but I would probably do a complete reboot of the system. If that doesn't get you back to "where you were" when it worked then I would look at all the settings in VE Configure 3, just as you would have done when you set up ESS.
So i have double and triple checked all the settings on the inverter itself and its all correct. I suspect that the Nov/December update on the charge controllers are at fault here. I have reached out to the Victron SA representative now to find out from them if they are aware of a software bug. If not then i will revert to 3/4 versions back on the charge controllers to see if that changes anything. I will post an update once i have heard back with more information.
Thanks so far for the comments.
Part of the system was updated. The rest will need to be updated to match.
The 'bug' may not be a bug so kuch as be the old and new don't play nice together.
Should be an easy test.
Ok. It is worth checking what the BMS is sending as it's CVL and comparing that to what the mppts/inverter are reporting (and measuring it with a meter).
Loss or a bad reference can cause issues, hence disabling SVS.
You don't mention which mppts they are, but there isn't anything in current updates that is known to cause issues.
Ok.
Look at this post of mine and see if you have the same problem.
Looking at it, it almost seems the same. Ill have 1 charge controller switching off completely because the other one is producing enough power to supply AC and with spikes it will switch on for a bit. When AC increases both will turn on but one will not run at full power. I definitely think this is a bug in the Charge Controller software, and similar to you it does not push back to the grid.
They are suppose to not push back to grid when there is no power coming in from grid. But its acting like that all the time it seems.
I thing this "bug" is in the GX because it is GX that externally controls MPPT.
Did you try reboot GX?
In my system after GX Reboot, both MPPTs start feeding.
Can you show us the SOC graph and MPPT graph, same as I posted?
Since you are using "inverter/charger" as a grid meter make sure that internal CT is working properly.
In new MP-II units there is no external CT 3.5mm socket because it was replaced with terminal block. This is Victron's response to the failing contact on the 3.5mm external CT socket.
Most of the time plugging and unplugging 3,5mm jack many times can fix the contact.
https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/155992/current-sensor-port-on-mp2.html
But what GX relays if BMS does not send anything as it is in "2 signal BMS"?
My BMS is not sending anything to GX but GX turns my MPPTs off when battery switches to absorption.
With "DC-coupled PV - feed in excess" turned ON they should feed the grid and not turn OFF.
@AndreBotha I recently found your thread. Do you already have a solution?
I have a similar issue: https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/185963/mppt-power-is-limited-for-dc-feed-in-if-battery-is.html
Make sure that MP-IIs internal CT is working properly.
Recently Victron changed the way external CT is connected because 3.5mm socket, used before, was failing quite often and when 3.5mm socket fails, internal CT was disconnected.
You are using internal CT as a grid meter.
@Dyness - Who can I email in South Africa for support? The supplier that I got my system through does not have a cable and they are struggling to source one.
Quick update: I rebooted the GX as suggested in earlier posts and this, thankfully, worked for me...
I have the same problem, and this is how it happened and what I'm running:
3 x multiplus 1 5kVA
3 x bluenova (8, 8, 4)
1 x MPPT 150/100 with 10 x 540W
1 x mppt 250/85 with 16 x 275W
Blue nova battery comms have been playing up for some time, showing "connected" and then in moments "disconnected" and back again, at times causing a sstem shut down.
I reconfigured ESS to gels and it worked smoothly without problems, until I had an SOC drift needing reset.
I plugged in bms cable. After a few days it stopped mppts from working because it was ever on and off. So I disconnected the bms, but naturally had to reset the mppts to work without bms.
In order to reset mppts I had to go thru the new updates, change passwords, etc.
The result is mppts only match the load when battery is at 100%. I have 10kW of solar power, running at 600W! 35+ units of solar power lost to this glitch.
Normally it all feeds back into the grid.
This morning solar is low, but grid is feeding the loads and battery is 100% but ESS set to 55%.
For sure the mppt firmware has caused a glitch. I will, relunctantly, update all other firmwares.
