question

jacodutoit avatar image
jacodutoit asked

No ESS assistant found - fronius PV inverter

Good evening, seeking for some help.

We installed a Fronius ECO 27.0-3 inverter with a Victron energy meter EM24, and a GX. We do not have a battery inverter installed nor do we have a battery system but want to control the Fronius grid feed via the GX. Customer will expand later on with the battery inverter that is why we wanted to install the Victron energy meter.

I am trying to setup the GX but because there is no battery inverter I cant seem to get the ESS assistant running to control grid feed.

How can I achieve this, ess1.jpg

AC PV CouplingFroniusfrequency
ess1.jpg (24.3 KiB)
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Alexandra avatar image
Alexandra answered ·

@Jacodutoit

Is there a particular reason why you are not just using the Fronius meter for zero feed in and fronius solar web?

ESS is installed on a Victron inverter, so without the inverter there is no ESS for zero feed in.

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jacodutoit avatar image jacodutoit commented ·

@Alexandra , thanks for the prompt response.

So I posted the question below a couple of weeks ago and the feedback received was that it would work. To give you background as to why we decided to go the Victron route for now. If you are aware that the fronius smart meter will work with Zigbee then we can give that a try via solar web. - waiting to here from you.

"We are busy with finalizing a design on a 27KVA and 33KWP solar system where the main supply is about 110M from where the Fronius ECO 27 inverter will be installed. The customer will be expanding to a hybrid system later on but want to start with the solar inverter(Fronius) for now.

I was thinking as a work around for the RS485 communication cable over the 110M distance that we could go the following route?
3PH CT Victron Energy meter(EM24)
Zigbee to USB converter & Zigbee to RS485 to enable wireless communication
Victron Cerbo GX with colour display
I can then integrate the Victron energy meter and Fronius inverter via the Cerbo and configure all on the VRM to handle the zero feed into the grid?

Please let me know what your thoughts are on this and if it will work or not?"

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Alexandra avatar image Alexandra ♦ jacodutoit commented ·

@Jacodutoit

The longest distance via cat5/6 to the fronius meter is 300m. So you can wire it directly for it to work.

In theory the zigbee to rs485 will work with the fronius meter, since it uses the same protocols. I haven't tried it, generally there is no use for a fronius meter in the Victron ecosystem.

Without a victron inverter right now there is not much you can do to use the cerbo for zero feed in and control.

Possibly choose a small circuit to power up with a smaller system after the fronius (so it is on ACIn), just to get the ess assistant to use. Doesn't even have to be a system for all three phases.

Just an idea, you will need more input from others, also not something I have done, but others on the forum may have done. But is definitely something that needs to be discussed with a dealer and more with Fronius directly.

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