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brambaut avatar image
brambaut asked

AC Output stops at 47.8 Volts

I have currently 2 running systems in Tanzania: the first with a Quattro 48V/10000VA/140A and Sonneschein A602/2600Ah battery bank; the second with a Quattro 48V/15000VA/200A and Sonneschein A602/39020Ah battery bank.

As soon as the battery voltage of the first system drops below +/- 47.8 Volts, the inverter will stop which results in a AC output cut. However, battery SOC might be still around 70-75%. This could happen sometimes several times per night. For every interruption, I receive a notification on the CCGX:


Example: last night we had 2 interruptions:

Note that the battery voltage was around 47.8 V just before the interruption and around 49.02V during the output break.

With my second setup (48V/15000VA/200A and 3920Ah batteries) I have never experienced this problem so far. Even not when the batteries dropped last week under 46 Volts with battery SOC 53%:

Anybody any clue on how to solve this issue?
Thanks a lot!

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4 Answers
boekel avatar image
boekel answered ·

Please show the settings of the Quattro (VE-configure screens)

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JohnC avatar image
JohnC answered ·

Hi Brambaut. I hope I'm not misreading this, and apologies in advance if I am. I suspect simple systems, albeit largish ones, and you're the 'user', not the 'experienced installer'.

The V values are all configurable via VEConfigure software. If you're local, a laptop directly connected to the CCGX via the LAN is good, but there's also this: https://www.victronenergy.com/live/vrm_portal:remote-veconfigure

That could be a little painful if you have long pings to the VRM server, but doable. If you've never done it before it might take a little to get your head around - you download a file from the Quattro, modify it, then send it back.

Take care going too low with the V's though, you have those expensive batts to look after.

Plenty more info and the software readily available from Victron. Please come back if you need links and more help.

Sorry if I'm off-beam with this, just how it comes across..

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brambaut avatar image
brambaut answered ·

Hi @JohnC, @Boekel,

I have installed both setups in Tanzania for a local NGO and I'm in charge of the follow up from Europe, but not very experienced with all the settings and possibilities.

My European dealer has (on my request) installed the ESS assistant on the first system in order to prioritize the solar power. Off course I could ask him as well about this issue, but I don't want to bother him too much with all my questions and enjoy it as well to learn more about it through this VE community.

I know how to use remote VE.configure, so I just took some print screens of the actual settings:

I might be wrong, but I guess it has something to do with the settings of the ESS assistant (which indicates "Cut off voltage for a discharge current of 0.005C = 48.00V")?


ps: I know a battery voltage that drops as low as 46 Volts is probably not very good, but as the local responsible who has the key of the solar store was out of the village for a couple of days, it took some more time to get someone physically inside the solar store to check why there was no incoming current from the local grid (turned out we had to switch off and on again the circuit breaker which secures the incoming power).


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3 comments
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JohnC avatar image JohnC ♦ commented ·

Yeh, with ESS, the cutoffs in VEConfig will be overridden. I think they're configurable, but it would be best to contemplate what you're actually wanting the system to do in total before heading there.

Bit out of my comfort zone to help you there, any others?

Admire your desire to learn more. Nothing like having a go first-hand to do that. You can't break anything (aside from the batts, heaven forbid), just gotta keep the loads happy. Good luck with it.

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boekel avatar image boekel ♦ commented ·

I strongly advice you to install a (small) system at home to learn how things behave, you could use the smallest multiplus, a 'car battery' and a Venus.

this way you can test, learn etc. without compromising the users of the big setups.

For installers, Victron has excellent training courses, don't know if that would be accessible for you.

What I did was install small (2kVA) multiplus in my home (where I already had a solar setup), completed with a 1,6 kWh lithium battery (now replaced with 4,5kWh).

This gives a lot of hands-on experience how stuff works in practice.

(and to be honest..the settings your installer made are pretty bad, on such a big battery 0,25C is not even a value you can reach)

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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image mvader (Victron Energy) ♦♦ boekel ♦ commented ·

Yes training in Nl is accessible; see professional.victronenergy.com; keep an eye out for training in Almere

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mvader (Victron Energy) avatar image
mvader (Victron Energy) answered ·

Hi @brambaut, welcome to the community!


Wanting to learn: thumbs up. For this one; best place is really the documentation. Study the ess manual; especially the depth of discharge chapter & its dynamic cut off paragraph.

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