Every DIYer or pro installer must have a multimeter capable of DC voltage measurements at the minimum - if you can measure DC amps with a clamp then all the better.

With a cheap mulitmeter, you can check battery and PV connections for voltage and correct DC polarity and avoid expensive or dangerous mistakes.

Peterlove11:


It happened to me when I was installing my new felicity inverter, gave off big sparks, at a point melted the lead of one f the battery terminals and one f the battery rack iron rod. My wife was scared. I made 3 attempts, similar event happened the 3 times, until I called an installer friend who put me through. First be sure the batteries are properly connected. My problem was I was moving from 24v to 48v system, battery connection is different. Be sure there is no short circuit. You can call an installer to take a look at the connections

Please confirm that the coil in this contactor is actually rated 54VDC?

In my testing the coil energised successfully even with 48VDC voltage applied.

wilmaria14:
I have chat me up on WhatsApp sir my office is in lagos

Lovelynife:

please I need example of inverter with editable charge voltage settings you know sir? thanks in anticipation for your reply

Most China made inverters.Icellpower inverters have such capabilities.vThe high end inverters too like Sorotec,Phocos etc

I read this with some excitement as I have considered and experimented with mixing different battery types and chemistries together - when I maxed out budget on Pylontech, I considered mixing with Dyness batteries which had similar voltage profile but ultimately did not pursue this path - I have also considered mixing with the Felicity LifePO4.

Lest people begin to apply this solution indiscriminately, I feel compelled to say it only appears to be working in your scenario because the two batteries being combined have fairly similar charge profiles - indeed the Lithium bank will charge and discharge first but that is about where the similarities end.

If you are running a high C rate application (charging with large currents and discharging with large loads) you may find the Lead Acid bank being stressed more than they can handle (your charger will not suddenly throttle current when charging switches to the Lead Acid only and neither will the loads suddenly drop off when being supplied by the Lead Acid only) - for long term stability, you would be constrained to set your absorb voltage to slightly undercharge the Lithium bank (not get to 100% capacity) and possibly severely undercharge the lead acid battery since the critical absorb phase it needs cannot be properly done - incorporate a separate charger for the Lead Acid and you would potentially be overcharging the Lithium bank unless you have a mechanism to isolate the batteries while still keeping inverter and other charge sources powered up from DC.

The way to run this safely is to isolate the two banks and dedicate isolated charging sources to each battery type - at the minimum there should be a dedicated inverter per battery bank and have them switch powering the loads with a suitable changeover arrangement - this can be done seamlessly.

You can go a step further by setting your large loads to power off when the main battery hits LVD and this way use a much smaller inverter running smaller loads to get through the rest of the night.

If you persist on the path of paralleling two different battery types, it is key to mention that at the point of combining them together, the two battery banks must be at thesame voltage at a minimum else you will surely see sparks fly as large and unregulated currents move from the higher voltage battery to the lower voltage battery - with Lithium batteries unregulated large currents can easily damage the battery contacts or permanently weld the internal protective relays all of which will cost you some inconvenience to fix.

durodee:
Good morning house, I was recently faced with a challenge. I have a 24v 5.4kwh LiPO4 bank and a 600amp 24v used Ritar battery bank. Tested alone the LiPO4 did not meet my daily need. It will usually go off around 2-3am (when I personally need it most!) and the used batteries much earlier at around 12mn at times.
I was discussing this challenge with a friend and he told me he connected his LiPO4 and SMF bank together(in parallel) to the same busbar and that has resolved his problems.
So I checked online https://community.victronenergy.com/questions/19981/mixing-lead-acid-and-lithium.html and realized many others have tried it with the pro and cons, different charging and discharging profiles mainly.

So I connected 200amp of the Ritar to my lithium bank to test run. I also used 28.2v bulk and 27.4 float charging profile on my inverter and CC. All connected yesterday evening. I was able to use the system overnight and even ironed with it this morning, however I was aware there was grid supply at some points overnight and therefore I can't say if it works or not.

It is early days yet. The risks are shortening the lifespan of the lithium and undercharging the lead acid but based on what seems to be happening as described by others, due to the BMS, lithium charges and discharges first and the lead acid charges and discharges last.

I will update the house on my experimentations and hopefully, no big bang episode!

IYGEAL:


Growatt 24v hybrids I see can't take my current 8s1p PV voltage input.

I may have go SMK again or get a standalone 24V wall mount inverter and a separate CC.

Any suggestions house?

Sorotec 24v 3.2kw, Valto listed one for sale a while ago, whaf i have now is 48v 3.2kw.
@lovelynife, icell, sorotec, deye.... Even musf and felicity dont hv editable settings, but they have battery sel3ctor switch with diff voltages, which will also serve same function

earthrealm:


Sorotec 24v 3.2kw, Valto listed one for sale a while ago, whaf i have now is 48v 3.2kw.
@lovelynife, icell, sorotec, deye.... Even musf and felicity dont hv editable settings, but they have battery sel3ctor switch with diff voltages, which will also serve same function

Are those in turn editable? My little experience has shown some selectable battery type voltages are above the moderate limits for lithium batteries. So if they are not editable, they might not be very good in the long run, on the life span of LFP

IYGEAL:


Are those in turn editable? My little experience has shown some selectable battery type voltages are above the moderate limits for lithium batteries. So if they are not editable, they might not be very good in the long run, on the life span of LFP

The bolded isnt editable but fixed, i tot my advice was to the fellow having issues with his luminous and fla batteries..

However if the absorb voltage is slightly lower than the max voltage for lifepo4, some people say they hv been using it, no issues

earthrealm:


Sorotec 24v 3.2kw, Valto listed one for sale a while ago, whaf i have now is 48v 3.2kw.
@lovelynife, icell, sorotec, deye.... Even musf and felicity dont hv editable settings, but they have battery sel3ctor switch with diff voltages, which will also serve same function

Am using felicity hybrid with luminous 220ah wet cell batteries.......it's editable. Though Maximum voltage is 58.4v with equalization function. It works well for the batteries and charges very fast. Carries my whole flat, My freezer runs on it 24/7. Funnily I cook with it everyday(use 1.8kw infrared fast burner)

NiyiOmoIyunade:
Every DIYer or pro installer must have a multimeter capable of DC voltage measurements at the minimum - if you can measure DC amps with a clamp then all the better.

With a cheap mulitmeter, you can check battery and PV connections for voltage and correct DC polarity and avoid expensive or dangerous mistakes.

Thanks Sir.....Noted

earthrealm:


The bolded isnt editable but fixed, i tot my advice was to the fellow having issues with his luminous and fla batteries..

However if the absorb voltage is slightly lower than the max voltage for lifepo4, some people say they hv been using it, no issues

Okay. I get it now sir. It looked like you were saying the first group (including Deye and Sorotec) aren't editable.

You didn't mention Growatt?

NiyiOmoIyunade:
Please confirm that the coil in this contactor is actually rated 54VDC?

In my testing the coil energised successfully even with 48VDC voltage applied.

yes sir

.

olopan:
1. Remote monitoring

2. Configurable parameters

3. Lithium compatibility

4. 100V max. For 24V variants

5. Up to 1500W max. power, over sizing is allowed

6. Atheistic design

7. A medium range product for money.

In case you plan to get one, I can hook you up.

Well noted.

How about idle power consumption?
Can it work without battery?

Good morning Team, does anyone has first hand user experience of Felicity GEL 200AH batteries.I spoke with the company and they claim their AGM GEL battery has one year warranty but we all know what most warranty in Nigeria means so I would like anyone who has usedvit for a first hand performance review.The data parameters on their data sheet looks good though.

Any one has experience on above please?

Peterlove11:


Am using felicity hybrid with luminous 220ah wet cell batteries.......it's editable. Though Maximum voltage is 58.4v with equalization function. It works well for the batteries and charges very fast. Carries my whole flat, My freezer runs on it 24/7. Funnily I cook with it everyday(use 1.8kw infrared fast burner)

Ok, true.. forgot felicity now have hybrids, it was the normal felicity that has same architecture as the old Must power star, i had in mind.

However 58.4 is a bit low, 60v to 62v is best for equalization.

IYGEAL:


Okay. I get it now sir. It looked like you were saying the first group (including Deye and Sorotec) aren't editable.

You didn't mention Growatt?

Growatt max Voc is 145v, i dont know if they have a high Voc variant

OCTAVO:
Does anyone here use PowerStar W7 inverter? While checking through online reviews I saw that the idle power is over 200w, is this still true for newer productions? Idle power more than 25w is unacceptable for me, because the inverter alone can run battery down quickly (for someone like me that have very few batteries).
This is why I like Souer, believe me they have one of the best power efficient inverters out there (though mostly MSW). I can leave Souer inverter on for hours without worries of power drainage.
Please I need your honest opinion about PowerStar W7 3.5kv inverter.

The 4kVA 48V of the same inverter (which I once had and used) had an idle of between 100W and 120W

earthrealm:


Ok, true.. forgot felicity now have hybrids, it was the normal felicity that has same architecture as the old Must power star, i had in mind.

However 58.4 is a bit low, 60v to 62v is best for equalization.

Growatt max Voc is 145v, i dont know if they have a high Voc variant

I see

When a standing fan begins to have a humming sound when on and only starts rotating when the blade is rotated, what needs to be repaired? The capacitor at the regulator part has been changed, the refusal to rotate still persist.

All the fan repairers I used to see in the area seem to have disappeared.

ceaser:


I think this is 12v DC iron. It won't thrive on 230v AC power supply.

I have that type of pressing iron in store for about 3 years now. I've only used it on direct battery connection on maybe two occasions before I retired it. I anticipate connecting it directly to a dedicated 18v/150w panel port one of these days to see if it will be finally useful in that set up.

Good day, thanks for d feedback. Yes it's 12V DC iron.

I will just stick to using it directly on a 12V battery for now. Thanks

Peterlove11:


Am using felicity hybrid with luminous 220ah wet cell batteries.......it's editable. Though Maximum voltage is 58.4v with equalization function. It works well for the batteries and charges very fast. Carries my whole flat, My freezer runs on it 24/7. Funnily I cook with it everyday(use 1.8kw infrared fast burner)

It may look nice at first cooking with it, but it’s not the best.
1.8kw equipment and other may not be great though, you see most batteries we have over here in Nigeria at their Best comes with 2years warranty, not like over there that some batteries go as long as 5years, what does it tell us, we still some way to go
I really advise you to as much as possible use minimal load on your inverters even though they are bigger.

You may be able to manage it, what if you are not around and someone else puts on a lot more with your burner
My experience with batteries is that, they don’t get bad just immediately you load them, it’s over time after an injury in the cells

Minimise your usage, enjoy your Inverter for years and counting.

Let’s never compare the way those guys outside load their inverters, they sure have warranty than ours, That’s a sign


My little contribution ( for others)

I greet bros!

Trippledots:


Anderson connectors will work.

Good day, thanks for the feedback. Pls what are Anderson connectors and how do they work?

Though I've decided to use it directly on my 12V battery after my installer couldn't get the adoptor recommended here. Thanks

It has a good idle consumption on no load

7-15W

And when like 70% or close to max. Load.

30W - 100W Or less

IYGEAL:


Well noted.

How about idle power consumption?
Can it work without battery?

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24 pcs of 450w Era solar panels supplied to Abuja yesterday, Thanks Mr Kabiru for the patronage!


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NiyiOmoIyunade:
I read this with some excitement as I have considered and experimented with mixing different battery types and chemistries together - when I maxed out budget on Pylontech, I considered mixing with Dyness batteries which had similar voltage profile but ultimately did not pursue this path - I have also considered mixing with the Felicity LifePO4.

Lest people begin to apply this solution indiscriminately, I feel compelled to say it only appears to be working in your scenario because the two batteries being combined have fairly similar charge profiles - indeed the Lithium bank will charge and discharge first but that is about where the similarities end.

If you are running a high C rate application (charging with large currents and discharging with large loads) you may find the Lead Acid bank being stressed more than they can handle (your charger will not suddenly throttle current when charging switches to the Lead Acid only and neither will the loads suddenly drop off when being supplied by the Lead Acid only) - for long term stability, you would be constrained to set your absorb voltage to slightly undercharge the Lithium bank (not get to 100% capacity) and possibly severely undercharge the lead acid battery since the critical absorb phase it needs cannot be properly done - incorporate a separate charger for the Lead Acid and you would potentially be overcharging the Lithium bank unless you have a mechanism to isolate the batteries while still keeping inverter and other charge sources powered up from DC.

The way to run this safely is to isolate the two banks and dedicate isolated charging sources to each battery type - at the minimum there should be a dedicated inverter per battery bank and have them switch powering the loads with a suitable changeover arrangement - this can be done seamlessly.

You can go a step further by setting your large loads to power off when the main battery hits LVD and this way use a much smaller inverter running smaller loads to get through the rest of the night.

If you persist on the path of paralleling two different battery types, it is key to mention that at the point of combining them together, the two battery banks must be at thesame voltage at a minimum else you will surely see sparks fly as large and unregulated currents move from the higher voltage battery to the lower voltage battery - with Lithium batteries unregulated large currents can easily damage the battery contacts or permanently weld the internal protective relays all of which will cost you some inconvenience to fix.

I align with this position. When I bought my lithium batteries, I still had my lead-acid bank which I estimated still had some good life remaining. What I did was to put the two banks on separate inverters, pv arrays and charge controllers and used some contactors and automations to switch from one inverter to the other. I had also thought about mixing them, especially for charging and I do that occasionally, but the different charging parameters is what prevented me from doing so. My lead-acid batteries are all also flooded cells that require occasional equalization. Equalizing lithium will kill them rapidly. So, it is better to keep the battery banks separate to prolong their useful lives. Combining them looks like a costly compromise.

Good afternoon. Please, I want a solar structure as well as batteries for my household appliances( TV, Fans, bulbs, deep freezer, fridge and other minor appliances). But I want the fridge and freezer to be always on (24/7) while every other appliance can be average of 12 hours per day. I'm thinking 4 batteries of 12v200Ahr, 6 mono crystalline panels of 200W and an inverter of 12V2kva will do the job for me.

Please, kindly advise on how to go about it because it's urgent. Thanks.

olopan:
It has a good idle consumption on no load

7-15W

And when like 70% or close to max. Load.

30W - 100W Or less

Okay. Thanks.

Please do you know if it works without battery?