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Growatt battery does not discharge - Shinephone App configuration

blunt81st

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Joined
May 7, 2024
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19
Location
Berlin
Hi, I had a full PV system installed including the inverter and battery by Growatt (SPH 8000TL3). The installing company shortly after went bankrupt for fraud. Now I'm stuck here with a system where I have a 10KW battery fully charged for almost a year now and I'm not able to properly configure the battery settings in the Shinephone App so the battery would finally start to discharge. No electrician is willing to bother with this and I'm desperate.
I'm sure it's very basic but could somebody who knows this system, please help with the right settings for me?
Thank you!
 
Read the manual and setup the "working mode" to "Load First" using those buttons?


edit: Beware though, if you don't have interconnect agreement, your grid meter gonna record every export as usage, therefore please set the export limitation correctly
This is super helpful, thank you AshleyL. I went to the relevant section of the manual and I believe I'm already set-up correctly in Load First. If you don't mind let me attach screenshots of the current setup.
Since the Battery First and Grid First are both disabled it should go with the default, i.e. Load First, right?
 

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This is super helpful, thank you AshleyL. I went to the relevant section of the manual and I believe I'm already set-up correctly in Load First. If you don't mind let me attach screenshots of the current setup.
Since the Battery First and Grid First are both disabled it should go with the default, i.e. Load First, right?
Don't use the app. Sometime the setting is not being pushed into the inverter.

Capture1.PNGCapture2.PNG
 
This is super helpful, thank you AshleyL. I went to the relevant section of the manual and I believe I'm already set-up correctly in Load First. If you don't mind let me attach screenshots of the current setup.
Since the Battery First and Grid First are both disabled it should go with the default, i.e. Load First, right?
Read the manual and setup the "working mode" to "Load First" using those buttons?


edit: Beware though, if you don't have interconnect agreement, your grid meter gonna record every export as usage, therefore please set the export limitation correctly
Small development since yesterday. It looks like my battery has in fact discharged
Don't use the app. Sometime the setting is not being pushed into the inverter.

View attachment 213918View attachment 213919
Indeed my App settings disappeared by this morning.

Nevertheless there has been a development :)

It appears that in fact during last night the battery has discharged a little bit for the first time. See the screenshot. Great success!
Issue is that now nothing is used for Load consumption and everything is pushed to the grid.
You can see that ever since I changed the settings yesterday the screenshot with 2024-05-07 summary Load Consumption went to zero and hasn't come back since (screenshot 2024-05-08).

So now all the production goes to the grid and nothing is being used in the house.

What do you think could have caused this? Some setting again? (Grid first is disabled)
 

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Small development since yesterday. It looks like my battery has in fact discharged

Indeed my App settings disappeared by this morning.

Nevertheless there has been a development :)

It appears that in fact during last night the battery has discharged a little bit for the first time. See the screenshot. Great success!
Issue is that now nothing is used for Load consumption and everything is pushed to the grid.
You can see that ever since I changed the settings yesterday the screenshot with 2024-05-07 summary Load Consumption went to zero and hasn't come back since (screenshot 2024-05-08).

So now all the production goes to the grid and nothing is being used in the house.

What do you think could have caused this? Some setting again? (Grid first is disabled)
Darn it. How much your electricity meter go up due to "unathorised" export?

Do not use the app.

Capture1.PNGCapture2.PNG




Export limit ON, Single Export OFF, PowerRate 0%

Report back later
 
Darn it. How much your electricity meter go up due to "unathorised" export?

Do not use the app.

View attachment 213971View attachment 213972




Export limit ON, Single Export OFF, PowerRate 0%

Report back later
OK I went through the inverter system to set those parameters and I think I know what the issue is now.

Not sure if this is normal how they installed the system in my house but there is only one power cable connection between the inverter and the house's main electricity box. So on one hand the inverter gets its power initially from the house 'grid' and then uses the same cable backwards when the PVs are generating or the battery is discharging.

In other words when I select Export Limit to be ON then nothing is sent back to the house and whatever is being generated in the PV system is just 'lost'. So I have to select Export Limit OFF for the house to get anything from the inverter.

Does that make sense?

See in the screenshot attached. I just turned the Export Limit ON now a few minutes ago and suddenly Load Consumption drops to zero, where Exported to grid jumps up.

Thanks a lot for looking into this, I wish somebody like you that actually understands this system and setup bothered to take a look at my installed system here. But anyways please keep providing your insights they are very helpful.
 

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OK I went through the inverter system to set those parameters and I think I know what the issue is now.

Not sure if this is normal how they installed the system in my house but there is only one power cable connection between the inverter and the house's main electricity box. So on one hand the inverter gets its power initially from the house 'grid' and then uses the same cable backwards when the PVs are generating or the battery is discharging.

In other words when I select Export Limit to be ON then nothing is sent back to the house and whatever is being generated in the PV system is just 'lost'. So I have to select Export Limit OFF for the house to get anything from the inverter.

Does that make sense?

See in the screenshot attached. I just turned the Export Limit ON now a few minutes ago and suddenly Load Consumption drops to zero, where Exported to grid jumps up.

Thanks a lot for looking into this, I wish somebody like you that actually understands this system and setup bothered to take a look at my installed system here. But anyways please keep providing your insights they are very helpful.
Wait a minute....it sounds like you don't have CT/smart meter sensor installed. Can you take a picture of your installation? From distribution board to your inverter. From your screenshot, it appears that the inverter seems to export a lot of power into the grid in addition to your household load. You sure you don't sign up with any NEM or FIT scheme etc?

Edit: Assuming if the CT sensors are positioned and setup correctly, when you turn on ExportLimit, you must set the Powerate to 0% to prevent exporting to grid if you are not under any NEM/FIT scheme.meter.PNG
Check if you have one of these CT/smart meter sensors installed.

Reason = without these smart meter, you will not be able to use the battery in a manner that you want.
 
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Wait a minute....it sounds like you don't have CT/smart meter sensor installed. Can you take a picture of your installation? From distribution board to your inverter. From your screenshot, it appears that the inverter seems to export a lot of power into the grid in addition to your household load. You sure you don't sign up with any NEM or FIT scheme etc?

Edit: Assuming if the CT sensors are positioned and setup correctly, when you turn on ExportLimit, you must set the Powerate to 0% to prevent exporting to grid if you are not under any NEM/FIT scheme.View attachment 214036
Check if you have one of these CT/smart meter sensors installed.

Reason = without these smart meter, you will not be able to use the battery in a manner that you want.
These are all the current settings and the smart meter - with a blinking red led light.
 

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One more. The grey cable goes to the inverter.
Does the CHNT sensor has "telephony" icon? Quite hard to see the LCD display.

Hmm....this is very strange, why would the inverter prioritise exporting fully to grid when ExportLimit is turned ON? As if the "working mode" is switched back to "Grid first" instead of "Load first".

Can you draw up a wiring diagram from your incoming grid to the inverter til your load at house? Yes, I know it is a three phase, please draw it up after tracing the wiring.
Got a feeling that the sensor is installed at wrong location.........cause I only see smart sensor meter and [strike]a B16 breaker, seriously? 16A breaker for an inverter capable of pushing 10kw as shown in your screenshot?[/strike] Opps, I am an idiot for forgetting to check the spec of the breaker, from the spec "Tripping threshold in case of short - circuit between 48A and 80A (B curve between 3 In and 5 In)", should be good to go?


Capture.PNG

Check the wiring first. Something is definitely not right with your wiring.

Plus, that "overload" indicator....not a good sign.



To simplify it if it is a single phase wiring as in my Growatt Min 4200TLX.:

Distribution board.png
Notice the location of my sensor (Eastron SDM230) location. It is exactly after my electricity provider meter and it is between my electricity provider and my household loads.

Now, where is your sensor (CHNT) located?
 
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Does the CHNT sensor has "telephony" icon? Quite hard to see the LCD display.

Hmm....this is very strange, why would the inverter prioritise exporting fully to grid when ExportLimit is turned ON? As if the "working mode" is switched back to "Grid first" instead of "Load first".

Can you draw up a wiring diagram from your incoming grid to the inverter til your load at house? Yes, I know it is a three phase, please draw it up after tracing the wiring.
Got a feeling that the sensor is installed at wrong location.........cause I only see smart sensor meter and [strike]a B16 breaker, seriously? 16A breaker for an inverter capable of pushing 10kw as shown in your screenshot?[/strike] Opps, I am an idiot for forgetting to check the spec of the breaker, from the spec "Tripping threshold in case of short - circuit between 48A and 80A (B curve between 3 In and 5 In)", should be good to go?


View attachment 214065

Check the wiring first. Something is definitely not right with your wiring.

Plus, that "overload" indicator....not a good sign.



To simplify it if it is a single phase wiring as in my Growatt Min 4200TLX.:

View attachment 214067
Notice the location of my sensor (Eastron SDM230) location. It is exactly after my electricity provider meter and it is between my electricity provider and my household loads.

Now, where is your sensor (CHNT) located?
Don't mean to spam but one more important observation. What is labeled here as Exported to grid with the big purple spike today in reality is my house's consumption. The spike is for example the charging of my car.
I don't understand anything anymore...
 

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Here I shot a short video with the setup. Let me know if it clarifies. File is large but should be available on this link: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ApDfukjJ5CZkGvYY6
Hmm....from the video, CHINT meter displays "telephony" icon, meaning it has communication with the inverter. The CHINT meter is also located very close to your grid provider meter. So, the wiring is probably correctly done by the installer......maybe?

Don't mean to spam but one more important observation. What is labeled here as Exported to grid with the big purple spike today in reality is my house's consumption. The spike is for example the charging of my car.
I don't understand anything anymore...
Hmmm........just in case if the CHINT is feeding the inverter wrong data, can you verify where are the CT clamp for the CHINT located? I am not certain if your particular CHINT smart meter model has integrated CT clamp or using external CT clamp like the one shown in this video. Please watch until finish and verify if the CHINT smart meter is the same as in the video.

Then, there is another model that doesn't need the installation of CT clamp as shown here:


Let check the wiring first. Let assume your CHINT model is not CT clamp type.

17151830213465836488392996301008.jpg

For the orange part, there should be four wires connected to the top of the CHINT. (Orange lines in the pic)
For the circled yellow part, that would be the inverter section which the wires should power up your house load.
Everything seems to be correct.

I do not know what is the B16 breaker circuit powering though, it is separate from the inverter circuit from what I can see at the wiring.

Next, check the CHINT meter setting, the password code is 701.


Before you make any change, tell me the current settings for PROT, Addr, Baud and NEE

For Growatt three phase using CHINT meter, the setting is:
PROT = n.1 (None parity, 1 stop bit, n.1)
Addr = 4
Baud = 9600
Nee = 0 (n.34 three phase four wire)
 
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Hmm....from the video, CHINT meter displays "telephony" icon, meaning it has communication with the inverter. The CHINT meter is also located very close to your grid provider meter. So, the wiring is probably correctly done by the installer......maybe?


Hmmm........just in case if the CHINT is feeding the inverter wrong data, can you verify where are the CT clamp for the CHINT located? I am not certain if your particular CHINT smart meter model has integrated CT clamp or using external CT clamp like the one shown in this video. Please watch until finish and verify if the CHINT smart meter is the same as in the video.

Then, there is another model that doesn't need the installation of CT clamp as shown here:


Let check the wiring first. Let assume your CHINT model is not CT clamp type.

View attachment 214156

For the orange part, there should be four wires connected to the top of the CHINT. (Orange lines in the pic)
For the circled yellow part, that would be the inverter section which the wires should power up your house load.
Everything seems to be correct.

I do not know what is the B16 breaker circuit powering though, it is separate from the inverter circuit from what I can see at the wiring.

Next, check the CHINT meter setting, the password code is 701.


Before you make any change, tell me the current settings for PROT, Addr, Baud and NEE

For Growatt three phase using CHINT meter, the setting is:
PROT = n.1 (None parity, 1 stop bit, n.1)
Addr = 4
Baud = 9600
Nee = 0 (n.34 three phase four wire)
PXL_20240509_051657581.jpg
There are no clamps anywhere and also the numbering on the CHINT matches the second video.

I used some color coding as well to make sure the cables can be identified.

See attached the smart meter settings.
 

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View attachment 214190
There are no clamps anywhere and also the numbering on the CHINT matches the second video.

I used some color coding as well to make sure the cables can be identified.

See attached the smart meter settings.
Hmm....in this case, the wiring is clearly correct.
The address (4), protocol type (n.1) and baud rate (9600) are correct as well.
How about "nEe"? It should be 0.
1715235445834.png

Extra question. What is the B16 circuit powering? Light or something else?
 
Hmm....in this case, the wiring is clearly correct.
The address (4), protocol type (n.1) and baud rate (9600) are correct as well.
How about "nEe"? It should be 0.
View attachment 214196

Extra question. What is the B16 circuit powering? Light or something else?
I can't find nEe in its menu. https://photos.app.goo.gl/WbYQXnBjswTZn5cv5

The B16 circuit breaker is in between the grid and the inverter. Hopefully visible on the picture with the color markings.
 
I can't find nEe in its menu. https://photos.app.goo.gl/WbYQXnBjswTZn5cv5

The B16 circuit breaker is in between the grid and the inverter. Hopefully visible on the picture with the color markings.
While I wait for the video downloading to be completed, I would like to ask about that B16 circuit, what kind of load being powered directly from the grid? The B16 circuit is bypassing the inverter circuit after all.
 
While I wait for the video downloading to be completed, I would like to ask about that B16 circuit, what kind of load being powered directly from the grid? The B16 circuit is bypassing the inverter circuit after all.
Well, I might be getting this wrong but the grid (brown cables) go on one hand to the B16 (bottom of the circuit breaker) and the other half to the smart meter (top of CHINT). From the smart meter (bottom of CHINT) it is distributed to all the things in the house. So everything, lights, appliances, wallbox, etc.
 
Well, I might be getting this wrong but the grid (brown cables) go on one hand to the B16 (bottom of the circuit breaker) and the other half to the smart meter (top of CHINT). From the smart meter (bottom of CHINT) it is distributed to all the things in the house. So everything, lights, appliances, wallbox, etc.
That why I ask where does the B16 circuit lead to? Cause it doesn't use the inverter circuit.

K, video done downloading. Apparently you were cycling the display. You need to press the SET button.
Refer to this video:
 
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