BLUEPOWER IP6048 - The New SunGoldPower 48V Hybrid Competitor to the MPPSolar LVX6048WP

[adamantium]

SunGoldPower has now released their competitor/clone to the MPPSolar LVX6048WP. Maybe given that it has had more time to work out the kinks, it won't have the major bugs that the MPPSolar model had. The MPPSolar doesn't appear to have come back in stock since their initial deliveries back in the spring of this year.

Priced $100 less than MPPSolar and on sale now for $150 off until the end of August.

BluePower IP6048 6000W 48V Hybrid Solar Inverter ( AC Coupled IP65 )

Highlights: ★ Solar Inverter Hybrid: 6KW DC 48V Split Phase Grid Tie Solar Inverter 120V/240V, DUAL 600V 7500w MPPT solar charger and 120A AC Charger UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 Standard ★ AC Coupled: You can connect the AC output of the grid-tie inverter to this solar inverter's AC output, which will...

sungoldpower.com

Anyone planning to buy this one now?

 

[Quattrohead]

Nope, they have gone quiet on me and someone else here with the SP6548 overheating display and poor quality output.
30 days satisfaction means nothing.

 

[adamantium]

Nope, they have gone quiet on me and someone else here with the SP6548 overheating display and poor quality output.
30 days satisfaction means nothing.

I assume you are talking about MPPSolar and not SunGoldPower?

 

[SparkyJJO]

I assume you are talking about MPPSolar and not SunGoldPower?

The SP6548 is a SunGoldPower. Their customer service is lacking.

 

[adamantium]

Oh yea I remember now. I wonder why that is given that it's a clone and is compatible with firmware and add on boards. How does their service compare to MPPSolar? I've always wondered how Ian can service the country by himself. Does he have a bigger service department than I am aware of?

 

[SparkyJJO]

He cloned himself and works 48 hour shifts simultaneously.

 

[adamantium]

My guess is that Will will be getting one of these new IP6048s for a review sometime. I think it is in SunGoldPower's best interest to do this with him or someone else to clear any association it will have with the MPPSolar problems. I'd like to know soon whether its a dud as well.

 

[john.kading]

SunGoldPower has now released their competitor/clone to the MPPSolar LVX6048WP. Maybe given that it has had more time to work out the kinks, it won't have the major bugs that the MPPSolar model had. The MPPSolar doesn't appear to have come back in stock since their initial deliveries back in the spring of this year.

Priced $100 less than MPPSolar and on sale now for $150 off until the end of August.

BluePower IP6048 6000W 48V Hybrid Solar Inverter ( AC Coupled IP65 )

Highlights: ★ Solar Inverter Hybrid: 6KW DC 48V Split Phase Grid Tie Solar Inverter 120V/240V, DUAL 600V 7500w MPPT solar charger and 120A AC Charger UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 Standard ★ AC Coupled: You can connect the AC output of the grid-tie inverter to this solar inverter's AC output, which will...

sungoldpower.com

Anyone planning to buy this on

 

[john.kading]

I purchased an IP6048 from SunGoldPower last Dec and activated it late that month. It took several tries before finding a functional USB to RS232 adapter to interface with the SolarPower app and the inverter. Once working I could see the warning message logs which showed the battery disconnecting with low voltage messages when the batteries were actually at 53+ volts. On Dec 31st I reported the errors to the sales contact and, after multiple messages, they sent me replacement remote and control boards.

The remote board did not match the original and was missing a port to plug one cable in to. They insisted I replace the boards anyway. Upon startup, the unit would lock the screen in ~30 sec and drop RS232 communications and output power, then would shut down after a few hours.

I sent screen captures of the log and description of the process to them and sales forwarded those to engineering. After ~10 days sales sent an update package with firmware for the Main CPU (U101.34) and Secondary CPU (U214.15).

I reinstalled both original boards and applied both firmware updates and the system seems to behave as expected. Of course, time will judge...

The firmware files are attached here but are also available, until they take down the link, at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1crYjEoZCD-DF2nI1_-akxHSIujIRNRPX/view?usp=share_link

 

[andrewgokart]

Trying to figure out the PV input on this unit... (I'm picking one up later this week). The max PV input is 600v, but is that per MPPT, or total? The chart that is in the manual is damn near useless. Why couldn't it just clearly state something like "combined PV input must not exceed 600v" or "each MPPT can support up to 600v". Not all these weird charts that have all kinds of numbers on them that are *somewhat* meaningless!

I will have a main PV string operating around 535 volts which is fine for one MPPT (doesn't exceed 600v). I have an opportunity to add another string of smaller panels in a different location on my roof than my main panels. I am trying to find out of I can put this second set in series to get around 300 or so volts and utilize the SECOND MPPT for this string. I want to know if it can handle these as a completely separate set of panels (because together, those voltages equal ~835v)

 

[iamrich]

My read is:

Each MPPT is 600v (550v really), 15a max, 5500w max. Total combined unit is 7500w max. You can see from the manual they are suggesting well over 600v for the two MPPTs combined. It looks like they are over driving the 7500w total and 5500w each rating as well.





Any idea what panels you are going to use?

 

[andrewgokart]

My read is:

Each MPPT is 600v (550v really), 15a max, 5500w max. Total combined unit is 7500w max. You can see from the manual they are suggesting well over 600v for the two MPPTs combined. It looks like they are over driving the 7500w total and 5500w each rating as well.

View attachment 139724



Any idea what panels you are going to use?

That's how I read it, too. Lol but that whole char makes NO sense to me. Like... I can read it and I know what the information is, but geeeez. It's SO horribly laid out! No column headers, and where on earth did they come up with the numbers? It's like they just arbitrarily picked the wattages and the number in series. Just a very unhelpful chart.

I currently have 9 SolarWorld 240 watt panels installed (have 3 more to install and picking up 2 more tomorrow for a total of 14 of these that will be in series). Bought them used for $85 a panel and they're producing at 100% of their rating (actually produced a little over on a super sunny day we had). I also have some small 100w renogy panels that I was going to sell, but I might keep them and add them on the second MPPT. My current inverter is a single MPPT, so didn't have any use for the Renogys.

 

[iamrich]

I don't think you will have any issues with that size array. Startup might be 530v for a few seconds (which is what is important to not releasing the magic smoke from the inverter), but I am guessing you will likely operate more in the low 400v range at less the 8a. ~3300w shouldn't even break a sweat on that unit.

 

[andrewgokart]

I don't think you will have any issues with that size array. Startup might be 530v for a few seconds (which is what is important to not releasing the magic smoke from the inverter), but I am guessing you will likely operate more in the low 400v range at less the 8a. ~3300w shouldn't even break a sweat on that unit.

That's what I figured! I just didn't want to blow it up if I hook up a second string of panels that is ~200v on the second MPPT. I may not actually need them, though since I still have ~1200w of panels to add to my main string. I'm super excited to pick up this inverter (the IP6048) tomorrow too. (Just hope it works... it's from an auction). It's going to be a large load off my Grid supply. Excited to watch this electric bill go down. Just gotta buy more batteries now!

This whole thing (solar power as a whole) is like a never-ending money pit that I love getting in to. There is always SOMETHING you can buy that's more, whether it's more batteries, a bigger inverter, better wiring, better breakers, better lights, etc. It's all a lot of fun! I just keep telling myself (to rationalize spending money ?) that every dollar I invest now is an immediate payback if I can run more off-grid and for a longer period of time. And a tax credit!

 

[andrewgokart]

So I picked up my IP6048 today, looks like it was brand new. I had the following hooked up: Single string of PV panels (sun was setting, so barely any power coming in, running around 260v, not even 1amp of current, polarity was correct). Batteries connected and charged to about 53.2v (had just unhooked my other inverter that was running just fine). No AC input connected whatsoever, not even wires connected. and Finally, I had my 4-wire cable to my new solar sub-panel, but the breaker was off for the 2 hots, so essentially, nothing connected to the load. That's it, the most basic setup you could think of.

When I went to start up the inverter, it seemed like it was working (showed PV voltage coming in) and showed L1 out at 120v and L2 out at 121v or so, but I noticed the battery cables were quite warm... Note that there was NO load on the AC output. What was weird is that when I touched the battery cables (they were running right next to each other), I noticed they seemed to be vibrating... So I thought maybe this was a vibration from the unit, so I took a screwdriver and held it close to the cables, and sure enough, I could feel the screwdriver begin to vibrate due to inductance... This would tell me there was some kind of AC current flowing on the battery cable and a SUPER high amperage? I have 6AWG battery cables, and again, no load on this unit. So I am not sure what's going on here. I did flip on my breaker and it ran my loads for a minute or so and then shut the inverter down.

I felt my PV cables, they weren't warm, so it wasn't sending current out on those. The cable I had connected to the AC out wasn't warm (and again, the breaker for the two hots was off, so no current should have been on that cable. Then I got the idea to switch the PV SWITCH to OFF on the right-side of the unit.... That made the AC current stop flowing on the battery cables. The unit would stay on for a minute or so and then it would shut off. I could cold-start it with the PV switch off, but it would die in about 45 seconds every time. ONLY when the PV was switched ON would the unit stay running, but then it would cause a high current to be flowing on the battery cables...

This makes no sense to me

 

[iamrich]

I have 6AWG battery cables, and again, no load on this unit. So I am not sure what's going on here. I did flip on my breaker and it ran my loads for a minute or so and then shut the inverter down.

This seems insane to me, but the manual is asking for 3/0 cables. For 6000w I would use at least 2awg.

 

[andrewgokart]

This seems insane to me, but the manual is asking for 3/0 cables. For 6000w I would use at least 2awg.
View attachment 139995

I saw that, but something is not right. There is no way 6awg cable should be getting THIS warm with absolutely no load on the unit. And why would it be having some kind of AC current applied to the battery cables? The display was showing a 12 amp draw from the batteries, again, no load. And showing 10 or 11 watts of AC output load, but yet, not even a wire hooked up to the output. And the battery voltage drops down when I turn it on. I think something is messed up inside.

Here is a video. Note that I am not a video person, but this is just to get the sound of the hissing it does when its running.

 

[andrewgokart]

I think I've determined there is something really wrong internally. Decided to hook my loads back up to both legs. L1 and L2 were both showing 120ish volts out. Then when I started adding loads, L1 started going up.... Got up to 130v, added one more load and went up to 139v... L2 was still showing 120v. It fried my Kill-a-watt that was plugged in to an outlet connected to the load. Something inside is probably shorted out. Dang.

 

[dielectric]

just plugged in IP6048 for the 1st time today
even though it arrived in December
I wish I did 3 months ago.
So far I want to get rid of it.
1 - can't connect through built-in usb
2 - PC app (Solarpower) can't connect via wifi either
3- it is sitting plugged into AC (grid) with nothing else - no load at all - fans on/off every minute or less
4- with battery plugged in consuming 5amps for nothing

all the above BS can be due to the thing being not configured, but I really doubt it
I'll try phone app tomorrow maybe
certainly emailing them now
nagging feeling that this is a $2000 paperweight that is too heavy for my desk

 

[SignatureSolarJames]

just plugged in IP6048 for the 1st time today
even though it arrived in December
I wish I did 3 months ago.
So far I want to get rid of it.
1 - can't connect through built-in usb
2 - PC app (Solarpower) can't connect via wifi either
3- it is sitting plugged into AC (grid) with nothing else - no load at all - fans on/off every minute or less
4- with battery plugged in consuming 5amps for nothing

all the above BS can be due to the thing being not configured, but I really doubt it
I'll try phone app tomorrow maybe
certainly emailing them now
nagging feeling that this is a $2000 paperweight that is too heavy for my desk

We rejected it…