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diy solar

Batrium SMA Sunny Island Integration issue?

callmeburton said:
I don't see what this is testing for if the SI won't go above say 30A when charging right now, I say right no as if the batter was lower in voltage (currently 53.4 I think) I Have seen it max out at the amps set.

I set it to 140 which should be .5C
Click to expand...
Screenshot_20240426-115140.png
 
Have had the 1kw load on the system for a little now. SI is charging the batteries and it peaked at 110a before I dropped it back down to 70 as the high setting. I know you love me.

With the added load the charging changed from float to boost. And it is boosting off and on, will see what changes if anything. I can revert the amp max in a moment if required.
 
So a load kept it from getting knocked offline?

Maybe altered SB settings will keep things on line without that.

SI can enable a switching relay when there is surplus production available. You could connect that to a dump load. Maybe water heater, with its thermostat when off sending power to an air-cooled dump load.
 
Currently at 84% SOC, still have 1kw load, battery charging around 35a.

Our water heater isn't even hooked up yet, but it will be preheated with our 1080 gallon thermal storage tank which is heated from either the boiler or, most of the time, our solar evacuated tubes ... so it might be it never comes on in the summer when the sun is out lol

Maybe send the load to an antminer ... haven't got one but I could see it using a lot of energy.
 
What we really want is frequency controlled continuously variable dump load.
SMA used to offer Smart Load 6000, which did that outputting DC for a heating element.

A PFC AC/DC supply with controllable current limit could do it, if we made a frequency to voltage converter.

With heating elements of 1kW, 2kW, 4kW etc., a uP could close relays or SCR to staircase load in response to sampled frequency.
 
94.8% SOC now .. still kicking at 30amps in boost mode with 1 minute before it switches to float mode. 1kw dump load still running ... I like it but it still means "work" till we have a real dump load of living on site.
 
Set to island 60hz, 103 error ... set ac side voltage / grid voltage to 240 but no dice.
I have 2 wires going to this unit which provide the 240 without a neutral.
Reverting to rule 21 L-L and the code clears.

1715173709848.png
1715173739532.png
 
Last edited:
Hedges said:
Consider changing curtailment frequencies of Island mode. Default is 100% at 61 Hz, 0% at 62 Hz. Try 100% at 60 Hz, 0% at 61 Hz or 60.5 Hz (but keeping 64 Hz max without disconnect). Eliminating the dead band should reduce delay before curtailment.
Consider disabling AFRA, so inverter doesn't go below 60 Hz to 59 Hz, again eliminating dead band.
Click to expand...
Looking at settings.
I see "Start point of the power control via frequency" which is 1.00 and End is set to 2.00, is this what you were referring to?
 
Yes, is that a setting in Sunny Boy?
If you made that start at 0.5 end at 1.0, I think that would curtail between 60.5 Hz and 61 Hz when off-grid, similar to Rule-21 on-grid.
Or even tighter, like 0.1

Sunny Island also has a setting "AFRA" which lets it sometimes operate down to 59 Hz. That adds 1 Hz of swing needed before curtailment. Turning AFRA off should avoid that.
 
callmeburton said:
Set to island 60hz, 103 error ... set ac side voltage / grid voltage to 240 but no dice.
I have 2 wires going to this unit which provide the 240 without a neutral.
Reverting to rule 21 L-L and the code clears.

View attachment 213981
View attachment 213982
Click to expand...

If Rule-21, I suppose this is a Sunny Boy -41 series.
I've only plugged that in with L1/N/L2 connection, haven't tried L1/L2 only.

So you're seeing that Rule-21 supports just L1 & L2, while Island Mode requires N?
Figures, firmware bugs.

My older SB 5000US have jumpers to set line voltage or to have it auto-detect based on neutral.

You probably have G, ground. Try jumpering that to N. It isn't used to carry current, just a measurement of voltage.
 
Hedges said:
So you're seeing that Rule-21 supports just L1 & L2, while Island Mode requires N?
Figures, firmware bugs.
Click to expand...
I can see nothing in the documentation stating Island 60Hz requires N :/
Hedges said:
You probably have G, ground. Try jumpering that to N. It isn't used to carry current, just a measurement of voltage.
Click to expand...
I do have an EGC I could tie to Neutral but isn't that essentially bonding G/N at the SB?

There are some "rules" which explicitly are listed L-L and L-N-L and I suspect all L-L would "work" in my case.

Hedges said:
My older SB 5000US have jumpers to set line voltage or to have it auto-detect based on neutral.
Click to expand...
I have seen the jumper documentation and the only way I can see to set 240 without N is to setup a delta type connection but that wouldn't work in my case.
 
callmeburton said:
I can see nothing in the documentation stating Island 60Hz requires N :/
Click to expand...

I don't think firmware is documented. or debugged, or regression tested.

callmeburton said:
I do have an EGC I could tie to Neutral but isn't that essentially bonding G/N at the SB?
Click to expand...

Nope, because you don't have a Neutral (wire) :)

All you have is a terminal labeled "N".
If the inverter drove current into "N", that would be objectionable current in ground wire.
But I think all Sunny Boy does is put a volt meter on N, to see L1-N and L2-N voltage and phase.

callmeburton said:
There are some "rules" which explicitly are listed L-L and L-N-L and I suspect all L-L would "work" in my case.
Click to expand...

It would work if the firmware let it. It did for Rule-21.

The Island mode has different values for some parameters, and different functions (e.g. no anti-islanding).
Not all of SMA's parameters have been properly taken from settings, instead some were hard coded, and not all code has been properly enabled in various modes. I've found one bug, heard of others.

callmeburton said:
I have seen the jumper documentation and the only way I can see to set 240 without N is to setup a delta type connection but that wouldn't work in my case.
Click to expand...

I had some wires with L1/L2/G from using a different model. For that I set jumpers for 240V.
A different connection I made for the less-old Sunny Boy I included L1/N/L2/G so left jumpers set for auto-select.

Try a wire connecting ground to the N terminal of Sunny Boy. I don't think that will behave any different from neutral. If you have a clamp ammeter you can check current in it.
 
bridging N tro the SB Frame ground worked for Island mode

Now I need to get my "third" wire over to this thing. Just noticed I never brought over the EGC from the panel this thing hooks to >__< Just L1/L2
 
Connecting ground wire from grid breaker panel to inverter, and inverter to PV panel frames, is highly recommended.

Don't interchange L and G, as I have been known to do. (banana plugs on test bench made it all so easy.)

If bridging N to SB chassis ground worked without a ground wire, maybe there is a path through conduit. Or, EMI filter capacitors are performing voltage-divider function and putting chassis about half way between L1 and L2.

Definitely ground that thing properly.
(And I like GFCI for any outlets/appliances I deal with in wet locations. Like laundry on my porch.)
 
Hedges said:
Connecting ground wire from grid breaker panel to inverter, and inverter to PV panel frames, is highly recommended.
Click to expand...
I have:
PV String 1 > MN 600 > SPD > SB ( repeat for all 3 strings)
All panels EGC > MN box > SB chassis
SB emergency Power port EGC also to SB chassis
And now SB N to SB Chassis

The SB L1/L2 go to a normal breaker in the panel pedestal next to it which has 3 wires
The breaker panel has an SPD as well.

Just need to carry that EGC from the panel over ... not sure why I didn't do it but I am sure there was a reason for it.
 
I should add ... we have had lightning strike across the street close enough to get some metal going sparky via induction in places on the property, but only a little, and the SI/SB/Panels are all ok :)
 
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