MPP Solar Q&As

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silverse2m6

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Jun 16, 2017
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I can't seem to find a common place to share tips, hacks and good practical info on these boxes. Maybe this thread can become that.
Here's my question :
Q: during dusk when PV supply low current at normal voltage, how do you prevent the relays in the MPP solar from switching back and forth from Grid and PV inputs? Forcing it only to accept input from PV or GRID is not acceptable.
 
Common issue on the PIP version. Software issue if you ask me. I have asked MPP support about it but no answer on furtunately. If you find sollution to it im eager to hear to :)
 
So what best practice you recommend?

daromer said:
Common issue on the PIP version. Software issue if you ask me. I have asked MPP support about it but no answer on furtunately. If you find sollution to it im eager to hear to :)
Click to expand...
 
I have no. I ignore it clicking between sun and so untill sun is down. Or did I miss your question?
 
mine does that, at first it annoyed me, but i don't even notice it anymore. Doesn't affect anything just makes a few clicking noises as the sun sets. All it is is the capacitors slowly filling up with solar charge and then once full it flips the relay to dump the charge into the battery, but once it does that the capacitor quickly discharges due to low current from the panels and flips the relay back. Other than a little more ware on the relays there's no issue letting it do that. Not sure how that would ever be fixed with any software changes.
 
Its easy to sort software wise in terms of when solar goes down it just runs a timer. Ie dont switch on before x time. My other MPP inverter does not do this. It switches of and then waits rather long time before it retries and that makes most clicks go away.
 
daromer said:
Its easy to sort software wise in terms of when solar goes down it just runs a timer. Ie dont switch on before x time. My other MPP inverter does not do this. It switches of and then waits rather long time before it retries and that makes most clicks go away.
Click to expand...

ya i suppose that would be one way with a timer delay. I asked MPP about it and they said it was normal for me too. I did ask them if there's any newer firmware versions, still waiting on a response.
 
I'm thinking about getting the PIP but not use its PV since I already have a PCM60x, I wonder if it will do the same clicks when its not charging the battery but used as an inverter. Anyone has tried like that?
 
frnandu said:
I'm thinking about getting the PIP but not use its PV since I already have a PCM60x, I wonder if it will do the same clicks when its not charging the battery but used as an inverter. Anyone has tried like that?
Click to expand...

The clicking is part of the solar charging, so if you're not using it for solar, then no there wouldn't be any clicks.
 
New question / topic: why do my PIP seem to be stuck in Line (Grid) Mode ?
I have my small battery test bank (6S40P cells - 24V) charged, sunny weather, 1.96kW PV panels and a load of about 700W?
I have set Solar priority for charging and SBU options. 22 V setting to return to grid and 24.5 V to go back to battery. 25.2V for boost and 25.1 for float.
Panels were producing 1.3kW before line mode kicked in at some point, now they produce 7W doing nothing. Making the grid unavailable will force it to go back to battery and PV panels produce enough power to basically run the 700W load "directly". But w/o making the grid unavailable, it's stuck to Grid mode, batteries charged and PV producing next to nothing ?!?! What's the issue doctor?
 
silverse2m6 said:
New question / topic: why do my PIP seem to be stuck in Line (Grid) Mode ?
I have my small battery test bank (6S40P cells - 24V) charged, sunny weather, 1.96kW PV panels and a load of about 700W?
I have set Solar priority for charging and SBU options. 22 V setting to return to grid and 24.5 V to go back to battery. 25.2V for boost and 25.1 for float.
Panels were producing 1.3kW before line mode kicked in at some point, now they produce 7W doing nothing. Making the grid unavailable will force it to go back to battery and PV panels produce enough power to basically run the 700W load "directly". But w/o making the grid unavailable, it's stuck to Grid mode, batteries charged and PV producing next to nothing ?!?! What's the issue doctor?
Click to expand...

take a screenshot of your settings so we can take a look.
 
1st picture : Settings
2nd picture : working in hybrid mode (S+B) under a cloud after unplugging the grid to force the unit in battery mode.


image_zwbhim.jpgimage_lipyuk.jpg
 
everything looks right, so you're saying the batteries charge up to 24.5 and it doesn't switch back to battery? Also any reason you didn't do 7s40p? That's what i do, gives you a much larger voltage range.
 
AZ_Tekkie said:
everything looks right, so you're saying the batteries charge up to 24.5 and it doesn't switch back to battery? Also any reason you didn't do 7s40p? That's what i do, gives you a much larger voltage range.
Click to expand...
I was rebuilding one of the 7 packs. Here is today's screen with 7S as well as settings, screen. It's been sitting on line mode for a while after being on battery mode most of the morning while was charging battery and running the same loads w/o issues with PVs delivering over 1.3kW. O

nce it switches in Line mode, it gets stuck there unless I disconnect the grid.

image_obcdju.jpgimage_dcjsxm.jpg


Here it is after briefly disconnecting the grid and reconnecting it back the way it was. This forces the PIP back to battery mode.

image_iejhjm.jpg


Interestingly the voltage drops a little although it's charging 240 cells with 2A (10mAH/cell). Temperature is uniform across packs and cells, as well as connections between packs are cool to the touch.
image_mjjnqr.jpg


It's needing over 2A (1066-566)/240 over 240 cells to start charging pack on solar.
image_zcapau.jpg


Like I said, plenty of sun and PVs (1.96kW) to keep up with these loads, but if it switches to line mode, it stays there the rest of the day. Any idea?
image_zpwbtf.jpg
 
if you let it charge all the way up to full does it ever switch to battery mode? You might have something wrong with yours if it never switches. Could contact MPPSolar and see if they have ideas or maybe a firmware update to try.
 
AZ_Tekkie said:
if you let it charge all the way up to full does it ever switch to battery mode? You might have something wrong with yours if it never switches. Could contact MPPSolar and see if they have ideas or maybe a firmware update to try.
Click to expand...
If it never gets on grid mode, it works as planned. If it has to switch in line mode, it stays on line mode unless forced (by disconnecting grid) to battery mode.

This picture is what I was trying to do: was in battery mode with plenty of watts and full battery. Turned the portable A/C on (1300W continuous) and it went to line mode then stayed there. This time I disconnect the main, then restarted the AC. The battery kicked in, the PVs caught up and basically run the AC with basically no drain from battery.
So question #1: why does it go to grid first although enough PV and battery power
Question #2: why does it get stuck in Line mode once it's in line mode.

image_vxheqf.jpg


Random cloud passing by, batteries doing their thing...
image_rykbgt.jpg


Stress testing the system. Grid as a backup
image_nsdxgu.jpg


Got on grid power again, charging the batteries, will it now stay on grid even if batteries are full? I think it will... Let's find out

Batteries are full, plenty of power to go back on batteries, yet it's staying on line mode...
image_ogwovx.jpgimage_junfwh.jpg
 
If you start a heavy appliance like an ac that in the start moment easy can take 5x the power the PIP among others will switch to grid as a precaution. This is normal and happens to most of them. The only way to force it not to go to grid is to disconnect the grid but it may not be preferable.

Why it doesnt go back i dont know. Mine goes back again but it takes time.
 
daromer said:
If you start a heavy appliance like an ac that in the start moment easy can take 5x the power the PIP among others will switch to grid as a precaution. This is normal and happens to most of them. The only way to force it not to go to grid is to disconnect the grid but it may not be preferable.

Why it doesnt go back i dont know. Mine goes back again but it takes time.
Click to expand...

would he maybe need to disable the overload bypass?
 
AZ_Tekkie said:
daromer said:
If you start a heavy appliance like an ac that in the start moment easy can take 5x the power the PIP among others will switch to grid as a precaution. This is normal and happens to most of them. The only way to force it not to go to grid is to disconnect the grid but it may not be preferable.

Why it doesnt go back i dont know. Mine goes back again but it takes time.
Click to expand...

would he maybe need to disable the overload bypass?
Click to expand...
How do you do that? Is it in the manual
 
I have not heard of that you can disable it and I don't recommend it either if its possible. Its there to protect the device in question.

Neither less it should go back to battery when it have seen that the over load is over and its back to normal. Look for a solution to that is my recommendation. Unfortunately i have not been using my PIP much more than just "offgrid" with no grid attached at all. This due to that I think it behaves weird with grid connected.

And i would love to switch out my MPP stuff against something else but its not possible right now :)
 
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