hi
I have an ac500 with a b300s battery in South Africa.
I have attached 2 x Five Star 650w Mono Double Glass Bifacial Solar Panels in series to each of the DC1 and DC2 solar inputs.
However, I am getting a max PV input of 640W from all 4 panels.
It appears I am restricted to 3A input from PV panel charging.
I have tried changing it to 10A, but it refuses to do so.
Does anyone have any ideas what I can do to get the 1000W+ from each of the PV inputs from my solar panels?
Hello! A couple of thoughts about your situation. First, you can only set incoming amps for the AC input (grid input), not for solar. So, that leads to my second thought, what setting do you have for your PV input? On my AC300 I have the option of “PV” or “Other”, and for solar it needs to be set to “PV”. I believe the AC500 has a similar option to select, and having the wrong setting there would affect your solar input.
Hi
Yes, it does, and it is set to PV.
My understanding is that it defaults to 15A on PV, but that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case.
My AC200Max has no problem with 2 x 555w panels and gives the full 900W.
So, this has been so frustrating.
I should have 1300W on each of the PV inputs but am only getting 320W on each.
DC1 and DC2 both show ±92V and 320W as PV input.
So, I am at a loss and extremely frustrated.
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This is rather odd. So, if I understand, you have 4 panels, set up as two separate arrays of 2 panels in series? So, each array output should be approximately 101.3 volts at open circuit (assuming I found the correct panels online). Since you have two separate arrays (I have 2 separate arrays on mine also) you should not be using the parallel mode for the PV input – this will make the MPPTs controllers work independently.
The only other thing I can suggest, besides verifying the output voltage, would be to connect each of the arrays to your AC200Max. Since the Voc of the arrays are within the specs of the PV input on the AC200Max (again, assuming the information I found online is correct) you can connect the arrays one at a time and see if they work there. You won’t get anything more than the 900 watts, but if you get that much then the arrays would seem to be working fine.
Hi
Specs are as follows:
- 1 x 650W Five Star Mono Double Glass Bifacial Solar Panel
- Peak power (Pmax): 650W
- Open Circuit Voltage (Voc): 45.9V
- Max Power Voltage (Vmp): 41.77V
- Short Circuit Current (Isc): 18.57A
- Max Power Current(lmp): 15.57A
- Power Selection: 0 ~+ 5W
- IEC 61215-1/1-11-2;2016 and IEC 6173D-1/2;2016 certified
- Safety class based on IEC 61140: ClassII
- Maximum System voltage: 1500V
- Maximum Over current protection Rating: 25A
- Power Production tolerance: +_3%
- Open circuit voltage Tolerance: +_2%
- Short Circuit Current tolerance: +_4%
- Size: 2279 x 1134 x 35mm
- Weight: 28kg
Warranty – 25 Year Manufacturer Warranty
The only item above spec is the 18.57A Short Circuit Current.
But that is below the 25A safety margin on the AC500 as I understand, and it will merely take 15A and dump the rest.
The panels specs are too high for the AC200Max I think.
But will check it out and see.
I will post results once done.
Nighttime here now so no sun - 23H13.
Thanks for assist ideas.
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Hi Henry
The good news is the solution is actually really simple.
Bluetti restrict the PV charge rate on the AC500 based on the SOC of the battery.
Above 90% SOC = 25% of solar input.
Above 80% SOC = 50% of solar input.
Below 80% SOC varies up to 100% of solar input.
So, I was panicking for nothing - lol.
I discovered this by accident, as it is not documented anywhere that I can find.
I have screen shots from the app to show exactly what I am saying.
This is winter sun with some cloud cover in South Africa.
So, I am impressed with the AC500.
Wish they would provide ability to PV charge according to load as opposed to SOC of the battery or even a mix of the two.
Regards
Andrew
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Great news, I’m glad it’s actually working well. Yes, the rate of charging is affected by the battery SOC to prevent overheating and damage to the cells. I have 4 B300’s with my AC300, so that affect pretty much disappears and I have seen 2,400 watts incoming solar with my batteries at 99%. Then as more of the individual batteries get topped up that charge rate will reduce. There is at least some affect on the rate of charging based on the output load on the unit, but you are correct in that the primary influencer seems to be the state of the batteries.
Hi Henry
Thanks for the input.
I am just frustrated by the fact that they do not mention these things in the manuals, and we waste a huge amount of time looking for problems that do not actually exist.
But worst of all is the fact that the figures I eventually worked out negatively affect the whole solar performance of the generator.
Why would you charge completely using AC power and not follow the same process with PV power?
It implies that the MPTT controller is not that great (not sure if it the controller or the configuration thereof).
I have a 5KW Growatt Hybrid inverter which is totally configurable with regards to charging for both AC and PV inputs.
My batteries are now nearly 5 years old and are still in perfect condition and hold charge as expected as well as recharge to 90% within 60 minutes.
It then slows down to conserve the batteries as well.
Hence my negative comment about the unit.
However, I still like the unit and am looking forward to seeing how it performs long term.
My experience with Bluetti has been up and down with different units.
- AC200Max - excellent unit (AC charge was slow and noisy with the brick, but PV charge
is great with 900W solar and makes up for it. - EB70 - worst unit out of all my generators (Made me go to smaller Ecoflow as an
alternative to run a refrigerator - apparently it maybe faulty, so jury out on that one till I
get it back). - AC500 - seems good in all aspects other that the solar PV charging so far, which is not
the end of the world but is a disappointment as far as I am concerned.
Maybe there is a setting or Bluetti can update the BIOS to allow us certain freedoms
with the charge rates for PV.
Alternatively, just bring PV and AC charging in line with each other.
The safety features are however excellent in all the units, so congratulations on that score.
Regards
Andrew
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Thank you for this post which I read with interest !
Without taking anything away from the remarks you’ve made, and being aware that all this costs a bit of money !: I’ll add an extra B300s battery, which will help absorb the solar surplus you have that makes me envious, here in northern Europe (and it will probably extend the life of your first B300s). Of course if the extra capacity of a second B300S is useful to you.
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Are you getting your amp numbers from calculations or from an ammeter? You can get a clamp on ammeter pretty cheap these days.
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While you’re right about the charging rate slowing as SOC gets high, I just looked at mine and I was drawing 2.5kw from my 3k array, at 95% SOC. Above 95% it slowed down all the way to 0W at 100%.
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On the APP, you can tap on the PV button and it will show watts and voltage to each input (DC1 and DC2). The calculated amps from this will never be more than 15A each input.
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As with all panels, don’t expect to get 650W from the panel laying it on the ground. First, they never reach the advertised wattage. Second, to get the most wattage it also needs to get light on the backside. You can’t mount these on a flat surface like a roof. They need to be mounted so the back can catch reflected light, (but you still won’t see the full 650W.) You can hook up one panel at a time and the APP will act like a wattmeter, (and also volts after you tap it.) There will also be some some variance between all four panels.
Thank you for the input.
I understand what you are saying about not getting full wattage from the panels and I do not expect to.
I am mounting my panels vertically with a slight angle to get the reflection from behind against a vertical wall.
So, my concern is not the charge rate from the panels.
I get over 600W on my other inverter for each panel.
If you look at the readings above in my post, you will see what I am saying.
My experience has not been the same as yours.
My comparisons happen over a relatively short period of time with the same environmental status for the tests.
You will see time and power drawn as well as power received from the panels all from the application directly.
My original concern was that I wasn’t receiving 15A, but that wasn’t the case.
I then figured out as demonstrated in the reading that the power input from PV was being controlled by SOC and load usage was being ignored.
That is my concern.
Why not use both readings to decide a rate of PV charge.
AC power does exactly that.
I hope that clarifies my question and observations.
Regards
I will probably add a few more batteries as you suggest.
I bought this one to test the quality of the power generator and see what it delivered.
I have more solar panels that I am not using because they would just be wasted at the moment on this unit.
All that will happen is the batteries will take more of a hammering if they do not handle load with PV power like they do with AC power and batteries are allowed to drain and recharge continuously.
I have tried both PV Priority UPS Mode and Standard UPS mode.