On-grid domestic battery storage

joefizz

1961Nick wrote: »

Something like this is what I was hoping for...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9PLPzRQjdo

Right! With you now, not the inverter but using the comms port for the batteries themselves...
Shouldnt be that difficult to do but with more than one battery will override the inverter battery balancing. It will become a more active task though, as in you will have to manage it rather than just let it get on with it.
No time today to have a look but if you could network the batteries themselves then it would be easier to do.

1961Nick

joefizz wrote: »

Right! With you now, not the inverter but using the comms port for the batteries themselves...
Shouldnt be that difficult to do but with more than one battery will override the inverter battery balancing. It will become a more active task though, as in you will have to manage it rather than just let it get on with it.
No time today to have a look but if you could network the batteries themselves then it would be easier to do.

My priority would be 2 way comms with the inverter.

The comms with the battery would be for information only. I doubt I’d ever have a need to alter anything.

EVandPV

Does the Pylon LV-HUB device offer any other form of communication or is it just for joining banks of Pylons in parallel ?

1961Nick

EVandPV wrote: »

Does the Pylon LV-HUB device offer any other form of communication or is it just for joining banks of Pylons in parallel ?

As far as I know, it's just for handling the communication between banks of 8 batteries.

joefizz

Right, had a quick look this morning. It is possible for both...
...but...
and thats a 72 point font but...


Firstly the batteries. You can connect to the batteries comms ports directly via CAN and RS232. If you dont know what either of that entails its probably best to stop there. ;-)
That gives you local access to the batteries and if you have multiple batteries connected it will give you access to all. The pinouts for both are in the pylontech manual (and online if you search). That doesnt give you remote access but you can get serial to wifi converters but for a first step thats just more stuff in the way. If you dont have an old laptop with serial connection then probably best stop there as well as you will not know if you are fault finding your laptop, the batteries or the connection.
Once you have the connection you will need software to talk to the batteries, you could talk nicely to the manufacturer, your supplier or use relevant search terms on the net and sign up to various forums where it may be available.... Or if you have a bit of knowledge go through a terminal shell with a command line interface (the data blocks are again net searchable).
Either way if you go that route there is a very real possibility of turning your expensive kit into nothing more than a really big heavy paperweight. Ive seen experienced people do this and they look like they need a sugary drink and wrapped in a space blanket when they realise...
So it is doable with the pylontech and its easy enough if you know what you are doing. I do but wont be doing it unless something breaks...


As for the sofar, all of the above is possible but if you are already standing there then you can just use the clunky menu system and screen provided. The display and the solarman apps give enough information anyway and Ive not used it all.
The solarman app can be used in both web connection to their server but also in point to point to initially set up the wifi.
If it were something I wanted Id drop sofar an email with what I wanted to do, the steps you have to take and ask them if its something they could included in the next release to either add it as a quick menu function or if it was something they could add to the solarman app in point to point mode. If its a selling point or something a lot of people would use then they might add it to the release list.
Certainly when I worked in this area feedback from how people actually used the kit was very useful as requirements and theories only get you so far. (no pun intended).

As the solarman app in point to point mode does some configuration, you would think this wouldnt be a big change.... ...either way its still not an ideal solution because you need to switch to point to point mode on your phone/tablet whatever and back again but a minor inconvenience over going outside/loft/on your knees in a cupboard somewhere.
Ive found the sofar people useful in what Ive asked them so that would be my first option to see what they can do, save you all the faffing around with cables, old laptops etc. They can only say no.

EVandPV

Finally I can post links !

@joefizz, is this the kind of thing your referring to ...... https://youtu.be/7VyQjKU3MsU

joefizz

EVandPV wrote: »

Finally I can post links !

@joefizz, is this the kind of thing your referring to ...... https://youtu.be/7VyQjKU3MsU

Ahh if only Id found that video before typing all that out! Yes!
You can pick those little boards up for next to nothing, I think my wifi with micro boards were about 4 quid each. Or you could use an arduino or raspberry pi if you are already doing this sort of thing with them. I wouldnt dedicate one to it though as its overkill but if like in the video you were doing home automation anyway its not much extra.

EVandPV

joefizz wrote: »

Ahh if only Id found that video before typing all that out! Yes!
You can pick those little boards up for next to nothing, I think my wifi with micro boards were about 4 quid each. Or you could use an arduino or raspberry pi if you are already doing this sort of thing with them. I wouldnt dedicate one to it though as its overkill but if like in the video you were doing home automation anyway its not much extra.

I know my way around arduino, I used an UNO to control a solid state relay in my diy immersion controller, so this looks doable.
What sort of configuration does the solarman app provide in point to point mode ?

joefizz

EVandPV wrote: »

I know my way around arduino, I used an UNO to control a solid state relay in my diy immersion controller, so this looks doable.
What sort of configuration does the solarman app provide in point to point mode ?

Last time I checked, which was a while ago, it was only wifi setup. (or only wifi setup that I noticed). You log in to it in point to point, set up your home wifi access and it switches over.
Theres no hard lan port. Come to think of it I think the above post may not be accurate for the sofar as I dont know if the can and comms ports are just for polling the batteries or not. Off the top of my head I cant remember a service comms port (there will be one somewhere)

ASavvyBuyer

All this chat about the Sofar & PylonTech Batteries had me looking for the latest spec.

Found them here & here

I am starting to work out if it would be worthwhile, based on being able to charge it through the winter months on the Octopus Go 5p/kWh rate.

However, noticed that some suppliers appear to have put up the price recently ; maybe too much demand.