Lux ac battery controller

newbuilder

chainreaction said:

Thanks newbuilder, I have a SOLIC equivalent called powerdiverter by solar electric (quite big in australia), which diverts power to the immersion when >50w export (or >100w export if the powerdiverter device which looks at export and then tells the diverter to load up etc is run on batteries rather than AC). it has its own ct clamp on the tails just before our smart meter. I have had issues with the powerdiverter doing exactly what your SOLIC was doing when the inverter was under hi load. Ive largely stopped this by having the powerdiverter detecting device sat on a timer which allows the powerdiverter to divert excess electric from 10:30 to 17:00. Anything beforehand will go to the batteries, anything after 5 will largely be nothing, support cooking or recharing the batteries after any cooking we have done. This means the batteries will be fully charged first, then hot water or if i decide EV. I use solcast api for specifc data about the solar irradiance for my system so I can manually decide each evening how much recharge of the batteries i will do via the low rate period. for most of the summer this has been zero other than probably a handful of days. 
Looks like your SOLIC starts to divert as soon as it sees any export - can this be changed in the SOLIC world? A quick read on the internet and SOLIC200 has 2 modes of operation, yours has been installed on mode 2, in mode 1 you set a threshold at which power flows to the immersion. it reads like a "qualified electrician" is required for this. you may be able to use the minimum setting of 100w in this mode and have your ct clamp reversed so that SOLIC will start to divert power if the export is >100w. I may be totally off piste here from my read but may be worth tinkering.  

Unfortunately they did away with that form when they upgraded so that no power would be lost and all would be diverted!

chainreaction

Thanks solarchaser I followed up again with the person I've been speaking too at Lux and after checking they confirmed there is a grid ct offset they can adjust. my ct has been offset by 60w (done in 20w steps) to move the import of circa 20w continuous to 10w export. Newbuilder (or anyone else) if you contact lux on info@luxpowertek.com with your serial ID of your controller and the problem (continuous import) and also cc in shahin@luxpowertek.com (the person i have been dealing with). you should get resolution. The changes are done instantly and Ive emailed shahin in the morning and he responds generally v quickly.

newbuilder

Thanks I am getting that support now but can’t seem to shift it down. Maybe my set up as explained a couple posts higher. Anyone able to get me another Ct clamp made by luxpower? Tried but the questioning was like I was trying to hack the full network! 

chainreaction

There is data sheet info on the luxpowertek website for the ct clamps they use and a facility to "send inquiry" whatever that means. My clamp is marked Yaunxing CTSA016-100A/100mA E466650, could always see if any of the 100A/100mA clamps available in the uk match. Can you post a line drawing of your set up as I cant quite picture it.

newbuilder

@chainreaction

This set up with the additional was recommended to me after I contacted Inifinity (the sole supplier of Lux to UK market) and they directed me on to a specific engineer in one of the other popular Solar redirection hot water suppliers.

I tried to compare the spec and got https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B094FZBCQC/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

newbuilder

So got this as a reply 

Actually I have set the CT offset power but it getting back to zero. I asked to software engineer he said still didn't add this function.

If add this function i will change bit. 

chainreaction

thanks I understand, I havent got any experience of using ct extension blocks. the email i used with him was nuclearchainreaction@hotmail.com, may jog his short term memory. if the SOLIC ct clamp is close to the main DB then could be a possibility of looping a circuit through the SOLIC clamp that has a constant load on it (eg50w-100w) then you would need > than this load export before the SOLIC sees it. 

newbuilder

the extension blocks are just the CT joined to a CAt 5 cable as my inverter is in the garage. 

chainreaction

again you may have tried this, have a look on the learn.openenergymonitor.org site and this link is to constructing a system for multiple diverters (battery and immersion heater diverter)

https://learn.openenergymonitor.org/pv-diversion/usingmultiplediverters

It says looping the immersion live backwards through the lux controller ct will stop the lux thinking it needs to supply the extra load when the SOLIC kicks in and hence try and drain the battery.

newbuilder

Okay good news. The myenergi CT clamp is compatible and reading really well and it is cheaper than the Lux!