Lux ac battery controller

brookfields

madswitcher said:

Taking Control,

Call me paranoid if you wish, but with all the stuff going on in the world and the Internet being quite a nasty place, I would like to know if anyone knows how to take control of the LUX inverter and battery system: i.e. not send the data to the LUX servers which I assume are in China and connect to them directly on my home network

If you are familiar with MQTT, try this https://github.com/celsworth/lxp-bridge. I've got it set up for reading but not yet tried writing.

goRt

brookfields said:

madswitcher said:

Taking Control,

Call me paranoid if you wish, but with all the stuff going on in the world and the Internet being quite a nasty place, I would like to know if anyone knows how to take control of the LUX inverter and battery system: i.e. not send the data to the LUX servers which I assume are in China and connect to them directly on my home network

If you are familiar with MQTT, try this https://github.com/celsworth/lxp-bridge. I've got it set up for reading but not yet tried writing.

I use it for writing without issue (once you get over the naming of things) - gets me away from the time slipping issue
I read the Octopus API for current pricing and then force a charge as appropriate (no PV for me)

propnut

I intend to install and run Homeassist and use that to interface with all my home IoT as recommended by another member. However all you need to connect and full monitor your inverter is an old Android Tablet or iPad with the Lux app installed and them do a local connect to the inverter dongle. This is a direct connection, with no need for the inverter to talk to China. The app has ALL settings available in this mode.

cm4ever

propnut said:

I intend to install and run Homeassist and use that to interface with all my home IoT as recommended by another member. However all you need to connect and full monitor your inverter is an old Android Tablet or iPad with the Lux app installed and them do a local connect to the inverter dongle. This is a direct connection, with no need for the inverter to talk to China. The app has ALL settings available in this mode.

Thanks for that tip, I'd not realised that before. 

GAJ59

propnut said:

I intend to install and run Homeassist and use that to interface with all my home IoT as recommended by another member. However all you need to connect and full monitor your inverter is an old Android Tablet or iPad with the Lux app installed and them do a local connect to the inverter dongle. This is a direct connection, with no need for the inverter to talk to China. The app has ALL settings available in this mode.

I've got my two inverters on a 'guest' network, which I guess helps a little. I'll look into Homeassist, but do the manufacturers not need some access for warranty purposes or s/w  upgrades?

orrery

I've got the Lux a/c inverter and x4 Pylontech US5000, giving a nominal 20kWh storage.

Last night was the 1st charge with all 4 batteries connected and it charged at 3.3kW. I've looked on the app, and there is a parameter "Charge Current Limit" which is set to 66 (amps, presumably) as default. The battery BMS seems to declare 80 amps as the maximum charge current.

Anyone got the Lux with US5000 batteries? If so, what do you have the charge current limit set to?

propnut

orrery said:

I've got the Lux a/c inverter and x4 Pylontech US5000, giving a nominal 20kWh storage.

Last night was the 1st charge with all 4 batteries connected and it charged at 3.3kW. I've looked on the app, and there is a parameter "Charge Current Limit" which is set to 66 (amps, presumably) as default. The battery BMS seems to declare 80 amps as the maximum charge current.

Anyone got the Lux with US5000 batteries? If so, what do you have the charge current limit set to?

The Inverter communicates with the BMS on the battery to automatically set charge/discharge levels. Don't waste your time trying to set anything in either the app or the web dashboard. The next time you reboot the device and it reaches out to the Lux server, they wipe any of your custom setting (apart from AC charge) back to default.

ianatkin

If I recall correctly from the manual, the "Charge Current Limit" setting only does anything if you are using lead acid batteries, which no-one in the UK will be unless they're adventurous 🙂

philologus

After being on the 'blame the others' roundabout for a few weeks I've finally found a solution to my problems. (I hope.)

The Company that installed my PV system in May 2019 went bust and the Company that took over didn't take on the liabilities of the old one.

The installer was a member of HIES so I contacted them and got a quick response that told me that the new company had agreed to take on the work to fix my problem.

I was advised to write to the installer and tell them all my issues and what I expect to be done to solve them, and to send the letter Recorded Delivery and give them 14 days to reply. I've done that and I've sent a copy to HIES too.

Watch this space - but don't hold your breath!

The issues are that I ordered and paid for a 4.8kwh battery to be installed but only got a 2.4 one.

In my ignorance, I assumed that the battery they installed was a 4.8 - there's nothing on the battery to say otherwise. It wasn't until I decided that I'd like more battery storage 2.5 years later (by which time they had gone bust)  that I was told that my current battery was only a Pylontech 2.4

I started having issues with the inverter in November last year and then I found that the batteries were not charging or discharging. The orange cable between the inverter and the battery stack (I now have 4) had burnt out because moisture had got into the cable housing/covering that was supposed to be moisture proof.

That's when the blame game started.

I've asked to be reimbursed for the battery and an additional amount for the consequential loss of not being able to store more for 2.5 years.  I've asked that the inverter be checked for damage by an electrician and replaced if necessary. I've also asked for the cables and fittings to be replaced and the batteries to be charged and checked in case they have been compromised by not being sufficiently charged while I've been on the merry-go-round.

The letter was posted this afternoon so should arrive on Thursday.

I was on the verge of paying an electrician to come and sort it out at my expense rather than continue to lose battery storage as the days get longer. I hope this letter  turns out to be a better solution.

chainreaction

Ive used HIES before, as my solar installer, Sun Spirit, went under about a year after the install. I found them very responsive and sorted out my problem with a knowledgeable contractor.