Solax Battery User Mode

MikeHEQA

Hi I have Solax AC-3.6kW inverter with two Solax Batteries one master and one slave both 5.8kW, all working fine in Self Use Mode, do I have to change to Force Use Mode to 
utilise Octopus Go tariff, to charge the batteries at 0030-0430 hrs... at the cheaper tariff rate of 0.075p, 

I have set up the two charge time settings the same... 0030-0430hrs for Period 1 and Period 2.

On my Solax App iphone, noticed for Force Time Use... only Charge times are available.

Should there also be Discharge Time Use settings?  to use this Mode or do you have to change to and fro Self Use Mode and Force Use Mode,  Can not seem to find it.

Looking to use the cheap Octopus Go charge times to charge the batteries.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Exiled_Tyke

You only need to set up the Force Time Use period and the rest should look after itself.

MikeHEQA

@ Exiled Tyke, thanks, changed the iphone App to Force Time Use, batteries charged from 0030 hrs to 0145hrs to 100%...battery system went into Standby Mode looking at the Solax AC-3.6kW inverter screen, so then returned to setting Self Use Mode... which seems to work..

Are you saying for the Winter months, less Solar PV, use setting Force Time Use all the time? Only have on the iphone App 
Charge Times for 2 periods, how does the inverter system know to Discharge when a load is applied ie Kettle...

New to this battery storage, installer left very little info on the running.  I had to late evening change the CT as per the Solax
X1 AC-3.6kW inverter instructions, so the Arrow faced to the Public Grid, only noticed this when boiling the kettle for a cup of coffee and thought what is the battery doing, only to be in Standby Mode or Idle, when CT changed over, the Battery responded to output the power when the kettle was active load.   Learnt something there.


The Solax Apps online are mostly for Hybrid, as they have Discharge Settings, the AC inverter only has Charge Time settings.

Anymore insight to the workings greatly appreciated.

MikeHEQA

@ Exiled Tyke now on Force Time Use since late Sunday night to just see how the system ran, for charging cheap rate on Octopus Go.  After charge time period battery goes to standby waiting for house load, thanks again.

Had to increase the iBoost + settings for Threshold Input from Default 100w to over 350w to prioritise the battery first, then HW.

Be interesting to see how the Hypervolt 2.0 EV charger works in conjunction with the Solax Batteries charging at the same Octopus Go cheap rate period, whether a confliction between the two occur; i.e. battery attempting to charge the Car.

Exiled_Tyke

Ok a couple of thoughts.

1. When the battery is charing on Force Time then any household use will come off the grid , which is what you want as it's cheap electricity

2. I leave it set up all year round at the moment.  I could turn it off in summer but knowing exactly when is difficult to judge. One gloomy day and I get it wrong and end up importing expensive electricty. So I'd rather top up the battery cheaply knowing I'll have enough to get through the day.

3.  I've had to make sure my installer understands my priorities to make sure that the EV charger does not drain the battery.  They are confident that it's right but I haven't tested it yet. 

M1kes

I've had a Solax hybrid inverter with solar panels and batteries just installed, along with Octopus Go for charging my EV.

there are a couple of settings I made, so that I can top-up/charge the batteries overnight using the Go tariff, and importantly not discharge the battery while charging the car, or if you are using any other appliances over night on cheap rate (washing machine/dishwasher etc).

1. Leave the usage mode as 'self-use' and under that set 'charge from grid'=enable and set the 'charge battery to (%)' value.
     i set mine at 80% as its winter and not much sun around, & in the summer i'll hopefully reduce it.
2. In 'Chrg&Dishrge Period' set the force charge start time to 00:30 and the 'Forced Charge Period End' time to 04:30
    I also set the 'Allow Disc Period Start' to 04:30 and 'Allowed Disc End Period time' to 00:30.

Mikeyboy01443

M1kes said:

I've had a Solax hybrid inverter with solar panels and batteries just installed, along with Octopus Go for charging my EV.

there are a couple of settings I made, so that I can top-up/charge the batteries overnight using the Go tariff, and importantly not discharge the battery while charging the car, or if you are using any other appliances over night on cheap rate (washing machine/dishwasher etc).

1. Leave the usage mode as 'self-use' and under that set 'charge from grid'=enable and set the 'charge battery to (%)' value.
     i set mine at 80% as its winter and not much sun around, & in the summer i'll hopefully reduce it.
2. In 'Chrg&Dishrge Period' set the force charge start time to 00:30 and the 'Forced Charge Period End' time to 04:30
    I also set the 'Allow Disc Period Start' to 04:30 and 'Allowed Disc End Period time' to 00:30.

i do the same on mine, set the discharge period for outside of the GO hours. i set mine to charge to 100% at the moment (i only started grid charging in winter, never bothered beforehand)

kingcobra_2

Mikeyboy01443 said:

M1kes said:

I've had a Solax hybrid inverter with solar panels and batteries just installed, along with Octopus Go for charging my EV.

there are a couple of settings I made, so that I can top-up/charge the batteries overnight using the Go tariff, and importantly not discharge the battery while charging the car, or if you are using any other appliances over night on cheap rate (washing machine/dishwasher etc).

1. Leave the usage mode as 'self-use' and under that set 'charge from grid'=enable and set the 'charge battery to (%)' value.
     i set mine at 80% as its winter and not much sun around, & in the summer i'll hopefully reduce it.
2. In 'Chrg&Dishrge Period' set the force charge start time to 00:30 and the 'Forced Charge Period End' time to 04:30
    I also set the 'Allow Disc Period Start' to 04:30 and 'Allowed Disc End Period time' to 00:30.

i do the same on mine, set the discharge period for outside of the GO hours. i set mine to charge to 100% at the moment (i only started grid charging in winter, never bothered beforehand)

I’ve tried this but there are no adjustable options under self use mode, is this under basic mode or does it need to be done under the other modes?

thanks

Mikeyboy01443

On the app, go to setting > basic, you should see the following?
This is what i have my charge window set to, if i want to charge from grid any other time ie. During ida before saving session, i just adjust the time accordingly 

MikeHEQA

For Solax X1 AC 3.6kw inverter Settings are different to Solax Hybrid inverters.

Self Use - charge only solar; EV charger depletes battery 🪫 

Force Time Use - charge from Grid then solar during daylight hours

To charge my EV by Octopus Go
enter time Period 1:

0030-0430 hrs 

Battery 🔋 not used by EV charger
still charging battery to 100% (11.6 kw)
Master + Slave batteries.

Controlled by CT clamp on Live Grid Import cable after Main DNO Meter.

Not tried Hypervolt 2.0 EV charger on Eco setting at 6A or 1.4 kWh with solar and battery.

Super Eco with just solar will be great alone in the better solar days.

priority is house  base load 290W then high consumption loads ( Solax AC 3.6kW inverter produces max power 3680W
then lowers power accordingly; battery charging and finally heating hot water tank via iBoost + iBoost Buddy (located on hallway very informative on heating hot water, export and incoming grid power to certain point, with daily kWh use, weekly, monthly consumption plus total consumption overall the iBoost+ has been in operational use.  Total use 1440 kWh 
since September 2021.

Solax X1AC inverter + batteries installed Nov 2022. Has made a big difference on reducing Peak power usage to less than 20 kWh per month all rest on off- peak power 

Mikeyboy01443

MikeHEQA said:

For Solax X1 AC 3.6kw inverter Settings are different to Solax Hybrid inverters.

Self Use - charge only solar; EV charger depletes battery 🪫 

Force Time Use - charge from Grid then solar during daylight hours

To charge my EV by Octopus Go
enter time Period 1:

0030-0430 hrs 

Battery 🔋 not used by EV charger
still charging battery to 100% (11.6 kw)
Master + Slave batteries.

Controlled by CT clamp on Live Grid Import cable after Main DNO Meter.

Not tried Hypervolt 2.0 EV charger on Eco setting at 6A or 1.4 kWh with solar and battery.

Super Eco with just solar will be great alone in the better solar days.

priority is house  base load 290W then high consumption loads ( Solax AC 3.6kW inverter produces max power 3680W
then lowers power accordingly; battery charging and finally heating hot water tank via iBoost + iBoost Buddy (located on hallway very informative on heating hot water, export and incoming grid power to certain point, with daily kWh use, weekly, monthly consumption plus total consumption overall the iBoost+ has been in operational use.  Total use 1440 kWh 
since September 2021.

Solax X1AC inverter + batteries installed Nov 2022. Has made a big difference on reducing Peak power usage to less than 20 kWh per month all rest on off- peak power 

What was your monthly usage beforehand? My usage during winter was still quite high