Sounds like a good system and has been through some growing pains. 8 years of software upgrades, internet connectivity and a lightning strike. I would say yes, an 8 year old battery bank might need to be replaced. I’d start with a load test looking for a particular battery issue. Also, I’d look at the OpticsRE to see what all the settings are that fit the philosophy of use. Now is a good time to switch to Lithium, if the environmental conditions are right and the customer is ready.
Maverick Brown Off-Grid Solar Commander since 2006 Maverick Solar Enterprises, Inc. • Solar Commander Remote Power • SunFlow Systems Cathodic Protection maver...@mavericksolar.com 512-460-9825 > On Oct 26, 2022, at 7:05 PM, Drake Chamberlin via RE-wrenches > <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> wrote: > > Hello All, > > Suzanne Csejtey of Design Energy contacted me with an Outback Radian / > Flexmax 80 system problem. I don't know what is going on with this system. > Below is her description of the problem. Any help would be appreciated. > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > System installed 2014. > > 6.6kW PV, Outback Radian 8048 inverter, (2) x Midnite Classic 200 charge > controllers, 600Ah > Battery bank (12 x 12V 200Ah Outback Energycell ) for backup of 100A aux panel > > It worked great, but the customer was always disappointed that she couldn’t > show her system > online on one screen, because the Midnite charge controllers didn’t talk to > the Outback Mate 3. > In 2017 the charge controllers were changed to (2) x Outback Flexmax 80’s, > and problems > started a couple years after that. The system would shut down at least once a > month, start up > the next day, and the electrician couldn’t find the problem but suspected > grid instability. Outback tech support couldn’t help until the system was on > OpticsRE, late 2021. Tech support resolved the shutdown issue this year with > 2 nd firmware upgrade and a few settings adjusted on Mate3. > > Radian GS8048 updated 2021, verified 8/2022 from tech support but I am not > finding the > firmware number. August 2022 tech support walked through our settings and > verified all ok with batteries, CCs. Adjusted Mate3 to establish OpticsRE > connection, verified not selling from > battery/backup only. > > Worked very well until this September when a lightning storm apparently took > out the internet > modem and inverter comms with it. Solar and battery still working. Outback > told us to replace > the Mate3 and Hub, and then the FlexNet DC monitor. Latest firmware update > attempted on > new Mate3s when received, 001.004.007 but it was already installed and ready > to go. > > Instead of setting everything up again from scratch after replacing Mate3 > with Mate3S we > decided to see if the charge controllers would repopulate the old > information, as recommended > in the Outback forum. Then tried to get help to verify settings from Outback > support. Support > had been very helpful in the past but this time we weren’t so lucky and the > person just let us > know that wasn’t their job and sent a link to the manual. But the batteries > appeared to be at > 100%, set not to sell, backup only, max PV self-consumption. The plan was to > find more help to > verify settings and keep an eye on the system. > > Seemed to be working very well until it went > crazy last week, when the Mate showed alarm, batteries discharged down to 6%, > then up to > 100%, then everything shut down completely. > > Programming may be a big part of the issue. Also hearing that the age of the > AGM batteries may have been a factor, 8 years. That sometimes dying batteries > cause odd behavior? > ---------------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks in advance. > > Drake > > Drake Chamberlin > Athens Electric LLC > Ohio Electrical Contractor’s License 44810 > CO Master Electrician’s License 4526 > NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional > > -- > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Redwood Alliance > > Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Change listserver email address & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > There are two list archives for searching. When one doesn't work, try the > other: > https://www.mail-archive.com/re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org/ > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out or update participant bios: > http://www.members.re-wrenches.org >
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