This is the first time I'm hearing of that. The product line is still listed on their website.
On Fri, Feb 14, 2025, 1:28 PM Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches < [email protected]> wrote: > They discontinued the Conext line. Mo more XWs > > On Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 9:45 AM Glenn via RE-wrenches < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Whoa, what did I miss? >> How is Schneider out of the picture? >> >> -Glenn >> >> On Feb 14, 2025 12:28, Michael Morningstar via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> I think I have seen or heard of issues and failures with all of the Li >> batteries at this point. Even my favorite, Discover. So then, what is most >> important to me is good tech support and customer service. Discover has >> been awesome. Midnite has been great too. Discover is releasing a >> 16kwhr battery very soon. Most of my OG systems for several years have been >> Schneider/Discover. With Schneider out of the picture, I started using more >> Victron equipment with Discover batteries. Now there's the Midnite AIO and >> Powerlo16s. I've done several GTBB systems and like that combo for that >> application. Bill's post reminded me of the Rosie/Barcelona. I'm wondering >> what the pro's and cons are between the AIO and R/B for off-grid. Not many >> choices left these days >> >> On Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 6:47 AM Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> I didn't initially realize they have the Powerflo16 outdoor >> wallmount battery. I see you can get that capacity with it now. It's >> disappointing that the stackable 5kWh Powerflo5 is limited to 80kWh (also >> 16 units). Most of my clients build dedicated battery/inverter buildings >> and need massive capacities to run their properties. I am trying to wrap my >> head around how a multi-inverter Midnite AIO might be able to take >> advantage of multiple un-paralleled battery banks to get around this >> limitation. I'm waiting on a call from a Midnite rep to discuss this and >> other questions I have. >> >> Jason Szumlanski >> Principal Solar Designer | Florida Solar Design Group >> NABCEP Certified Solar Professional (PVIP) >> Florida State Certified Solar Contractor CVC56956 >> Florida Certified Electrical Contractor EC13013208 >> >> >> On Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 9:00 AM Amos Post via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi Jason, >> >> It looks like the limit to Midnite PowerFlo is 257kwh. >> (16.076kwh/unit*16units in parallel). >> >> Best, >> Amos >> >> >> Amos Post >> Integrity Energy >> W 802.763.7023 >> C 802.291.2188 >> ienergyVT.com <http://www.ienergyvt.com> >> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/integrityenergyllp?ref=hl> >> >> On Feb 12, 2025, at 5:22 PM, Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> Thanks for the feedback, Lou. >> >> Yep, they all seem to be borrowing the "delay and deny" tactic from the >> insurance industry. It's an epidemic. Solar module manufacturers are doing >> this, too (I'm looking at you, REC and Silfab, who have given me the D&D >> treatment on two clear-cut warranty issues recently). I will continue to >> give Enphase kudos for having readily available and mostly competent >> customer service reps and a refreshingly liberal warranty process, >> especially if you are experienced and know how to work the customer service >> reps correctly to lead them to the right answer. >> >> Regarding the firmware issues on inverters and batteries, I have high >> hopes for Midnite's AIO and MNPowerflo, given their claims that firmware >> updates are tested, simultaneous, and seamless. This is a far cry from >> Sol-Ark's new policy of refusing to do firmware updates unless a technician >> is standing by on-site. It sounds like Midnite is listening, and the rest >> are content with accepting mediocrity and pushing issues onto installers. >> >> And don't get me started about HomeGrid's pathetic app and registration >> process... That little Gen 3 WiFi antenna gives you such high hopes, only >> to end in huge disappointment. The app doesn't even seem to work. >> >> Jason Szumlanski >> Principal Solar Designer | Florida Solar Design Group >> NABCEP Certified Solar Professional (PVIP) >> Florida State Certified Solar Contractor CVC56956 >> Florida Certified Electrical Contractor EC13013208 >> >> >> On Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 1:08 AM Lou Russo via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> The current trend of manufacturers resisting issuing RMAs is concerning. >> The amount of work they want us to do to confirm their problem is >> staggering (Looking at you SolarEdge). With that said, we only have 7 >> systems with HomeGrid batteries. We have had only one issue with them and >> it was firmware related. Unfortunately their firmware upgrade process is a >> total kludge so much so that like Jason, I just let them take over my >> laptop and let them handle it. It really made me appreciate Discover's >> software and firmware update process. We have a lot of Discover batteries >> out there and like the EG4s you can just shut off the bad battery and move >> on. In addition, if you have a battery module that is "dark start low" you >> can actually "charge" it (it's more like spilling electricity) from a good >> battery in the stack by turning off all the loads and charging sources >> (i.e. the inverter) and all the battery modules except one good one and the >> bad one. After you get the low one to a decent state of charge you can fire >> everything up and put a good balance charge on the entire stack. I have >> found their support to be great as well. They also just took their remote >> battery monitoring out of beta so now you can see battery info directly >> online. Which is nice. I am a big fan of having redundant monitoring so we >> can "trust but verify" the data being reported by the various components. I >> am still bummed they ended production of the 42-48-6650, the build quality >> was ridiculously good. I am little leary of their replacement, >> the 48-48-5120, but it seems to be doing fine in our installs. It has only >> been a year or so, so the jury is still out. But all the same features I >> described above apply. >> >> Aloha, >> >> Lou Russo >> Owner >> [email protected] >> Office - 808 345 6762 >> Spree Solar Systems LLC >> CT-34322 >> >> >> >> On Tue, Feb 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> For what it's worth, they haven't said anything about internet >> connectivity on these two systems I'm dealing with right now, and they are >> both Gen 3. >> >> One site has a bunch of firmware discrepancies, and this is the site with >> one module that has all cells low voltage. Not sure if it's even >> recoverable. It's sitting at 39V. >> >> The other site has all the same firmware. This is the one I went to >> today. One of 16 modules (2 full stacks) has one of 15 cells internally >> that is low voltage. To me, that's a clear warranty swap situation, but >> customer service wasn't having it. Disassemble the battery and charge it? >> That's not a solution. It has been escalated. We will see what happens. >> >> Clearly we should be able to take these back to the shop for diagnostics >> at a minimum and get them RMA'd. Requiring the purchase of a Windows laptop >> and a battery charger is not ideal for sure. >> >> The only good thing I can say is customer service took over my PC today >> remotely and ran diagnostics after installing the required software (which >> isn't a fast process). I was expecting them to say, "yep it's toast and >> we're sending you a new one, valued customer." >> >> No such luck. >> >> Jason >> >> >> On Tue, Feb 11, 2025, 6:48 PM Tyrone Houck via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> Yep. And the 10 year warranty is only good if connected to the internet. >> Firmware update of every module is crucial or else there will likely be >> imbalances. You may be able to address it as 1 and shut of the others and >> charge it through the bus but if it's cell voltage is too low it may be an >> rma situation. I have had similar issues especially with gen 2. Zero issues >> yet with any gen 3 modules but the internet thing really struck a nerve as >> they only just recently got their internet monitoring functional.. having >> to go back to every site is a serious pain just to ensure what should be a >> basic warranty. Best of luck and feel free to contact me offsite if you >> have any other questions I might be able to help with. >> Tyrone Houck >> Oregon Solarworks LLC >> CCB #204937 LRT #076 >> 541-787-1366 >> [email protected] >> >> >> >> On Tue, Feb 11, 2025, 3:36 PM Jason Szumlanski via RE-wrenches < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi Wrenches, >> >> I am regretting some HomeGrid Stack'd off-grid installations right now. >> There is a major flaw in the way these function in an error state. For >> those of you that don't know, these 48V batteries are stacked with a single >> BMS on top, covering up to 8 batteries below. Each battery module has a >> circuit breaker and dip switches to identify the battery communication >> number and location in the stack. Each BMS can be paralleled to additional >> stacks with communication cabling. >> >> The issue is when one battery module goes into an error state. What will >> happen is that battery stack's BMS will recognize the error, and then shut >> down the whole stack. This cascades to the other stacks and the system >> shuts down - fails to deliver 48V at the output terminals on the BMS of any >> stack. >> >> That is annoying, but what's even more problematic is you can't just shut >> off the offending battery to bypass it. You need to physically change all >> of the dip switches to bypass it and then reprogram the BMS to re-recognize >> the new module count (after taking it out of parallel). This is all very >> time consuming and requires the inverter system to be shut down. Even if a >> battery is not in an error state, you can't just turn it off. The whole >> system goes haywire. >> >> Once you have it bypassed, you can hook up a RS-232 cable (Mac users need >> not apply) and use their software to gather diagnostics. Customer service >> will then want to do additional diagnostics with the battery in the stock, >> but that is not reasonable in and off-grid system where uptime is critical. >> One of the faulty modules I am dealing with was diagnosed as one of 15 >> cells with low voltage. The "solution" is to take it out of the stack and >> charge it to 100% with an external charger. >> >> By the time I'm done with all of the diagnostic nonsense, I can almost >> pay for a new battery with the lost labor. Isn't the whole idea for this >> not to happen with balancing done automatically? It was suggested to me >> that it didn't get charged to 100% often enough, and that is why it >> happened. That isn't an acceptable reason for failure in an off-grid >> system. >> >> I hate to say this, but EG4 has a far better 5kWh solution in this >> respect. Each module has it's own BMS. When one fails, you can simply turn >> off the circuit breaker and everything else continues to work. In fact, a >> fault in one BMS doesn't take out the whole stack or stacks of battery >> modules. >> >> Back to HomeGrid. When this happens, in my mind this is an automatic RMA. >> They should be replacing these, no questions asked. Especially at almost >> twice the price of EG4. They actually want me to disassemble the case of >> the battery and charge it with an external charger (which I don't have) >> directly from the terminals that are internal to the battery case. Totally >> unacceptable. Whatever is inside that case is their problem in my opinion. >> >> I am not selling anymore HomeGrid until I get satisfactory resolution to >> these issues. EG4 isn't perfect, but I have actually had pretty good >> success installing some that I sold and quite a few that consumers >> purchased directly. And at almost half the price, it's easier to eat the >> cost of a battery here and there for customer satisfaction. >> >> Anyone have similar issues with HomeGrid? >> >> Jason Szumlanski >> Florida Solar Design Group >> _______________________________________________ >> List sponsored by Redwood Alliance >> >> Pay optional member dues here: http://re-wrenches.org >> >> List Address: [email protected] >> >> Change listserver email address & settings: >> http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org >> >> There are two list archives for searching. 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