Battery useless after firmware update

Not sure what I should be trying but a firmware updated this morning at 5am and since then the inverter status has been "WAITING" and the battery readings have been all over the place. It's not taking a charge. Solar panels are still working but our timed charge obviously didn't go through.

I've emailed GE but wondered if I'm missing something easy. PV's still generating at the moment so don't want to do a proper power cycle while it's generating load.

It's a GIV-AC3.0 version D0.535-A0.535. Battery firmware is reporting as "0" since the update.

Try a reset to defaults in the portal

geoffreycoan

I didn't try that.

Before I could I decided to go up and poke the system. I hadn't because it's a 50m crawl through trusses and baby clothes.

When I got there, one battery was off, the other wasn't responding to it's power button. I had to hold it for what felt like 20s and it power cycled. The other turned back on no issues. I restarted the inverter from the portal after they were on.

I think both batteries are back online now but it's pretty shoddy stuff that this isn't managed behaviour in a firmware upgrade. Won't be rushing to do another.

OWarner glad to hear you got it sorted although having to crawl through what sounds like the loft to get to the batteries sounds a pain. I bet they get warm in summer.

Fortunately (for this issue) firmware upgrades are pretty infrequent

Cheers

OWarner I have had similar issues with updating firmware, in fact, 2 out of the 3 times I have attempted a firmware update it has gone wrong. It seems to be a really weak component of Givenergy's system/procedures to have such issues when updating. I am not going to voluntarily update again and wait until an issue comes up and Givenergy recommends an update.

geoffreycoan I can't say what happens for Owarner's setup but we have our system in the loft both batteries and inverter and the temperatures in the summer are just fine.

For us, it was a choice between loft installation or a separate outbuilding/garage. The outbuilding for temperature fluctuation is no better ie no cooler in the summer or warmer in the winter in fact in the winter it is colder. So far going through one full summer we have yet to get anywhere near the top end of the stated operating temperature range of the equipment.

Access to the kit sounds like it is easier than Owarner and it is an open loft, with lots of airspace with the kit attached to a wall. Access is good as it is boarded up there. Walk-in access would have been easier if it was all in the outbuilding but we have a lot of other stuff in there too so a tighter space presently.

killythebid Ours are on a north-facing gable in an open roof. It's about as cool as it gets when it gets really hot.

Is there a maximum safe temperature for this kit? Will it look after itself or will I need to go and point a floor fan at it?

Our loft used to get unbearably hot in the summer but now that a good proportion of the south facing side is covered in solar panels I guess it will be a lot cooler now.

OWarner Is there a maximum safe temperature for this kit?

See https://givenergy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/3.0-GivEnergy-AC-Coupled-MANUAL-15th-May-2020.pdf

So you should be ok then!

Seriously, I think that is a typo. But even 60C should be ok.

OWarner I would just keep an eye on the reported temps from the batteries and the inverter. It sounds like it will be just fine.

Some people do see higher temps although from what I have heard it is more from restricted spaces than just being in an open loft and they put fans (like computer fans) underneath the inverter or around batteries to force air up through the inverter fins, they can be coupled to temp controllers to switch the fans on and off. The components to do that are fairly cheap to buy.