I set my system to Mode 3 to ensure that my car doesn't eat the power in the battery during my Octopus Go 2030;0030. It worked 😃
Then I noticed during the the day the solar didn't charge the battery and went straight to the grid. 😅 I changed it back to mode 1 and the battery started charging form the solar.
is this normal?
I had the same problem earlier this year and reported it - I know the support team was looking at it but I've not heard that they identified the issue or fixed anything. I haven't pressed it since I'm quite happy with mode 1, but it's interesting that you are seeing the same thing. I suggest you open a support case (and mention that it may be the same issue I saw)
mjkelly5a
No - that’s not normal.
Mode 3 should allow battery charging whenever there’s spare renewable energy - whether within or outside, the time you’ve set.
By the way, at some stage, you may wish to have a butcher’s at the new beta portal (if you’ve not already done so). You can access it here.
It’s all a bit different, but we’re all going to have to use it when the legacy portal closes.
There are also some nice, extra features, and a lot of work’s going into changes based upon user feedback, now’s the time to have your say!
I'll raise a support ticket.
I have and I am finding my way around the portal. I'm having a little difficulty with the modes but i am doing it on an i Phone. I'm now back on my mac but i've opened a Guiness 😁 . Long day!
mjkelly5a
@mjkelly5a
Like you, I'm not convinced that the new 'modes' are very intuitive; I'm trying them out, but experiencing varied results.
EG, I understood from a post yesterday, that 'Timed charge' would prevent any discharge - whether or not the battery was already up to the desired SoC, however, last night I set both of my batteries on a timed charge which coincided with an EV charge, and the one which needed charging did, indeed charge, but the one which was already up to the pre-set SoC ended up discharging to feed the EV charger.
Definitely more work needed to make a more intuitive system.
I do think. however, that a Guiness will help - 2, if you want really good results!
I've already had a glass of white, and my system's performing better than ever before! 😆
Sykes
@Danlambert (GivEnergy) any ideas on this? I dont think that is supposed to happen
Sykes Likewise, I have found it very difficult to 'unlearn' the old portal.
I don't think the new beta portal was properly writing changes I was making through settings, making for unpredictable behaviour. I kept bouncing back to the old portal to make things 'stick' and I'm sure that wasn't helping.
I recently managed to get my battery firmware to update after two or three abortive attempts. After that I hard powered-down my inverter and restarted it. Since then I have started using the beta portal and now seem to have a harmonious arrangement.
I have the 'Eco' setting running, along with Timed Charge between 23:30 and 05:30 - aligned to Octopus Intelligent and it now seems to be behaving.
So perhaps a classic "turn it off, then on again" might help?
Sykes I literally received an answer within 5 minutes from the Tech Support Manager below.
My Question: My inverter when set to Mode 3 will not divert solar to my battery. If I move back to Mode 1 it starts exporting solar to the battery immediately.
Response.
'In regards to your first query, this is due to the battery being in a "forced discharge state" when in mode 3, it only actively looks for power to discharge too, it cannot therefor charge from the solar during this time.
So as I suspected it didn't divert solar to the battery in Mode 3. The answer does make sense.
@simon_swinburne also answered a couple of technical queries re the portal and the mismatch between the app and the beta portal. I fully except the word 'beta' is a trial and can live with it.
mjkelly5a
quick folow-up, is your system AC coupled or hybrid?
@mjkelly5a
Interesting... that's definitely not my experience.
However, I've noticed that Simon's asked whether you're AC coupled, or hybrid, so perhaps the hybrid behaves differently.
Both of mine are AC coupled.
Incidentally ( @simon_swinburne ) this is one of the reasons I've asked for users to have a signature block if they wish - allowing them to publish their set-up, which should help reduce incorrect / incomplete answers, and ambiguity.
Sykes
I would love to add that feature, but it isnt in the existing config. I time I will get more features added to the forum, but the devs are working hard on the portal so I am afraid this will stay as MVP for a while :-(
I have been speaking with technical support. You picked up my querying hybrid vs AC, as mine system is hybrid and does work as expected. PV charging still happens in mode 3. I have also confirmed that with hybrid another user.
Tech support are now checking on AC systems so I can give a compete unambiguous answer in due course
Outside the discharge period in mode 3 it's supposed to charge from PV (see https://kb.givenergy.cloud/article.php?id=7&oid=2). However I found that my system doesn't (actually if PV exceeds demand it does do very short charging bursts every minute or so, but most of the excess PV is exported; my system is AC too). I look forward to the tech support statement 😀
AC coupled.
I think that you may have misread the Mode 3 explanation. It re enforces the fact it wont charge on solar but will charge from your PV in between force charges.
Mode 3 in this setting you can set your own personalised timing to discharge your batteries. You can set two separate times for your batteries to discharge E.G 6AM - 8AM (battery discharge 1) as well as 5PM - 10PM (battery discharge 2) this can meet your peak demand in power usage. Then when it shows the discharge stop time it will stop discharging the battery and begin to charge from the solar generation within your property as shown within mode 2. The second time frame can meet your demand when you return home from work the batteries will begin to discharge again from the stored energy from the solar generation throughout the day.
mjkelly5a I'm not sure what I misread? That's basically what I expected/wanted to happen (charge from the solar generation between discharge times) - but it didn't charge, even when solar output was 1kW more than the demand.
andrew_bond , USE only new beta.givenergy.cloud . don't use any other app and old cloud. And then try this if you want to charge from the solar , go to battery option ,and set the lower power for the charge .it will frequently charge the battery from solar rather than from the grid . and off all the charge mode and discharge mode . if any of the these setting remain on battery start charging form grid .only on the charge setting on when you find cheaper rate and increase the battery charge power . Share your experience .
andrew_bond As I now understand it from support. If that Mode 3 is ticked no matter if it is in between charges or not it wont charge from solar. It is confusing but I've now been clearly told that it will not charge from PV at all in Mode 3.
We really do need a definitive statement.
singh I should stress that I'm not currently having an issue with this - I was just reporting my experience when I had tested mode 3 on the old portal earlier this year. Also I understand that mode 3 is being deprecated anyway (though it is still present in the app). As things stand, personally I'm happy with mode 1.