Batteries wont hold Voltage...

[Jabroni]

Lastly you have abused your batteries from deeply discharging them multiple times per day, compounded by parallel strings. Now have lost significant capacity. Lastly you should not be using 24 volts at this power level, 48 to 96 volts. Why are you using 3 charge controllers? That should have told you something is terrible wrong with your design.
.

why would that tell me something is wrong?

There are 3 different fail safes that can kick the generator on. What's the problem in that?

And again, Im not a expert or "fanatic" when it comes to solar. I dont know why you expect me to be. The system was running fine and handling everything I threw at it until the auto-start was added. I added the auto-start to PROTECT the batteries and instead it seems like it ruined them. But as Ive said about 3x in this thread, the low voltage was instant. The installer wasnt even to the freeway before my auto-start had to kick on. It ran for maybe 30 minutes. Then shut off, then kicked back on within no time.

I texted the installer the first day to ask if there was a problem. I noticed immediately that the geni was constantly turning on and off. Which I knew wasnt good for the generator. He wouldnt acknowledge the issue. He tried saying that even a 1700w load would kill the voltage in a few hours. Of which I remind him, we're talking a few minutes, not hours. And again, he dodges the issue every time it is brought up. He cant explain how the batteries are shot or if they even are and he certainly doesnt want to acknowledge that this issue started immediately after the auto-start was installed.

At this point Im just trying to diagnose the issue before having another company come out and fix the system.

[Jabroni]

A new design is needed primarily because it is NOT SAFE at 24v first of all.

Just to be *sure*, you are pulling about 3K of power for heating, each-hour for about 4-6 hours?

Here's the breakdown for maximum limits just from a safety and efficiency standpoint.

Up to 1KW = 12v
1K to 2K = 24v
2K and up = 48v system (not much 36v gear)

So if it is true that you are doing 3Kw per hour, then yep, redesign time.

Why would I need new panels and inverters? Sounds like I would just need a new battery bank. Or is my inverter/panel setup somehow tied up to 24v?

[Jabroni]

Just for reference, these are the batteries I currently have. 8 of them.

http://www.fullriverbattery.com/product/batteries/DC400-6

[PNjunction]

Are you pulling 3000 watts, each hour, for 4-7 hours daily?

It is critical to know if this is your actual load.

[littleharbor]

You keep repeating the problem began when the auto start system was installed. Sounds to me the auto start was improperly installed?? Have you removed it?

[Jabroni]

Are you pulling 3000 watts, each hour, for 4-7 hours daily?

It is critical to know if this is your actual load.

Throughout the year? No.

Nov-Dec-Jan that has been the case. (note: I never intended to be out on my site for that long, there has been a lot of work to do so here I am. It drops to below 30 degrees at night)

Yes, anywhere from 2000 to 3000 watts. SOC would hit 60% or lower before the low voltage shutoff would kick in if I didnt already kick the generator back on manually to recharge the system (run the generator until the batteries were at 100% SOC). Generally I only had to run the generator 2wice in a 24 hour period.

Now? Just 1500w will kill the system in as little as 15 minutes. And again, this was IMMEDIATELY to the day that the auto-start was installed (early December). I stopped running the auto start awhile back because it was just going to break my generator running it that many times. It's taken until now to get someone out to my place to diagnose the problem.

I currently run the generator once a day to recharge the batteries and during that time is the only time I run the heaters.

[Jabroni]

You keep repeating the problem began when the auto start system was installed. Sounds to me the auto start was improperly installed?? Have you removed it?

No I have not. It's not something I feel qualified to do.

And I wanted to check with some experts or experienced people in this field before having it removed. I was hoping maybe someone had seen this issue before. Someone already mentioned that the absorb time not being set was a mistake, and indeed it was. But it's not the root issue. Otherwise I wouldve seen this problem start in the days following the auto-start install. It didnt take days of "abuse". It was instant. That day.

I cant seem to make heads or tails of the connection between the auto-start and why the batteries instantly wont hold their voltage. The installer theorized that their might be a ghost draw somewhere in the system but that is what he was supposed to be checking for yesterday and he couldnt find one.

Now granted, I understand that the resulting on/off constant BS of the auto-start was no good for the batteries as they shouldve spent longer periods in absorb. But that damaging behaviour came AFTER the symptoms were already showing. So I find it hard to put the blame on what was done December 6th thru Xmas for behaviour that started on December 6th.

[Sunking]

why would that tell me something is wrong?

I can give you 30,000 reasons.

1 Money.
2. More Money............................................. .................................................. ...............................

[Jabroni]

I can give you 30,000 reasons.

1 Money.
2. More Money............................................. .................................................. ...............................

All of those auto-start functions are on the same controller. It's redundant on purpose. And it didnt cost any more or less.

Being that you dont have anything helpful to add to this conversation, I'd appreciate it if you left this thread alone from here on out. You obviously know a lot about solar setups, but you've done very little in the way of addressing the issue I'm having with my setup.

[Sunking]

And I wanted to check with some experts or experienced people in this field before having it removed. I was hoping maybe someone had seen this issue before.

We see it al the time, sometime multiple times a day. Just not usually $30,000 mistakes.

Whoever designed this has no clue what they were doing, or had any idea what you wanted to do.

Example one. with a 6000 wat panel system tells all of us hear you should be running 48 volt battery @ 1250 AH battery. FWIW a 48 volt 1250 AH battery is equal to a 24 volt 2500 AH battery or 3 times more than you have now. Secondly even if you had that much battery could not do what you are doing. At 6000 watts into a 24 volt battery would require 250 amp controller which there is no such thing and would require three very expensive 80 amp charge controllers. Do you have 3 80 amp charge controllers?

You are using more power than a large home would use connected to the grid. No heat sources like heat for the house, cooking or hot water should ever use Solar PV or battery. That is what they make Propane and natural gas for unless you are connected to limitless dirt cheap AC power from the utility. All you can do know is run the generator full time.

[Sunking]

All of those auto-start functions are on the same controller. It's redundant on purpose. And it didnt cost any more or less.

Being that you dont have anything helpful to add to this conversation, I'd appreciate it if you left this thread alone from here on out. You obviously know a lot about solar setups, but you've done very little in the way of addressing the issue I'm having with my setup.

Have it your way silly. No one can fix your problem. I can say anything I want, and I will not charge you a dime. You are going to learn a very expensive lesson you will never forget.

[Jabroni]

We see it al the time, sometime multiple times a day. Just not usually $30,000 mistakes.

Whoever designed this has no clue what they were doing, or had any idea what you wanted to do.

Example one. with a 6000 wat panel system tells all of us hear you should be running 48 volt battery @ 1250 AH battery. FWIW a 48 volt 1250 AH battery is equal to a 24 volt 2500 AH battery or 3 times more than you have now. Secondly even if you had that much battery could not do what you are doing. At 6000 watts into a 24 volt battery would require 250 amp controller which there is no such thing and would require three very expensive 80 amp charge controllers. Do you have 3 80 amp charge controllers?

You are using more power than a large home would use connected to the grid. No heat sources like heat for the house, cooking or hot water should ever use Solar PV or battery. That is what they make Propane and natural gas for unless you are connected to limitless dirt cheap AC power from the utility. All you can do know is run the generator full time.

I believe I have a single 60 amp charge controller. I think.

The company I bought the system had a very clear idea of what I was looking to do. I brought in a spec sheet with every possible electrical unit my facility would be using, the amps/watts/volts load, etc so they could properly design the system. Originally it only had 2000w worth of solar panels but I wanted the ability to charge the system quicker and charge well even on cloudy days so I later added the additional 4000w of panels. The system's controller is maxed out at that 6000w of panels (I am planning to add another 4k worth of inverter and 2k worth of panels so I can run up to 8000w during a normal summer day on float)

My shop is a industrial facility and they knew that going in. Be that as it may, watts are watts are they not? Whether I use them for a heater or for a water pump or a microwave?

And for the upteenth time, the system worked fine as intended until the day the auto-start was installed. That is where the problem lies. How/why I have no idea. That's why I'm here now asking.

[Sunking]

One more tip for you, You cannot determine the battery SOC from voltage. Only a hydrometer can do that. The voltage falling off a cliff is because the batteries are fully discharged and cannot take a charge. You cannot fix dead.

[Jabroni]

One more tip for you, You cannot determine the battery SOC from voltage. Only a hydrometer can do that. The voltage falling off a cliff is because the batteries are fully discharged and cannot take a charge. You cannot fix dead.

Again, Im not using voltage to determine SOC. Did u not see the link I already posted for you?

Here is the exact model I have. It has a SOC function on it. http://www.magnum-dimensions.com/sit...Router_5x7.jpg

[Sunking]

I believe I have a single 60 amp charge controller. I think.

Let me make it clear to all members as they will get a buzz out of this.Jarbon is not going to like this and clearly demonstrates he got his body shook and his money took.

You ave 6000 watts of panels operating into a 24 volt battery. Who wantsa to tell him what is drastically wrong with his design He is not going to like to hear his 6000 watt panel has been reduced to 1440 watts max.

Who wants to tell him he got robed?