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  • Adjusting "LG Chem" Battery Sell to Grid Timing. ( was Battery Admi....

    Adjusting "LG Chem" Battery Sell to Grid Timing. ( was Battery Administrative Rights for Charge/Discharge Profiles) moderator change


    We recently purchased a solar solution with energy storage (LG Chem). After the system went live we wanted to look at the battery discharge profiles in the solaredge inverter and make changes to load balance and were told we can't touch the profiles or even see them. The installer has the administrative rights and has the battery set to discharge 4 months (summer) out of the year between 4PM and 8PM only. Of course we are livid and actively working with installer to gain full control of the battery we purchased without taking this to court. To us it's like "buying" a new car (not leasing) and you get it delivered to find out we can only drive the car 4 months out of the year and between 4PM and 8PM...the other 8 months and times the Installer can drive our car we purchased, absolutely crazy! Anyone else heard of this? We were never told anything about battery discharge schedule during the sales phase and rather ticked off because if we would've known we would have zero control over this costly solution, we would have never bought the system!
    Last edited by Mike90250; 01-07-2020, 02:13 PM. Reason: clairfy thread title to Adjusting "LG Chem" Battery Sell to Grid Timing

  • #2
    I can see a point to be able to view the profiles, but adjusting them has grave implications, some leading to fire in the battery when the factory controls are meddled with.

    The limits should have been spelled out in the original contract, many times when court is brought up, it's because of a shortfall in the contract.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

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    • #3
      This video will explain some of the LG Chem settings.
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaXZYqgS7_I

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      • #4
        Besides having battery backup should the power go out, you can load manage your house to save $ on your bill https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rSdoQCusOMo You can't hurt the battery or cause it to explode, I'm not try to hot wire the thing, the profiles are done through Administrative on the SolarEdge monitoring portal https://youtu.be/mkFmLqIKwec I'm curious to know anyone in California PG&E customer with battery storage and TOU plan

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        • #5
          Originally posted by PasoRobles View Post
          Besides having battery backup should the power go out, you can load I'm curious to know anyone in California PG&E customer with battery storage and TOU plan
          I have an Outback Skybox, PG&E TOU plan and 2 EVs. During the summer I try to have my inverter run the household loads from 2PM until 9PM. That is the highest rate period. When the sun is shining I get credit at that rate and after the sun goes down I use battery power to avoid that high rate energy. Because i took the investment tax credit in the inverter i make sure I charge the batteries only from solar. What i described is classic load shifting..
          9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

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          • #6
            I have PG&E on a TOU plan with a 10KW LG storage. I will be getting an EV in the next couple of months. I am not sure if the EV plan is better. Since Ampster is using TOU will probably stick with that. I was initially mad that I couldn't change the settings and only have the battery discharge during the summer months. However, where I am, like Ampster said only having the battery discharge doing summer for load balancing makes sense. Although it would be nice to be able to have access to SolarEdge monitoring portal.

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            • #7
              There is different TOU plans and who knows what down the road. Currently I want to get on EV2 which in order to fully take advantage of the plan, I need for the battery to discharge daily between 4PM and 9PM during the peak rate. Tim, who is your installer?

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              • #8
                My installer is Sunrun. I bought the house a few months ago and it came with the current setup.

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                • #9
                  Are you on a power purchase agreement or lease or do you own the solar solution?

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                  • #10
                    I own the solar. When the previous owner installed it. It was setup to produce 105% of the previous owners usage. It appears I am using less electricity so should have plenty left over by the end of the year. Here is CA doing a yearly true up is amazing.

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                    • #11
                      But when you add your EV or worse 2 EV's you don't have administrative rights over your battery discharge profiles to help offset the usage and load manage...true up could be costly, no? So you have no control over the energy storage on the side of your house you own but SunRun does?

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by PasoRobles View Post
                        But when you add your EV or worse 2 EV's you don't have administrative rights over your battery discharge profiles to help offset the usage and load manage...true up could be costly, no? So you have no control over the energy storage on the side of your house you own but SunRun does?
                        Not a problem for most EV owners. The EV charging equipment is not usually run off the Powerwalls since the EVs charge at night when rates are low. I agree it is a shame that he can't control when his battery load shifting takes place.
                        9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Mike90250 View Post
                          I can see a point to be able to view the profiles, but adjusting them has grave implications, some leading to fire in the battery when the factory controls are meddled with.
                          .
                          These are not factory profiles the OP is complaining about. These are time of day charge and usage profiles that are fundamental to the economics of installing solar battery combinations in California. Now that most TOU speak periods will be going to 4PM to 9PM, load shifting is critical to optimize the economic benefit of installing solar.
                          9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

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                          • #14
                            Then the OP should have called this post
                            Adjusting "LG Chem" Battery Sell to Grid Timing
                            not charge/discharge profile which is properly a BMS term, not a sell to grid term. Unless the vendor is purposely trying to obfuscate the functions.
                            I'm changing the post title.
                            Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                            || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                            || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                            solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                            gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Mike90250 View Post
                              Then the OP should have called this post
                              Adjusting "LG Chem" Battery Sell to Grid Timing
                              not charge/discharge profile which is properly a BMS term, not a sell to grid term. Unless the vendor is purposely trying to obfuscate the functions.
                              I'm changing the post title.
                              I agree. Since his existing schedule is discharging from 4PM to 8PM I am not sure how big the issue is. My understanding is the CPUC has mandated all TOU periods have a peak rate period from 4PM to 9PM. I don't know when this is going into affect but supposedly it affects all Investor Owned Utilities in California.
                              Tesla Powerwall users have as a restriction about charging from the grid which is related to the ITC credit. In the case of the SolarEdge, since it is DC coupled, I think it can only charge from the solar so I still don't understand why his vendor restricts the discharge timing, especially to just the summer months. I wonder if this is somehow related to the battery warranty? If so that doesn't say a lot about how robust the LB Chem battery is.
                              9 kW solar, 42kWh LFP storage. EV owner since 2012

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