Option to schedule charging disappeared

[rolotwix12]

hi

ok so I currently have a Forced charge schedule set up for over night cheap rate between 01:00 - 05:25. Do I add another window and set that from 05:30 - say 21:00 ?

[evilbunny]

ok so I currently have a Forced charge schedule set up for over night cheap rate between 01:00 - 05:25. Do I add another window and set that from 05:30 - say 21:00 ?

The app/website now seem to have a default mode for when no schedules are explicitly set, so you just need to add schedules when you want the battery to do something other then the default setting.

If you only want them sometimes, just disable them and re-enable when you want to do it again, the site/API seems to have a 100 schedule limit, so add away to your hearts content.

[rolotwix12]

Thanks.

Just wondering though in the schedule for Forced charge, I don't want the battery to charge from the Grid during the day when producing Solar energy, so how do I set the schedule up. I want the system to charge from Solar energy during the day upto 90%.

I have a schedule set as follows, this one I need to have batteries charge from Solar only upto 90%

Forced Charge 05:30 - 23:00
Charging Cut off - 90%
Charge power from Grid-0.00w
Charging from Grid - Disabled
Status -Disabled.

And another Schedule set as follows which makes sense to use cheap rate electric to charge batteries if required.

Forced Charge 01:00 - 05:25
Charging Cut off - 65%
Charge power from Grid-10500.00w
Charging from Grid - Disabled
Status -Disabled.

Thanks

[evilbunny]

I don't want the battery to charge from the Grid during the day when producing Solar energy, so how do I set the schedule up.

I don't think the website or app allows you to do that, but the API has the ability to set limits for importing/exporting an amount of Wh from the grid and PV.

Normally it takes some kind of automation, such as Home Assistant, and maybe some additional sensors.

[AlanHodson]

hi

ok so I currently have a Forced charge schedule set up for over night cheap rate between 01:00 - 05:25. Do I add another window and set that from 05:30 - say 21:00 ?

We are on Octopus Agile, we set our system up to "force charge" from the grid to top up our batteries when the prices are at there lowest.
When the solar panels kick in, they automatically feed the load in the house and any excess top the batteries up. We do not set a force charge for the panels to feed the battery.
When the batteries are full to the set SoC max the excess goes to the grid, at the moment we get 15p for selling back to the grid, it's dropping to 12p.
If we want we can "force discharge" back to the grid at 15p and later re top up the batteries at a lower price.

[AlanHodson]

Thanks.

Just wondering though in the schedule for Forced charge, I don't want the battery to charge from the Grid during the day when producing Solar energy, so how do I set the schedule up. I want the system to charge from Solar energy during the day upto 90%.

I have a schedule set as follows, this one I need to have batteries charge from Solar only upto 90%

Forced Charge 05:30 - 23:00
Charging Cut off - 90%
Charge power from Grid-0.00w
Charging from Grid - Disabled
Status -Disabled.

And another Schedule set as follows which makes sense to use cheap rate electric to charge batteries if required.

Forced Charge 01:00 - 05:25
Charging Cut off - 65%
Charge power from Grid-10500.00w
Charging from Grid - Disabled
Status -Disabled.

Thanks

It seems like you have

"charging from grid z disabled"

Shouldn't this be enabled

[rolotwix12]

Sorry maybe my question was not put out correctly. All I am trying to do is set the batteries to only charge to 90% during the day when solar power is good. The cheap night charge I have sorted.

I thought it was good for batteries only to charge to 90% yo help preserve them.

[AlanHodson]

Sorry maybe my question was not put out correctly. All I am trying to do is set the batteries to only charge to 90% during the day when solar power is good. The cheap night charge I have sorted.

I thought it was good for batteries only to charge to 90% yo help preserve them.

I think that if you have your max soc at 90% that's all the will go to, it doesn't matter from which source it comes from

[rolotwix12]

Thanks. How do I set that, I have tried to set it under quick settings, which has the option to set max at 90%, but when I did that and saved. The save failed.

[evilbunny]

Thanks. How do I set that, I have tried to set it under quick settings, which has the option to set max at 90%, but when I did that and saved. The save failed.

That only works if you don't have the schedule work mode active, to set it per schedule you edit the schedule you want to limit.

[MaterialBarracuda48]

I thought it was good for batteries only to charge to 90% yo help preserve them.

For a year now, I have run my battery from 10% to 100% and it is still reporting 100% health status. There is a lot of articles out there on the web written for different cell technology or just AI slop that keeps people worrying about battery health. This is understandable, as they are not cheap to buy, but you would have to be doing something really wrong to kill your battery health (extreme cold/hot or doing several charge/discharges cycles per day)

If you want to limit to 90% max, of course you can, it's your system. Just make sure to charge to 100% at least every 3 months so the BMS can calibrate the end points of the cell Voltages for a more accurate SoC %

[rolotwix12]

Hi

Thank you for the info. Maybe will leave as is.

[evilbunny]

but you would have to be doing something really wrong to kill your battery health (extreme cold/hot or doing several charge/discharges cycles per day)

Unfortunately they don't offer an active cooling method, where I live almost hit 41C this summer (40.9C to be exact), and that was kind of mild compared to other places in Australia that nearly hit 49C.

Not sure what excessive heat will do to lithium batteries, but EV car owners in the US found out what cold can do when their cars wouldn't charge during extreme cold events.

[MaterialBarracuda48]

but you would have to be doing something really wrong to kill your battery health (extreme cold/hot or doing several charge/discharges cycles per day)

Unfortunately they don't offer an active cooling method, where I live almost hit 41C this summer (40.9C to be exact), and that was kind of mild compared to other places in Australia that nearly hit 49C.

Not sure what excessive heat will do to lithium batteries, but EV car owners in the US found out what cold can do when their cars wouldn't charge during extreme cold events.

It will degrade the cells, so shortening their life expectancy.
The BMS takes control of things and blocks charge/discharging as an act of self-preservation.

With the cold Winters, most were finding the battery will not charge or discharge until the cells have warmed up, the same will be with the extreme heat, the battery will shutdown.

Happy to be corrected though.

[evilbunny]

With the cold Winters, most were finding the battery will not charge or discharge until the cells have warmed up

That is the up side of living in a hot country the days in winter almost never dip below freezing point even in the middle of winter where I live.

Some days even get into the low 20C's if we're lucky!

the same will be with the extreme heat, the battery will shutdown.

Happy to be corrected though.

I guess time will tell, if it was only the battery shutting down that might still be ok if there was solar generation but it'd be really bad timing to have the inverter shutdown too when needing air con, although there should still be plenty of solar in the grid to keep power prices down I suppose.

[MaterialBarracuda48]

I guess time will tell, if it was only the battery shutting down that might still be ok if there was solar generation but it'd be really bad timing to have the inverter shutdown too when needing air con, although there should still be plenty of solar in the grid to keep power prices down I suppose.

I think your Inverter will be the most likely to struggle, it will de-rate IIRC to keep within safe temperatures.
The battery should work up to +50°C IIRC, so probably going to be ok.

If your Inverter has some shading, it should help with the fierce Sun, just not the ambient.

[evilbunny]

If your Inverter has some shading, it should help with the fierce Sun, just not the ambient.

The stack is on a western wall of the house in the carport, but the other side of the carport is enclosed so at no time of the year will it get direct sunlight, especially from hot summer afternoons.

Due to living inland we don't get much humidity unless it rains a lot, so there is that.

As for wind to blow away heat, it can be pretty hit and miss, my PWS says the max yesterday was just before midnight but was only 16km/hr.

I'm not sure how much air flows through the carport, that would have to be north-south/south-north but the majority of wind in the southern hemisphere is west-easterly.

[MaterialBarracuda48]

The stack is on a western wall of the house in the carport, but the other side of the carport is enclosed so at no time of the year will it get direct sunlight, especially from hot summer afternoons.

I think you will be fine in your case, the shading will be key in hot climates no doubt.
As long as the AC keeps working, that's all that matters.

[AlanHodson]

Thanks. How do I set that, I have tried to set it under quick settings, which has the option to set max at 90%, but when I did that and saved. The save failed.

Hi,
Open up Fox Cloud 2 app,
Tap plant
Tap Quick Settings
Tap System Max Soc this opens abox
Change the figure to your requirements
Tap confirm
It should come up "successfull" at the bottom of your page.
Sorry I tried to attach screenshot but couldn't

[rolotwix12]

Hi

Thanks I tried that but it comes up as failed.

[evilbunny]

I think you will be fine in your case, the shading will be key in hot climates no doubt.

I noticed people are using battery covers to reduce/prevent UV damage, wonder how much of an insulating effect that has, but yea copping direct hot summer afternoon sun is never pleasant for humans, let alone battery stacks.

As long as the AC keeps working, that's all that matters.

Most definitely, it'll just be hell on the next hot day if the grid goes down too.

[evilbunny]

Thanks I tried that but it comes up as failed.

Change the mode from schedule to something else first.

[MaterialBarracuda48]

Thanks. How do I set that, I have tried to set it under quick settings, which has the option to set max at 90%, but when I did that and saved. The save failed.

Hi,
Open up Fox Cloud 2 app,
Tap plant
Tap Quick Settings
Tap System Max Soc this opens abox
Change the figure to your requirements
Tap confirm
It should come up "successfull" at the bottom of your page.
Sorry I tried to attach screenshot but couldn't

Sadly Alan, the value cannot be adjust whilst you have a schedule setup.
It is a common error, that works once you have turned scheduling off, then it accepts the value.

It does not help Fox has stupid error codes that mean nothing to end users. They could take the error code and say "please turn off any active scheduling and try again"

[AlanHodson]

Hi

Thanks I tried that but it comes up as failed.

Did you tap on 100 to change it to your required figure and then confirm?

Alan

[AlanHodson]

Thanks. How do I set that, I have tried to set it under quick settings, which has the option to set max at 90%, but when I did that and saved. The save failed.

Hi,
Open up Fox Cloud 2 app,
Tap plant
Tap Quick Settings
Tap System Max Soc this opens abox
Change the figure to your requirements
Tap confirm
It should come up "successfull" at the bottom of your page.
Sorry I tried to attach screenshot but couldn't

Sadly Alan, the value cannot be adjust whilst you have a schedule setup.
It is a common error, that works once you have turned scheduling off, then it accepts the value.

It does not help Fox has stupid error codes that mean nothing to end users. They could take the error code and say "please turn off any active scheduling and try again"

Hi

I have mode scheduler set up to force charge

Alan