Sunsynk for dummies

[Isetech]

Yip this is the place you want to be if you are new to Sunsynk products and trying to find your way through the maize information on the WWW.

I will try keep the information as simple as possible.

This thread is not for the installer who have already completed 50 plus installation.

We will start with the absolute basics, like how to switch on a 5.3 kwh susnsynk battery. It is simple but if you dont know how, you going to do it wrong.

What you should see on the front panel of the inverter and at what point you must switch on the AC power.

All those silly things that once you have installed a few of these units will become second nature.

[Isetech]

Lets get started:

Where to buy a Sunsynk product, just google search, where you buy the product makes no difference because the support is international. All that really matters is the price. ARB offer good prices to contractors/installers. I contacted an online store and told them I was an installer, the price I received was way cheaper than advertised all over the WWW.

Once you buy your Sunsynk product, its a good idea to register on this site as an installer or just a Sunsynk Customer. I have a customer who has full access and manages his own system. They will send your anything you require to keep your system operational. As an installer you can upgrade your profile to an advanced installer.

https://www.sunsynk.org/

[Isetech]

It may be a little early to log into Sunsynk.net, just in case I forget to mention it. This is where you will create plants and control your devices.

I am going to keep these threads short so that it is easier to reference at a later stage.

[Isetech]

You have installed your inverter and battery, connected the AC changeover panel and combiner box, the fuse isolator for the battery and the cabling to and from the DB. if you want me to go into more detail about the installations, let me know. We can go into details about the cable selection and why we select specific cables.

Its time to switch on your 5.3 kwh Sunsynk battery connected to your 5 KVA Sunsynk inverter.

The battery terminal cover should be off and you would have noticed a rocker switch where you plugged in the battery terminals. You switch on the rocker switch. Then you press and hold the button the front of the battery and hold it in for 3 seconds. the lights on the battery will come on.

At this point the inverter should still be switched off, the DC isolator (for solar) and the AC power must be off.

This is the tricky part, once you switch on the inverter you have to wait for quite awhile for the "normal" light to turn on (green). This is a very important stage which I have in the past not done, just because I didnt know any better.

While you waiting for the normal light to switch on, it is a good time to check all the settings and make the required adjustments.

Go through each step and makes sure you press ok after making any adjustments. But more important check each and every parameter.

For example: The frequency was defaulted at 60 hz and you need to change it to 50 hz, make sure you check all the parameters on that screen, the inverter might not reset the limits automatically and you gonna make an absolute fools of yourself in front of the customer as you try contact technical support and waste hours to find it was such a simple error on your part. You would think the inverter would be smart enough to do this automatically, but hey we live and learn. You dont want to become the cricket or squeaking wheel

Check every single setting twice if you have to, press ok and then go back and make sure the inverter updated the setting.

[Isetech]

Once the normal light switches on (green), you have made sure the BMS is communicating with the inverter, now you switch on the AC power. (this is a very important step)

If you adjusted the grid the red fault light could switch on and a fault code will appear, it doesnt mean there is a fault it could just be because you adjusted the setting after the normal light switched on.

What you should see is the battery needle on the display should be indicating that the battery is charging by the amount you set under battery charge. If the battery doesnt start charging there is a problem, its doent mean the battery or inverter is faulty, it could just be a setting which is not correct.

Check all the settings again, especially your grid settings.

[Thys LOW Elektries]

Thanx once again a very informative and interesting coming up. Can't wait to see how it evolves. Another thing is the training manuals for installers is freely available from Sunsynk to download. Difficult to understand at some points without a mentor or someone to guide you.

[Isetech]

Sunsynk products are very basic, however in saying that, you have to make sure you follow procedure, if you dont check the values are within the correct parameters you gonna be calling the technical support.

[Isetech]

A tip: These are electronic devices, not electrical switches.

What does this mean, well as an electrician (we hate reading manuals) and when we switch on the device we expect it to respond like a switch, and that people is going to be your biggest downfall working with these devices.

You need to learn to switch on, hold buttons then wait and wait and wait until the units "normalize" (was the word used by one of the tech support guys). Get this right and you will cut down your technical support calls by 80 %.

You will see the battery lights roll and go through a warm up phase, once ready the run light will flash and other lights indicating the battery charge level, make sure you understand the sequence and lamp purpose.

The same with the inverter, the unit will go through a warmup sequence, the display will switch on and the lights above the display will indicate if the inverter is ready to operate.

You will need to check the unit is switched on (top left corner)

Check the unit has normalized.

Check the AC power light.

Check the DC power light (if you have solar connected)

Check the fault light is not on (red)

A note with regards to the fault light, if you change the grid setting for example the fault light will switch on, it doesnt mean the unit is faulty, you need to check the fault code which will pop up in the top left corner (the same place as the on light).

[Isetech]

These devices are not as smart as you think, they dont automatically adjust all the setting when you change a setting.

You need to check everything, then press enter then go back and check everything again, to make sure the setting is correct.

Like setting up you battery, dont trust the units default settings, you need to makes sure that the settings and limits are correct.

Just because you tick lithium, dont assume the limits are correct, you need to tick the AGM setting for example and check the actual voltages, if you dont you going look like an A$$ asking "stupid" questions on platforms where most people are experts in the field.

Once you have setup the battery (we will go into detail about these settings), then you go back and tick lithium and it should be correct, but once again dont trust the unit.

Something else you need to be aware of, the units firmware version, check the firmware and make sure it is up to date, if it is not, contact the company that supplied the unit and request a firmware update. the company which supplied the unit should have technical support who can do this online. Make sure you get that companies technical support directly, its going to save you being forwarded around the world.

[Isetech]

Something I believe the product supplier should arrange is the firmware update (if the unit is not up tod date) and a commissioning sheet will all the relevant setting for the setup that you are going to install.

I dont know why they dont already do it, it would save many a frustrating call to call centres.

[Isetech]

Installing these units are like playing with that block we had as a kid, where you had to fit the star into hole that looked like a star, the square in to the square hole, etc.

There is a specific procedure and so long as you follow that procedure and tick the right block and check the limits, anyone can wire and program these units.

Once you have done one and understand how to setup the unit, you have a commissioning sheet you are basically a master installer. Its just finding someone to teach you the basics.

Hopefully by the time I am finished running through every setting and gone into detail from the basics to setting and understanding the system mode everyone will have a good understanding of how to setup and fault find a Sunsynk inverter and battery.

[Thys LOW Elektries]

I have a video in which Keith from Sunsynk explain every setting and explain what it does. It helped a lot in understanding what it is all about. Also the traing manual goes in detail om the various settings. I guess Sunsyk think all installers have years of experience with Sunsynk and all of them is qualified installers that knows the setting out of their head.

[Isetech]

Like anything it takes time to figure it all out. I have watched most of the training videos, have all the installer and product manuals and I have completed a number of Sunsynk installations, that is why I started this thread to help others who are starting out and to share the silly mistakes I have made.

For example, not waiting for the normal light to switch on, such a simple silly thing, but if you dont do it you pretty screwed. Its like a computer, you have to wait for the system to "boot up".

Like not checking the top left corner for the "on" indicator.

Not checking the Libms that there is communication.

Dont do it and you going to have problems. This stuff is repeated over and over in the videos.

This is the right place for anyone who wants to ask that question, that's how I learn, I ask the stupid questions until I understand what it is I need to know and I am going to keep asking.

I failed N4 maths, got a whole 14 %, why because I didnt ask the questions when I got stuck, I went back and did it again asking all the questions not matter how stupid it made me look, I only got 80 %, I should have asked more questions.

[Isetech]

Another free tip:

Be very careful of where you purchase products, especially online.

Make sure that the company you are going to purchase the product from has in in stock. I almost got caught a couple of weeks back when I purchased about R50k worth of solar panels. I was told the company had stock, but decided to drive, pay and collect. It turns out the company didnt actually have the product and I would have to wait 6 weeks once I paid in full

[Isetech]

If you plan to buy a Sunsynk product, a few things you might want to consider consider before splashing out R100/200/300K (please feel free to correct me if this is not true)

Apparently Sunsynk plan to stop selling product directly to the public.

An installer can lock you out of your own system if you dont pay his bill or get into a disagreement.

As an end user you will not be assisted if you contact Sunsynk technical, you have to request assistance from your installer, this is going to get interesting. Lets hope your installer is still around in 2 years time. Just imagine trying to claim on your 10 year warranty in 8 years time, there will only be a fraction of installer still in business.