Hello
Just taken delivery of above. I had not realised that for full functionality system needs CT Clamps around incoming mains. Due to tarmac drive etc it will be very difficult to run data cable from meter inside understairs cupboard within the house to the garage. I find Solax have a wireless link for this purpose while Fox only cater for sigle phase. I intend to use solar panels on the garage roof as the only suitable roof space and connect them to the inverter.
1 Is there any way of making a wireless connection from the house to the garage?
2 In the absence of this is it feasible to use manual settings for the system?
Thanks for any help
Sadly there is no Fox 3 phase wireless ct transmitter, and i’ve not seen any other 3 phase solution.
Without CT clamps (or a meter) the inverter won’t be able to balance load which means it should be able to charge the battery and export from solar, but it won’t discharge the battery as it cannot determine load.
It’s very advanced usage but with a home assistant connected over modbus you could probably use a shelly 3 phase clamp and write some automations that use the remote power registers to output power (similar to force discharge) but in all honesty finding a way to run a cat6 data cable would be the easiest and best way to do this so the inverter runs as it’s supposed to balancing the load on each phase.
Without CT clamps (or a meter) the inverter won’t be able to balance load which means it should be able to charge the battery and export from solar, but it won’t discharge the battery as it cannot determine load.
It’s very advanced usage but with a home assistant connected over modbus you could probably use a shelly 3 phase clamp and write some automations that use the remote power registers to output power (similar to force discharge) but in all honesty finding a way to run a cat6 data cable would be the easiest and best way to do this so the inverter runs as it’s supposed to balancing the load on each phase.
Presumably putting the batteries and inverter near the meter will allow the inverter/battery combination to work. But then no way to utilise solar panels. Would a Lora device allow the signal to the garage from the meter and clamps. Am I correct in thinking the meter/clamps are just measuring the incoming (or outgoing if exporting) amps on each phase just downstream of the grid input meter. So with my house/garage setup and RS485 comms there would be just the meter in the house and none in the garage. Presumably the inverter knows what it is doing itself.
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Yes the meter (or meter with CT clamps) is measuring the power flowing on each of the 3 phases, it uses this to calculate the balancing power required from the battery to maintain that level of load without taking power from the grid.
In the case of PV, any excess power one the load has been covered is calculated as export.
The meter is connected across RS485 and so can be some distance away from the inverter (as long as you can run the cable).
Before the Fox single phase wireless CT was produced I know a few people that had used an RS485 LoRa converter successfully (this specific device USR-LG206-L-P).
In 'theory' this is just converting RS485 via LoRa to RS485 again and so if it works for a single phase, a 3 phase would be transparent to it, it's simply more data being transmitted.
But, I don't know anyone that has tried this on 3 phase, the fact that Fox haven't released one suggests that the extra data may be pushing the link speed, but in your case the distance is short - so possibly worth having a punt ? here's a link to the device https://www.pusr.com/products/serial-rs ... 206-p.html
In the case of PV, any excess power one the load has been covered is calculated as export.
The meter is connected across RS485 and so can be some distance away from the inverter (as long as you can run the cable).
Before the Fox single phase wireless CT was produced I know a few people that had used an RS485 LoRa converter successfully (this specific device USR-LG206-L-P).
In 'theory' this is just converting RS485 via LoRa to RS485 again and so if it works for a single phase, a 3 phase would be transparent to it, it's simply more data being transmitted.
But, I don't know anyone that has tried this on 3 phase, the fact that Fox haven't released one suggests that the extra data may be pushing the link speed, but in your case the distance is short - so possibly worth having a punt ? here's a link to the device https://www.pusr.com/products/serial-rs ... 206-p.html
I wonder if a pair of Elpin EW11A' s set to transmit RS485 in transparent mode at the correct baud rate woiuld work. Provided the signal was OK, hopefully the Inverter could not tell the difference between the RS485 data arriving via this method and a cable. There is a good wifi signal in the garage.
It's another that in theory should work and at such a low cost worth trying - make sure you keep them on their own wifi ssid and you'll need to reduce the gap time (to 5-10mS ?) or they will store and forward packets which will introduce latency.
Let us know how you get on !
Let us know how you get on !
I have been looking at this issue. AI recommends using rs485 to ethernet adapters and powerline adapters as being less likely to suffer dropouts , ensuring the powerline adapter at both ends are using the same phase
Powerline plugs will cause problems as well. Will have to bite the bullet and install a cat 6 cable complete with SPDs. There is a duct part of the way that carried the old telephone cables, stlill in place. Now it just carries the fibre so hopefully able to use old telehone wire to pull through cat 6 cable. Using the duct will mean a longer cable but I gather even 100m should be no problem.
Just wish I had known about this problem. Before buying the inverter and batteries, I received a quote for the same installation and the surveyor was obviously unawsre of the problem. The guy who sold and delivered the stuff raised it as a problem immediately.
Of course most properties in this country do not have 3 phase electricity. Anyhow thanks for the advice. AI is fantastiic for this sort of problem as well.
Just wish I had known about this problem. Before buying the inverter and batteries, I received a quote for the same installation and the surveyor was obviously unawsre of the problem. The guy who sold and delivered the stuff raised it as a problem immediately.
Of course most properties in this country do not have 3 phase electricity. Anyhow thanks for the advice. AI is fantastiic for this sort of problem as well.