Sigenergy Solar to Zero during VPP Events

[LiamM]

Hi there. 

Sigenergy Battery VPP issue. 
During this afternoons VPP event in NSW I noticed that when discharging was requested your config would cause the solar to drop to 0kw production. This seems like a config error that should be fixed. I believe you have the export priority incorrect and should have PV priority over battery priority so that it exports excess solar first followed by the battery. This has caused my days production to drop and also now a lower state of charge because the excess solar wasn’t being added to the battery or the home loads. 
From memory during the testing it was like this also but when charging from the grid PV priority was selected. Again, this is incorrect as during negative wholesale prices you would want your solar to go to 0kw and battery grid charge to be as high as possible to pull that low demand power. 
if you require screenshots etc please let me know. 
Thanks

Liam

[Sparker]

I also saw the same thing during the NSW VPP event on Monday 12 October and was going to write up something similar to this. If the sun is shining and the grid needs energy, the VPP should not stop PV production. It should export PV first and then add battery if export limits allow. 

I also noticed the system mode never changed to VPP scheduling during the VPP event. Initially had my mode set to Sigen AI mode because I anticipated there would be a VPP event and most of the info online indicated that it should be in Sigen AI mode for the VPP to take control and then hand control back after the event. Part way into the event I changed the mode to Time Based Control because I actually prefer this mode to schedule evening exports with the Battery Rewards Plan. The system accepted the mode change, no problem, and then as the VPP event continued, my system continued exporting as requested by the VPP. I never saw the system mode change to VPP Scheduling at any time during the VPP event which really surprised me and I was able to change the system mode during the VPP event. I was told that during a VPP event, the mode would be locked to VPP Scheduling and after the event finished, it would revert back to whatever mode it was in before the VPP event started. This is NOT what happened. I'd be interested to hear if others saw the same thing.

[Lester]

Battery priority is how all VPP works.

Better to have it going from the battery, if solar feed in you will get the pittance paid for normal solar feed.

If your battery is hit up for grid power, and you're still making solar generation, that will feed into the battery anyway.
I'd rather have solar generation still powering the home and any excess going to the battery, but it all works out in the end I guess.

[LiamM]

But the way they have it configed Lester it causes the solar to turn off completely and go to 0kw so solar generation isn't powering the home or the battery. Sigenergy thinks if you are in battery priority mode then it will take that first followed by solar causing 0kw production.

[LiamM]

Sparked I am on my own time based control and the VPP still took over. I could get solar production back by doing a Manuel discharge but I would

have to stop it every 5 minutes to see if the VPP event was still running. 

My father has a Sigenergy on AI mode and was worried about the same thing as you but worked fine for me on my own custom time based control. The AI mode is just easier to you want to set and forget for some people. 

[Lester]

Exactly, your solar generation should not be affected at all by a VPP event.

So that is somehow been configured wrong.

This is one reason I will be cautious of VPPs, or Amber etc, there are too many complaints about systems not working as they should, or (bad) surprises from time to time.

I will look for the best plan where I can set the discharge for decent evening FIT, and / or charge the EV cheap.

Unfortunately, AGL doesn’t have a plan that gives you a combination of both these wants . . . some retailers do, but it needs careful analysis still.