Multiple Battery Banks on One Schneider Gateway

Graham Parkinson

Quick Question - I'm planning a main 48 V bank and an isolated 12 V bank, both with separate Schneider charge controllers.  Can they both report via XANbus to a single gateway for remote monitoring of each, individually?

I know another possibility is to use a DC-DC convertor for 12V from the main bank, but the main bank is some time in the future and I need to run the 12V loads now.

Dave Angelini

The main use is for up to 4 XW's on one xbus and 6 Mppt-100's on the other xbus. The two xbus are joined but isolated in Gateway.  

I think it will work for you because you are not mixing master inverters on both busses. I know you can't have a master inverter on each xbus.
This would give you a fault because you can't have 2 masters in a power system.

I am doing some work here for a client and I will try placing an mppt on the other bus. Might be a week before so remind me.

Graham Parkinson

Thanks Dave!

Dave Angelini

What chargers do you have BTW? Something has to power the network!

Graham Parkinson

Just in planning stages so far Dave.

Was wondering if one Gateway could allow monitoring two battery banks, each with their own MPPT 150/60 charge controller, one or the other powering the network from one of the batteries. 

In other words does Xanbus act like a smart network allowing multiple systems to co-exist or does it assume that there is only one system in a "single line" architecture like this:

<--- Battery bank --- charger(s) --- one set of battery connected inverter(s) --- SCP ---AGS etc ---Gateway --->.   

Perhaps what I was wanting to do (two battery banks and chargers but only one Gateway monitoring both systems) is more of a "microgrid" needing the new "InsightFacility" to work.

On the topic of powering the network - I'm learning by troubleshooting my manual averse neighbour's Schneider system. 

He complains that when he shuts down his inverter PDP breaker (in his inaccessible inverter room) when leaving his cabin that the SCP goes off.  The MPPT panel remains active (self powered from battery connection I gather) but he can't see it because it is way down in the inverter room.  Is there some way to move the network power for the SCP over to the MPPT side so that his SCP will operate when his inverter is powered down?

Dave Angelini

You read what I said about the fault of 2 master XW/CSW on same network right?

Only the high voltage mppts/xw's can power the xanbus network. Mppt-60 can't, too old of design.

Your neighbor question applies to mppt-60 right? If so see above or say it differently. Good Luck!

Graham Parkinson

Yes, the two battery bank application being considered would only have one XW - that could power the network given that the MPPT 150-60's are too old.  The reason for two battery banks is that the house bank and inverter are 48 V and the other battery bank is a low voltage but high amperage intermittent load (12 V freight tram winch battery bank kept up by separate panels via another MPPT 150-60).  It would be good to be able to monitor both banks health remotely via a Gateway - as it has two ports?.

Same goes for my neighbour's system. It sounds like there is no way to power the bus between SCP and MPPT without jerry rigging something if his CSW is powered down, but his MPPT 150-60 is still charging.   He wants to be able to see how his battery charging is going on the SCP but doesn't want his inverter on using power.

Dave Angelini

There is always a way with electronics! It will take some soldering, I will dig it up later today if you want.

Dave Angelini

Gateway isolates the 2 xanbus channels and can allow some very new ways of doing things. One of them I tested was, that even though the 2 xanbus channels are isolated, xanbus power is not. Both channels will get network power if one of them has a source.