The termination plug is just a 120 ohm resistor for the CAN bus. If the factory part is lost you could make up an RJ45 jack with a short piece of CAT5 cable, place a 120 ohm resistor across the wires for Pin 4 & Pin 5 (CAN-L & CAN-H) Be careful to fold back the other unused wires and make sure none are touching, these are the 15V + and - system power conductors, if they short the Xanbus network is lost and the power supply could be damaged.
XW and SW families of inverters are, in my opinion, the best inverters you can buy for any application. The surge capacity of those are stunning and the quality of the product is unbelievable. But, nothing is perfect, each and every component of the system is sold separately, sooooo, at the end the system price tag will be higher than a all in one unit. At the end you can install all the parts in stages without having to pay for everything up front and you will end with a reliable system that can destroy any all in one system. I now that by experience. I put my 1300 square foot home off grid with just one SW 4024 and had no problem to run two mini split units at night. David…. You are on the right path. Thanks for share your experience. A side by side between a little SW and a solark 8k should be an interesting one…..
Nice to hear about your experience. Thanks. It's been a few months now, and the XW has never faulted out while running my house. Last year I tested the Sol-Ark 12k, and it was faulting out about every 2 days while running my house.
Fantastic work on getting through and figuring the Insight. We are super excited to have it up and running. When spring comes up in Alberta I’ll be installing 3XW Pro, 3 100/600, 1PDP, 3 15kw batteries and 60 425 QCell’s panels on 3 ground tilting arrays. 1 at 150, 1 at 180 and 1 at 210 degrees to stretch out my collection and reduce my midday peak. Being at the 53rd parallel my winters get short so I need a huge system to collect enough for night runs on battery. Your other video with the type of cable that can be directly clamp on to was awesome helpful.
Your detail is very good. No one can remember all. And your posting proved the fact that I need to stay away from my DYI. I know my wife will have someone come out to remove my build if she is not able to do anything with it. I was in the middle of an order. So thanks for saving me a purchase.
Now that you have your insight you can do closed loop communication with those batteries from signature solar . That is a nice feature to have . Glad u didn't let insight intimidate you into not getting it .
@@neomatrix2722 It is where the inverter and battery subsystem communicate with each other (the battery has a BMS, which is a battery computer). Most importantly, the battery tells the inverter what the battery's charging profile is, as well has State of Charge (SoC). They use RS485 or CAN serial communications methods. RS485 is a superior standard than the old RS232 protocol
Good luck with that I've been trying to get mine connected to the eg4 batteries for a month and I sell and install all of this stuff the Schneider battery monitor is going to be your best bet from Schneider if you want it to work without a crazy amount of aggravation although the new firmware does seem to work good on the batteries the communication is the problem the shunt that comes with the Schneider battery monitor will communicate with everything through the xbus Network a lot better
Holy smokes! I don't check in for a few months and come back to discover David has been attacked by a werewolf! Haha. Thanks for the informative content, as always.
Right-clicking the zipped files in Windows file explorer will typically give you a drop-down menu that has an option for unzipping files. This will automatically create a file folder with the same name as the zipped file, which will contain the un-zipped files you need.
Keep going! I can see that you are not a computer jock, but you got through it with some work. We are following, as this is unique hardware with unique commissioning.
David, you will find that the modbus connection is your friend. everything speaks modbus. I have solaredge and a heatpump water heater that speak modbus. You may also find your minisplits speak modbus. With the addition of a raspberry PI and "node red" or Home Automation apps you can do power curtailment and monitoring. And hey... you are becoming quite the master at this stuff!!! What a journey!
I had no idea that appliances like a minisplit can talk to the insighthome. interesting. Now that I have it up, I can install a Schneider charge controller.
@@DavidPozEnergy Lets be careful here.... they all speak modbus.... but that doesn't mean they speak to each other. You can use Home Assistant (I said Home Automation in error above) or node red to bridge the comms.
David, I just wanted to thank you for this video.. I purchased the SW4048 inverter but they no longer produce the SCP remote display. There is no great direction offered by schneider as to was the replacement is. I have contacted support several times. I almost get the feeling these people do not really have any knowledge of their products. There are multiple options. I chose the Insight Home gateway. It did not come with an A/C brick. Does the Xantrax cable power your device? Anyway, I have watched several aschneider videos. By far your has been the most informative and helpful. Thank You. Michael
Hi Michael, Thanks for watching. My Insight Home also did not come with an AC power brick. The Schneider XW PRO, and the 600V charge controllers, all have power over ethernet. Meaning, when I plug in a CAT 5 (or 6) ethernet cable, it powers the insight home. I don't know if the SW also has POE or not. I used my XW inverter for months before ever connecting the insight home. Right out of the box it was ready to work as an inverter. But, to do more advanced features like generator, grid support, etc. you need the insight home.
Great video David. It looks like you installed metal raceway. Did you post that project? If not it would be great to see. Thanks for keeping us updated on your projects.
OMBG you have so saved my life lol this video was so helpful, I am like you, I hate with a passion everything computer related, as it NEVER does what it says on the tin, you saved my bacon lol
@@DavidPozEnergy I don't know how I did this, but I did lol , I need to reach out to your TH-cam followers plz. I never read the login instructions properly (I was born with Dyslexia) Well I changed the default logging password and used a 8 letter and digit password, it should not have worked, but it did and it accepted it and allowed me to log back in with it, Now I am logged out to my admin account and cant re-set it, I have tried everything inc the reset button on the insight home, I am stuck in a loop, the admin login, wants 10 or more digits, it accepted my wrongly given 8 digits, I cant reset this, what can I do ???? question to anyone and every one plz
seems kind of expensive, would like to know or see the difference between the insidehome and solarassistant, which works on RPI and one off licsence...
You should test a grid tie inverter one day. I got a cheap one from Amazon and it’s the most fun inverter I’ve ever used. Mainly because im pushing power into my home and using 100% of my solar panels power.
Those inverters are technically illegal in the United States. They also do not follow NEC and are not UL listed. Your insurance company will not cover any damages caused by those plug and play inverters.
Hi David, well as an IT professional, i can say you do a nice job. You can see PCs are not your thing😀 But, Schneiders upgrade procedure sucks, like many other other companies also mess up a simple upgrade procedure and/or their MANUAL. Nevertheless, many times you need a trained professional to configure all settings. Also Victron has a lot, on which you just need training. That said: lots of trained people also don't know all details. So, in my mind: companies, please just provide a good manual! Usually, even the trained pros, change settings which may not make sense, but they are or told to do so by the manufacturer, or from learning it the hard way(=experience), which they then are not willing to share... So, like BMSses without proper manual: how should you configure all settings...?
Do you know if the Home Insite works with older XW Hybrid Inverters. I have a model that came out just before the Pro. It seems like all the videos I've watched only address the XW Pro. Thanks
Sorry, I don't know. Have you tried calling Schneider customer service? I use this number: 833 391-8640 If you are somewhere else in the world, check here: solar.se.com/us/en/2021/07/23/meet-our-new-tech-support/
Yes, but Schneider does not advertise backward compatibility with XW inverters. Using COMBOX is not totally secure, unless your LAN is isolated or very well protected. Here is the result from a search: Insight Home is compatible with Schneider Electric’s solar & storage offerings, including the XW and SW lines of storage inverters, the MPPT solar charge controllers, and the accessories. Additionally, it's compatible with Schneider Electric’s commercial 3-phase string CL family of inverters for the European and Australian markets. The COMBOX is not forward compatible with XW Pro inverters, but Insight gateway is backward compatible. Have both gateways running in same XANBUS network for testing, but not recommended for permanent use! Have not yet tested a firmware upgrade or downgrade from Insight Home to older XW inverters.
hey thank you very much for the info. I just ordered the insight so I'm glad I ran across this reply. I don't think I'll download any firmware updates to my older inverter as it is working fine and I don't want to mess anything up. @@der_1547
Do you need the insighthome installed. For the inverter to operate? The reason im asking, is because im thinking about using this inverter. With a victron charge controller.
I ran my Schneider inverter without the insight home for 3 months. The inverter will work right out of the box. It's set up for 120/240V split-phase operation from factory. You only need the insight home for more advanced things. For example, if you want to parallel 2 or more inverters, set up 3-phase, generator, etc.
@@DavidPozEnergy oh I see, that's really good information. David I really do appreciate it. I'll only be using one inverter. But I'm really impressed by these inverters.
Well done David, love the video. The InsightHome is a bit different model and it took me awhile as well to understand it. When I bought it, it was called the "Conext Gateway". That is where the term "gateway" comes from. They discontinued that unit and came out with 2 different new gateways, labeled "InsightHome or InsightFacility" with the Facility allowing for much larger systems. When looking at the Insight models, one needs to understand the needs Schneider wanted from the device. From a single inverter and single charge controller installation to multi-inverters and multi-charge controllers installations AND the ability to REMOTELY connect and do things the same way as if in the same room. Once one understands their "model of operation" it become clearer what advantages it provides. Also, their deployment model is to have "Installers" who do all of this, install, configure and interface with the homeowner. It is not targeted at DIYers, but DIYers can grasp things and will seek out the info and eventually Do IT. But it takes time. I have been using my gateway to monitor my 4 MPPT 60 150 charge controllers for several years now, and with my new Pro (less than 3 weeks installed - Wednesday before Thanksgiving) fits in nicely. BTW, I discovered that the InsightHome (gateway) acts a bridge between the Xanbus and TCP networking using an old protocol called Modbus (1979). First I heard of it researching these devices, but I now wrote a python program (github.com/dougbertwashere/mppt60) that reads all the registers of the MPPT 60 150. I use it to read all 4 CCs. Will be adding the ability to read the XW Pro as well. It is the data information that the InsightHome uses to present the data as a website.
Hi good day David need your help here please I have a conext xw +6848 for the past 5 to 6 years, but three days ago I come home and there is no power in it so I open it up the is a and have a close look inside on the control board there is a crack IC on the control board am living in jamamia and it is hard for me to get in contact with Schneider, a have pictures of the inverter so am asking if you could find out how I could get back a control board
Hi Richard, I don't know the process for getting a new control board. I've called customer service several times over the last 6 months and found them to be very helpful. I use this number: 1-833-391-8640 I don't know if it's the same number for your location, but it's a start.
It's my understanding after some reading that you're able to customize the production and output screen are you able to show us out on your next video as my goal is to have a custom screen on my tablet hung on the wall showing me in real time the power production on making with my shoulder and the loads
One thing I don't like about the InsightHome webpage, is if left alone it times outs and closes itself. Move your mouse back into the window it resets the timeout count. So as of now, it won't stay open showing its information. You have to relogin again - argh
This is where a company would be well served if it reached out to the diy off grid inverter TH-cam community and ask: ‘what are we doing wrong, how can we make it easier to set up and use’? Also- What features would you add?
I think so, but I can't say 100% because I used a laptop. First, Schneider knows that a lot of customers don't have internet, so this is how you get around it. 1. Find internet somewhere (coffee shop, library, etc.) 2. Download the firmware file to your device. (laptop, tablet, etc) 3. Go to the insight home location. 4. connect to the insight home's wifi signal 5. Open the insight home using an internet browsing software (ie. Crome) 6. Follow the rest of the steps in the video to find the firmware file on your device.
@DavidPozEnergy thanks for responding. Maybe I could put together a list of question's and you could do a video about solving these infantile issues as they arise. There are so many settings... I'm not used to this level of functionality. All my other systems where plug and play. But I can't argue with its performance! It's outstanding charging my Tesla and running my farm with one inverter! I do still wish they would sell a hard wired control panel though...
Been following your vids for some time. have the exact same setup. do you notice on this firmware that if grid power is disrupted for just a few seconds, the xantrex want to start a new charge cycle?. Batterys are at 99%SOC and still want to start new charge cycle - cant figure this one out
yes, this IS their SOP. With the grid IN, the XW Pro acts like a UPS. Upon grid IN going active, the Pro verifies a good AC IN, enters Grid ByPass, then always recharges the battery as if recovering from a GRID OUTAGE event. Once the target voltage/SOC is reached, the charger turns off and the Pro continues to run ByPass and power the loads. Lose Grid again (outage) and restore Grid, the cycle repeats I just upgraded from a 2005 Xantrex SW+ 5500 watt (120v only) inverter to the Pro. The Xantrex has UPS mode AND a Battery Transfer mode (which is the mode I always used). When the battery reached Low Battery Cut Out, the inverter would stop inverting and switch to Grid ByPass. With the Pro we lose that mode. But wait there is more. In my build thread I documented what I am currently doing in adding that feature back in on the Pro with an external Sold State Relay (SSR) setup. Link here diysolarforum.com/threads/something-i-built-diy-back-in-2000-my-path-from-trace-to-xantrex-to-xw-pro-inverters.11/post-656047 and here diysolarforum.com/threads/something-i-built-diy-back-in-2000-my-path-from-trace-to-xantrex-to-xw-pro-inverters.11/post-658909
@@DavidPozEnergy David this is a summary of ELECTRIC we use.This Week: 12/18-12/24Last Week: 12/11-12/17Usage607.9 kWh334.6 kWhCost $89.30$50.04 We live in the Houston area. What kind battery Bank would I need? Is there a power source that does not require batteries? The panel box is outside of the house need to limit the clutter if possible.
@@DavidPozEnergy Thank you so much replying. It is the same as the one you was installing. Shares the same parts too just different in capacity. I'm also looking for parts I have which is severely damaged
I had assumed you were outside the US based on the inverter model. That's why I didn't give you a phone number. Instead, I linked to the web page with all the tech phone numbers. You can pick the phone number for the region you are in.
@@DavidPozEnergy The biggest thing I need to figure out now is the software to get a permit package together or a company that will put the documents together for me.
@@DavidPozEnergy thanks for replying, I do have the insight home but can't seem to change the inverter numbers, and can't set to master and slave either, I e gone into the setting to change the number but it doesn't save, when I try setting 1 inverter to split phase slave it doesn't save either, so I was wondering if it was a firmware problem or I'm doing something wrong
I haven't programmed two Schneider inverters in parallel. I'll be doing that before this winter, but as of right now I don't have the experience to help you yet.
Right now, I'm using my older Growatt inverters as charge controllers. Moving forward, I'm going to install a Schneider charge controller. I just needed the Insight home up and running first.
Its really such a shame. Schneider can make a hell of a product, but is such an unethical company. My company got bought by them, and we got to see the way they operate. We had to stop doing business in Hawaii for a time because they wouldn't open their books to the state. I had to move away from Hawaii due to that
Hawaii has a unique small grid. The parameters for frequency deviation and voltage have to be wider. I can understand why Hawaii wants to see the specs... enough of those installed and dropping off could cause some cascading problems if many of these dropped off at once. They absolutly don't have the "infinite grid" that CONUS does.
@@ai4px Hawaii definitely wants to be more involved with everything in your life. Like with their crypto rules pretty much forcing the exchanges out of the state. Yet Their lack of organization brings a higher level of freedom In some parts of Hawaii like on the big island where there's a high concentration of freedom loving individuals. I love the climate here, I don't like the Democratic rule but do enjoy the freedom the government's disorganization brings. I'm sort of torn but will probably never leave.
Dave, if you would like additional referral payment. I will most likely purchase the pallet of Canadian 290 for $3900. I looked at your links. Maybe I missed it. But that product was not listed. Thank you
Thank you for thinking of me. Here is an affiliate link to the pallet of solar panels: signaturesolar.com/canadian-solar-290w-polycrystalline-solar-panel-silver-cs3k-290p-m-full-pallet-30-8-8kw-total/?ref=4_rHcgZ9x-TiF- An interesting note: If you (or anyone) clicks on one of my affiliate links in the description (example: insight home), that will open the webpage in a new tab. Anything you purchase from Signature Solar while that tab is open, is counted. Meaning you can click the link to the Schneider inverter, then click on any other product at Signature Solar, and I will still get counted. But the webpage has to be open, not closed and re-opened. There might be some other details about it that I don't know, but that's how it was explained to me.
Thanks for helping me with so many projects.Not related to this video,could you tell me how much solar to power my water trough heating element? And I'm unclear how to wire the 4 prong element.
Water heating is a huge topic. I made several videos about it. There are some variables outside of the information you provided. Are you trying to go from solar PV panels directly to a water heating element? Do you have thermostats involved? Are you powering the water heating element from an inverter? etc. I'd start by asking you to watch this video: th-cam.com/video/kVaxAfXQPDU/w-d-xo.html After that, you are welcome to ask more questions in that video.
That style heater is 2 elements. Each element has 2 prongs. If you leave both brass busbars in place, you are paralleling the two elements. This is done to increase the Amps at a given Voltage. If you remove one of the brass busbars, then you must turn the other brass busbar. Turning it is changing the element arrangement. You will be making the two elements in series with one another. This is typically done if you plan to use the heater with a higher Voltage.
@@DavidPozEnergy LOL. Thanks for taking the time for me. I LOL because I have one more question. So, if I only use one element, I place one positive and one neg on that one element?
Pretty crazy how as successful of a company as Schneider is, they have a poor implementation of that hub. I can understand needing to connect to its wifi to do the initial set up, that's fine. But at that point it should connect to your home wifi, then you go to the settings/firmware, and click a "Check for Updates" button and let it do its thing. Having to manually download and go through all that hassle to update the firmware is bs, imho.
Totally agree. Lazy programming, or more more likely, some luddite supervisor cutting off the programmers coding time that would be required to automate the procedure.
WiFi setup is not required! If you have a router with DHCP, you can hard-wire the COMBOX or Insight gateway to the local LAN. It will self-configure with an IP address, the only problem sometimes is to find it! Using a port scanner will help finding it and show you where other vulnerabilities are within your LAN. Automating upgrades via internet is convenient, but opens up the door for hackers who could brick the system! The XW firmware update allows upgrades and downgrades, but you have to select the correct firmware. Loading the firmware first into the gateway eliminates a potential failure point.
Great video Davud?, as usual. Too much technica daftware for me. These things should just work straight out the box. No updates or downloads it's all about tracking and controlling.
I have been using the Schneider inverter straight out of the box for the last 3 months or so. I didn't need to have the insight facility. I wanted to try it out so that I can try doing some other features like closed loop communications with my battery.
that firmware update process is so incredibly convoluted it's disturbing, they really need to suss that stuff out, i'm in the market for a system and this has pretty much turned me off
The termination plug is just a 120 ohm resistor for the CAN bus. If the factory part is lost you could make up an RJ45 jack with a short piece of CAT5 cable, place a 120 ohm resistor across the wires for Pin 4 & Pin 5 (CAN-L & CAN-H) Be careful to fold back the other unused wires and make sure none are touching, these are the 15V + and - system power conductors, if they short the Xanbus network is lost and the power supply could be damaged.
Does this mean you can't use any ethanet cable?
Worst thing to is to loose power in the middle of a firmware upgrade. Happy you made it thru. Nice job. Thanks for sharing
XW and SW families of inverters are, in my opinion, the best inverters you can buy for any application. The surge capacity of those are stunning and the quality of the product is unbelievable. But, nothing is perfect, each and every component of the system is sold separately, sooooo, at the end the system price tag will be higher than a all in one unit. At the end you can install all the parts in stages without having to pay for everything up front and you will end with a reliable system that can destroy any all in one system. I now that by experience. I put my 1300 square foot home off grid with just one SW 4024 and had no problem to run two mini split units at night. David…. You are on the right path. Thanks for share your experience.
A side by side between a little SW and a solark 8k should be an interesting one…..
Nice to hear about your experience. Thanks. It's been a few months now, and the XW has never faulted out while running my house. Last year I tested the Sol-Ark 12k, and it was faulting out about every 2 days while running my house.
Fantastic work on getting through and figuring the Insight. We are super excited to have it up and running. When spring comes up in Alberta I’ll be installing 3XW Pro, 3 100/600, 1PDP, 3 15kw batteries and 60 425 QCell’s panels on 3 ground tilting arrays. 1 at 150, 1 at 180 and 1 at 210 degrees to stretch out my collection and reduce my midday peak. Being at the 53rd parallel my winters get short so I need a huge system to collect enough for night runs on battery. Your other video with the type of cable that can be directly clamp on to was awesome helpful.
Sounds like it will be an awesome setup.
Your detail is very good. No one can remember all. And your posting proved the fact that I need to stay away from my DYI. I know my wife will have someone come out to remove my build if she is not able to do anything with it. I was in the middle of an order. So thanks for saving me a purchase.
Now that you have your insight you can do closed loop communication with those batteries from signature solar . That is a nice feature to have . Glad u didn't let insight intimidate you into not getting it .
Yeah, that will make it worth while. I look forward to that part
What is closed loop communication I have the Snyder SW 40 24 with lead acid batteries
@@neomatrix2722 It is where the inverter and battery subsystem communicate with each other (the battery has a BMS, which is a battery computer). Most importantly, the battery tells the inverter what the battery's charging profile is, as well has State of Charge (SoC). They use RS485 or CAN serial communications methods. RS485 is a superior standard than the old RS232 protocol
Good luck with that I've been trying to get mine connected to the eg4 batteries for a month and I sell and install all of this stuff the Schneider battery monitor is going to be your best bet from Schneider if you want it to work without a crazy amount of aggravation although the new firmware does seem to work good on the batteries the communication is the problem the shunt that comes with the Schneider battery monitor will communicate with everything through the xbus Network a lot better
excellent video, I documented all the steps, so when I buy one, Thank you David, excellent, excellent, I very much appreciate you details
Your welcome.
Holy smokes! I don't check in for a few months and come back to discover David has been attacked by a werewolf! Haha. Thanks for the informative content, as always.
He's gunna be Al on Tool Time soon enough!! grin.
just installed two of these in parallel with insight home works great. Thanks for the videoes on schneider.
Kind of confusing user guide, still need to upgrade the inverter. Thanks for the video.
Hey David, for tight areas when electric taping. I take a piece of pen tube cut to length and make a mini roll. Keeps wrinkles down
Right-clicking the zipped files in Windows file explorer will typically give you a drop-down menu that has an option for unzipping files. This will automatically create a file folder with the same name as the zipped file, which will contain the un-zipped files you need.
Thanks for sharing this! I know this will help a LOT people along the way!! God Bless brother.
Keep going! I can see that you are not a computer jock, but you got through it with some work. We are following, as this is unique hardware with unique commissioning.
David, you will find that the modbus connection is your friend. everything speaks modbus. I have solaredge and a heatpump water heater that speak modbus. You may also find your minisplits speak modbus. With the addition of a raspberry PI and "node red" or Home Automation apps you can do power curtailment and monitoring.
And hey... you are becoming quite the master at this stuff!!! What a journey!
I had no idea that appliances like a minisplit can talk to the insighthome. interesting. Now that I have it up, I can install a Schneider charge controller.
@@DavidPozEnergy Lets be careful here.... they all speak modbus.... but that doesn't mean they speak to each other. You can use Home Assistant (I said Home Automation in error above) or node red to bridge the comms.
Thanks for breaking this down for us! It's really not intuitive at all, I really struggled with it as well.
Thanks for letting me know I wasn't alone in the struggle. I love your videos on the Schneider as well.
Merci DAVID, superbe présentation. A bientôt.
Liked the spa music, Almost passed out lol 👍
David, I just wanted to thank you for this video.. I purchased the SW4048 inverter but they no longer produce the SCP remote display. There is no great direction offered by schneider as to was the replacement is. I have contacted support several times. I almost get the feeling these people do not really have any knowledge of their products. There are multiple options. I chose the Insight Home gateway. It did not come with an A/C brick. Does the Xantrax cable power your device? Anyway, I have watched several aschneider videos. By far your has been the most informative and helpful. Thank You. Michael
Hi Michael, Thanks for watching.
My Insight Home also did not come with an AC power brick. The Schneider XW PRO, and the 600V charge controllers, all have power over ethernet. Meaning, when I plug in a CAT 5 (or 6) ethernet cable, it powers the insight home. I don't know if the SW also has POE or not.
I used my XW inverter for months before ever connecting the insight home. Right out of the box it was ready to work as an inverter. But, to do more advanced features like generator, grid support, etc. you need the insight home.
David another great video. I hope you received the money from my orders with signature solar.
Keep up the great videos!
Great video David. It looks like you installed metal raceway. Did you post that project? If not it would be great to see.
Thanks for keeping us updated on your projects.
I installed the 4x4 wireway for my SMA inverter project. th-cam.com/video/H1lSmm3f0O8/w-d-xo.html
OMBG you have so saved my life lol this video was so helpful, I am like you, I hate with a passion everything computer related, as it NEVER does what it says on the tin, you saved my bacon lol
Glad to help
@@DavidPozEnergy I don't know how I did this, but I did lol , I need to reach out to your TH-cam followers plz. I never read the login instructions properly (I was born with Dyslexia) Well I changed the default logging password and used a 8 letter and digit password, it should not have worked, but it did and it accepted it and allowed me to log back in with it, Now I am logged out to my admin account and cant re-set it, I have tried everything inc the reset button on the insight home, I am stuck in a loop, the admin login, wants 10 or more digits, it accepted my wrongly given 8 digits, I cant reset this, what can I do ???? question to anyone and every one plz
2:05 "I'm not really sure what we're looking at." Lost me there!
seems kind of expensive, would like to know or see the difference between the insidehome and solarassistant, which works on RPI and one off licsence...
Thanks for your video!
Do I really need the Conext to update my 12 year old 6048 Xantrex inverter? Thanks
I don't own that model. You'd have to check your manual.
You should test a grid tie inverter one day. I got a cheap one from Amazon and it’s the most fun inverter I’ve ever used. Mainly because im pushing power into my home and using 100% of my solar panels power.
Mind if you share the link?
I can’t share links
I use a 600w15-32v 90-140v grid tie inverter by y&h if your wondering
Those inverters are technically illegal in the United States. They also do not follow NEC and are not UL listed. Your insurance company will not cover any damages caused by those plug and play inverters.
How do you prevent it from exporting?
Hi David, well as an IT professional, i can say you do a nice job.
You can see PCs are not your thing😀
But, Schneiders upgrade procedure sucks, like many other other companies also mess up a simple upgrade procedure and/or their MANUAL.
Nevertheless, many times you need a trained professional to configure all settings. Also Victron has a lot, on which you just need training.
That said: lots of trained people also don't know all details.
So, in my mind: companies, please just provide a good manual!
Usually, even the trained pros, change settings which may not make sense, but they are or told to do so by the manufacturer, or from learning it the hard way(=experience), which they then are not willing to share...
So, like BMSses without proper manual: how should you configure all settings...?
Do you like this new equipment or your older system?
How do I put my xwpro Into standby mode? And how do I know what region to choose?
Do you know if the Home Insite works with older XW Hybrid Inverters. I have a model that came out just before the Pro. It seems like all the videos I've watched only address the XW Pro. Thanks
Sorry, I don't know. Have you tried calling Schneider customer service? I use this number: 833 391-8640 If you are somewhere else in the world, check here: solar.se.com/us/en/2021/07/23/meet-our-new-tech-support/
Yes, but Schneider does not advertise backward compatibility with XW inverters. Using COMBOX is not totally secure, unless your LAN is isolated or very well protected.
Here is the result from a search:
Insight Home is compatible with Schneider Electric’s solar & storage offerings, including the XW and SW lines of storage inverters, the MPPT solar charge controllers, and the accessories. Additionally, it's compatible with Schneider Electric’s commercial 3-phase string CL family of inverters for the European and Australian markets.
The COMBOX is not forward compatible with XW Pro inverters, but Insight gateway is backward compatible.
Have both gateways running in same XANBUS network for testing, but not recommended for permanent use!
Have not yet tested a firmware upgrade or downgrade from Insight Home to older XW inverters.
hey thank you very much for the info. I just ordered the insight so I'm glad I ran across this reply. I don't think I'll download any firmware updates to my older inverter as it is working fine and I don't want to mess anything up. @@der_1547
Thanks for saving us from Schneider’s absolutely inadequate instructions. 4 hrs later!! They should pay you to write an installation
Document
Your welcome. If I save everyone 4 hours of install time, I wonder how much that would be total?
@@DavidPozEnergy 💛💛💛a kazillion!!! my husband also said they should pay you to write the manuals, they don’t seem to be able to attend the details.
Do you need the insighthome installed. For the inverter to operate? The reason im asking, is because im thinking about using this inverter. With a victron charge controller.
I ran my Schneider inverter without the insight home for 3 months. The inverter will work right out of the box. It's set up for 120/240V split-phase operation from factory. You only need the insight home for more advanced things. For example, if you want to parallel 2 or more inverters, set up 3-phase, generator, etc.
@@DavidPozEnergy oh I see, that's really good information. David I really do appreciate it. I'll only be using one inverter. But I'm really impressed by these inverters.
Good luck with your build. I have several videos on my channel about the Scheiders. I'm also very impressed by them.
Very informative David.
Could you tell me which grid code to choose when I setup this system? The guy at the power company doesn't know what I'm talking about
If you call customer service at Schneider they can tell you. 833-391-8640
@@DavidPozEnergy thank you very much, sir!
Nice video. Lots of steps to this! I wonder how the Victron setup compares. Also wonder what difference in performance between Victron & Schneider.
hi david.. i do believe i saw your wings today... ? lolol you have the patients of a saint...lololol hope it all gos well ... Tone UK
LOL, thanks.
I'm first now I'll go watch the video
Well done David, love the video.
The InsightHome is a bit different model and it took me awhile as well to understand it. When I bought it, it was called the "Conext Gateway". That is where the term "gateway" comes from. They discontinued that unit and came out with 2 different new gateways, labeled "InsightHome or InsightFacility" with the Facility allowing for much larger systems.
When looking at the Insight models, one needs to understand the needs Schneider wanted from the device. From a single inverter and single charge controller installation to multi-inverters and multi-charge controllers installations AND the ability to REMOTELY connect and do things the same way as if in the same room.
Once one understands their "model of operation" it become clearer what advantages it provides.
Also, their deployment model is to have "Installers" who do all of this, install, configure and interface with the homeowner. It is not targeted at DIYers, but DIYers can grasp things and will seek out the info and eventually Do IT. But it takes time.
I have been using my gateway to monitor my 4 MPPT 60 150 charge controllers for several years now, and with my new Pro (less than 3 weeks installed - Wednesday before Thanksgiving) fits in nicely.
BTW, I discovered that the InsightHome (gateway) acts a bridge between the Xanbus and TCP networking using an old protocol called Modbus (1979). First I heard of it researching these devices, but I now wrote a python program (github.com/dougbertwashere/mppt60) that reads all the registers of the MPPT 60 150. I use it to read all 4 CCs. Will be adding the ability to read the XW Pro as well. It is the data information that the InsightHome uses to present the data as a website.
Thanks for the breakdown, makes sense.
Hi good day David need your help here please I have a conext xw +6848 for the past 5 to 6 years, but three days ago I come home and there is no power in it so I open it up the is a and have a close look inside on the control board there is a crack
IC on the control board am living in jamamia and it is hard for me to get in contact with Schneider, a have pictures of the inverter so am asking if you could find out how I could get back a control board
Really need your help
Hi Richard, I don't know the process for getting a new control board. I've called customer service several times over the last 6 months and found them to be very helpful. I use this number: 1-833-391-8640 I don't know if it's the same number for your location, but it's a start.
@@DavidPozEnergy thank bro going to give the number I try, blessed up
It's my understanding after some reading that you're able to customize the production and output screen are you able to show us out on your next video as my goal is to have a custom screen on my tablet hung on the wall showing me in real time the power production on making with my shoulder and the loads
I'll look into it. I don't know all the features available
One thing I don't like about the InsightHome webpage, is if left alone it times outs and closes itself. Move your mouse back into the window it resets the timeout count. So as of now, it won't stay open showing its information. You have to relogin again - argh
This is where a company would be well served if it reached out to the diy off grid inverter TH-cam community and ask: ‘what are we doing wrong, how can we make it easier to set up and use’?
Also- What features would you add?
Is it possible to make this system work with only a smart phone no lap top and a weak internet hotspot???
I think so, but I can't say 100% because I used a laptop. First, Schneider knows that a lot of customers don't have internet, so this is how you get around it.
1. Find internet somewhere (coffee shop, library, etc.)
2. Download the firmware file to your device. (laptop, tablet, etc)
3. Go to the insight home location.
4. connect to the insight home's wifi signal
5. Open the insight home using an internet browsing software (ie. Crome)
6. Follow the rest of the steps in the video to find the firmware file on your device.
@DavidPozEnergy I did get it working but will picking a laptop ASAP.
@DavidPozEnergy thanks for responding. Maybe I could put together a list of question's and you could do a video about solving these infantile issues as they arise. There are so many settings... I'm not used to this level of functionality. All my other systems where plug and play. But I can't argue with its performance! It's outstanding charging my Tesla and running my farm with one inverter! I do still wish they would sell a hard wired control panel though...
Ok you got the hard part done.
As a computer engineer 😜 you did everything correctly, mind blowingly slowly 🤣
Keep up this series mate, I want to emulate for my house in Thailand 💪🙏
Been following your vids for some time. have the exact same setup. do you notice on this firmware that if grid power is disrupted for just a few seconds, the xantrex want to start a new charge cycle?. Batterys are at 99%SOC and still want to start new charge cycle - cant figure this one out
I don't have grid tied to my solar equipment.
yes, this IS their SOP. With the grid IN, the XW Pro acts like a UPS. Upon grid IN going active, the Pro verifies a good AC IN, enters Grid ByPass, then always recharges the battery as if recovering from a GRID OUTAGE event. Once the target voltage/SOC is reached, the charger turns off and the Pro continues to run ByPass and power the loads. Lose Grid again (outage) and restore Grid, the cycle repeats
I just upgraded from a 2005 Xantrex SW+ 5500 watt (120v only) inverter to the Pro. The Xantrex has UPS mode AND a Battery Transfer mode (which is the mode I always used). When the battery reached Low Battery Cut Out, the inverter would stop inverting and switch to Grid ByPass. With the Pro we lose that mode. But wait there is more.
In my build thread I documented what I am currently doing in adding that feature back in on the Pro with an external Sold State Relay (SSR) setup.
Link here
diysolarforum.com/threads/something-i-built-diy-back-in-2000-my-path-from-trace-to-xantrex-to-xw-pro-inverters.11/post-656047
and here
diysolarforum.com/threads/something-i-built-diy-back-in-2000-my-path-from-trace-to-xantrex-to-xw-pro-inverters.11/post-658909
This is all new to me can this unit supply a 1400sq all electric home without using a battery or solar panels only using a power generator?
No. The inverter in the video requires a battery. Now, if you don't have room for solar you can still use a generator to recharge the batteries.
@@DavidPozEnergy Thank you. What battery hook up will I need to supply my needs?
@@DavidPozEnergy David this is a summary of ELECTRIC we use.This Week: 12/18-12/24Last Week: 12/11-12/17Usage607.9 kWh334.6 kWhCost $89.30$50.04
We live in the Houston area.
What kind battery Bank would I need? Is there a power source that does not require batteries? The panel box is outside of the house need to limit the clutter if possible.
@@DavidPozEnergy what battery pack would you recommend.
ME TOOOO but I bought one anyway... but MAN IT WOUKD BE NICE TO HAVE A HARD WIRED CONTROL PANEL
Looks hard to do unless you're an expert waiting for the results from your next video I'm not so sure I like the music thanks for the video
Hello, I have Schneider inverter XW+8548E with an error F.66 how can I resolve it?
I've never tested or worked on a "XW+8548E".
@@DavidPozEnergy Thank you so much replying. It is the same as the one you was installing. Shares the same parts too just different in capacity.
I'm also looking for parts I have which is severely damaged
Call Tech support. I find they are very helpful. solar.se.com/us/en/2021/07/23/meet-our-new-tech-support/
@@DavidPozEnergy Thanks, I'm outside US though, will find a way to contact them. Be blessed and thank you for your good and educative videos
I had assumed you were outside the US based on the inverter model. That's why I didn't give you a phone number. Instead, I linked to the web page with all the tech phone numbers. You can pick the phone number for the region you are in.
Does the insight home allow you to monitor everything locally using APIs without having to connect it to the internet?
You can monitor locally.
@@DavidPozEnergy The biggest thing I need to figure out now is the software to get a permit package together or a company that will put the documents together for me.
How can u change the inverter number and the master and slave settings without the scp?
The SCP is being phased out. The Insight Home replaces it. If you have the Insight Home, you don't need the SCP.
@@DavidPozEnergy thanks for replying, I do have the insight home but can't seem to change the inverter numbers, and can't set to master and slave either, I e gone into the setting to change the number but it doesn't save, when I try setting 1 inverter to split phase slave it doesn't save either, so I was wondering if it was a firmware problem or I'm doing something wrong
I haven't programmed two Schneider inverters in parallel. I'll be doing that before this winter, but as of right now I don't have the experience to help you yet.
@@DavidPozEnergy ok I understand, if u get any info please add it to ur videos, thanks
What charge controller do you have with the inverter and how many dolar panels?
Right now, I'm using my older Growatt inverters as charge controllers. Moving forward, I'm going to install a Schneider charge controller. I just needed the Insight home up and running first.
@@DavidPozEnergy skip the 80 600 and go with the 100 600 CC
@@norsk54472 care to elaborate?
Zipped files - Right click the zipped file, select Extract all, when the window pops up, select extract - done
Its really such a shame. Schneider can make a hell of a product, but is such an unethical company. My company got bought by them, and we got to see the way they operate. We had to stop doing business in Hawaii for a time because they wouldn't open their books to the state. I had to move away from Hawaii due to that
Do you care to elaborate in detail with your statement?
Hawaii has a unique small grid. The parameters for frequency deviation and voltage have to be wider. I can understand why Hawaii wants to see the specs... enough of those installed and dropping off could cause some cascading problems if many of these dropped off at once. They absolutly don't have the "infinite grid" that CONUS does.
@@ai4px Hawaii definitely wants to be more involved with everything in your life. Like with their crypto rules pretty much forcing the exchanges out of the state. Yet Their lack of organization brings a higher level of freedom In some parts of Hawaii like on the big island where there's a high concentration of freedom loving individuals. I love the climate here, I don't like the Democratic rule but do enjoy the freedom the government's disorganization brings. I'm sort of torn but will probably never leave.
Dave, if you would like additional referral payment. I will most likely purchase the pallet of Canadian 290 for $3900.
I looked at your links. Maybe I missed it. But that product was not listed. Thank you
Thank you for thinking of me. Here is an affiliate link to the pallet of solar panels:
signaturesolar.com/canadian-solar-290w-polycrystalline-solar-panel-silver-cs3k-290p-m-full-pallet-30-8-8kw-total/?ref=4_rHcgZ9x-TiF-
An interesting note: If you (or anyone) clicks on one of my affiliate links in the description (example: insight home), that will open the webpage in a new tab. Anything you purchase from Signature Solar while that tab is open, is counted. Meaning you can click the link to the Schneider inverter, then click on any other product at Signature Solar, and I will still get counted. But the webpage has to be open, not closed and re-opened. There might be some other details about it that I don't know, but that's how it was explained to me.
David, 1 of my projects is in Hawaii. Would you be interested in filming your channel in Hawaii? The Massachusetts winters are very cold.
Thanks for helping me with so many projects.Not related to this video,could you tell me how much solar to power my water trough heating element? And I'm unclear how to wire the 4 prong element.
Water heating is a huge topic. I made several videos about it. There are some variables outside of the information you provided. Are you trying to go from solar PV panels directly to a water heating element? Do you have thermostats involved? Are you powering the water heating element from an inverter? etc.
I'd start by asking you to watch this video: th-cam.com/video/kVaxAfXQPDU/w-d-xo.html After that, you are welcome to ask more questions in that video.
@@DavidPozEnergy solar to battery to element in water trough
element has 4 prongs with two plates. One video that I watched said to remove one plate, but it is not heating.
That style heater is 2 elements. Each element has 2 prongs. If you leave both brass busbars in place, you are paralleling the two elements. This is done to increase the Amps at a given Voltage. If you remove one of the brass busbars, then you must turn the other brass busbar. Turning it is changing the element arrangement. You will be making the two elements in series with one another. This is typically done if you plan to use the heater with a higher Voltage.
@@DavidPozEnergy LOL. Thanks for taking the time for me. I LOL because I have one more question. So, if I only use one element, I place one positive and one neg on that one element?
Stupid me but, does this mean someone can hack your system? Not me, I can barely turn my computer on.
Maybe, but I didn't share the code for my specific unit. I only shared the generic codes for setup.
Pretty crazy how as successful of a company as Schneider is, they have a poor implementation of that hub. I can understand needing to connect to its wifi to do the initial set up, that's fine. But at that point it should connect to your home wifi, then you go to the settings/firmware, and click a "Check for Updates" button and let it do its thing. Having to manually download and go through all that hassle to update the firmware is bs, imho.
Totally agree. Lazy programming, or more more likely, some luddite supervisor cutting off the programmers coding time that would be required to automate the procedure.
WiFi setup is not required! If you have a router with DHCP, you can hard-wire the COMBOX or Insight gateway to the local LAN. It will self-configure with an IP address, the only problem sometimes is to find it! Using a port scanner will help finding it and show you where other vulnerabilities are within your LAN.
Automating upgrades via internet is convenient, but opens up the door for hackers who could brick the system! The XW firmware update allows upgrades and downgrades, but you have to select the correct firmware. Loading the firmware first into the gateway eliminates a potential failure point.
Great video Davud?, as usual. Too much technica daftware for me. These things should just work straight out the box. No updates or downloads it's all about tracking and controlling.
I have been using the Schneider inverter straight out of the box for the last 3 months or so. I didn't need to have the insight facility. I wanted to try it out so that I can try doing some other features like closed loop communications with my battery.
Instructions for firmware update on equipment is hard to do. Everything is different
👍
12:47 quickly get into File Explorer by holding down the Windows Key + E
I thought my EG4 was difficult to set up. Wow
that firmware update process is so incredibly convoluted it's disturbing, they really need to suss that stuff out, i'm in the market for a system and this has pretty much turned me off
This is needlessly way too complicated. Until they come out with something that is more plug and play I'll just keep my money.
They missed the boat when the made it use only up to 24v.... bahhhhhhh
Just like you i don't buy something that you need to buy the brains to fully use it separately, ridiculously to much
Should come built in from factory
@davidpoz how do you get to that website. Your links don’t work.
Thanks for letting me know. I fixed the links.
hi,how to contact you