GoodWe Battery Settings and Pairing Guide

Key Takeaways

• Correct battery settings are essential for the safe and efficient operation of your GoodWe inverter and battery system.
• Always verify physical connections and communication cables before adjusting software settings.
• GoodWe inverters rely on the battery's Battery Management System (BMS) for optimal charging and discharging parameters.
• Incorrect settings or wiring can lead to system malfunction, battery damage, or voided warranty.

Safety

Working with solar inverters and batteries involves high voltages and significant electrical currents. Adhere strictly to safety guidelines to prevent injury or equipment damage.

• Qualified Personnel Only: Installation, operation, and maintenance of GoodWe inverters must be performed by qualified electricians.
• High Voltage/Electric Shock: Danger of high voltage and electric shock is present. Always wait at least 5 minutes after disconnecting all power sources (PV, battery, AC grid) before touching any internal components of the inverter.
• Unauthorized Modifications: Do not open the inverter cover or attempt to change components without explicit authorization from GoodWe. Doing so will invalidate your product warranty.
• PV Polarity: Ensure the polarity of PV strings is connected correctly. Reverse polarity can cause severe damage to the inverter.
• Battery Breaker: For batteries without a built-in DC breaker, an external DC breaker is mandatory. The required rating is ≥40A for ET series, 70A for A-ES series, and ≥125A for ES series.

How do I configure my GoodWe inverter for a lithium battery?

Configuring your GoodWe inverter for a lithium battery involves ensuring proper physical connections, verifying communication, and setting the correct battery parameters through the inverter's monitoring application. For lithium-ion batteries, GoodWe inverters are designed to self-adapt to the battery's Battery Management System (BMS) for charging and discharging strategies.

Diagnosis and Initial Checks for Battery Pairing

If your GoodWe inverter is not properly communicating with or charging your lithium battery, follow these steps to diagnose the issue. Before proceeding with any physical checks, please review the safety guidelines provided in the 'Safety' section at the beginning of this article.

1. Verify Physical Connections:

• • Check DC Power Cables: Ensure the positive and negative battery cables are securely connected to the inverter's battery terminals and the battery. Loose connections can cause intermittent power or communication issues.
  • Check BMS Communication Cable: Confirm that the communication cable (RS485 or CAN) between the inverter and the battery's BMS is correctly connected at both ends. A damaged or improperly seated cable is a common cause of pairing failures.
  • External DC Breaker: If your battery does not have a built-in DC breaker, ensure an external DC breaker is installed and closed. For ET series, a breaker of ≥40A is required; for A-ES series, 70A; and for ES series, ≥125A.

2. Check Inverter Display and App for Errors:

• • Inverter Display: Observe the inverter's display for any fault codes or alarm messages related to battery communication or charging. Refer to the GoodWe ET, A-ES, ES Fault Codes and Alarm Messages guide for specific meanings.
  • Monitoring App: Open the monitoring App and check the battery status. Look for communication errors or indications that the battery is not detected.

3. Confirm Battery Voltage:

• • Ensure all power sources are disconnected and appropriate safety measures are taken before measuring voltage, as this involves high voltage.
  • Measure Battery Voltage: Use a multimeter to measure the battery's voltage directly at its terminals.
  • Compare to Inverter Range: Ensure the measured battery voltage falls within the specified operating range for your GoodWe inverter series. For ET series, the range is 180V to 600V; for A-ES series, 80V to 495V; and for ES series, 40V to 60V. If the battery voltage is too low, especially for ES series, the inverter may not start up. The ES Series, Li-Ion (Low Voltage) has a start-up voltage of 40V.

4. Review App Settings:

• • Battery Type Selection: Within the monitoring App, navigate to the battery settings. Ensure that the correct battery type (e.g., Li-Ion) is selected.
  • Communication Protocol: Verify that the communication protocol (RS485 or CAN) matches the battery's requirements and the inverter's configuration. For ET and ES series, CAN is the default.
  • Battery List: The app provides a "Battery list" feature. Confirm your battery is recognized or listed as compatible.

Common Pairing Issues and Solutions

GoodWe Inverter Battery Settings

GoodWe inverters are designed to work with lithium-ion batteries, primarily communicating with the battery's Battery Management System (BMS) to manage charging and discharging. The specific settings and voltage ranges depend on your inverter series (ET, A-ES, or ES).

The monitoring App is used to configure and monitor these settings. The manuals state that for lithium batteries, the charging strategy is "Self-adaption to BMS," meaning the inverter relies on the battery's intelligence for optimal parameters.

Charge Current Limits: While the BMS dictates the charging strategy, the inverter also has maximum charging current limits.

• For ET series models like GW5KL-ET, GW6KL-ET, GW8KL-ET, GW10KL-ET, GW5K-ET, GW6.5K-ET, GW8K-ET, and GW10K-ET, the maximum charging current is 25A.
• For A-ES series models such as GW5000A-ES, GW6000A-ES, GW7000A-ES, GW7600A-ES, GW8600A-ES, and GW9600A-ES, the maximum charging current is 50A.
• For ES series, the GW3648D-ES has a maximum continuous charging current of 75A, and the GW5048D-ES has a maximum continuous charging current of 100A.

These values represent the inverter's capacity and should be considered when sizing your battery bank to ensure efficient charging without exceeding battery specifications.

Important Note on Specific Battery Models and Voltages: GoodWe manuals indicate compatibility with "lithium batteries" and refer to the App for a "battery list." Specific battery models (e.g., Pylontech, BYD) and their exact pairing settings beyond voltage range and communication protocol are not detailed in the provided documentation. The inverter's BMS communication handles the precise charge voltages and parameters for compatible lithium-ion batteries.

When to call a technician instead

While basic troubleshooting can resolve many issues, some situations require professional intervention.

• Persistent Communication Errors: If you have checked all physical connections, verified app settings, and the inverter still reports BMS communication failures or battery-related fault codes (e.g., "Battery Licence Fault Battery activation code incorrect" Code 26), a qualified technician should be contacted.
• Battery Switch Tripping Repeatedly: If the battery switch consistently trips despite checking for short circuits and ensuring adequate battery State of Charge, there may be an internal battery fault or a more complex system issue.
• Inverter Not Starting: If the inverter fails to start up even when battery voltage is within the specified range and all connections are secure, it may indicate an internal inverter fault.
• Warranty Concerns: Any unauthorized modifications or repairs will void your GoodWe warranty. If the issue is complex or requires opening the inverter, contact GoodWe support or an authorized service center.
• Unresolved Faults: If you encounter any fault codes that you cannot resolve using the GoodWe ET, A-ES, ES Fault Codes and Alarm Messages guide or general troubleshooting steps, or if the inverter displays issues like "Internal Communication Failure" (Code 31) or "DSP communication failure" (Code 28ETU), professional help is needed.
• Overload Conditions: If the inverter frequently experiences "Back-Up Over Load for ES" (Code 12ETU for ES series) even after reducing loads, consult a technician to reassess your system's capacity and load management. You can find more information on overload issues in our GoodWe Overload Troubleshooting Guide.