User Guide

Learn more about how your Ferroamp system works and adapt it to your needs to maximize the benefits of solar cells, batteries and electric car charging.

Solar Power

In EnergyCloud, you can follow solar production in real time and follow how much electricity you export to or import from the grid. You get an overview of how much the different solar strings produce and what the production looks like over time.

About Solar Power

There are a number of different parameters that affect the electricity production that the solar cells deliver. The position of the sun in relation to the panels, cloudiness, temperature, wind, shadows and pollution are all factors that affect the effect obtained from the panels.
This is because Ferroamp’s solar string optimizers measure the solar cell power and energy that enters the optimizer’s contacts, what is then fed into the AC grid in the house is reduced by about 3-4% due to losses in optimizers, cables and inverters.
The SSO off-line alarm checks that the solar string optimizers report data to the EnergyHub. The alarm sends an email if one or more SSOs have stopped delivering data.

Read more about the SSO-alarm

Short introduction to how solar power production is presented in EnergyCloud. In Swedish.

Content:
0.00 Introduction
0.30 Dashboard
3.20 Energy view
4.35 Power view
5.40 Solar String view

Battery settings

A battery can be used in many different ways in the Ferroamp system. In EnergyCloud, you can set how you want the battery to work and also schedule different activities.

About

In order for a battery to maintain an optimal performance over time, the cells must be balanced at regular intervals. 
 
Balancing takes place automatically on a regular basis at night between 01:00 and 04:00 to minimize disturbance. 
 
Batteries from Pylontech are made approximately every three months or as needed. This is done by charging the battery up to 100 percent regardless of the SOC limit that is set. It will then pulse at full charge during the balancing period.
 
Batteries from PSM occur about once a month by the battery completing a full charge cycle (charging first 0-100% and then 100-0%) regardless of the SOC limit that is set.
Self Consumption is used to increase self-consumption of solar electricity. The battery is charged with surplus from solar electricity production and discharged when there is a deficit of solar electricity production. In EnergyCloud, the setting is done by setting thresholds for import and export.
Peak Shaving is used to even out the power consumption from the grid by cutting power peaks in consumption. The battery is  charged with electricity from both the solar cells and the grid and is used when your own consumption is at its highest. In EnergyCloud, the setting is done by setting thresholds for import and export.
Default mode is used when you want to charge or discharge a battery at a specific power at a specific time. It can be scheduled, for example, to charge the battery when electricity is cheapest during the day and discharge when it is most expensive.
Scheduling makes it possible to apply different operating settings at different times and on different days of the week.

Learn more about how to use a battery in the Ferroamps system. Oscar shows how to use the battery to maximize self-consumption of solar power, cut power peaks and how to schedule different functions. In Swedish.

Content:
0.00 Introduction
0.30 Basic settings
1.40 Default mode
2.40 Self Consumption – self-consumption of solar power
4.30 Peak Shaving – cutting power peaks
6.15 Scheduling – plan for optimal use

If your fee to the grid operator is based on the size of your connection it is advisable to set the battery to selfconsumtion during the day and to charge the battery during the night. The battery then only charges with any overproduction of solar electricity during the day and otherwise charges during the night when electricity is cheaper. In Swedish.

 

If the fee to the grid operator is based on your highest power use it is advisable to use peak shaving during the winter. Set the battery to cut power peaks during the day and charge at night when the price is lower and the power peaks are often not included in the basis for the power fee.

NOTE: Check how your grid operator formulates its power charges. For example, Ellevio counts half of the power peaks at night, in which case Peak Shaving should also be set at night, but the discharge and charging thresholds should then be set twice as high as the daytime discharge threshold.

Ancillary Services

(Applies to Swedish market only)

 

To sell ancillary services to the electricity grid, you need a Ferroamp system with a battery. You can use the battery for other tasks in the property at the same time as you sell support services, but it is required to make certain settings to distribute the capacity between the different functions.

The service to participate in the ancillary services market with a Ferroamp system is currently offered by Varberg Energi and is called “Flex Batteri”. You must become an electricity retail customer of Varberg Energi to use the service.

About

To sell ancillary services with a Ferroamp system, you need to sign up for Varberg Energi’s “Flex Battery” offer.

The service will be available in all bidding areas once a sufficiently large portfolio of systems has signed up. Initially, this applies to bidding area 3 (except Gotland), but the ambition is to be able to add the other bidding areas shortly.

It is possible to sign up for the service for anyone who has a Ferroamp system with a PSM and ESS battery. In the long term, it will also work with Pylontech H1/M1.

The systems that will be activated first are smaller systems with the following specifications:

– 1 x EnergyHub (Both Wall and XL units work but not several XL units in one rack cabinet)

– Maximum 5 Solar String Optimizers (SSO)

– 1 battery system 

In order to be admitted to the bidable portfolio, the system undergoes a system test. Each Ferroamp system is unique and the answers may therefore vary. If you are close to the limit of the system requirements and, for example, have three SSOs, the size and length of cables can play a role. Ferroamp works to minimise these types of restrictions.

The specification for which systems will be released will be developed over time to cover more configurations of Ferroamp systems in a larger geographical area, and it is therefore possible to register your interest right now, regardless of the size of the system you have.

To sell ancillary services, you need to become an electricity trading customer at Varberg Energi and sign up for their “Flex Batteri” service. You can do this here: https://www.varbergenergi.se/privat/tjanster/energilosningar/flex-batteri/battre-ekonomi-med-ett-hembatteri-fran-ferroamp/

When you sign up for the service, you need to provide your Ferroamp ID, which you will find in EnergyCloud on the first page under “System information”.

You must also ensure that import and export restrictions are disabled so that the system can undergo a system test.

If the system is approved, you will receive a notification from Varberg Energi and can then wait for activation of the service.

Once the service is activated, certain settings need to be made in EnergyCloud.

+State of Charge (SoC) needs to be set so that there is always capacity for supporting services.

Set:

Lower limit (SoC%min): 30% or higher

Upper limit (SoC%max): 80% or lower

+ The “Restrict Import” and “Restrict Export” buttons should be disabled (grey).

You can continue to use the Ferroamp system while providing ancillary services. In addition to the short moments when the power grid needs support, your own settings will control the use.

However, some features are limited by the required settings described above:

– Longer battery discharges. With a smaller available SoC range, the amount of energy available for discharge is reduced and the battery cannot discharge for as long.

– Electric car charging. If you control electric car charging via OCPP in EnergyCloud, you will no longer be able to choose to only charge with solar power or to avoid charging at power peaks. On the other hand, the system can still act as a load guard against the main fuse.

– You cannot completely refrain from supplying solar power to the grid, as the export restriction must be turned off.

– External control of the Ferroamp system will not work, but it will still be possible to read data from the system in other systems.

– The “Peak Shaving” setting doesn’t work while selling support services.

Ferroamp works continuously to minimise restrictions so that you can use as many functions as possible at the same time.

In Varberg Energis app, you can see how much you have earned from support services. Youll also see it on your electricity bill.
If you want to prioritize battery usage other than ancillary services for a shorter period of time, you do not need to pause the service. If you change SoC values or set import and export restrictions, those settings take precedence over the supporting services. When you want to prioritize support services again, change the settings back.

Se vilka inställningar du behöver göra i EnergyCloud för att använda stödtjänster och hur du räknar ut SoC-värden.

Phace Balancing

Use Ferroamp´s dynamic phase balancing (ACE) to protect the main fuse and to charge your car without hussle.

About Phace Balancing

Phase balancing, also known as ACE (Adaptive Current Equalization), means that EnergyHub moves power between the three incoming phases in the property so that the consumed power in the property is evenly distributed between the phases. In this way, it counteracts phase imbalances that occur when one of the phases is under higher load as a result of many electrical components being installed on the same phase.
If phase balancing is to be used to protect the main fuse, the current threshold value in EnergyCloud should be set at approximately 70-80 percent of the size of the main fuse.
 
If phase balancing is used to make room for EV charging, we recommend that the current threshold be set at least 8A below the level of the main fuse. Learn more about setting phase balancing.

Short introduction to phase balancing (ACE) and settings in EnergyCloud. In Swedish.

Content:
0.00 Introduction
0.20 How phase balancing works
1.00 Read the load on the phases
1.50 Real-time view
2.15 Set the level of phase balancing
3.25 Electric car charging with phase balancing

EV Charging

Phase balancing provides space for electric car charging in the property’s electrical system. EV charging can also be fully integrated and controlled in EnergyCloud through something called OCPP. Then, in addition to phase balancing, you can also load balance to reduce power consumption or choose to only charge the car with self-produced solar electricity.

About EV Charging

All AC chargers work together with the Ferroamp system. For full integration where electric car charging can be controlled from EnergyCloud, the wallbox must be compatible with the OCPP 1.6-J communication protocol.

See what chargers are ready for OCPP (in Swedish).

By connecting the EV Charger to the Ferroamp system, it becomes part of the optimised control, which can also include batteries and solar panels, and increases the opportunities for smart electricity use in the property.
 
You get an overview of all the components of the system and can easily ensure that solar panels, battery and electric car and the grid connection work with each other and not against each other
The Ferroamp system can control charging boxes for charging electric cars through the OCPP 1.6-J communication protocol. 
 
Communication takes place through the local network in the property. In order to be able to control your EV Charger in the Ferroamp system, it is required that the charger has implemented local OCPP 1.6-J correctly and that the wallbox allows an external system to control the charging of the car.
 
The charging box is then controlled in the EnergyCloud web portal. Note that this means that it replaces the control in the charger´s own app. Depending on the manufacturer, the functionality of the charger´s app will be limited or discontinued.
Learn more about how EV charging with OCPP works in EnergyCloud and how to make the settings. In Swedish.
 
Content:
0.00 Introduction
0.10 Protecting the main fuse
0.36 Restrict imports from the network
1.05 Phase Balancing
2.05 Charge with solar power
2.35 Scheduling

Troubleshooting and Support

If something in the Ferroamp system is not working, follow the steps below.
Actions
Search for answers in the Knowledge Base. There you will find descriptions of different types of faults that may occur, and in Operational status you can see if there are any general faults that can cause the problems.
Many of the problems that can occur are easily solved by restarting both the connection to the network and the EnergyHub itself.
 
Restart your router according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
 
Restart EnergyHub as follows:
1. Cut the power from the grid to the EnergyHub. There is often a separate circuit breaker that is labeled EnergyHub, Microgrid or similar. If there is no such switch, the property’s main switch can be used. 
2. When the switch is switched off, the display of the EnergyHub should go out. 
3. Wait 5 minutes. 
4. Turn the switch back on.
If restarting does not resolve the issue, contact the installer who installed the system. 
 
Ferroamp’s support is aimed at installers and in order for it to work smoothly, we need to contact an installer on site to be able to solve the problem.
 
If you do not know who installed the system or if the installer cannot be contacted for some other reason, you can submit a ticket via a form.