We have a Franklinwh battery connected to our Enphase solar system. It was installed by Sunnova just before the went baklnkrupt and closed down. Everything works with our local power company SCE; went can charge our battery and send surplus energy to them for bill reduction credit. However, we never received the PTO (permission to operate) from the installer or Sunnova. If everything works, why and/or so we really need the PTO? Just wanted to ow if its worth spending the money to have another company perform the PTO or if we can just keep going as is.

Looking for ideas from anyone running FranklinWH batteries + Generac + central AC.
We currently don’t have grid power, so we’re relying on solar/batteries (~30 panels, 3 batteries) with a 26kW Generac as backup. The generator has plenty of capacity for the steady-state loads, but we have a recurring problem when the AC and generator are operating together.
The pattern seems to be related to an AC compressor cycling/restarting while the generator is online. We have 2 4-ton ACs (2 zones total).
When everything is stable, it can work perfectly. For example, tonight I have ONE AC running continuously:
Generator producing ~12 kW
House consuming ~4.7 kW
Batteries charging ~7.3 kW
So the generator is comfortably running the AC and charging the batteries at the same time.
The failure mode is the strange part. Generally the system becomes unstable when an AC cycles off and then tries to come back on. The aGate shuts the generator down and reports:
“Generator abnormality. Your generator is being disconnected due to an abnormality.”
But when I check the Generac itself, there is no generator fault or error showing. So it appears the aGate is detecting something it doesn’t like and shutting the generator down, rather than the generator itself failing.
Once that happens, getting everything stable again can take 10+ minutes of shutting things down, waiting, restarting the system, etc.
We’ve installed soft starts on the ACs specifically to address compressor startup load, but they have not reliably solved the problem.
The practical result is that whenever solar isn’t sufficient for the cooling load, I have to babysit the house:
AC on batteries → batteries get low → AC off → generator on to recharge → generator off → AC back on.
Tonight I’m deliberately keeping one AC running continuously below setpoint while the generator charges the batteries because I’m concerned that if the compressor cycles off and restarts, the aGate will shut the generator down again.
Has anyone seen this behavior with an aGate/Generac setup?
I’m particularly curious whether this sounds like:
generator voltage/frequency moving during compressor startup
aGate generator protection thresholds/settings
generator configuration
AC inrush/startup behavior
some interaction between the soft starts, generator and aGate
something else entirely
The fact that the generator can comfortably support the running AC load while simultaneously charging the batteries makes me think this is a transient/control issue rather than simply insufficient generator capacity.
Would love to know what others would have the installer or Franklin check.

My apower one was disconnecting from the grid randomly. Franklin just replaced the main board. And now I'm waiting to get reconnected with energy storage solutions here in Connecticut. Apparently with the new computer it's like having a new unit and they have to combine that to my existing account.

Can anybody in Connecticut? Let me know if they announce an active pull in the next couple days. I'm hoping they don't so I don't lose out on the incentive.

Thanks.

Apologies in advance for asking for what must be a super obvious solution here.

I won't bore you with all of the gory details, but all I'm trying to do is get a watertight connection to the factory knockout at the back of the aPower 2. For the life of me, I have not found a combination that works.

Here's what I started with. (Overkill, I know, but I had the parts on hand.)

So, obviously, no go.

Okay, let's just remove the Myers hub and use a sealing locknut on the outside.

Nope, locknut bottoms out too close to the end of the close nipple. Not enough thread makes it into the aPower 2 enclosure.

Okay, fine, I'll switch to liquidtight and just use a 90.

Nope, liquidtight 90 has 0.65" worth of thread, and the Franklin aPower 2 install manual says "thread depth for pull box joints [should be] 0.75 ~ 0.8 in. (19 ~ 20 mm)"

Okay, I'll just use a 1" chase nipple.

Nope, chase nipple has the same problem. Not enough thread.

Clearly I'm just being stupid here. What do y'all use in this situation?? Thank you in advance for helping this frustrated and clearly spaced-out installer.

Looks like there was an update for the Franklin app and system offering a "zero import" option. It seems to have messed with my custom TOU though when checking or updating the custom TOU settings, I had to switch several settings back.

I get FranklinWH (and Enphase, Tesla, Canadian Solar EP Cube, Sigenstor, etc) doing integrated battery and inverters {and the otherwise unjustified price premium that comes with proprietary connections}. HOWEVER, batteries and inverters have much different MTBF (mean time between failures). Granted, in the short run, the vendors can replace selected components on a warranty basis as needed. But EnPhase has shown challenges with cross-generational compatibility, and assuming that parts will be available in 10-15 years for all these vendors seems more fanciful/wishful thinking than practical. And one gets forced into T-Shirt sizing purchase options when Inverter and battery capacity design decisions are NOT that closely linked.

A modular design (separate inverter and battery boxes) would seem to have a much better purchase alignment with site requirements (spec/purchase inverter and battery separately, as needed) and lifecycle outcome (I mock those that prioritize aesthetics over function and value). And would more easily enable simple DC battery only expansion options, when Inverter already sized properly, and simply more kWh storage capacity is desired.

I get simplicity of install with single box, BUT that could be handled easily enough such that it would have a negligible install impact (ex. industry standardized mount interface on top of Battery #1 for inverter, if desired... note I said mount, not electrical and communication interfaces, which would be nice if standardized, but doesn't need to be at this point.)

And this would enable FranklinWH to offer solution for those that desire to maximize in-garage install (40kWh code limit) by offering a DC-battery expansion pack (in the 10kWh or 2x5kWh or whatever is required when combined with 2 aPower 2's)

Anyway - food for thought on improving customer long-term experience

I really like FranklinWH's open architecture approach, and I have EnPhase IQs (no battery). So, FranklinWH checks so many [requirement] boxes for me.

- But the battery/inverter design seems short-sighted. Am I missing something?

My system is set up for self consumption with a 20% reserve. The batter is usually at 44% by sun-up.

Prior to a visit from the installers on July14, I had hardly any grid consumption.

After that I see lots of grid consumption at night. The installation company is horrible and I can’t get them back out to review what they did.

Any idea what they would have done to cause such a dramatic change?

I have seen folks on here talking about how slow the franklin app takes to update.

I have two pictures attached taken at the same time. One is a screenshot of my iphone. It has not update in over 15 minutes. This includes me bouncing around screens, going to Analysis and back. The second is a screenshot from my PC running Bluestacks(this is an android simulator primarily allowing people to play android games on the PC) with the app running there. It updates constantly. I am not sure why the behavior should be so different. BTW - They are both on the same network.

Thoughts?

I received a notification in the FranklinWH app that I could get “early access” to a new Smart Energy Dispatch Mode. I selected it to see what it does. Do a lot of other users have access? Does anyone have feedback on the performance? Any pros and cons?

UPDATE: I turned this off and switched back to self-consumption mode. SED mode aggressively charged my battery from the grid this afternoon and then started exporting power back to the grid. The app says the "Sell Rate" to my utility (Southern California Edison) is over $1/kWh during the 4–9 p.m. peak period, which I'm pretty sure is incorrect. If that were true, it would actually make sense to sell stored energy.

As a result, I can't tell whether the app has flawed logic or reasonably good logic operating on bad data. Either way, I'm fairly certain SED mode was buying electricity from the grid and then selling it back to the utility at a lower price than it paid.

Now I'm even more interested in hearing about other people's experiences!

For EV charging from excess solar (PV) - Anyone know which EVSE's are compatible with FranklinWH's Energy Mgmt System (EMS)? https://www.franklinwh.com/blog/achieve-solar-powered-ev-charging-with-a-home-energy-management-system

One could throttle throughput on a given circuit... but EVSE's communicate with EV and an upstream change mid-charge in available Amps?

seems it would be better for EVSE to query (or be notified by) EMS and adjust accordingly, but maybe I'm missing something??

I might have missed a memo somewhere along the way in my long slog of research for a battery system, but while I see on the Franklin website that the a Power 2 battery is 48E eligible, when would someone in Massachusetts realistically see a lease offer for the battery with a substantial discount? My potential installer told me it might be as long as a year from now.

Got my new system installed today. It consists of 2 a Power s + 26 445w trina vertex s+ solar panels. Any tips?

Took a while for me to figure out but on the very last step of setting up a custom TOU rate, you can choose exactly how the system behaves for each time frame. In my case, because we don't have built-in automation to account for cloudy weather, I wanted to mostly stay in self-consume mode but switch to charge battery from solar for a couple of hours to ensure its topped up to cover peak utility hours.

I'm curious, has anyone had another battery installed (or had a quote for one) after their system has been commissioned? I am thinking about adding another, I also can't help but think things will get a lot cheaper in a couple of years.

My quote was ~$15k, and seeing as I can get another battery for ~$8k delivered, $7k to add another battery to an existing system seems steep. Too bad our systems aren't designed like the EcoFlo Delta Pro Ultras where you can just connect another 6.2 kWh battery on top of the existing one for $2k!

This morning I woke up to a new offer in the app, which seems to offer cash rewards for letting the power company use my home battery to help with grid stability during peak times.

If I tap through the link, it brings me to an enrollment page, which touts how much money I could theoretically earn, but without much information about what I need to do or how the program works.

If I click through the terms and conditions link at the bottom, it gives a slightly better idea, but not a ton of clarity, and points me to the link https://greatergrid.com/enroll/programs/entergy/louisiana, which gives me a 404 error message.

Anyone here have experience with programs like this one? My feeling is that it would likely pay out better than the regular rate of exporting excess power to the grid, which is abysmal here in Louisiana, but it also seems like it might compromise my ability to make sure my battery is fully charged as a backup in case there's a storm (and our power gets taken out a lot).

Looks like the picture for last post we made didn’t upload properly
Hopefully it loads this time 🤪

What we have here is two 15 kw FranklinWH batteries an agate transfer switch with backup loads panel paired with a Enphase solar panel system.
Our teams install and fix all sorts of renewable energy equipment
We can even clean and evaluate your existing systems and give you a detailed report on how well your solar system is working.

17.3 kWh system with the A2 15.3kwh Wall installed late last September.

A few weeks ago a thunderstorm caused a very brief outage. The was a flicker but power came on. Our wifi router had to reboot. That annoyed me as I have tested "OFF GRID" and all went smooth...BUT we had power then then the grid returned quickly.

Last night in the wee hours, some drunk evidently hit a pole nearby and power was lost. Our battery was 100%. We got up today at 0500. Functioned as normal; AC running, TV, cooked on the electric cook top and I started a load in the dishwasher. Then I get a notice on my phone that should reduce load as the SOC was @ 10%! I looked and saw we were off grid. Went to power site and sure enough "Outage..cause vehicle accident and estimated up time is 0900-12PM.

I shut off AC, interrupted the dishwasher and shut off most everything unneeded to save power. As I type the sun is cresting the tree line and we are producing .7kWh and consuming 1kwh. So the system with has a SOC of 5% is now only putting out .4 kWh. Our Est. backup is now almost 2 hrs. So, this is a 100% real life system use and success. Timing helped as the sun is coming up and the day looks very nice. But we will have enough juice to get through the day till power is restored.

The fail is the APP. We should both have received OFF GRID or On Back up notifications and we did not. The only notice we had we were on the battery was the LOW SOC notice. Kinda late? But, better late than never. But, if we knew earlier we could have conserved more to keep a better buffer. I'll be letting Franklin know. And I know the APP has been buggy lately but notifications are important.

As I finish this, we have moved into the "safe from losing all power" zone! Love having this system!

Edit at 1:30PM EST
Power still out. And system is having production issues. Should have a full battery. I’m getting 0 production now. Intermittent spurts of production. Franklin support was helpful but we’re getting to the point of ridiculousness now. Dominion needs to get on the ball with this asap. And I have no idea what is causing the system
To fail.

When I open the FranklinWH app on my iPhone, the "live" data is no longer actually live. The data eventually refreshes, but it can take 30 seconds or more.

Has anyone else experienced this, and do you have any recommendations for how to fix it?

I never used to have this problem. It started in the last few weeks. Previously, the data was updated almost instantly and accurately whenever I opened the app. I have not made any changes to my system setup.

I've already checked the network connections. My phone has a strong Wi-Fi connection, and the Network Settings screen in the FranklinWH app shows "Connected. Good signal" for Wi-Fi. Both Wi-Fi and 4G are reported as "Normal signal."

What else can I check or change to help the system refresh data more quickly?

EDIT TO ADD: Thanks to everyone who has responded. I was hoping I was doing something wrong so there would be a simple fix. Since that doesn't appear to be the case, it's somewhat reassuring to know I'm not the only one experiencing this. Hopefully FranklinWH gets this fixed sooner rather than later. It may seem like a small issue, but it has a significant impact on the app's usability and overall usefulness.

My installer set it all up and walked us through, then said we can use the phone app to use it.

The app shows the battery is 99% charged, but is it OK to leave it fully charged? I thought a lithium battery was happier with like a half charge

And I know there is a string to use storm warnings to bring it up to full charge. But I cannot find a way to reduce the battery's sitting SOC.

EDIT: I spoke with the installer, and he made it clear that the Franklin is not Lithium Ion, so the concern over full charge is unwarranted, and their battery's chemistry is fine at full charge.

Last week I contracted to have a two battery system installed in my home that will recharge from the grid only. We are not allowed to install solar panels on our townhouse. I did an analysis of my usage and determined I can get three days of power in the winter when it’s critical.

I looked at various systems and felt Franklin was best for my needs. Please assure me I chose well.

Last week we started our new solar system with a Franklin battery and an aGate inverter. The first couple days things looked like I'm seeing on this subreddit--nice graphs of consumption from the various sources.

Yesterday morning, all that stopped (second picture). Now we don't see any of that, despite seeing the current load on the main page (last picture). I've tried sifting through the troubleshooting but can't seem to locate how to find a fix for the issue. I've rebooted the system and ensured it was connected to our wifi.

Anyone have any experience as to how to get this up an running again?

Anybody missing the Total Solar production numbers for the day in the app? It was working yesterday.

The real-time numbers are showing in the app but the total solar production numbers are at 0.0 produced.

I have opened a Support ticket.

UPDATE: I’m seeing Solar Production for the day now!

Hi all, is battery export working for anyone in PG&E area? Today would be a good day to export under NBT, and it's enabled for me in settings but I'm not exporting from the battery unlike last year.

I have a working Enphase IQ7 system with 26 IQ7 equipped panels and an IQ Combiner 4C. Downstream of the IQ combiner is a fully functional FranklinWH system. Enphase says the system was never commissioned, so I can’t access it in Enlighten. The FranklinWh app however is fully functional. My original installer is no longer available. If I want to monitor my individual panels I’m guessing I will need to get an installer to come out and commission the Enphase part of my system?