Rev. 1.8
505 Keystone Rd, Southampton, PA 18966, USA
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(877) 497 6937
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www.fortresspower.com
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Please follow this procedure to commission eFlex batteries in parallel:
1. Turn OFF all equipment in the system
2. Connect the positive and negative common bus to the inverter.
3. Prepare and connect communication cable.
Each unit comes with one RJ45 cable. If
the cable is missing, please make sure the cable you purchase on the market meets the
following standards. Please note that a standard RS485 cable is used. Please see
section 4.4.5 for the pinout information. Daisy chain the RS485 cable to each unit
utilizing one of the RJ485 ports. A
bus termination (Section 3.2) must be plugged
into the second RJ485 port of the first and last daisy chained eFlex units. If
communication is to be used with a compatible inverter, use the provided RJ45
converter in place of one of the bus terminators to connect the RJ-485 cable to the
converter.
4. Turn on the first eFlex unit (if there is communication with the inverter, the
connection unit is
the “first” unit.). After the self-diagnostic of ~ 10 seconds
and LED indication showing the unit is operating normally, then turn on the rest of
the units
. Confirm all units complete their self diagnostics and the LED’s
indicate normal operation (what does normal operation look like?)
5. Turn on the inverter system
Note: some inverters have high in-rush current and need
to be pre-charged manually, or you can choose use BMS pre-charge function to start it
up. This requires the inverter to be turned on first before you turn on the battery. Please
refer to the inverter manual for proper startup.
CAUTION! Installation should be designed to minimize the voltage drop between
battery. there are a few best practices: Maintain identical wire length and wire
construction from each Fortress Power Battery terminal to the common bus. If you parallel
more than 4 units, a battery combiner/bus bar is highly recommended.
CAUTION! For connecting the eFlex in parallel: Maintain identical wire lengths and wire
type/size from each Fortress Power Battery terminal to the common bus.
CAUTION! For connecting multiple units: Maintain the recommended clearance
between units - at least 5 inches (12mm).
CAUTION! When paralleling the eFlex 5.4 batteries without connecting them via RJ45
cable(s), please make sure the difference between the highest voltage and lowest
voltage does not exceed 0.5 volts. A large current flow from the higher voltage battery to the
lower voltage battery could potentially damage one or both batteries. Resulting damage to the
battery will void the warranty.