ReadyShunt Enables Accurate Battery State of Charge (SOC) Measurements – 9/20/2023

 

While battery voltage has been used for many years to approximate a battery’s state of charge, we recently produced and launched a ReadyShunt Block Kit that is used with the GenStar MPPT to more precisely calculate a battery’s state of charge as a percentage from 0 to 100%.  The ReadyShunt Block Kit includes a ReadyBlock that snaps into the GenStar MPPT, and a shunt that is connected into a system’s positive or negative wire.  SOC values are calculated natively within the controller.  No external battery meter or external 3rd party shunts required, greatly simplifying the system.  Accurate SOC measurements:

  • Ensure your battery undergoes a complete charge at regular intervals to prolong battery life and ensure maximum usable capacity
  • Enable better system level control and logic automation for your site concerning generator starts/stops, load shedding and excess energy diversion
  • Are important for recording long term trends of battery charge levels to ensure proper system cycling and expected depth of discharge
  • Provide highly accurate absorption charge stage control based on final tail current
  • Incorporate charge and discharge currents from the charge controller as well as external charging from additional sources. (generator, fuel cell, wind, etc)
  • And battery amp-hour values are available via Morningstar’s communication protocols allowing them to be viewed with the Mobile App, LiveView Web Interface, and MODBUS protocols

Applications that can benefit from this SOC calculation include telecom, oil & gas, security/monitoring, lighting, residential, RV-caravan, marine and others.  And especially those applications deploying lead acid batteries that don’t have battery management systems that calculate SOC. The ReadyShunt can be connected to the GenStar MPPT and any future Morningstar product that is equipped with a ReadyRail.