Installation of ZYC SIMPO 5000 batteries: cabinet, wiring and commissioning

Assembling a bench ZYC SIMPO 5000 There’s no great mystery to it, but there are details that make the difference between a system that lasts ten years and one that starts playing up by the second winter. This is what the manufacturer’s manual says, organised in the way it’s done on site.

1. Where is the bank heading?

The SIMPO 5000 is IP20: It goes indoors, always. Site requirements:

  • Soil levelled, without any slope or unevenness.
  • A clean, low-dust environment.
  • No direct sunlight, rain or snow.
  • Well ventilated (cooling is natural; it has no fans).
  • Keep away from children and animals.
  • If there is salty air —coastal, nautical— the air must be filtered to prevent salts from settling on the battery.

Keep an eye on the weight: each module weighs 44 kg. A 10-unit cupboard with all its modules weighs over 450 kg. Check the floor structure before deciding where to place it.

2. Cupboard or tower

The modules are designed for a 19-inch rack, 600 mm deep. ZYC offers two factory-pre-wired cabinets: the SIMPO Cabinet 6 (up to 6 modules, 30.7 kWh) and the SIMPO Cabinet 10 (up to 10.51.2 kWh). You can also mount the modules on a third-party rack or stack them with the SIMPO floor stand.

The cupboard is being wired up before to put it back in its place and before To fit the batteries: open the panels, connect the power terminals and the earth cable, and then move it into position.

ZYC SIMPO pre-wired cabinet for 6 batteries
SIMPO Cabinet 6: up to 6 modules and 30.7 kWh, with factory-fitted busbar and cabling.

3. Cables and tightening torques

The power cables to the inverter are not included. The cross-section depends on the system’s power rating:

System power1 pair of cables2 pairs of cables
10 kW≥ 70 mm²≥ 35 mm²
20 kW≥ 120 mm²≥ 70 mm²
30 kW≥ 95 mm²
40 kW≥ 120 mm²
50 kW≥ 150 mm²

Terminals: SC xxx-12 for the 10- and SC xxx-10 for the 6, where “xxx” is the conductor section. And the other installation parameters:

FactValue
Weight per module44 kg
Dimensions (W × H × D)482 × 134 × 518 mm (19″ rack format)
Required cupboard depth600 mm
Tightening torque for power cables — Cabinet 1020 N·m
Tightening torque for power cables — Cabinet 615 N·m
Tightening torque for the earth cable5 N·m
Earth wire (PE)≥ 25 mm² with SC35-6 terminal
Communication cableShielded Cat5 or higher, max. 5 m
Degree of protectionIP20 (indoor installation)
Maximum altitude2,500 m

Whether you’re setting up with no cupboard or with several cupboards side by side, there’s one rule you simply can’t break: All power cables must be the same length. If one module has a longer cable than another, its impedance is higher, it delivers less current and the array becomes unbalanced.

4. Insert the batteries

They are being installed from the bottom up, sliding them along the guides on each level. Two people per module: 44 kg is not something you can handle on your own, especially at chest height. Minimum equipment: safety footwear, insulated gloves, safety goggles, a torque wrench, a multimeter and a fire extinguisher to hand before you start.

5. Several cupboards side by side

When a wardrobe isn’t enough:

  1. The communication cable comes out of the port OUT from the bottom row of the first cupboard and enters via the port IN from the lower battery of the second one, passing through the hole provided.
  2. The connection runs from the second cupboard to the third cupboard from above, not from below.
  3. The finishing resistance It is plugged into the OUT port of the last module in the assembly.
  4. The power cables from all the cabinets lead to a DC combination box and from there to the inverter, with approximately equal lengths.
  5. First the earth cable, then the power cable, and finally the communication cable between the master battery and the inverter.

Manufacturer’s maximum: 80 modules in parallel on an inverter, and 64 when several cupboards are combined.

Several cupboards side by side Cupboard 1Cupboard 2Cupboard 3 Box of DC combination Investor · Power cable lengths that are approximately the same for all cabinets. · Daisy-chain connection: from the OUT terminal of the last module in one cabinet to the IN terminal of the first module in the next. · Maximum of 64 modules when combining cabinets. The finishing unit is located at the OUT of the last module in the assembly.

6. Commissioning

  1. Check all the wiring and make sure the connections are secure.
  2. Switch on the DC switch between the battery and the inverter, if fitted.
  3. Turn on all the circuit breakers in the modules.
  4. Check that the terminating resistor is fitted.
  5. Press the ON/OFF button on the master drum kit for 1 second.
  6. Switch on the inverter.

To switch it off, do the reverse: first the inverter, then the DC switch, then hold down the ON/OFF button on the master unit 3 seconds and check that the LEDs go out.

Important: If the system stops or loses its power supply, you must turn off the switch batteries. Leaving them connected whilst they slowly discharge is the most common way to ruin a new battery bank.

Starting and stopping: the order matters START1DC battery-to-inverter switch2Circuit breakers for the modules3Check the terminating resistor4Master unit ON/OFF button · 1 s5Switch on the inverter STOP1Switch off the inverter2DC battery-to-inverter switch3Master ON/OFF · 3 s4Check that the LEDs switch off

7. Reading the LEDs

LEDStatusWhat does it mean?
ALMPower onThere is an error
ALMOffNo errors
RUNPermanent power supplyWorking on communication with the investor
RUNSlow flashing (1.5 s)Working in offline mode
RUNOffThe battery isn’t working
SOCNumber of lights onBench load level
Detail of a ZYC SIMPO cupboard with 10 compartments
10-module cabinet: 51.2 kWh, dimensions 600 × 600 × 1,892 mm.

8. Maintenance and storage

The SIMPO 5000 does not require frequent maintenance. An annual service is sufficient:

  • Check the status LEDs.
  • Check that all connections and cables are still secure and undamaged.
  • Check that there are no obstructions around the cupboard.
  • Check that there are no animals or insects nesting inside or nearby.
  • Remove any items that have accumulated in the cupboard.

If the bank is going to be out of action for six months or more, you need to keep an eye on your blood pressure: if it’s above 51.6 V That’s fine, and it’s enough to check it every three months; if the voltage is lower than that, you’ll need to recharge it, otherwise the damage could be irreversible. The recommended recharge is at 55 V DC and a constant 10 A for around 30 minutes.

9. Operating temperatures

Load of -10 °C to +55 °C and download from -20 °C to +55 °C. That sub-zero discharge capacity is what sets this battery apart from most LFP batteries on the market, which stop working at 0 °C, and is why it is a sensible choice for shelters, unheated industrial buildings and pump houses. We compare it in detail in ZYC SIMPO 5000 versus Pylontech US5000.

Materials you’ll need

This guide summarises the official manual; for detailed illustrations and exploded views, download the full manual from the product page.

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