Is my Selectronic SP PRO still supported, and what are my options?

Yes. Selectronic Australia still sells the SP PRO and still releases firmware for it: the newest release when we checked was firmware 16.11, for the current SP PRO Series 2i. Older Series I and Series II units are still covered by Selectronic's SP LINK software, so they can be read, set up and serviced. You have four options: keep a healthy unit running, repair it, add a lithium battery your model is approved for, or replace it with a Series 2i or a different platform.

Is Selectronic still supporting the SP PRO?

Yes. Selectronic presents the SP PRO Series 2i as its current inverter, sells its own SelectCell batteries to go with it, and keeps putting out new SP LINK software and firmware.

Firmware 16.01 added support for the Common Smart Inverter Profile, Australia (CSIP-AUS), including emergency backstop. That works when the SP PRO is connected to a Selectronic Certified Fronius GEN24 Primo and either a Select.live 2 or a Selectronic Certified Ubi 3. Firmware 16.10 added support for the SelectCell River Gum 120 battery, and 16.11 followed it.

What has changed is the older hardware. The Series I and Series II are no longer Selectronic's current model, and the newest features are aimed at the Series 2i. That doesn't mean the unit on your wall stops working or can't be looked after.

Which SP PRO do I have, and why does it matter?

The model decides which firmware your inverter can run and which batteries it can manage. Check the label on the unit, or ask whoever services it to read it from SP LINK.

• Series 2i: the current model. It takes the newest firmware, and Selectronic's newer battery support, including its own SelectCell range, is built around it.
• Series II: an earlier generation. A 48 volt, single phase Series II (models SPMC481 and SPMC482) can take Selectronic's Managed Battery Upgrade Kit, which swaps in the Comms Card 2017 so it can talk to a short list of approved batteries.
• Series I: the oldest. Selectronic's firmware for it is the 12.x line, and connecting a laptop to it may need a USB to serial adaptor.

Do I need to update the firmware?

Usually not, if your off grid system is working well. Selectronic says you should normally have no need to update unless your system integrator recommends it. If the listed changes don't fix a problem you have, it says it is safest to leave the system alone.

There are exceptions:

• Selectronic says updating to 14.01 or higher is critical for any unit running firmware 14.00.
• A grid connected system needs firmware 15.0 or higher to comply with AS/NZS 4777.2:2020, and 16.0 or higher for CSIP-AUS compliance.
• Changing the battery can mean newer firmware, because support for each battery was added in a particular release.

An installer loads firmware through SP LINK. Don't do it yourself. A bad update or a wrong setting can stop the inverter or the generator auto start. With batteries that don't talk to the inverter, Selectronic notes that after the inverter starts, the state of charge is potentially uncalibrated until the battery reaches float, and the front panel lights keep flashing until then.

How do SP LINK and Select.live monitoring work now?

SP LINK is Selectronic's Windows program for setting up and reading the SP PRO. It isn't available for Apple computers, Linux or phones. Selectronic's SP LINK page listed version 16.11 when we checked. It includes firmware for every generation: 12.25 for Series I and Series II models, plus 14.58 and 16.11.

There are two versions. The full SP LINK is for system integrators and can change settings. SP LINK Monitor is for owners and can only view, a safe way to look at your battery state and event log without touching the setup.

For remote viewing, Selectronic offers the original Select.live, plus Select.live 2 and the Selectronic Certified Ubi 3, which add features such as SMS alerts and CSIP-AUS compliance. SP LINK can connect to an inverter remotely through Select.live. With your permission, a technician can often check settings and the event log before driving out. If your SP PRO has no monitoring, adding it is one of the most useful small upgrades you can make.

What should I do when my SP PRO faults?

Write down what the front panel shows, check the simple things outside the inverter, then call a licensed electrician who knows Selectronic. Don't open the inverter or the battery enclosure.

What an owner can safely check:

• The front panel lights and any fault shown. Take a photo.
• The event log in SP LINK Monitor or Select.live, if you have them.
• The generator: fuel, oil, that it is switched to auto, and whether it tried to start.
• The main switchboard: if a circuit breaker or safety switch has tripped, reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off.
• Whether the fault lines up with a big new load, a heat wave or cloudy weather.

What needs a licensed electrician:

• Anything inside the SP PRO, inside the battery enclosure or behind the DC isolators. A battery bank can deliver a huge short circuit current even with the inverter off.
• Changing settings or firmware in SP LINK.
• Replacing fans, fuses, battery modules or cabling.

If an older unit runs hot or shuts down under load, it is worth having the cooling, the event log and the settings checked before you assume the whole inverter is finished.

Should I repair or replace a faulty SP PRO?

It depends on the unit's age and generation, the fault, and whether the rest of the system is worth keeping. A Series 2i with one fault is usually worth diagnosing and repairing. A Series I that is faulting and also needs a new battery bank is often the time to look at the whole system.

Questions to weigh:

• Is it still under warranty? Check the warranty papers and whether the inverter was registered.
• Is the battery bank near the end of its life? Putting a new inverter onto a tired lead acid bank means you pay twice.
• Does the system still suit how you live? Check whether the solar array, generator and wiring match how you use power now.

If you replace, a Series 2i is the least disruptive path. It is the same family and uses the same SP LINK software. Moving to another platform, such as the Victron gear we build new off grid systems on, means new wiring at the inverter, new generator start control and new monitoring. In return you get a different range of batteries and parts. Neither choice is wrong. Our off grid hub explains how we build new systems, and our upgrades and repairs page covers what we look at on an older system.

Can an SP PRO run a newer lithium battery?

Often yes, if the battery is approved by Selectronic and your inverter is the right generation. Selectronic publishes a table of approved managed batteries, and recent SP LINK and firmware updates have added:

• BYD batteries, including the BYD LV Flex 5.0
• Pylontech batteries, including the US3000C and US5000B
• Cegasa 48 volt batteries
• Updated settings for Power Plus batteries, plus a setup wizard option for the Power Plus LiFe4838P
• Selectronic's own SelectCell River Gum 120, from firmware 16.10

A managed battery talks to the inverter over a communications link, so the inverter charges it within the battery's own limits. On a Series II that means the Managed Battery Upgrade Kit, which Selectronic lists for 48 volt, single phase Series II models in single phase, AC coupled systems only, and for a short list of batteries (LG Chem, BYD B-Plus and Sonnenschein).

Batteries that aren't on the list are harder: without the communications link the battery can't tell the inverter what it needs, and its warranty may depend on an exact setup, so check before you buy.