4000TL Problems

[woko]

Hi,
I installed a system two days ago with 16 245w suntechs and a SMA 4000tl. My customer rang me earlier to tell me it had only produced 0.6Kwh.

From what I can gather the inverter keeps switch off (green light flashing). I fully checked the system before leaving and it was operating fine.

I moved the rotary switched to 5 and 8 before I turned the inverter on.

I've also been told that changing the grid monitoring voltage to 261v using sunny explorer can help.

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

Cheers

 

[SolarCity]

Are you sure that the inverter has only produced 0.6kWh and it isn't just the fact the meter isn't working correctly?

Grid voltage could be the issue - get a reading on it and see what it comes out at.

 

[woko]

I think the meter is fine because the inverter is switching on and off in daylight

 

[ejw161106]

Sma have dropped one, some are g59 some g83 I would check first, ha I went off at krannich and accused them of sending me loads of faulty ones, I guess it's just one of those things, poor bloke on the end got it both barrels. Don't even bother ringing sma

 

[Kram]

What do you do if they come in at G59?

 

[woko]

Funny you should say that, I got this inverter from Krannich.

How do I check and do I need to change it?

 

[SolarCity]

Are you sure that's right? The dials on the inverter will force it into the parameters you require anyway. And if the inverter is set to G59 settings then surely these parameters are even more tolerant and there is less likelihood of a problem.

 

[ejw161106]

if you got it from krannich call their tech guy wayne he will get it sorted. as i remember their is a dial that you can set the parameters however you need to do thios in the first 24 or you have to hook up with a lap top via bluetooth this is a ball ache

 

[Worcester]

Is the meter the wrong way round? It may have used 0.6kWh on standby ......

What does the display on the inverter say?

 

[Eco Deal]

sma 4000tl if you set the dial to 5 and 8 BEFORE turning it on !!!!! I FIND YOU HAVE TO THEN TURN THESE INVERTERS BACK OFF AND ON !!!1 then the setting changes to g83 ????

set dials
turn on (says ensure dc supply)
turn off let it screen go blank
turn on (says g83)

does any one else do this ????

 

[benide]

Yes I have to turn every 400tl on and off after setting it to 5 and 8 (G83/english).
A lot of sunny boys need setting to 5 and 8 in my experience. It depends on the wholesaler, some set it for you other just post it to you as it comes.

 

[gjcone44]

they come set at 0 & 1, is this the g59 setting?

 

[Worcester]

You should not rely on wholesalers to configure your kit. It is reasonable that they should ship UK spec'd equipment, and if that is not what is shipped, I'd send it back.

If you deal with some of the better wholesalers, e.g. CCL and tell them what you want, you will usually get it configured how you want it. You should still check it and reconfigure if nescessary - the 4000TL under a G83 stage 2 application (>3.68 kWp) for example, you will probably need to modify some of the parameters as required by the DNO, for that you will need a Grid Guard code, laptop, sunny explorer and a good bluetooth dongle USB 2.0 Bluetooth Version 2.0 EDR 100m Swivel Dongles : Bluetooth Dongles : Maplin

 

[northernsun]

I'd be inclined to check the meter is wired the right way round too as has been mentioned. 0.6 sound pretty much like the system has registered nothing at all. Some of the landys meters i have installed begin at 0.8.
Does the inverter have a total produced or is it on zero?

 

[PeteFT]

I had a 4000TL installed in July with 3.9kw of panels, and it kept cutting out. I finally found from out SMA that it was supplied with G59/2 settings, "which are usually required by your distribution network operator (DNO) for this size of solar inverter" and suggested that the installer contact the DNO and get their agreement to raise the AC grid voltage on the inverter, from 252V. No reply from my installer and they do not respond to email nor phonwe calls. As the inverter has been running for so long i understood that you cannot just turn it all off, turn the dials, and then turn it back on. Additionally i thought G83 limited current to 16A, but my system has exceeded 17A so will it not still cut out? FYI the 4000TL is not on the list of G83/1-1 Compliant Inverters as accepted by SSE.

 

[Ramjam]

We use SB400TL inverters all the time...

I think you've got the meter the wrong way around, easily done, the L&G meters come with 0.7kWh on from the factory

Having had a problem with an inverter I had a chat with SMA technical who explained... the inverters are made for a wholsaler and to a spec, if a UK wholsaler bought them direct then they would be set to G83 but often they are parallel improrted by european wholsalers and so have been configured to different settings. The correct procedure is to fire up the inverter and see what it's set to and if it's not G83 then switch off, set the dials and then power up again and it will re-configure. If can only re-configure with a good DC supply and it can confuse itself part way through, especially if you do it just as the sun is setting and the system shutting down then you need a grid guard code to reset it. We always set the dials prior to powering up and have had no problems.

We install SB4000TL and register them with SSE all the time, never had a problem. The inverter used is a matter for the DNO not the energy company so I wouldn't worry about SSE.

You can't change the grid voltage or frequency tollerance without prior authorisation from the DNO, it's a bad thing to do, I doubt they will let you.

Lets say a transformer is on a pole and as is often the case is tapped at the lowest setting but still producing 250volts. With volt drops this comes out at 245volts at the appliance, this is what the DNO want because in times of high demand you will still have plenty of volts.
Now lets take the inverter trying to push back into the grid, this is done by raising the voltage output from the inverter higher than the supply the inverter is now operating in the 250-253 range of G83 and at 253 the inverter will cut out due to over-voltage.
The transformers were designed to be one way devices and the taping range is always high and leaves little room for microgeneration. THe DNO can supply at 253volts if the want at which point inverters will not work. Our DNO (Western Power) will do their best to sort it out but they don't have to. It happened to one of our customers and the DNO installed a new transformer as it was near the end of it's projected life but it was a close call.

Oh and the SB4000TL-20 is a 20amp inverter and therefore technically falls outside of G83 hence SMA getting it G59 accredited but it can be capped at 16amps by the installer using a grid guard code if neccessary but most likely the DNO will accept that it has a G59 certificate and therefore even though it's over 16amps it is still safe to connect. We install under G83 and never have a problem.

Hope that helps?

 

[BruceB]

If the inverter cuts out at 253V it is set up incorrectly. That is the limit for Cyprus, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Netherlands and perhaps some others. The UK G83 upper limit is 264V. An inverter should work perfectly well with the DNO giving you 253V provided you have designed the PV ac side of the installation with the advised 1% voltage drop.

The 4000TL has both G83 and G59 certification. The G83 tests do not include a maximum power/current output.

 

[dansk]

If set to G83 is the 4000 capped at 16A automaticly? if not do you always cap it at 16A?

Oh and the SB4000TL-20 is a 20amp inverter and therefore technically falls outside of G83 hence SMA getting it G59 accredited but it can be capped at 16amps by the installer using a grid guard code if neccessary but most likely the DNO will accept that it has a G59 certificate and therefore even though it's over 16amps it is still safe to connect. We install under G83 and never have a problem.

Under G83 - what do you put on the form for inverter output? 20A or 16A?

 

[JohnBoyZ]

Hi,
I installed a system two days ago with 16 245w suntechs and a SMA 4000tl. My customer rang me earlier to tell me it had only produced 0.6Kwh.

From what I can gather the inverter keeps switch off (green light flashing). I fully checked the system before leaving and it was operating fine.

I moved the rotary switched to 5 and 8 before I turned the inverter on.

I've also been told that changing the grid monitoring voltage to 261v using sunny explorer can help.

Any help would be greatly appriciated.

Cheers

Don't know if you've got it sorted yet but as others have said, its always worth checking the meter is wired the right way round. You said the green light is flashing, that generally indicates that normal operating conditions have not been reached i.e lack of DC supply so its worth checking the DC supply voltage and that the solar switch is seated correctly. Was it the client who reported the flashing green light, if so is it possible they were checking it in the evening rather than during the day? If the inverter had been cutting out due to grid disturbance I would expect the red light to be on rather than the green. As you have set the switches to 5 & 8 then the inverter should be set to G83 (you can check the inverter grid settings as they are shown on the inverter display when booting up) according to the G83 certificate for the 4000TL the upper voltage limit is 264v so I doubt if you will need to change that, if the grid voltage is exceeding 264v then you need to contact the DNO to discuss getting it lowered. If implementing G59 then the DNO might allow changes to the stage 1 voltage limits but under G83 you really shouldn't be having any problems.

 

[Ramjam]

Under G83 - what do you put on the form for inverter output? 20A or 16A?

We put 16A on the form.