Compatability issues with SMA HF and Sanyo panels

[bommels]

12x SANYO HIT 240s on a SB3000HF. Single string, no shading. SSE facing roof at 42 deg tilt.
I have seen 2.5 kW in a single hour on a sunny day last week (remember it is October!). It has been producing over 9 kWh per day on average since install on 29/9/2011 in Sunny South Cambs

 

[morpheus75]

Just to confirm i will have to change my inverter aswell. Today 3.5kwh. My mates was 8.1kwh and he has 22xsharp mono connected to powerone inverter sim pitch and azimith direction. Lucky scaffolding is still up so now need to create 2 strings!!
Question to the experienced guys power one pvi3600 or the pvi3600outd? Thanks in advance

 

[SolarCity]

I'd go for the PVI 3600 if it is going in your garage or the PV 3.6 outdoor if it is going in your loft (or outdoors, obviously).

The PVI 3600 is a great looking bit of kit but the 3.6 outdoor looks to me like it will deal with heat better.

 

[morpheus75]

I'd go for the PVI 3600 if it is going in your garage or the PV 3.6 outdoor if it is going in your loft (or outdoors, obviously).

The PVI 3600 is a great looking bit of kit but the 3.6 outdoor looks to me like it will deal with heat better.

Thanks for that mate, the outdoor version it is!


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[Energetic]

Morpheus have you taken any adivce from SMA or sanyo on this issue? Have they been helpful or even contactable? I have not been ablt to get through to the UK team all week last week and they are not phoning back after leaving messages or responding to emails now.

Have had to speak to germany but then there's no continuity and i have to explain the whole saga from the very beginning every time i phone. I get the same things every time, 'have you checked the event codes' etc...

Really starting to get fed up with it all now.

 

[morpheus75]

to be honest ive not spoken to sma or sanyo purely because of the responses from the previous posts, ie they themselves didnt know what was happening. there are no error logs being reported by the inverter at all so i have nothing to go on with.
personally i am going for installing a new inverter as i am fortunate in that the scaffolding is still on the house so i am going to change the panel config from 1 string into 2.

 

[grandfortune]

I should think that SMA should take more interest in sorting this, as it maybe sanyo thats the problem, but its just easy to swap the inverter so they are loosing out.l

 

[Robert Carter]

No not any nearere solution. Have now replces Sanyo with Hyundai 250w panels but still got same problem. Short citrcuit test and voltage are correct to DC isolater but drops dramatically when going from this to the Inverter.
Any clues anyone ???

 

[Robert Carter]

Any update, on your situation? We have one system displaying this fault and we are preparing to swap the 2000HF for a Fronius like the original poster, however I would like to understand what is causing this, wasted a lot of time on this problem!

No we have just replaced panels after speaking with SMA. Have now got Hyundai panels on. We still have the same problem. Voltage is correct and amps correct at DC switch. AS soon as it goes in to the inverter we are just getting 1.1amps and about 200w power. Have now checked everything. We even put on a fronius 20g inveretr. Looking for some help here. Off to replace DC switch tommorrow.

 

[Energetic]

@ Morphues: I urge you to speak to SMA if you are having this problem. They don't seem to be taking it seriously enough. The germans are claiming not to even know about it by my last phonecall.

@Robert Carter: this is the first i've heard of the problem with a panel other than Sanyo. it suggests to me that rather than a compatibility issue it may be a faulty component of some kind? Has it been any better with the fronius?

 

[morpheus75]

Powerone online tech director knows of the issue and suggested to turn opti-trac on bu i couldnt find hat option on the hf inverter. He said on tl it does the trick. I will speak to ma tomoz but i also have a pvi36outd coming tomoz but wont be installing till weekend.


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[Robert Carter]

@ Morphues: I urge you to speak to SMA if you are having this problem. They don't seem to be taking it seriously enough. The germans are claiming not to even know about it by my last phonecall.

@Robert Carter: this is the first i've heard of the problem with a panel other than Sanyo. it suggests to me that rather than a compatibility issue it may be a faulty component of some kind? Has it been any better with the fronius?

No we have exactly same problem with fronius inverter.Tested all panels on install and short circuit all the correct readings from the array up to the DC isolater. It goes down hill after that
SMA have no idea or solutions to this problem but I suspect its not an inverter problem now as we have now tried 2 SMA 2500HF and a fronius inverter . All do the same
Not exactly impressed with SMA myself.

 

[SolarCity]

Powerone online tech director knows of the issue and suggested to turn opti-trac on bu i couldnt find hat option on the hf inverter. He said on tl it does the trick. I will speak to ma tomoz but i also have a pvi36outd coming tomoz but wont be installing till weekend.


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Power One tech help were helping you out with an SMA problem?

 

[morpheus75]

Power One tech help were helping you out with an SMA problem?

Sorry it was power-store also known as ccl components. I mentioned it to one of their tech guys whilst i was ordering the inverter. He himself was unaware of the issue but his tech directer was and i got an email a few hours later. Soz for confusion


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[Energetic]

i know there's big things going on now but i have another update to this thread which is contrary to some of my recent ones.

We had a call from the customer we swapped the SB3000HF out for a Fronius IG TL 3.0 today and the fault has reoccurred. Again a nice sunny day where it should have been going well.

This problem cannot be SMA inverters after this, it must be panel or DC wiring problem.

Not what we wanted to hear today after the EST business...

 

[jamescdrw]

Hi all im new here Just completed my first install and hows your luck i installed 12x sharp nu 250 j5 pannels and an sma 3000hf invertor and i was ready for my first system switch on to find that i was only getting at max 1.2amps and around 400v spoke to sma and they said they had past it on to the germans to find out what was going on in the mean time they have sent out a replacement invertor which will be here tuesday i recomend to everyone stay clear of the sma 3000 hf

 

[morpheus75]

quick update i replaced my sma-3000hf yesterday with a power one 3.6 outd, so lets see what happens. again i am comparing with a mate of mine about 10 miles away

 

[Energetic]

I know everyone is a bit busy at the moment but has anyone had any joy resolving this issue?

 

[morpheus75]

Inverter changed 10 days ago and now getting comparable generation readings compared to my friends. Only problem is no sunny days so cannot test properly. Last week 1 sunny day peaked at 1400w but that was the highlight. Every other day 1-2kw generated daily due to overcast cloudy drizzly conditions


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[Zach Halley]

Hi BiggsSolar It didn't appear like that on the Fronius configurator unless I read it wrong. It also says: Please note: Module grounding at the Fronius IG TL not possible!

Module grounding is only an issue with Thin-Film modules whereby you must ground either the positive or negative DC cable. It is not possible on any TL inverter as far as I know due to the lack of galvanic isolation. i.e. by the very design of the circuitry