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Compatability issues with SMA HF and Sanyo panels

Discuss Compatability issues with SMA HF and Sanyo panels in the Solar PV Forum | Solar Panels Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net

Re: Help with fault?

@ Biggs, my tester doesn't like me trying to get a resistance when there's lots of DC voltage present, how is this done?



I think the only way you could do this in the day would be to cover the array and test this would be pretty difficult to do, when we first started I did this on a small display array of 4 panels we had just to see how practical it would be , simple answer is it isn't but it may well rule out the panel fault theory
 
Re: Help with fault?

Our first install, on my own house is 12 x Sanyo HIT N240's in 1 string and SB 2500HF. The weather in Central Scotland has been pretty crap since the install last week and the generation figures are not impressive.

These are the figures:

Fri 30/9/11 - 4.9kWh
Sat 1/10/11 - 0.5 kWh
Sun 2/10/11 - 2.3kWh
Mon 3/10/11 - 2.9kwH

Can anyone tell me if these are typical figures or have I got a problem?
 
Re: Help with fault?

It is quite likely you have a problem, certainly when only generating 0.5kWh on Saturday, although the fault we have is only occurring on the clearest and brightest days.

I recommend you interrogate your data on Sunny explorer by connecting to your inverter using a bluetooth enabled lap top. The fault being discussed on this thread is very distinctive due the the drop off being so rapid (3000W down to 300W for example) and then holding at a low level until reset.
 
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On Sunny explorer can you access any events logged like on the sunnybeam ? ie grid disturbance I can't find this
I know you can look at the graphs to see when drops in output occur which will give you times etc, but when you have a scenario like this it would be useful
 
Re: Help with fault?

It is quite likely you have a problem, certainly when only generating 0.5kWh on Saturday, although the fault we have is only occurring on the clearest and brightest days.

I recommend you interrogate your data on Sunny explorer by connecting to your inverter using a bluetooth enabled lap top. The fault being discussed on this thread is very distinctive due the the drop of being so rapid (3000W down to 300W for example) and then holding at a low level until reset.

Got MCS accreditation visit tomorrow. If we pass I am really going to get into the nitty gritty of interrogating the inverter.

Saturday was a really horrible day - rained all day and very dark all day.

Sorry if I am on the wrong thread. New here and not to sure of the protocol. Should I have started a new thread?
 
Re: Help with fault?

Got MCS accreditation visit tomorrow. If we pass I am really going to get into the nitty gritty of interrogating the inverter.

Saturday was a really horrible day - rained all day and very dark all day.

Sorry if I am on the wrong thread. New here and not to sure of the protocol. Should I have started a new thread?


Ok, good luck with your MCS certification, a fault will be obvious when you do get a chance to interrogate with Sunny Explorer.

There is another thread that may interest you.
[h=2]Low system output during indian summer? [/h]
 
Explorer has been really useful for hunting out our issue. The daily graphs i have posted in this thread clearly show the problem. The data can also be exported in .csv files for each day showing the output in 5 minute intervals which is quite useful.

Event logs can be accessed and also exported to excel files with more detail than what is available on sunny beam.
 
Advised today that the TL inverters as stated by morgan123 in a previous post can power down if there's no earth connection as they dump, which is why they shouldn't be on a 30mA RCD.

Inverter swapped today for another brand...

Thanks to SMA UK for their help and support. Just waiting on a sunny day to see if it worked... Will keep you informed...
 
Thats answered my question on another thread. I will definately be fitting a Fronius IG30 to 12 240w Sanyo panels and not the sunny boy. Theyre great these forums.
 
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!
 
Just to update this thread, the new fronius inverter is working perfectly.

Its all well and good changing the inverter to solve the problem but do you have any idea what was the actual problem with the SMA? Was it an earthing issue? and what effect does the 30ma RCD have on the situation? (I believe SMA recommend 100ma)
 
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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!

The Fronius design tool, like Sunny Design, is only intended to help you match an inverter to an array. The IG TL 30, though oversized, is much more efficient than the IG30 and will definitely produce a better yield.
 
Just fired up a 10 panel HIT x 250w Sanyo and a 2500 HF inverter. The whole system has never got over 500w despite being running for 2 weeks. The system has produced 24 KWhours in tha time. Have spoken to SMA and they say its a sanyo problem. Sanyo say its SMA. Fault seems to lie with MPP trackers. Trying to get someone to admit liability.
Could anyone suggest a solution. Onther inverter maybe?? failing this I am taking all the panels off the roof FRiday and replacing with Schott or Hyundai. Got to get this fixed as the scaffold alone cost me £2000.00 and not prepared to leave a system that is prone to problems. Any help greatly received
 
@johnboy, there is no earth issue on this install and the earth thing is only a major issue on the TL range. And no problem with an RCD on a HF, just the TL's i believe.

The reason i changed it out to a Fronuis is beacaus i couldn't think of anything else to do, the issue seemed to be the inverter but SMA hadn't come up with anything other than swapping it out (which is helpful but still not a solution). Their feeling was that it was a Sanyo problem.

No abnormal test results of any kind, no event codes at all and nobody was able to give us a definitive answer, this problem has cost many hours of my time and much frustration for the customer and us and we are still no closer to a solution.

Thank you to everyone who has made suggestions...
 
@ Yanman, I personally am not quoting on Sanyo panels and SMA HF series inverters at all after this. i have no confidence in the combination.

We have plenty of other systems out there with different panels that are working fine and we really like the HF series in general but i will not match them with sanyo untill this is resolved.

We like the Fronius IGTL series for Sanyo as Biggs has said...
 
Does this mean using the Fronius IG TL that the array has to be bonded to earth as mentioned in other threads, cos I still can't get my head round that especially after reading this:
Fronius IG TL
field of application
NOTE The inverter is designed exclusively to be connected and
used with non-grounded solar modules (protection class II). The
solar modules cannot be grounded at either the positive or negative
pole.
 
You should bond the array to a earth spike, the inverter can be earthed at the MET.

As for the RCD issue i think there will be a large debate very soon.
 
Just fired up a 10 panel HIT x 250w Sanyo and a 2500 HF inverter. The whole system has never got over 500w despite being running for 2 weeks. The system has produced 24 KWhours in tha time. Have spoken to SMA and they say its a sanyo problem. Sanyo say its SMA. Fault seems to lie with MPP trackers. Trying to get someone to admit liability.
Could anyone suggest a solution. Onther inverter maybe?? failing this I am taking all the panels off the roof FRiday and replacing with Schott or Hyundai. Got to get this fixed as the scaffold alone cost me £2000.00 and not prepared to leave a system that is prone to problems. Any help greatly received

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!
 
Ive just installed 14 x sanyo hde240 with sb3000-hf inverter. Only turned on friday. 10 kwh produced over the 3 days but its been cloudy and overcast here in Leeds. Saturday bright sunny day and got peak of 1.5kw. So does this sound ok or am i experiencing this syndrome? Ps fri 2.3kw, sat 5.7kw, today 2.6kw
 
Ive just installed 14 x sanyo hde240 with sb3000-hf inverter. Only turned on friday. 10 kwh produced over the 3 days but its been cloudy and overcast here in Leeds. Saturday bright sunny day and got peak of 1.5kw. So does this sound ok or am i experiencing this syndrome? Ps fri 2.3kw, sat 5.7kw, today 2.6kw

Sounds fairly low to me, hard to tell without knowing the exact weather conditions but would be worth looking at Sunny Explorer to check the charts.


Down in the SW with the sun out we spoke to a customer who has 15 235 Sanyo's (on a Fronius) and it was peaking over 3000W. The reason we were there was because we were doing test on his neighbours system that has the fault (10 Sanyo 235W and a 2000HF).
 
hi, i have web box installed so here is the url for the data: thorn Energy and Power
let me know what you think? i know weather has a big part to play, but i have a mate with aurora inverter and sharp mono's, 10 miles away from me with similar facing roof. he was away for weekend so will be comparing with his system from tomoz
 
Ive just installed 14 x sanyo hde240 with sb3000-hf inverter. Only turned on friday. 10 kwh produced over the 3 days but its been cloudy and overcast here in Leeds. Saturday bright sunny day and got peak of 1.5kw. So does this sound ok or am i experiencing this syndrome? Ps fri 2.3kw, sat 5.7kw, today 2.6kw

To give you something to very roughly compare with - we have just installed 16 x 250's on a West facing roof with a Power One inverter. Commissioned late on Friday afternoon - 13kwh by Sunday morning first thing.....
 
Doesnt look too good for me then. Will have to look at another inverter. Will give a few days and compare with my mate.
Thanks for help guys!!
 
just looking at inverters, have i read this right that the power one pvi3600 can be set to 2 trackers? this would be ideal as i have a chimney shade for a few hours in the mornings
 

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