Recommendation for PV Test Equipment
Hello,
I am a new member from St. Louis, MO. I'm with a new company, and we're already putting in our first 25k array. I'm evaluating PV test equipment for commissioning (ie Solmetric, Seaward, etd). What do you all recommend as the best way to go? (Yes, we have standard multimeters and ammeters). Do the dedicated meters and IV tracers help out?
Thanks!
It would be nice to be able to monitor watts for each string of PV, remotely. Then when you are walking the the bum array, you can use the local volt & amp meter to narrow down the trouble.
Since the dawn of time it has been mankind's dream to blot out the sun.
Montgomery Burns
"Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it."
spreadsheet based voltage drop calculator:
http://www.solar-guppy.com/download/...calculator.zip
http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...oss-calculator
http://www.mike-burgess.org/PVinfo_2.html
solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,
battery lugs http://tinyurl.com/LMR-BigLug
Setting up batteries http://tinyurl.com/LMR-NiFe
gear :
Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV || || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A
We recently started working with Solmetric to rent the units to people for several reasons but the major reasons being they want to try it out without forking up to much dough up front.
When I was in marketing a few years ago and we began with the HuskeFlux Solar 900 which I think would be a pretty solid unit but never got my hands on to try. After the two or so years of market research the market team decided on the Solmetric unit, to start, for now.
Those are they only two units I'm familiar but will mention Seaward to marketing.
The IV tracer is a very nifty way of graphing power output of a system.
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