SolarEdge CT Clamp Errors

[Hutchinj]

For those of you installing SolarEdge monitoring or for those who are experiencing weird data from their MySolarEdge app, check the orientation of the CT Clamps in your main power distribution panel. My app was reporting obviously incorrect data... such as NO consumption at night and crazy high during the day... so I knew something was wrong somewhere.

bad.jpg

After convincing my installer to send a tech out to investigate, they found that the SolarEdge CT Clamps *were* installed correctly, but the LABELS on the clamps that indicate which way they should be aligned were backwards. Hey SolarEdge... ever heard of "Quality Control?"

ct_clamp.jpg

So after turning the clamps around so they were aligned thr correct way, the MySolarEdge app graph's look as expected as shown in today's partial graph, below:

good.jpg

[bcroe]

Maybe the plug was wired backwards. Bruce Roe

[Hutchinj]

Maybe the plug was wired backwards. Bruce Roe

Yeh, that's possible but in this case, BOTH plugs were wrong. You get similar errors if just ONE plug is backwards.

Regardless, it's an easy fix if anyone else sees the same kind of weird data after having SE monitoring turned on.

[bcroe]

Quality control should have checked operation before they shipped. I could tell you
a sad story about some cooling fans that did not. Bruce Roe

[oregon_phil]

Yeh, that's possible but in this case, BOTH plugs were wrong. You get similar errors if just ONE plug is backwards.

Regardless, it's an easy fix if anyone else sees the same kind of weird data after having SE monitoring turned on.

Reference Application Note – HD-Wave Inverters with Built-In RGM & Consumption Monitoring for North America

The CT's are terminated in the field (i.e. no connectors on the CT's). As you pointed out, both CT's were in "installed in the wrong direction". Most likely, field terminations to the extension wires OR wire terminations to the RGM were performed 180 degrees out of phase on both CT's.

This doesn't really matter much. Maybe 10 years from now, you might wonder how in the world could the CT's installed backwards in your electrical panel be showing the correct power consumption. While it's still fresh in your mind, you could flip the CT's around like they are they are labeled and change the CT wiring at RGM. Just a thought. It works now anyway.

If you do chose to work on the CT's, there are numerous safety measures that must be maintained. Dangerous voltage potential can found even on a CT signal line if proper CT connect/disconnect procedures are not followed. Please read up on them if you chose to work on the CT's.

[Hutchinj]

If you do chose to work on the CT's, there are numerous safety measures that must be maintained. Dangerous voltage potential can found even on a CT signal line if proper CT connect/disconnect procedures are not followed. Please read up on them if you chose to work on the CT's.

No worries, Phil. I'm a wuss when it comes to this stuff so I'll gladly refer to qualified electricians. At least I'll be an ALIVE wuss.