Pv system running watts

[DanS26]

Eyedro could be measuring volt amps but incorrectly reporting as watts This has been reported in other forums and other measurement devices as the cause of unusual unexplained night time consumption.

Using another measuring device to confirm or deny would settle the issue.

[vino1982]

i will try an amp probe Ideal meter

[vino1982]

i used my Ideal amp probe... with pv disco in off position i was reading 4.1 amps @ 117 volts 479 watts which corresponds roughly with eyedro (525 watts). immediately after turning on pv disco my amprobe jumps to 5.6 amps @ 117 volts 655 watts... a 176 watt difference... this is on one leg of power, the other is harder to get at...

[DanS26]

Well that is interesting.....you now know that one or more of your Enphase micros are using more power than in the specs. Its a pain...but the only way to know which one is to disconnect one at a time to find the offender(s).

Start with disconnecting strings...then when you find the offending string....then disconnect individual Micros.

[vino1982]

the other leg... pv disco off 6.2 amps @ 117 volts 725 watts... pv disco on 7.4 amps @ 117 volts 865 watts... 140 watt difference... both legs 316 watts total pv system draw

[vino1982]

annual kwh... 2737kwh costing $602 a year

[DanS26]

With that much $ involved it becomes a treasure hunt.

[vino1982]

i gotta say this is cdertainly unacceptable and puts a real wrench in my expected savings and pay off of the system. There must be a correction available and necessary.

[ButchDeal]

Well that is interesting.....you now know that one or more of your Enphase micros are using more power than in the specs. Its a pain...but the only way to know which one is to disconnect one at a time to find the offender(s).

Start with disconnecting strings...then when you find the offending string....then disconnect individual Micros.

how does he know this?
he doesn't know direction. could easily be home consumption on the one leg of 525watts and then production of 1,150 watts (just one leg) for a net production of 655.

[vino1982]

i feel it is certain that (considering the panels are covered in snow, they are not producing) when having my amp probe positioned over the main leg of power and switching the pv disco on/off and seeing a 1.3a spike that it is without doubt the pv system causing the current draw

[DanS26]

how does he know this?
he doesn't know direction. could easily be home consumption on the one leg of 525watts and then production of 1,150 watts (just one leg) for a net production of 655.

He said he isolated the circuit by turning everything else off except for the modem. Unless there is a load not controlled by a CB then the PV circuit is consuming the load.

The only other explanation is a load on the PV circuit which should never happen unless mis-wired.

[vino1982]

i am going to install the eyedro clamps on each Pv system tap in my electrical panel overnight. record any current draw. It should be very minimal if each inverter is only to draw very little wattage. I certainly shouldn't be seeing .3kwh orso usage.

[ButchDeal]

He said he isolated the circuit by turning everything else off except for the modem. Unless there is a load not controlled by a CB then the PV circuit is consuming the load.

so you are going back to his original post and not the :

i used my Ideal amp probe... with pv disco in off position i was reading 4.1 amps @ 117 volts 479 watts which corresponds roughly with eyedro (525 watts). immediately after turning on pv disco my amprobe jumps to 5.6 amps @ 117 volts 655 watts... a 176 watt difference... this is on one leg of power, the other is harder to get at...

[ButchDeal]

i am going to install the eyedro clamps on each Pv system tap in my electrical panel overnight. record any current draw. It should be very minimal if each inverter is only to draw very little wattage. I certainly shouldn't be seeing .3kwh orso usage.

I doubt that will do much good as the eyedro is not accurate enough and doesn't correct for voltage.

You should see very little going to the inverters but you have another test option. You should have multiple strings with seperate breakers. I would guess that these breakers are in this white box you mentioned. You could turn off each string independently at night or early morning and see if there is a different amp draw.

Or you could use your clamp on amp meter at night on each string to see if there is much draw on any one of them, again at night or before sun up.

Check that your enphase monitoring online account is showing zero production before doing this.

[DanS26]

...... You should have multiple strings with seperate breakers. I would guess that these breakers are in this white box you mentioned. You could turn off each string independently at night or early morning and see if there is a different amp draw.........

Butch...I recommended the same thing see post #19.

I don't think the "white box" is a combiner box based on the OP's comments....I think he has three strings feeding his distribution panel. Three sets of tandem breakers.