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  • Solaredge 2 of the 3 strings dead

    My church has a largish solar PV installation.
    It is a Solaredge installation with 4 inverters. Each inverter has either 2 or 3 "strings". Each string has 10 Solaredge P600 optimizers that has either 1 or 2 panels attached.
    On two of the inverters we have string failures.
    Both of the inverters with failures had 3 strings.
    On one of the inverters it is shows 2 of the 3 strings as essentially dead.
    When looking in the layout view, it shows 0Wh to 15Wh of production for the optimizers in the "dead" strings.
    Other optimizers on a "good string" have generated during the same amount of time ~1kwh or ~2kwh. (~1kwh for one module attached, ~2kwh for two modules attached to the optimizer)

    All the optimizers appear to be communicating with their inverter (I see "30/30" on the inverter's LCD panel.)

    Anyone heard of an issue like this before?

    The installer should in theory take care of things. But I'm less than thrilled with their response so far. It's been 2 weeks since I told them about the issue, and during that time it's gone from 2/10 strings failing to 3/10 failing. And I still don't have an ETA on when they'll have someone physically out to the site to investigate.

  • #2
    Maybe the Almighty is trying to tell the congregation something.

    I've been told the Lord works in mysterious ways.

    Just sayin'.

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    • #3
      The subcontractor was out and did diagnostics.
      They spent an hour waiting for Solaredge to answer the phone.
      Eventually reached the conclusion that it is the fuse holders (inside the DC disconnect - apparently were not installed correct at the factory)

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      • #4
        Originally posted by foo1bar View Post
        The subcontractor was out and did diagnostics.
        They spent an hour waiting for Solaredge to answer the phone.
        Eventually reached the conclusion that it is the fuse holders (inside the DC disconnect - apparently were not installed correct at the factory)
        Did SolarEdge ever answer the phone or did that conclusion/answer come from an on high inspiration ?

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        • #5
          Originally posted by foo1bar View Post
          The subcontractor was out and did diagnostics.
          They spent an hour waiting for Solaredge to answer the phone.
          Eventually reached the conclusion that it is the fuse holders (inside the DC disconnect - apparently were not installed correct at the factory)
          more likely the installer didn't torque the connections down appropriately.
          There are no fuse holders in the DC disconnect as there are no fuses or need for fuses on the SolarEdge DC disconnect.
          OutBack FP1 w/ CS6P-250P http://bit.ly/1Sg5VNH

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          • #6
            Solaredge did answer the phone after over an hour.
            I'm assuming that the check of the fuse holders was because of talking with SE tech. Because before that the installer hadn't mentioned the fuse holders.
            The installer had checked that they saw 10V (for 10 optimizers) on each string when they're not connected. And they had upgraded the firmware before calling SE.

            Originally posted by ButchDeal View Post
            There are no fuse holders in the DC disconnect as there are no fuses or need for fuses on the SolarEdge DC disconnect.
            There are indeed fuses and fuseholders in the DC disconnect ("Safety switch") for a SE 14.4k

            On page 98 of this manual:
            https://www.solaredge.com/sites/defa...-manual-na.pdf
            "Number of DC inputs: 3 pairs (with fuses on plus & minus)"


            Originally posted by ButchDeal View Post
            more likely the installer didn't torque the connections down appropriately.
            I saw pictures, and the scorch marks look like it probably is the factory's fault.
            I didn't see evidence of overheating at the spot where the wires to the array were fastened
            In any case, SE either believes that it's their fault or they're willing to eat the cost on the fuse holders as a good-will gesture.
            Now we just have to wait for the fuse holders to arrive.


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            • #7
              Originally posted by foo1bar View Post
              Solaredge did answer the phone after over an hour.
              I'm assuming that the check of the fuse holders was because of talking with SE tech. Because before that the installer hadn't mentioned the fuse holders.
              The installer had checked that they saw 10V (for 10 optimizers) on each string when they're not connected. And they had upgraded the firmware before calling SE.



              There are indeed fuses and fuseholders in the DC disconnect ("Safety switch") for a SE 14.4k

              On page 98 of this manual:
              https://www.solaredge.com/sites/defa...-manual-na.pdf
              "Number of DC inputs: 3 pairs (with fuses on plus & minus)"




              I saw pictures, and the scorch marks look like it probably is the factory's fault.
              I didn't see evidence of overheating at the spot where the wires to the array were fastened
              In any case, SE either believes that it's their fault or they're willing to eat the cost on the fuse holders as a good-will gesture.
              Now we just have to wait for the fuse holders to arrive.

              My mistake i missed that this was three phase in the chain.
              OutBack FP1 w/ CS6P-250P http://bit.ly/1Sg5VNH

              Comment


              • #8
                We had a 400amp 208V 3-phase Square-D load center installed for a laboratory we were having renovated (which was installed by one of the top 3 commercial Union electrician groups in NJ) on which one of the three hot leg busbars was inadequately torqued (or perhaps not torqued at all) at the factory.

                After about a month under load (~100amps/phase) we started to get nuisance trips of the main breaker. When we finally opened up the panel the improperly torqued busbar had already turned blue from thermal discoloration. I cannot imagine how hot it must have been getting.

                Fortunately, it didn't start a fire, and after being properly torqued, we thermally imaged the panel under load and all was well. Now we proactively image all of the new wiring and panels we have installed. Also found a badly fractured stranded pig tail inside of a UPS bypass panel which was also defective from the factory. Also many single and two pole breakers that were just "hotter than normal" which we also proactively had replaced.

                "Distrust . . and Verify!"

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