APSystems installation

[bob-n]

You're not dense. AP documentation is awful and our writing isn't perfect. In my system, I used the APsystems connectors as they intended. I bought cable for 5 QS1 quad inverters. It came as one long piece, with cut ends, as shown below. I've shown the cable as one line, but it is actually three conductors.
Cable.jpg
I cut it between the 3rd and fourth connector and capped two cut ends, leaving two bare ends. The bare ends go to the junction or combiner box. Here's a diagram.
APsystemsArray.jpg

I was disappointed in my AP connectors. The holding tabs on them were broken off on most of the connectors, so they simply fell apart when connected. I had to secure them together with cable ties.

It sounds like Pir8radio did something different. He/she simply cut off the AP connectors completely and just wired like any common cable. I assume he used good outdoor wiring practice.

[RShackleford]

I just cut the ends off of mine, and used 240v plugs on the end, and ran them to 240v outlets ...

Outlets ? You mean junction boxes ? So you didn't bother daisy-chaining the inverters with "Y" cables, you just ran a cable from each inverter to one central junction box and then tied 'em to the cable carrying the total AC output ?

The cable that Renvu sent me was one long length of 12 AWG 3 conductor, and meant to be cut into segments for 2 or 3 microinverters per segment.

It looks like there's a unusual (if not proprietary) connector) for the AC output of the QS1. Did you buy some of those and somehow connect 'em to this cut-to-length cable ?

Sorry to be dense, but I am still (obviously) totally confused.

[bob-n]

The cable that Renvu sent me was one long length of 12 AWG 3 conductor, and meant to be cut into segments for 2 or 3 microinverters per segment. There were no end connectors. I believe it was 11mm or 12mm outside diameter.

[Pir8radio]

I'm a little confused here. I thought the trunk cable was sold as discrete "Y" units either 2m or 4m in length (https://www.renvu.com/Solar/APSystem...able-2m-6Ft-_4) with two connectors to connect to neighboring trunk cables and a third connector to the QS1.

Inexplicably they use 14awg wire, which means 15 amps max, so you can only put three QS1 units on a string (thanks to Renvu for pointing this out: https://www.renvu.com/Learn/How-Many...?website=solar); this is a bummer for me, planning a 16-panel installation). I might as well run all 4 QS1s to a junction box using the cheaper YC600 cable and forget the Y-cables.

I just cut the ends off of mine, and used 240v plugs on the end, and ran them to 240v outlets (shown in this post: https://www.solarpaneltalk.com/forum...408#post408408 ). Mainly because a few of my inverters came with broken bus cables in shipping and I didn't want to deal with sending them back. I think ap systems is switching to all of the same bus cables. they are all cut to length type cables now.

[RShackleford]

The QS1 trunk cable is a long three-wire 12 AWG cord with connectors every 2 meters. It comes in a continuous length, with 1 meter stubs on each end. APSystems allows you to cut it as desired into individual runs. Each individual run can service up to 3 microinverters (12AWG limit). Connect one end of that run to the combiner or junction box and place a sealing cap on the other end.

I'm a little confused here. I thought the trunk cable was sold as discrete "Y" units either 2m or 4m in length (https://www.renvu.com/Solar/APSystem...able-2m-6Ft-_4) with two connectors to connect to neighboring trunk cables and a third connector to the QS1.

Inexplicably they use 14awg wire, which means 15 amps max, so you can only put three QS1 units on a string (thanks to Renvu for pointing this out: https://www.renvu.com/Learn/How-Many...?website=solar); this is a bummer for me, planning a 16-panel installation). I might as well run all 4 QS1s to a junction box using the cheaper YC600 cable and forget the Y-cables.

[bob-n]

Sorry, the forum seems to conceal urls. Hover over the blue url to see the actual text.

[bob-n]

I found this in one of the APsystems help screens. It allows the public to view my array production:

https://www.apsystemsema.com/ema/int...xxxxxxxxxxxxxx &locale=en_US

I don't know if this will work with the ECU-R, but it seems to work with ECU-C. Note: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx needs to be replaced by the id number of my (or your) installation. The id number showed up on the settings screen.

[Pir8radio]

I reported this "dark generation of 4 watts" issue to APsystems. They opened a ticket and referred the ticket to China R&D. I guess that means that it's a bug and not something we did installers wrong. I'll let everyone know how the R&D team responds.

On a slightly different subject, Enphase offers users a public page to share the production from their array with a link like: https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/...tems/xxxxxxxxx

Do you know if APsystems has a similar way to share data with others?

Thank you.

No, but you have the ECU-C the commercial version (C) has built in web interface that you could share directly, Guessing creating another read only user and open the port on your firewall, or depending how technical you are put nginx in front of it and allow only access to whatever you want to share. I have not bought the ecu-c yet i have the ecu-r right now, will be ordering the C soon.

[bob-n]

I reported this "dark generation of 4 watts" issue to APsystems. They opened a ticket and referred the ticket to China R&D. I guess that means that it's a bug and not something we did installers wrong. I'll let everyone know how the R&D team responds.

On a slightly different subject, Enphase offers users a public page to share the production from their array with a link like: https://enlighten.enphaseenergy.com/...tems/xxxxxxxxx

Do you know if APsystems has a similar way to share data with others?

Thank you.

[Pir8radio]

Pir8radio - Thank you. Yes, I'm through that and running.

I've got some sort of bug where the app is reporting 36 to 50 watts of dark generation (perpetual motion???) The app inverter map shows a few panels putting out power at night and also putting out power with the circuit breaker open, and these panels are with different inverters.

The inverter map below shows my 20 panels on my 5 inverters: 0, 1, 6, 7 and 9. Each inverter has two panels putting out between 2 and 4 watts at 9:30PM. Very odd.

At first I thought it was offset in the current transformer (CT) input amplifier. Now I'm not sure. One other oddity is that the dealer sold me an off-brand CT, not the APsystems CT. Could that be a part of the problem? Even if the off-brand CT has a different turns ratio, it still wouldn't explain this
Thank you for your thoughts.

Those per panel values actually come from the CT’s inside each inverter. I see the same thing. Two panels show wattage on each inverter when dark. I have not dug into it but I assume it’s maybe what the inverter is consuming from the grid for its internal electronics and zigbee? However 4 watts is a lot for that. Let me know what you find.

[bob-n]

Pir8radio - Thank you. Yes, I'm through that and running.

I've got some sort of bug where the app is reporting 36 to 50 watts of dark generation (perpetual motion???) The app inverter map shows a few panels putting out power at night and also putting out power with the circuit breaker open, and these panels are with different inverters.

The inverter map below shows my 20 panels on my 5 inverters: 0, 1, 6, 7 and 9. Each inverter has two panels putting out between 2 and 4 watts at 9:30PM. Very odd.

At first I thought it was offset in the current transformer (CT) input amplifier. Now I'm not sure. One other oddity is that the dealer sold me an off-brand CT, not the APsystems CT. Could that be a part of the problem? Even if the off-brand CT has a different turns ratio, it still wouldn't explain this.
DarkPower.jpg
Thank you for your thoughts.

[Pir8radio]

We're up and running today, with the blessings of both the building inspector and power company. Yay!

Now comes the challenge of configuring the APsystems ECU-C-Zigbee monitoring device. Anyone here set up one of them? I'd love advice or experiences.

Thank you.

Just enable the wifi, get the app, go to add devices, and scan the bar-codes with your camera phone via the app!

[bob-n]

We're up and running today, with the blessings of both the building inspector and power company. Yay!

Now comes the challenge of configuring the APsystems ECU-C-Zigbee monitoring device. Anyone here set up one of them? I'd love advice or experiences.

Thank you.

[bob-n]

We're up and running today, with the blessings of both the building inspector and power company. Yay!

Now comes the challenge of configuring the APsystems ECU-C-Zigbee monitoring device. Anyone here set up one of them? I'd love advice or experiences.

Thank you.

[Pir8radio]

Beautiful install. Thank you for sharing all of the information.

About the cable you show: it seems odd that the connector has three pins, but the cable only has two wires. There's clearly a middle pin in the connector, as there is in mine.

I can't tell from the photo whether yours have the star grounding washer under the center of the mounting flange, where the ground screw goes. I didn't see that washer on yours but it could be just the angle of the picture.

The star washer was on the other side just stuck on with double sided tape... most of them fell off in the box during shipping, I too had broken bus connectors, which is one of the reasons I just went with 240v plugs. Yea there are three plastic pins on the connector but only the left and right actually have metal contacts in mine (bus cable) the inverter has all three metal contacts... Not sure why the change.. If you look really close at about the 7 o'clock point, in the bus cable picture above, you can read the cable says 2C/12awg